one small step...

Martin is a staff member here on YWAM Las Vegas and he wrote this about his efforts to solve some of the needs of our city:

Victims of Las Vegas

September 14, 2010 by Martin

Las Vegas is a hub of sex workers and the human trafficking that goes with it. Many of these workers are international victims of human trafficking who were deceived, threatened, kidnapped, blackmailed, or trapped in some other way. Mostly women and girls, they come to the USA thinking that they will get an opportunity to make a better life for themselves or their children but find themselves held under physical and psychological bondage. They can’t leave if they wanted to. They have nowhere to go and many can’t even speak the language.

When the Las Vegas Metro Police liberates these international victims, they get sent to a safe house managed by the Salvation Army of Las Vegas. They are just beginning to be treated as victims instead of criminals. They are able to get a new T visa which allows them to live and work in the US rather than suffer the shame of returning to their homelands. Recently I met with the coordinators of this safe house and found that these victims, after having been put in the safe house, have to wait months in order to receive services or help in order to integrate into the community. We started free English as a Second Language classes out of the Pier Community Resource Center in the poorest neighborhood of Las Vegas and we are now going to start teaching ESL to these international victims of human trafficking. Later we hope to work with them with other life skills such as budgeting, setting goals, and job readiness training. We can also share about the amazing love of Jesus and the redemptive and transformational account of Mary Magdalene. Hopefully we can help them to do what they came to the US for: to make a better life for themselves and their children.

students from Texas offering free prayer on Fremont Street

August 2010 newsletter

Summer 2010 update

This summer we saw God do some cool stuff: many people came to know the Lord (we figure over 20), we saw God heal people’s physical and emotional wounds, we even saw some of the students give their lives to Christ! We also saw God grow and stretch and amaze about 120 youth. It was a great summer, we saw a lot of fruit from our work for the Lord and I know there is a lot of fruit that we will never see.
I learned a lot about obedience this summer. The only right reason to do anything is to do it for the glory of the Lord. I’ve been reading a lot of the gospel of John this summer. In chapter 14 it talks about how we have authority in the name of Jesus Christ to do the same miraculous things that Christ did while he was on earth. Then it says that if we love God, we will obey Him, and to do this, we can’t rely on our own human strength, we rely on the Holy Spirit working in and through us.
This summer really challenged me. It made me think about why I serve God, it’s not because it is easy or because I get any glory out of it, it is because living my life for God pleases and blesses Him and it brings Him glory and He is completely worthy of it! I faced some challenges this summer. I had some stuff going on in my personal life that made it really hard to concentrate, but by depending on God, I made it through and God still used me to do His work here in Vegas, mentoring youth and teaching them that God can do amazing things through them if they would just let Him.
Even though at some points I wanted to just give up, I didn’t because God is stronger than anything in my life or anything the enemy can throw at me. My theme verse for the summer was 2 Corinthians 12:8 “my grace is sufficient for you; my strength is perfected in your weakness.” This summer I grew so much in my character and in being fully dependent on God. I can’t wait to see what God shows me in this next season.


Student Testimonies...

“I liked the trip a lot. It helped me learn to witness to people. The trip helped me get out of my comfort zone because I usually don't talk to strangers as much. I felt like the trip changed me and helped me get closer to God. Overall it was a very nice experience and I hope to go on another mission trip soon.”
“I think the biggest lesson that I learned was just how much God loves us. I’ve always read about it and listened to sermons about it, but I don’t think I’ve ever experienced it as blatantly as I did during this trip with YWAM. This trip was such an amazing experience and I’ll always remember it.”
“When I went down to Las Vegas my life was changed forever I realized that my life was actually really good and I could make a difference in other people’s lives. I realized that I was actually living the good life compared to most. My experience in Vegas this summer helped me realize that not only other countries but our own needs help. God has put it in my life to talk to people I know and also those that I don’t know to help people as much as I can and bring as many to the lord as possible. I have been called to the Indonesian islands in the future and I believe that we are all called to missions where we live and we should never let anyone tells us not to do what God puts on us to do and this summer God has put more things on my heart than ever before and my life has changed drastically towards the strengthening of His kingdom here on earth.”

YWAM Las Vegas in the news!!!

http://www.lvrj.com/news/las-vegas-council-to-consider-new-ordinance-for-fremont-street-99882139.html

look for me in the red hand band and the purple shirt by the prayer sign...

