Students at this year’s AIC will find themselves stranded with a group of travelers deep inside the jungle. The way out seems obvious…at first. But unexpected dangers and obstacles await them at every turn. Will they discover the way of escape before it’s too late? As the captivating drama unfolds before them, students will learn eight key ingredients for living an effective and fruitful Christian life: faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love (from 2 Peter 1:5-8).

Plans are underway, and we are gearing up for our most exciting adventure yet! You won’t want to miss this!

This year of AIC was one of the most amazing ever! Despite my initial objections, God clearly directed us to go with a Western theme and it turned out to be a blast! I even have my own cowgirl hat now…

The group that made up our staff team this year:
Mark, Cori, Joel, myself, Seth, Kayla, Tiffany, Emma, Aaron, Lisa. We had a wonderful time working together and it’s neat to see how God used our strengths and skills to complement each other. Here we pose under the perfect entrance sign designed by Seth and Kayla!

The incredible bunch of teachers and assistant teachers that worked with the students throughout the weekend (click on it for a bigger image). I was so impressed with the vision and maturity of this dedicated group of young people:
(L-R) Row 1: Seth, Ariel, Abigail, Lydia, Lauren, Kayla, Mirriam, Julie, Leah, Kerri, Sarah, Rachel, Naomi, Susan, Corinn, Noelle, Leah, Michelle, Tori, Libby, Emma; Row 2: myself, Andrea, Abby, Amy, Bethany, Julia, Olivia, Anne, Lisa, Faith, Celeste, Riley, Mary, Riley, Hannah, Rachel, Katie, Joel, Lisa; Row 3: Cori, Tiffany, Titus, Jynae, Mason, Kayla, Ryan, Josiah, JJ, Tiffany, Prestyn, Jesse, Cale, Sol, Tyler, Cade, Isaac, Chad, Colin, Josh, Kody, Benjamin, Mark, Aaron.

Dr. Jay Wile, one of the keynote speakers for the TPA 2008 Convention, spoke Thursday evening to all the AIC workers. His session title was, The Bible: A Great Source of Modern Science, and was very interesting and informative.

Our doors opened Friday at 12:30 and shortly thereafter we were filled to capacity. About a week and a half before the registration deadline, our registration numbers were low – just a little over 100. I sent an e-mail out to our Prayer Warrior list, asking them to pray for more children. We were specifically praying and planning for 300, but trusted that the Lord would bring the ones He wanted to be there. At the end of the early registration deadline day, I received an e-mail letting me know that our count was now up to 265! By the time our doors opened on Friday we had over 300 and our final count was 329 – the most we’ve ever had! All praise to the Lord who so graciously answers the prayers of His people.

Apparently, the onslaught of children was too much for our Registration Supervisor…

The drama got off to a fabulous start, thanks in huge part to the drama director, Aaron, and the rest of his family who handled all the props and scene changes. All of our actors and actresses did an outstanding job and the children loved the drama!

All the actors and actresses gathered in prayer before each scene to dedicate it to the Lord.

My brother, Joey, enjoyed playing the part of Peter, and the role of Garrett-our key character-was providentially filled at after the last minute by Kyle. The “voice of God” narrated each day as we followed the journey of a group of settlers to the West where they began to build a new life for themselves. They faced numerous obstacles and set-backs, but learned many valuable lessons along the way and ultimately learned that every event – both the good and the bad – was orchestrated by God for a very specific purpose.

My sister, Naomi, also finally landed her big role as Peter’s sister, Jenny. This was her big scene with Nellie, who played the part of…Nellie.

Last year’s drama director, Laura, and props manager, Justin – now married to each other – joined us as Ethel and Wayne in the drama this year!

The mysterious Sylvester, played superbly by Luke, captured the childrens’ imagination from his very first appearance.

We couldn’t have asked for better cronies than Colby and Sol – and we didn’t even typecast these parts this year!

Having a lot of characters on the stage for each scene was a huge feat, but the actors and actresses handled each scene very well.

Rich E. Lands faces the reality that everything he has worked for his entire life has been suddenly destroyed. Our gifted actor, Bryce, masterfully portrayed this rich landowner and the transformation God brought about in his life.

The drama concluded with a stirring rendition of “The Solid Rock”, accompanied on the guitar by our talented drama director, Aaron.

The students got right to work completing the games and activities in their student workbooks, excellently designed by Tiffany to correspond with the theme this year.

Miss Lisa, Miss Abby and Miss Sarah line their team up for the next assembly.

Mr. Cade leads his team toward the assembly in a controlled, orderly manner – just like all the other teams…all weekend long…

AIC would not function without these two amazing young ladies. Seriously. Cori is the Materials Coordinator and she and Ariel stay one step ahead of everyone else all weekend long, making sure that all the teams have the supplies they need, tracking down extra supplies and taking care of so many little details that I’m sure I don’t even know about!

