The children in our project, Changes for New Hope, see the same sights everyday. Unlike those of us from developed countries where everyday means "until we take a break from it" these children may see the same mountains, adobe houses, fields and animals every single day of their lives. I did not realize how monotonous their lives were until we broke out art supplies. Every drawing, painting and sketching was the same.

  It was time to introduce abstract ideas. Sculptures made out of paper mache. Watercolors and colored pencils drawings with the one instruction that it can not be a mountain, a house, animals or another tree.

  Blank stares.

  I took everyone of the children together and had them touch the paper with their paintbrushes and start moving them around. Mix other colors. More shapes. Wider strokes. Faces started lighting up. Eyes began to focus and concentrated efforts emerged as they realized what they were doing. It became a frenzy of colors and chatter and excitement and splashes of color all over the place was happening.

  The aftermath looked like Disney threw up all over the area but the children understood something that they never knew before. They had talent. They had an experience outside of their comfort zones. And most importantly, it felt GOOD!

   We will have more controlled art sessions soon. Shapes and ideas will come into focus and a local museum will exhibit their wonderful efforts. An explosion of confidence and ideas in art will undoubtedly overflow into other areas of their lives.

   I walked down the mountainside toward a setting sun smiling broadly. "Maybe they all won't end up being sheepherders, dirt farmers and taxi drivers. They have passed through a door that they won't be so quick to scurry back through, not after today.

   A huge leap of faith to be sure but isn't that what got us this far already?