Jesus

Jesus!

water, hamburgers and sun burns

So yesterday was really fun as well. William,this boy that lives next door...went to church with me. This is his second time, he seems to like it. Then we stopped by Taco Bell and we talked about the sermon. The sermon was about Grace and he really seemed to understand it...really smart kid. So then he came over to do some watercolor and play some pool and stuff, he liked that, we usually play basketball but it was just wayy to hot to be outside without water. SO then William and his 3 sisters Carmen, Vanessa, and Angie came with us staff to our BBQ that we had over at Sam's apartment. We did some swimming in the pool.That was lots of fun. I threw William quite a bit in the pool and showed off my strength.. After a couple of housrs of swimming we got out and ate some hamburgers and hot dogs. William and his sister Vanessa and Katie, Rich's daughter...really really wanted to go back to the pool. So I said..fiiine..really didn't want to, especially didn't want to get wet, but I went anyways because no one else would. SO they got in the pool and I stayed back and they kept trying to splash me and they kept trying to push me in the pool. Each of them kept getting out of the pool. Then all of a sudden..after like 30 minutes of them trying to do this, somehow they all got out of the pool at the same time and totally pushed me in the pool shirt and all!...Those kids, I wasn't really mad, I was pretty impressed, I really didn't think they'd get me in. It was a really good time. It was cool to have Carmen and Angie and Vanessa around other girls and mingle and stuff. We played 20 questions which apparently I play it wrong...I play it where you pick something and they got 20 questions to get it. The way they play I guess is you just ask someone 20 questions about themselves as a kinda get to know you game thing...I like my game better. I really love being a part of their family and I feel that party was a really important ingredient of ministering to their family. I have been hanging out with William a lot, and Carmen has been around our building volunteering for different things, but it was cool to have the whole family out, hopefully, God willing they will all come to church and youth group with me. The staff really liked how I am with the kids...I was like...well they are just really good kids and I love them. God has definitely given me a father heart. I have been the replacement for many young boys' life's..its one of the things I love to do and am really excited that my friendship with William is starting to have fruit. His dad is gone, in Central America..not sure if he is coming back, its a chance...but while he's gone I'm here. It is really cool that he is right next door. Literally he is like 5 feet from the base. It is really handy like now when I am really busy he can just pop in and say hi or I can find him outside playing basketball and bug him for a few minutes. I would hate to not be in his life everyday which I pretty much am. Thank God for the callings He puts on us. You give good gifts God!

first outreach of the summer!