Nellie, one of the characters from the drama, reads a story to a couple of teams for one of the teaching sessions. The AIC students love getting to meet their “stage celebrities” in person!

Former AIC staff members are doing their job to keep AIC populated with children for years to come.

Mr. Joel and Miss Emma hold down the fort – Fort Wisdom, that is. They are available throughout the weekend to work with AIC students that will benefit from one-on-one attention. As an extra perk, students can crawl through the teepee or go for a ride on the saddle.

Kathy…

…and my Mom are the queens of snack time! They handled all of our food needs and kept us well-stocked with lots of goodies throughout the weekend.

Miss Libby, the official AIC Piano Virtuoso, accompanied our singing, ran the drama soundtracks and even pitched in to help teach on one of the teams. We couldn’t have done it without her!

Our traditional Saturday morning exercises were a hit and served as the perfect diversionary tactic for the strategic water gun attack executed by all the staff girls on all the unsuspecting staff guys.

We employed the assistance of several AIC students and teachers and the plan worked beautifully!

Miss Chandler joins Miss Jynae, Mr. Mark and me on stage to be a judge in our showdown. Mr. Mark is still recovering from the wounds he sustained in our previous competition as the students tried to blow him off the stage by reciting their memory verses as loudly as possible.

Miss Jynae and I pause for a quick photo with the Bradshaw kiddos and Mr. Prestyn.

The weekend concludes with a special presentation for all the parents of the songs and verses the students have learned and a short video capturing highlights from the weekend.

My favorite picture this year – a shot from behind the curtain on the back of the stage (click on it for a bigger image). What a privilege it is to get to know the many children, young people and parents who are a part of AIC. It is our constant hope and prayer that God would use this ministry to impart His truths to these children and to encourage families in their homeschool journey.

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.”

1 Corinthians 3:11-13

May we continue to labor, with all of His strength, to build our lives according to God’s design!

(A huge thanks to all those who captured the pictures that contributed to this post…Naomi, Kayla, Lisa, Cori.)

Monday night we gathered for our official brainstorming session. After a time of prayer I “opened the floor” for anyone to share ideas or express how they thought the Lord might be leading. Shortly thereafter Seth began to offer some ideas. He gave a few initial comments and then stated that he was thinking something like a treasure hunt would be a neat idea. Tiffany and Cori chimed in almost immediately, indicating that they had also thought of doing a treasure hunt. There were general nods of agreement from around the room and I could hardly contain myself! I called for everyone’s attention and then shared how I had been inspired in my reading of Proverbs 2. I proceeded to turn around my notebook so that everyone could see the big letters written across the page: TREASURE HUNT! We marveled at God’s unfailing guidance and then set to work to develop our idea into a working theme and begin outlining the drama story and teaching points for the curriculum.

That’s the behind-the-scenes look at the birth of this year’s AIC theme. Now, fast forward 6 months and enjoy these pictures from last weekend that captured it in action!

LEGACY
Looking for the Truth. Chasing a Treasure. Finding Wisdom.

The AIC Staff gathered Wednesday night for dinner and to discuss final details for the weekend. Someone discovered the melodic quality of rubbing the top of the glass with their finger and soon the whole group had joined in, producing a lovely chorus of high-pitched tones for the enjoyment of the restaurant owner. (How mature of us…)

After dinner we posed for a group shot in the corner of the lovely Tea Room.

(L-R: Justin, Laura, Lisa, Seth, Kayla, Mark, Jynae, Tiffany, Cori, me)

Set-up went quickly Thursday morning and thanks to the creative efforts of Seth and Kayla, this great-looking entryway was completed and ready to welcome all the children!

The Depot, another design by Seth and Kayla, perfectly captured part of our theme and even contained a secret of its own that would be revealed at the end of the weekend…

Teacher Training opened Thursday night with Sarah Maxwell sharing with the girls…

…and Christopher Maxwell sharing with the guys. (Steve and Teri Maxwell and their family were our keynote speakers for the TPA Convention.)

Mark, Libby and Jynae practice songs together before teaching them to the children later in the weekend.

Several of our most experienced teachers (Emma is the one teaching here) took turns doing a “mock teaching” session while other teachers posed as the children. This made the training more interactive and memorable.

A number of young people stayed around for a while Thursday night to spend some time singing.

Teachers are busy at work preparing for the arrival of the children!

The booths are looking fun and inviting!

This was one of my favorite decorations – I wanted to sign up to be their student so that I could crawl through the cool entryway!

Lisa and Josh (assisted in part by my genius Dad!) handled registration and lots of other details to make sure that everything ran smoothly. They did an incredible job!

