Reflections on 2018 at AFAA

After a phenomenal dance recital (Come Alive), a spring theatre production (Charlotte’s Web), and an art show wrapped up our first official year as a studio this past spring, we headed full charge into our first summer of classes.  With students filling our halls each week with dance camps, theatre workshops, and art camps, the summer season was a success! In August we were already riding high in anticipation of another amazing studio year, and we have not been disappointed!

A record number of students came through registration, and by the end of the third night we already had more students enrolled than we had ended with the previous year.  We currently have over 150 students enrolled! Due to this swell in enrollment, we were faced with the wonderful yet head-scratching “problem” of classes becoming full, juggling studio space, and having to add waiting lists for some… praise the Lord! The Lord also brought us a new art instructor, Ms. Diane, who has led the art students in producing many beautiful pieces this year.

Not only did the Lord bring in new students and staff this past year, He’s also blessed us with exciting new building improvements. The most exciting improvement being the beautiful new sign above our front entrance! The amazingly talented folks at Beechwood Metalworks provided us with a sign that exceeded all of our expectations, and we are so thankful for it. In addition to the sign, thanks to the hard work of a good friend of the studio, we now have new lighting all throughout the studio. Now it’s a little easier to let our love shine bright!

While these new things have been wonderful, the sense of family and community we’ve seen developing has been an even greater blessing.  We’ve had the opportunity to love on several of our families who have walked through trials this fall: a house fire, to a scary (yet miraculous!) arrival of a new baby sister, from sicknesses to injuries, we’ve been blessed to be able to surround our students and their families with love, prayers, and support. Though these were hurdles for these families to overcome, there’s an added grace that comes to those who are able to pray with them through each situation.

The theme we can see the Lord weaving through 2018 is that we can trust Him in and with all things.  Whether it’s new things we need or desire, or hurdles we have to overcome, nothing is too big or too small for Him, and we are so thankful!  We look forward to seeing how He will work in us and through us at AFAA in 2019.

-By Chrissy Hahn, AFAA Office Administrator