So this weekend was really crazy and full, but wayy awesome! Sam and Beth and I prepared an amazing spread for brunch including waffles, fruit, muffins and awesomeness...then we packed up and headed to red rocks for some intense sweaty hiking. I didn't really feel like goin to Church after a long day of hiking in the heat, but I felt it was right to go anyways and I 'm really glad I did. Pastor Johnathan talked about how God is way more concerned with our hearts than with our works. He gave the analogy of the pomegranate tree; how it takes them 4 years to produce any fruit. sometimes it is like that, we have so much growing to do that we don't have much to show for it for may years...what is more important is cleaning the inside of the cup than the outside.Anyways after that was evangelism which I kinda had a bad attitude about, but that went away quickly. Man that was an awesome time...Paul and I prayed for three people. I believe them to be exactly who we were supposed to talk to. The first guy was this guy named Mike, I have seen him before; he is a street preacher. He was holding a sign that said Hell is a bad place..something like that. Immediately I get a bad taste in my mouth about those guys because the seem self righteous, and sometimes are...but I really felt like I should just go pray for him. I was sooo good, I just told him what I do in the city and told him I was thankful for what he is doing and that I just wanted to bless his work here in the city and he prayed for me and Paul too. Paul then really wanted to go inside the casino at Bilaggio, so we walked around the gaming area for a bit. Paul found this guy who ended up being from Chile. I can't remember his name......anyways, he was really cool, a real pleasant guy, kinda weirded out that we would talk to him, he said people were so much nicer and respectful in America than his country...I was like....um.........ok...not sure if I would agree, but thanks..He told us he was Catholic and that He is mainly Catholic because his family is..but also because God is good. I think he really enjoyed talking to us, he kept thanking us for what we were doing and kept saying that there needs to be more people in Las Vegas like us, he was very edifying! Then we went off walking, walked to the other end of the Billagio past the atrium. It was really cool, because Paul saw this guy sitting by himself and he leaned over to me and said Brett I really think you are supposed to talk to that guy and I will pray for ya. There was one chair open to him and it might be a bit intimidating if two guys come up to him at once..anyways, I started a nice conversation up with him right away. Turns out he's from Kansas City, so we talked about Kansas for a while. Then he asked about what I do so I talked about YWAM and India which he struck interest in and had me write down our website and my email address. I talked about missions and things for like 10 minutes and then I asked him if he was a christian; which made the conversation turn really weird. He said he was a christian, but when I asked him what church he went to, he said he didn't belong to a church because he doesn't believe in it. He said he has seen too many preachers possessed by demons that he doesn't trust that the church. I tried to tell him what I thought about church and that for me church is for the edification of the believers. Everyone, including him, has something to offer to encourage and help others in their journey with Christ. He was talking about some Mormons and Muslims that were both good and bad. He said yes there are some that are possessed by demons, but there are some that are really devout and because they have never known anything else...they will go to heaven because of their dedication...even if they have never heard the good new, which really isn't what the bible says..but we got off that and I tried to encourage him to think about joining a church. He then started saying well maybe I should just start my own church. It could be that he was being sarcastic, but I wouldn't know because I don't understand sarcasm..I was like yeah sure, and he was like maybe you should be my assistant pastor, I was like...well I don't have the pastoral gifting, at least not right now. Then he was like well maybe we can have a bar and slot machines in this church, and I was like..well sure if that's what God is doing sure.. Then he pulled out some verse from 2 Timothy..he asked me if i knew it, I said I had read it which is true because I have read the whole new testament many times. h was like..oh I'm testing your biblical knowledge...which is funny because I looked the verse up later and there is no chapter 5 in 2 Timothy..ha..jokes on him!!! It is 1 Timothy 5:23 which says " no longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequencies infirmities..basically his point was that if you just focus on that verse, they you can do whatever..but that's not really the point of the verse because it is for their physical health, not to get drunk and whatever..but I did agree with him that if you focus on any one verse or part of the bible and hold it over any other parts, it becomes religious which more man made than God made..which isn't really what God wants. Anyways, it ended OK and he thanked me before he left, didn't let me pray for him, but I think he enjoyed the conversation and I did too. Usually when I get into more of a debate rather than just a chill conversation, I get a bit flustered. This time, I was really consumed by God's peace and didn't let frustrations get the best of me. I hope Ed emails me and I get to pour truth into him more. The coolest part of this outreach was that me and Paul were used equally. I picked out the first guy and we both prayed for him. He picked out the second guy and we both talked to him and prayed for him. Then He picked out Ed and I talked to him. I love the tag-team aspect of it...me and Paul were a great team, that doesn't always happen, but it's so good when it does. Then to top it all off I saw my friend Ronoldo in the bathroom at the Billagio, he is the bathroom attendant. I always talk to him and give him whatever cash I have, which isn't ever much, but he is really appreciative. I always ask him how he is doing and he always says ..no good..not very much tips...so I like to bless him..good guy, he's from the Philippines...really nice guy!

summer...........!!! I love Jesus

its soo hot..but thank God for good clean water!!! So the summer staff has arrived and are amazing. I am really looking forward to what God does through us all. Today is our team building day, we spent a couple hours at the park being blindfolded and trying to recite one through ten in alphabetical order. It was much fun, many laughs shared and also some serious bonding. I am hoping to grow in my confidence in the Authority I have in Jesus in all areas...not just with the students and on the strip but around the staff and to my friends and family. I know that by dying to myself, Christ lives in me, giving me the power and Authority of Christ. Sometimes I let my self doubts or my anxiety take control and I don't end up doing anything. I'm sick of taking baby steps back and forth. I am ready to do some serious growing in the lord this summer. Pleas pray for me as I struggle through this journey.