Doors Open! Let the masses enter!

Each student was given a ticket as they entered, which they had to have punched by the Conductor in order to continue to their team booths and be checked in for the weekend.

Once the children arrived and spent some time on their teams it was off to the first assembly, where Mr. Mark and Miss Jynae explained the rules for the weekend and helped them begin memorizing the verses and songs they would be learning.

The children are engaged and eager to learn.

The children loved the assemblies!

A view from the other side.

The drama, definitely a highlight of the weekend, opened with the Wissen children and their Aunt Bessie attending the graveside service for their beloved Oma (Grandma).

Once back at their Oma’s house, the children discuss their future with Aunt Bessie who has offered to have them come and live with her in Germany.

Once in Germany, a mysterious package is delivered and Aunt Bessie tells the children about an inheritance their parents left them before they were captured and killed by the Nazis 12 years ago. A journal left by their parents will be their guide as they search for their inheritance that has been kept safely hidden until now.

In between each assembly the AIC students spend time at their team booths applying the lessons they’ve learned from the drama and uncovering clues in their own search for treasure.

As per the instructions in the note, the children travel to a jeweler’s shop in France where they first meet…

…the self-proclaimed “grand Jacque Le Pui!”

After being warned of his deceptive practices by some friendly tourists, the children attempt to retrace their steps, only to discover the the shop is closed and Jacque Le Pui is nowhere to be found.

The children make their way to a nearby cafe so they can discuss what to do next. The brainy Franz attempts to order in French, painstakingly looking up one word at a time, much to the dismay of the impatient, and older, Frederick.

An alert Nadia realizes that they ended up in the wrong town. Back on track, the Wissen children arrive at the shop of the real jeweler, Levi Zachariah, who is able to give them some helpful information that will enable them to continue their search. His wise advice gives Frederick some much-needed instruction as he continues to lead his family.

Libby and Naomi, with some help from Noelle as well, did a fabulous job compiling, recording and incorporating the soundtrack for the drama!

On board the train and on to their next destination, the children are instructed by the wise Conductor who has been an invaluable influence in their lives…more than they even realize…

“I am a Pietro!” “I am a Franz!”
Next stop: Pisa, Italy, where the children meet another person who they come to find out knew and was greatly impacted by their parents.

Jacque Le Pui, his assistant Louisa, and his other cronie, Pierre, are hot on the trail of the treasure and an interesting turn of events has Nadia chasing them, getting caught by them, the other children chasing them and Monica falling and injuring herself.

One mishap after another lands Monica in a wheelchair in a hospital in Holland and the other siblings promising to do a better job taking care of her in her time of need.

Jacque Le Pui and his cronies are in pursuit once again and the Wissen children end up taking refuge in the home of a friendly wooden shoemaker, Christian, and his shoe painter wife, Marta. The children begin to sense that they have been led all along throughout their journey when they discover that Marta worked for their parents years before and holds the final clue that will lead them to their treasure.

Final stop: Switzerland. After climbing to the top of the mountain, the children are dismayed to find that Jacque Le Pui and his cronies have outsmarted them and beaten them to the treasure.

The shepherd (a face now very familiar to the children!) helps the children understand that in their journey they have received something of far greater value than an earthly treasure. For their parents have left them their legacy, a legacy of wisdom and faith, and that can never be taken from them. However, there is also another treasure waiting for them, a treasure that Jacque Le Pui did not have eyes to see. Instead, he went away with an armload of fools’ gold.

The children open the treasure box that has been preserved all these years and read a letter from their parents (sung in the background while the children discover special items left for them by their parents):

We’re pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who’ve gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness
Passed on through godly lives.

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we’ve left behind
May the clues that they discover
And the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them
To the road we each must find.

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.

The final step on the AIC students’ search for treasure came in the form of an interactive game show -
“True and Wise or False and Foolish?”

As characters from the drama shared a special riddle, the students had to decide whether it was true and wise or false and foolish? They were to measure the statements in the riddle against the words of wisdom found in the Bible and recorded to guide us toward making wise decisions in our own lives.

The final clue instructed a representative from each team to turn in their completed clue sheet to the Conductor as payment for a ticket for their team that would lead them to their treasure.

The students caught on right away and quicly lined up in order to receive the ticket for their team.

What a shock to discover that the treasure was right under their noses the whole weekend! Those numbered train cars were more than a decoration after all…

And contained within each treasure box was a specially-designed compass and a gold Presidential dollar coin for each student. They were so excited to receive their treasure! Our whole objective was to inspire them, through this treasure hunt, to search for wisdom just as they would seek for hidden treasure. And we learned along the way that any search for wisdom will ultimately lead to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is made unto us wisdom!

Following are some random shots of teachers and staff members who all worked together to make this weekend possible!

