This little one is quite spunky. I've yet to see him back down from a challenge. He handled this scenario quite well after a retake. Again, I can't say enough how pleased I am that the boys are comfortable making mistakes and trying again. Gush, gush, gloat, gloat. . .really, thank you Jesus!

 Our Christmas party for 2011. After a rainy week God promised me good weather this morning as I talked to Him about the day, and good weather it was! The kids had fun and so did the adults. The food was great.  I have to call the chef and thank her. Here the boys are doing their thing for the camera.

Striking poses as only boys can!














The girls with their candy canes!

Food having been served, the kids gravitated to the only table that was available that evening. Although some one had locked up all the chairs and there was only this table, we made do with kiddie chairs, lively music and lots of good cheer (pun intended;-)) Moving out of the picture at the left is the lady who keeps the place tidy for us to enjoy ourselves.

This one is more complete and is quite funny. The whole idea was to say no to drugs, but the younger boy who is only now just old enough to start coming to Youth Link on a regular basis, was a clear push over for the "drug dealer" and everyone dissolved into laughter at his actions. (So true in real life though, so we'll be bringin up this topic soon!)

This clip is from our Christmas party. The skits were fun and quite funny too. Even when they didn't quite get it right, the boys seemed happy. I loved their overall confidence and how comfortable they are with making mistakes in front of their friends. They're really growing!

 The day the kids handed out fliers in the
neighbourhood to advertise their youth group
was fun. We had lots of people praying for good
weather and that's exactly what we got.  Here are the boys at the gate of one of the residents. They enjoyed this exercise and wouldn't you, if you knew that an outing to Chefette awaited you?





Here's some of the gang with one of the mentors.
The other boys did not find us until later in the evening, but they had earned their stripes on
Tuesday when we literally traversed hill and dale
handing out the fliers. They took me through some sections of my old neighbourhood that I had
not visited since I was about 12 years old! It  was
fun, to say the least and at times, it felt as though
I was going back in time.

Here's every one finally at Chefette. The kids were VERY well-behaved and their appetites
were healthy after all that walking:-)

Hamming it up for the camera

Learning about the love of Jesus and spreading the Good News is definitely full of unforgettable moments. I hope that I never get tired of doing this and that if I do, there are people there to hold my hands up as they did for Moses when he grew battle weary.

Some of the participants of The Summer Writers' Workshop which ran from August 8-19, 2011. International author Jewel Allison is seated on the far left. The workshop which was held at Parkinson Memorial Secondary School, was a venture that I will never forget. The participants blessed me in so many ways, that I'm thankful that I was obedient and went ahead and conducted it.

There was no reading camp this year because the teacher who I work with on this venture, went away on holiday. There was a writers' workshop instead. This workshop, sponsored by KIA and dubbed "The Summer Writers' Workshop" was a blessing in many ways! Initially opened just for kids, adults wanted in as well. I could not refuse them and was very glad that I did not. Here they all are hard at work.

The young man who built this from our Jenga bricks during the games session, wants to be either a mason or an architect. It is for children like these that KIA exists! They have so much latent gifts!

Bible study sesion at Youth Link in August 2011. Auntie Beverley was a hit with the boys. She did the Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin and they really got into it! The boys seemed eager to share what pets they owned and what they would do if one went astray. One boy has 15 drakes which he raises with the help of his grandfather.

One of our intercessors stopped by on movie evening. Her son was with her. It was good to have them. The intercessors are the oil and fuel that keep the KIA engine running!

One of our mentors and the young men back in August. This is also from our movie evening batch of photos.

Movie evening at the community centre in August 2010. Somtimes the youth choose the movies. Sometimes we do. Discussion after can be interesting, depending on the movie and depending on who is visiting.

Three of our mentors on our Chefette outing back in April 2010. The evening was a very good one and the boys shared their dreams, hopes and fears. These young men are quite special. I think that they opened up because of the presence of a male mentor. He really felt their pulse. This husband and wife team(second and third from the left) have been a real blessing to KIA, as has been my friend of many years who is in the foreground backing the camera.

Two of the Youth Link boys watching a movie. Don't remember what was showing that evening!

Our outing to Chefette with the older KIA members. We call them Youth Link because they don't like being called kids, and indeed they're either adolescents or young men! All these boys here and three more were signed up for Skills Training. Two gained certificates. One now works with his uncle and the other has returned to Skills Training to do carpentry.

KIA kids with their sailing certificates (circa2000), the year they learned to sail at The Yacht Club. A church member at New Life Family Fellowship obtained sponsors from her work place for all the kids here! Then, here they are in 1998 eagerly waiting to board the boat to go across to the Atlantis submarine. Auntie Sylvie is with them.

Fun!

                                             

All grown up now, kids on board the Atlantis in 1998 and after Christmas gift exchange at Kids Bible Study at New Life Family Fellowship in 1999. . .where it all started. Here, they are on board the submarine with Auntie Diana!  There was Kids in Action T-Shirt in existence then, as is evident in the last photo. I still have my old one. In time to come we'll redesign and come with an even better one!

Blast from the past-February 2000

Holetown Festival

KIA long ago! Preparing our stall at the Holetown Festival. The kids pitched in and one little girl and her mum made the dolls. All hands were on deck as both adults and children pitched in and Auntie Sharon from the Land of the Hummingbird made doubles. . .yes we even had a food stall.

KIA Craft!

KIA 2009. Kids show off their handicraft. They made masks, pencil holders and pom-pom pencils that year!

ABOUT KIDS IN ACTION

Kids in Action is a registered charity, started in 1998 when I was a member of New Life Family Fellowship. It seeks to provide meaningful, Christ centred activities for the community's children, adolescents and young adults ages 7 through 29. The arm for older participants is known as Youth Link. Our goal is to encourage kids to stay  in school, stay away from drugs, gangs and violence and to apply God's word to their daily lives. We also seek to place those of working age in jobs or to get them trained in the acquisition of a skill. To date we have placed seven young men in Skills Training. We have had reading camps for three consecutive summers(2008,2009,2010)and meet every other Saturday at a local community centre.

 An essay by Talia!



          A masterpiece by one of the kids!

A visit to the museum means completing work sheets received after the tour! Months later, one child answered a question correctly based on that tour:-)

Auntie Deanne and me with the kids at reading camp. I'm holding "Black Belly Sheep." Deanne actually made him! She is a remarkable story teller and her props are the best! This time around she had a rain maker, her trusty drum, her sheep, Anancy and her tiger. She made the last three herself. Slated to stay with us for one hour, she stayed for three. The kids just did not want her to leave!

Keeping youth groups fun

Kids get bored easily, but one thing they all seem to love, is to play. Our activity at youth group two Saturays ago comprised a basket ball game on the court followed by an indoor quiz after which prizes were given away.