tacos and revelations

So I was walking around the neighborhood with our college group that is here this week, doing community outreach where we just bless the neighborhood in whatever way whether that be by pulling out neighbor's weeks, praying for people or just praying for churches. We talked to Bishop Macintosh in his little store that sells odds and ends groceries like cereal, crackers and soda. I met him last week but got a weird vibe...I kinda looped him in with the other christians in the neighborhood that have church once a week in our neighborhood to feel good about themselves and then go home to their comfortable homes. He was telling our group how he grew up just a few blocks down and how God saved him from drugs so now he is a bishop at a church and he has this not for profit store that he serves the community with. He owns 6 houses that he turned into drug rehab houses, they can stay as long as they want..one guy has been there for 9 years. He is a super cool guy and it really imacted my group. They saw how devistated our neighborhood is and were questioning, as do I, what are all of these 37 churches doing here...there should be peace and love sweeping through the streets instead of despair, greed and lust. So I prayed for forgiveness that I had judged him, its cool to see people really loving on and serving our community. I want to go there every week and buy a taco there and build relationship with him, and maybe YWAM will be able to partner with him and his church to serve our community together. Everything he quoted was strait from the bible..super legit which astounded me to find in this neighborhood. I told him that I will bring by all of our groups by to meet him. When I got home I read 1st corinthians 4:5 which allined with my feelings,it says: so be careful not to jump to conclusions before the Lord returns as to whether or not someone is faithful. Forgive me god for judging this honest loving man of being selfish and lazy.

craziness gospel and trams

God is good. I don’t even really know what happened today, but that God moved in amazing ways that I’m not sure anyone can describe. So we had our full day of 3 outreaches today. After the second one we had supper and then debriefed after supper. It was a great debrief; there was a female student., Mary that really made some emotional leaps and bounds. She was able to bring to the group personal issues that were holding her back this afternoon. After many tears and like 25 minutes, we got through it as a team. I have never seen such a tight nit group so willing to carry each other’s burdens and help each other through whatever they are dealing with. The last outreach was just normal 2x 2’s where you just go out with a partner and go show them Jesus. I went with Meg and Val. Val really wanted to give some socks to a friend that she had made earlier in the week, chris who was homeless. We got there and after seeing he wasn’t there, we prayed right in the spot that we met him in earlier that week. While I was praying that God would show us who we were supposed to minister to…Val slugged me on the shoulder and there was Chris. We were able to give him socks and pray for him, he’s a super cool guy. He is a Christian who has been down on his luck the last few years after he lost his job and wife at the same time. Then we rode up and down the tram between casinos for a while, met some nice people, at one point got stuck on a tram and just got to know everybody, it was a cool experience. What put a capstone on the night for me was meeting our hitchhiking friends Tim and Cory from Reno. They had traveled all the way to Texas and were on their way back to Reno. We had similar taste in music so we talked about that for a while, then I prayed for them. I didn’t feel like I should go yet even though we were running out of time. I asked them what they thought of religion and they said the didn’t really know what they believed. So I layed out the gospel, who was Jesus and why He had to die. He was so receptive. I felt really blessed that I got to share that with them. I have had kinda a rough week of evangelism just because leading weeks its kinda hard for me to talk to people on my own because I am busy ministering to the kids. But this week I had less responsibility being less students, but I feel like I haven’t really taken advantage of that all week. Anyhow, we got back to debrief, by this time it is like midnight. We talk about our experiences, all of a sudden, one of the leaders, Holly, starts laughing hysterically, then laughing right after. She expressed that she didn’t talk to anybody the whole time because she was having a rough time emotionally. She wanted to feel God in a deeper way. She felt like she had been sharing that God was a certain way all week, but hadn’t actually felt Him in that way. We all really admired her courage and vulnerability as a leader to express this doubt that she experienced…not many leaders would do that. Woww….what a great night!!

rewards and gifts

so Rich was teaching on missions today and he said this thing that has totally resinated and stuck with me all day and it is cool because I have been thinking about this for like the last month. So he said that the more we do, the more blessings and rewards we get in heaven which I have heard allot and never fully understoon. Why is it right to work towards having rewards in heaven, we should serve God because He first loved us and because He is worthy, not to get rewards. But then he said the reason why we should do this is so that we can lay then down at Jesus'feet in heaven. How cool is it to come to the thown with a ton of rewards that he has given you and then to lay them back at his feet to show our love back to Him. I have never really though of it that way. And then tonight the team did a chapel service at the rescue mission and during the worship I asked some of the women to dance. One of the ladies thanked me for dancing with me, she said she had allot of fun and that when she came in she ached all over her body, but after we danced, she felt no pain..I was like..wwhhaaaa..yess...Praise God!! He is so good...it;s cool because I have been dancing allot more lately, I have always loved it, but lately I have really been getting into it and kinda feel like it is a gift from God. And this experience shows me that maybe it is an anointing that God is going to use to bless people and bring back lost sheep to Him...exciting!!!

