We started the Skills Day program because we discovered that many of the boys living In foster care group homes never learn some of the basic skills our kids learned either by watching us or by being intentionally taught.

Things like how to change a tire, or check the oil in the car, or what it means to have a good work ethic.  We also learned that most of them don't have any idea about the kind of work they would like to do when they graduate from high school.  So, we designed Skills day. On the second Saturday of the month, we put together a program to teach the boys life skills like cooking, teamwork, or problem-solving, or introduce them to a career field like car maintenance or body shop work, police and fire careers, or graphic design.  We have taken them to trades schools for a tour and meet in a park to bbq. We have built catapults and obstacle courses and even learned how to be a gentleman.

Our favorite Skills day is actually our weekend retreat.  Every July we take the boys to Prescott and spend the weekend building friendships, playing games and learning about the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. One of my favorite moments at the end of one of the retreats was hearing one of the boys say "it was the best weekend for his life because he learned He was loved by and important to God.   So far we have had 14 boys give their hearts to Christ at a skills Day or on the retreat. We believe that an introduction to Christ is the best gift we can give these young men.