An online community for workers with children at risk

Mission accomplished! Last week we completed the online seminar (or as it is often called: Webinar).

 

We have set up a professional :) studio in our small cabin!

 

And this is how the students could see us ...

It was so amazing! Within a few days we had 128 students registered from all around the world. We were a bit shocked to see how fast applications were coming in. Fortunately, a young woman from Brazil, Michelle, helped us organize and lead the seminar, and we had the help of eight more facilitators. This way, all students could be divided into groups of 10-12, each with their own facilitator, with whom they could discuss the lessons afterwards and who could also accompany them personally with Whats App messages and video calls. 

Correcting 2816 assignments

We had been very enthusiastic and had posted for each class different articles, videos, and special assignments as homework on our Google Classroom. We just had not quite realized that 22 assignments done by 128 students equals 2.816 assignments to be reviewed by us 😊. Well, never too old to learn!
 

5 dollars

It was a real treat to have students and facilitators from 38 different countries. There was a group from Ethiopia, from a YWAM base, who thanked us especially that the cost of the entire seminar, covering all the material and with an official certificate from the University of the Nations, was only US$ 5,- per person. Yes, because the costs were so low, it was accessible for people from lots of different countries.

Kuya and Ate

A very enthusiastic group from Philippines also participated, where a large group of young people were quarantined together. Every class they started waiving excitedly to us, shouting:” Hello Kuya (uncle) Johan and Ate (Auntie) Jeannette!”

International

There were also groups from different countries such as Uganda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Barbados, Brazil, Indonesia, India, Romania, Iraq, Albania, Madagascar, and a lot of other places. What a privilege to be able to teach people from all over the world in this way!

This online course was also the first time for our staff/ facilitators, who each had all already led or participated in Children at Risk Schools at YWAM bases and campuses. It was so much fun doing this online together, with facilitators from Brazil, South Africa, the Netherlands, Senegal, and India. We celebrate these new opportunities!

Once more??!!

In the meantime, e-mails poured in from young people who had also wanted to do this Webinar but were too late to register. Could we please repeat the seminar? After prayerfully considering this, we have decided to repeat the webinar the end of September.

Second module

But also, the students of the course asked, "Would you please continue to teach us?" So now there will also be a second module with other lessons, for the students who have already followed the first. Plans are to give this in November this year.

Portuguese version

Meanwhile a Portuguese webinar has also been organized and will start next week with more than 170 students, hosted by Michelle, along with 4 other Children at Risk School leaders in Brazil. Johan and I plan to give a class on this webinar as well.
 

This was the add for the Portuguese version. 

Online community

It is special that we can suddenly have so many different students from all over the world. We are grateful to God for all these great new opportunities. In this way an “online community” is being formed with people who work, or plan to work, with vulnerable children, where we can get to know and inspire each other mutually. How cool is that?

Many thanks to all who have supported us through prayer, messages, emails, and finances! We wish each one God´s blessings and deeper revelation of His presence in this challenging Corona time!

Lots of love and blessings!