Mission Adventures 2010 week 2!

so, we just had 61 crazy kids from scotsdale Christian Academy come through for a mission Adventures week. It was so hectic with that many people, plus they were here for one less day as usual which means we had to cram everything together, pretty much no free time. I learned so much from these kids. Their faith was stonger than I have ever seen in kids that age, even for being rich kids. There were a few of them that I became best friends with, I invented a game called awkard neck tag where you rub your neck on another dude when you hug him sneakily, they loved that soo much! I was so impressed with the stories they would come back with. We do an outreach called five dollars acts of obedience where we take them to a mall and give them five bucks and tell themt o ask God what to do with it. One pair of kids, we always pair them together like Jesus did in the bible, bought a locked necklace thing and gave it to a lady that opperated the carousel, it made her cry. They prayed for her as she said she was leaving in a few weeks. Another group met a lady at a kiosk and bought here a smoothie. She wondered why and they said because they love her because God loves her. Most of the students loved the surveys. I was with a couple kids on their first survey. We talked to a guy named Phil who was really against christianity. He knew that there was a higher power but refused to call it God. His deal was he had seen so much hipocracy and bad stuff in christianity that it was hard for him to view christianity as a good thing. In his eyes, religion is something that you hide behind when you want to do something but not take responsibility for it because it was done int he name of religion. He was a really friendly guy from scotland...cool accent..but he would hardly let me talk...I tried to explain to him that no matter what people do, that doesn't mean that God isnt still good. People sometimes will do things in the name of God but it isnt actually for God, it is for themselves. Then Lauren stepped in and said that she couldnt explain why God is real or why He loves her or why He is so good to us, but that she knows for a fact that He is and that was enough for her. She is a changed, new person because of Jesus. When she was talking, he seemed to shutup and not butt in..Afterwards I was like, well you guys dont need me..they defenetly could handle themseleves and they did..they had like 5 other great surveys that night. Im a little sad that I didnt get to know these kids as well as I could have due to being busy and trying to figure out my role in MA. I have came to the conclusion that my role is kinda the personable person that gets to know the students and adds an energy to the group. God has gifted me with allot of engery and a personality that allot of people can get close to. They all ended up being my best freinds. I got hugs, not normal hugs, but saying goodbye to your bestfiend hugs from pretty much each student this morning, which makes it all worth it. Our friends from the Church of the Way, whichis a church that a few staff go to, Steph and Deb, led worship like three times this week. It was some great holy spirit worhip...anyhow, Steph is really gifted in the prophetic. I was talking to them about how the Holy Spirit is so needed to lead the week or we are all skrewed and have nothing. When I was done talking she just spits out...Brett everyone loves you!!! and i was like...uh thanks..and she was like...Brett God has given you the ability to relate to allot of people, make them feel comfortable, make them laugh and just have a good time. She said it was because of my child like heart... I like dumb jokes..which apparently most of these kids didnt thing was funny..but they still loved me..and i like plaing with bouncy balls and think farts are funny. I never really thought about it I guess. But that helps allot to figure out who I am and what my role is in MA. Sam is the teacher/ explains God in a very learnable way, Beth is the organized one and I am the korky funny weird one..it works, praise God! We also had help form the disicpleship training school this week...4 staff and 5 staff, great help, it was great to see them ministering to the students. They really helped out allot, lead small groups, and just got to know the kids, I am so thank ful for them. Please pray for more short term staff this spring and summer to partner with us and help us minister to kids and bring them to the next step in their spiritual journey. Well that is enough ranting...k bye

giving party!!

