I didn't know I'd get a chance to update so soon, (but since I did, I had to!) Wow. Just wow. All I can say - this is the COOLEST experience I have ever had. Ever. (and it's only day 2!) I am completely blown away. First off, walking into a room with 35 other artists who are all on different journeys in their work and at different points (our training this week is in conjunction with an "Arts for a better future" seminar/conference that includes ethnoarts people working in the field and those learning about it, all types) it's incredible. I sat next to a woman who has lived with a tribe in Africa for about 30 years co-creating songs and dances with these people...and 10 years before that she was in South America doing the same. And then, to my left is a guy studying at GIAL right now and is about to start full-time work in ethnoarts, getting ready to go across the world long-term. And then there's my team...just starting to sink our toes into this stuff and go abroad short-term. And it's incredible we can all share and learn and grow alongside each other. I've never been so inspired or excited to be an artist. The stories I've already heard about how art has been used to bring healing and reconciliation in families and cultures...so cool. Even just the atmosphere walking into a room Full of creative, passionate-for change people. The air is different. And the little things...to start it all off today we had to come in with a 30 second creative Intro of who we are and how we got here...(I whipped out my best attempt at a rap, Boswell style, haha) - too funny. But people were so good! And it was just so fun and creative. Plus, the training itself is so useful and incredible...real-world stuff. So useful. (it's a lot all at once! Haha, but so good.) In other news, my team is awesome. Just The coolest...everyone is so open, so excited, so passionate, so talented, and so different. We have two focus' within our team: ethnoarts And linguistics, so our training this week is a little divided, but we're finding time for whole group training and learning. Lots of team building. God is doing incredible things already, but we're praying for the chance for even more unity despite the separation during training. Alsoooo! Just speaking pijin again in conversation with Malcolm (a Solomon Islander that has Come to help us) - is just awesome. He's becoming such a good friend and helper. We got so lucky! Already moving beyond small talk - it's just flowing back. So neat. (I'm even learning some of His tribal native tongue - kurai? (spelling on that is way off, haha) but that's a little side bonus. I'm just really energized and excited by this whole thing. I can't believe in a matter of days I'll be in the Solomons, watching and learning about the artistry found in 27 different countries. Wow. This is so much bigger than me. Than us. (I should've counted how many times I wrote the word "awesome" or "incredible"...I bet it's upwards of 15. Haha but for the sake of wanting to write genuinely, As it happens, i'll leave 'em :)