Training highlights:
- Julie and I coached the new staff as they taught Keynote’s sessions on nonverbal communication – the same classes my team taught in our 2007 trip to Brazil. I felt so proud of them for how they have mastered the material and communicated it with their own flair!
- Julie taught how to write stories of God at work in their everyday lives. Here she’s demonstrating a technique called storyboarding or mind-mapping.
- Henrique, one of the new Brazilian staff members we trained, thanked me for helping expand his vision. I challenged them all to think past Brazil to all of South America, both to do outreach tours and to help other countries start music ministries of their own
As the Brazilian team practiced comm coaching, we recorded them on a little digital camcorder, one of several owned by Keynote. I had them watch their videos and find three skills they did well and two skills they needed to improve.
After discussing what they saw, they told us how helpful it was to watch themselves, and that they hadn’t done that before. I was surprised and asked if they had a camera. They said no, because in Brazil even the cheapest camcorders cost five times what they would in the U.S. The thought ran through my head, “We should give them our camera.” Later I talked to Julie, and she had been thinking the same thing! We realized the Holy Spirit was prompting us, so I called one of my directors (who of course was surprised to get a phone call from Brazil!) to ask permission to leave the camera there.
The next day I told the team, “We have something for you!” and pulled out the camera. I heard gasps around the room as Janiê’s eyes welled up with tears and she gave me a big hug. I can’t tell you how happy I was to see their excitement over the surprise gift! I felt like God gave me a little glimpse of the incredible joy He has in lavishing His gifts on us!
Thank you for making this trip possible through your gifts and prayers!