Man...I am still in shock with what God is doing. Last night we had a giving party with YWAM. The speaker this week for the DTS, Ben, led us out in this thing where we either prayed beforehand what to bring to give and who to give it to or to respond to god if He ptompted us to give something. My heart was a little hardened to it just because I feel awkward with giving and I was also having a little doubt that God would speak to me. I really wanted God to speak to me and use me to bless someone, but I didn't know what or who. So I prayed about every little specific thing that I own, which isn't much, but didn't feel peace about anything. so the night went on, people gave things and cried and it was amazing. God knows our heart so well that He knows exactly what we need and also how to touch our hearts. He did that last night. Andrea got like 3 cameras, one normal digital camera and two nice professional cameras. God just wanted to bless her that night even outside her need. People's outreach fees got paid, words of encouragement were given, it was beautiful. I actually had previously that day asked God for two things, a computer and an IPOD. Well I got the computer, Sami gave me her laptop..strait up...I have never owned a computer. Man I can't even express and coundn't then either, I said if I could cry I would have then. Then throughout the night, Bethany B gave me 2 blank canvases, Joshua gave me a glass chess set, Kenny gave me a Juggernaut he siad that he said represented that nothing could hold me back, through God I can go through anything. God then laid it on my heart to bless Kenny with my green racket ball that I bought a few weeks ago that I play with allot. When I was in my room looking for the ball, I remembered that previously that day I had knocked off my reflector off my bike, so I grabbed it along with the ball and went back even though I wasn't quite sure why I was giving him either of them. As I presented him with the two itemss I told him the ball was God telling him that He wanted him to be totally obsessed with him as I have an unhealthy obsession with balls...i play with them allot, I always have one around, become attatched to them so much that I am destraut and mad when I loose them. And the reflector meant that God wants to reflect that closeness to him to all the world. The whole night was the most I have felt God in a long time, I was beautiful, I can't even discribe it. So the night ended and people went to bed and such. I got up this morning early, went to Starbucks with Sam and Beth to meet about next week, I busted out the new laptop to take notes on. I got home an was playing on my computer and Trisha walks in with a big smile on her face and says I need to give you something that I was supposed to give you last night but didn't She opens up her hand and inside is an Ipod! I couln't even believe it. I have been wanting an Ipod as my MP3 player broke like 3 months ago and haven't been able to listen to music while I bike or anything. So yeah, basically God is good, God loves me, God loves you, we are his children and He just wants to bless us.

J.....,

so, I met this dude named J...., the other night in the bathroom at a local piano bar that me and my friends go to occasionaly. I was using the urinal and he almost peed on my because he didnt see me as he was drunk. He then struck up a 20 minute convrsation about how he was gay and he doesn't want to be, he has tried everything to not be gay...but he has given up' he just is not attracted to girls. He said he grew up mormon, he still claimed to be mormon even though he was gay. I asked him if I could share my view on homosexuality after I told him that I was a christian and he said yes. I told him that I see it as anything we are faced with: depression, anxiety, lack of self worth as obsticles that we have the option of over coming or not. We all have issues and problems and we either have the choice to accept them as a part of ourselves or not. I wanted to share more and help him understand that Jesus loves him no matter what; but he asked me whether I thought being gay was right or wrong and I had to tell him it was wrong. And he said that was his main reason for not liking the christian church...It is hard for me to tell people that I think they are wrong, I love people and would hate to sound at all judgemental. His friend texted him to go back because she was alone so he left and went to sit down and me and my friends left. We went to another bar next door but felt compelled to ask him if he wanted to come to church with me so I walked back over to that bar. I assured him that our church would accept him and love him but he passed. Then his friend basically kicked me out of their table..." I'm not going to have any of that bible talk"..is what she said..It sucked because I feel like he thinks I judged him, but I just wanted to show him love, true love, Christ's love. I pray that God will work on his heart and that He will come to know true love.

Faith in His faithfulness

Yesterday I was handed in cash $100 from a close friend and then another $40 from a friend from church. I was beginning to get a little worried about where I would get money for some things coming up including a road trip with some friends to Denver. I just had to laugh at the amount of $40 because that is the amount that I payed YWAM a few days ago for gas money that I owed. I was skeptical about paying it because I still needed some money for rent and such. So yeah, God is good. He takes care of flowers and birds, it just doesn't make sense that He wouldn't take care of us. But first before He provides we have to humble ourselves and be true to our word even if we don't know where provision will come from.

Art In Motion

So yesterday we made art with some neighborhood kids for a couple hours. It was my second time holding the Art In Motion program in our neighborhood. Right now because of my scheduling I am only doing it every six weeks or so. Yesterday I think went well. There were around 11 volunteers and 14 kids that were involved in making art. We did most of the same projects like last time including, mask making, marble/ tennis ball art, random art making and we all collaborated together to make a big mural like last time. This time the picture was a birg riding a bycycle. I was super pleased with how the mural turned out, pastels donated to us from a local art store were used this time for the mural, which is one of the variables for the good turnout. The kids and volunteers really got creative, I was impresed. We also had some really cool masks turn up. The kids were really hyperactive this time, for whatever reason and it was really hard to control them and keep them involved. Most of the boys resorted to playing catch half way through, which was alright because they included William, a neighbor kid that I sometimes play catch with. It was a little frustrating for me that they kept playing football, I wanted them to make more art, but at least they had fun. Hopefully, through this art happening, we will build strong relations with the kids and give them something to look forward to, grow from and have fun with.