My incredible little brother and sister who helped out so much in getting ready for the weekend and using their talents to serve the Lord through this ministry.

One of my other amazing sisters, who did a fabluous job teaching her group of students and was a big help to me ahead of time as well.

Rachel, Meg, Rebekah

Molly, Cade, Kay

Sarah, Ryan

Miriam, Grant

Emma, Kody

Michelle, Josh, Lisa

Olivia, Ben, Cami

Tiffany – Student Workbook Designer and Materials Helper

Chandler – songwriter, actress, all-around-do-anything-girl

Cori – curriculum editor, materials coordinator

Aaron – teacher, actor; Carla – prayer warrior and other behind-the-scenes stuff…

Lisa – recruitment and registration supervisor (and perhaps we should add “pep squad leader” to her job description next year…? )

Ariel – materials helper

a group shot of all the staff and teachers for AIC 2007

Soli Deo Gloria!

“One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts; They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness.“
Psalm 145:4 & 7

“The most important thing one generation can do is to equip the next generation to lead.“
Jeff Myers

From this challenging statement made by Dr. Jeff Myers, who would be one of the Keynote Speakers at this year’s Teaching Parents Association Convention, and the inspiration of the above verses, was born the theme for this year of Adventures In Character (AIC).

In our six months of intense planning and preparation, we saw God amazingly answer some very specific prayer requests and we entered the weekend of AIC knowing that it would be only by His power that our efforts would be successful. From the conversations I’ve had, the e-mails I’ve received and the parents with whom I’ve spoken, I can only declare, “To God be the Glory!” I believe that His name was praised and that many seeds were sown that will bear lasting fruit for years to come.

(Although I hardly took any pictures over the weekend, several others made use of my camera to capture a little bit of what took place. I’m hoping to collect more pictures from others, so if that happens, I’ll try to post some additional pictures. But for now, enjoy just a glimpse into our world of AIC!)

Setting up the entry way on Thursday.

Nathan, the Storyteller for our drama, looks on during the dress rehearsal on Thursday afternoon.

Sir Conley presents his page, Andrake, with a special belt to identify him now as a Squire in the Kingdom.

Miss Tiffany and Miss Cori work hard to organize and distribute all the materials to the teachers who will be working with the children once they arrive.

Following are pictures of some of the teachers and assistants as they prepare for their time with the children. We had a total of 56 young people who invested their time and energy to teach the almost 300 children who attended AIC:

Miss Misty and Miss Chandler

Miss Allison, Mr. Chad, Miss Tori, Miss Faith

Miss Susan, Miss Esther

Mr. Cole, Miss Emma, Miss Hannah

Mr. Lucas, Miss Ashley, Miss Janelle, Miss Jonalee, Mr. Nathanael

Mr. Jarius

Mr. Cade

Miss Laura, Mr. Grant

Mr. Blake

Miss Shawna

Mr. Levi

Miss Jamie

Miss Lisa and Mr. Josh work on getting everything set up and ready for registration.

The children have arrived and the fun has begun! The two days of AIC will be packed full of singing, learning Bible verses, watching the drama, spending time with their team of 15 or so students, and making lots of fun crafts to take home as a memory of the lessons they learned.

Students who spent time with Miss Kayla or Mr. Seth at Veritas Tower got a chance to try on a real knight’s helmet!

One of our primary purposes in starting AIC seven years ago was to provide a way for families to attend the Convention together. We want to be a blessing to the parents and help give children a vision for homeschooling. It is always encouraging to hear from parents afterward and to know that this goal has been met. Here are some of the comments I’ve received this year:

“We have not done this in the past, and I can not begin to tell you how impressed I am. Every time I looked in on the children during the conference, it seemed all was going well, the children were kept busy and everybody was happy! [My boys] were already asking us when they can go back to AIC! I foresee my boys talking about it all year long until the next conference!”

“I want to tell you that AIC was excellent this year. When my 6 year old explained sin to me the other day and said that even taking a ‘little piece of candy’ was sin, I knew you all had her attention and had actually taught her something. Thank you!!”

“I heard so many comments from moms that they were surprised to see a place for the children and that most conventions don’t welcome children. Thank you for your long hours of work to make our convention what it should be – a support for FAMILIES.“

“My nine-year old son commented on how nice it was to be in a place where there were lots of girls, but he didn’t have to worry about looking at them because they were all dressed modestly.“

“Our family used to not be committed to homeschooling through high school, but after my children attended AIC for the first time last year and saw all the high school aged homeschoolers helping and realized what it would “look” like to homeschool through high school, we’ve never thought again about the possibility of not homeschooling all the way through.“

“Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.“
Psalm 145:2

“Coming together to support parents in instilling the principles of God’s Word in the lives of the next generation.”