Category Archives: Go Beyond

Juvenile detention center outside the city, Brazil – July9th

This juvenile detention centers was in a northern city and took a while to find but so worth it. We did two presentations for two groups. My brother designed and printed a number of different large posters that we use as teaching tools to help give the kids visual, practical things to help them. We use the idea of a car to parallel with their life. There are a lot of analogies we take from that such as steering your life, breaking (saying no and stopping bad choices), putting it in gear (starting to think and engage your mind) ecs….

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Special event for children of the Favelas, Brazil – July 8th

This was a very special event called, “Day of Dreams”. A catholic foundation organized a huge festival for 1,500 poor children from different favelas throughout the state. They chose 1,500 volunteers, one for each child, and paired them up so each child got special attention and care. They asked us to do two performances, one for the volunteers before the children arrived, and another one for all 3,000 people at the close of the event. It was an awesome day! At our first performance we did things to pep up and inspire the volunteers to really love the kids and…

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Juvenile detention center – June 29th

When the guys first come in, the are brought in with theirs hands behind theirs backs, in a single file line, in small groups at a time. They don’t really smile and are wary of what we are going to do. Often the assume we are going to either lecture them, preach at them or do some kind of social reform program which they have had 100 times. But after we start playing some cool, electronic type music that they love, maybe doing a rap that my youngest brother wrote, magic, funny clown acts, then they realize this is something…

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Government event for the World Cup, Brazil – June27th

This event was at night which always adds to the challenge of it all:) But once again, the Spirit of our Father took over and we were able to touch thousands with His love. My parents have been married for almost 40 years and are able to teach many things to help these families. MY sisters and I do a cool magic routine about making our moments count and taking time for the things that are most important. We communicate this idea while performing  magic tricks, like making and empty bird cage appear, a steal ball float and clocks appear…

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Government event in a Favela – June 22nd

We met with the state wide Secretary of Culture and again, the Lord gave us favor and doors opened. During the world cup, they put on events in different Favelas to show the game and give the people a big party. Well they asked us to participate and perform at each event. They would set up a huge stage and invite crowds of up to 5000 people that we then performed for and were able to share the message of the Gospel in a creative way. These are people we could not normally reach because many of the favelas are on…

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Juvenile Detention Center, Brazil – June 21st

We met with the director who is over all the juvenile detentions centers in the state. The Lord gave us favor and he was moved by the work we do. He ended up asking to do multiply performances at all the centers in the city so we would eventually reach all 2,000 kids. These young men have been through a lot, most of them have only one parent if any and have grown up in gangs and violence. Here in Brazil, adolescents under 18 can not be charged as an adult. So even if a 17 years old commits a…

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Marathon – June 2nd

Right near where we sere staying the international marathon was being run. We were able to touch many people as we cheered them on at the race and held banners to encourage them.

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Catholic Festival, Sao Gonzalo, Brazil – May 30th

They had a really cool Catholic festival in a small town near here. Everyone comes out and arranges colored rice to make these amazing murals on the streets. They are real works of art! This was a great opportunity to reach a lot of peoples and families from the surrounding favelas who came down to enjoy a free event.

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Traveling to Brazil – Truckers Strike, May 25th

After we crossed into Brazil, a nationwide truckers strike started. All the gas stations ran out of fuel and when there was a gas station with fuel left, the lines were insane! We use diesel and found enough stations that were not out, plus we got some extra tanks and loaded up before we hit the stretches in the middle of no where. Stores ran out of food, fast food restaurants like McDonald’s closed (serious tragedy 🙁 )and a lot of cities had no public transportation or trash service the strike caused serious problems. For about three weeks you couldn’t…

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Leaving Paraguay, On the Road, May 24th-30th

It was a long trip back to Brazil but every long drive is an adventure and fun in our family. We pass the time talking, listening to music, planning new acts and performances, and those of us not driving work on making bracelets that we can give to the people we touch. We can get thread and little charms pretty cheap, much less expensive than buying bracelets already made. But I will tell you it takes a long time to make 500 which are then gone after one performance 🙂

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Return visit to prison in Coronel Oviedo, Paraguay – May 23rd

We were able to return again to this prison since it was not far out of the way as we traveled to the Brazilian border. The guards, staff and prisoners were so happy to see us and so grateful we came back. The director here is a third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and since my brothers and sisters and I are all second degree black belts, it was cool to do our Tae Kwon Do choreography that communicates the idea of not giving up the fight. We use it to show the discipline and focus that is…

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Prison in Coronel Oviedo, Paraguay – May 18th

It was a long journey to get here. One lane, narrow winding road the whole way. A storm was moving in so we were on the clock. By the time we arrived we knew the rain was near and were afraid we would have to cancel. We were so glad to find that they the director decided to allow us to use a covered area in the interior of the prison which they usually do not allow. Just as we were unloading everything, the storm arrived and it poured on the tin roof. I thank God it worked out to…

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Problem School, Paraguay, – May 16th

It was a challenge to keep all the kids under control, sitting still and listening. They all brought their chairs out of their class rooms and arranged them in the court yard to watch us. These kids live in the poorest area of Asuncion, Paraguay. Most have no fathers and even the little ones have to work or beg to eat. It is really sad. At stop lights you see small children, trying to do cart wheels or juggle, or stand on their hands to try to beg money off the traffic. Mostly they are completely ignored. The other day…

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Government event for independence day, Paraguay – May 14th

We were asked to perform for the opening of the Independence day celebration here in Asuncion, Paraguay. It was large event on a stage broadcasted on live tv, and it was an honor to participate in Paraguay’s most important day. The event was well organized and because of the quantity of performers, everyone had to be on a tight schedule. It was a very special day for my family and I, we each got to perform our act. My sister performed ballet, I did Irish step dance, by brother performed a song he wrote, we did an act with fire…

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Return to juvenile center to have a party – May 11th

We went back to the juvenile detention center again to give the boys a very special party. For a day, we transformed a prison, into a playground and even though they are here because the are criminals of some kind, inside, like all of us,  they are children.  We wanted to celebrate their birthdays and bring them some fun, so we planned some games, piñatas, a magic show and got some prizes and treats for them all.  We divided them up into 6 groups, one for each of my brothers and sisters and I and made up teams with each a…

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School for at risk children, Luque, Paraguay – May 9th

This school was run by the same foundation that runs the orphanage we went to. There are 900 kids here and most of them are foster kids, orphans or have been through something traumatic. We performed for about 500 of them, which, if you know kids, is A LOT of kids:) They had fun bouncing a massive ball above them as we set up and then all set down and were very respectful and well behaved. We taught them many things to help them and comfort them in all their suffering. We wrote a children’s story about a giant frog…

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Orphanage – Luque, Paraguay – May 4th

Most of us weren’t feeling good this morning and we’re really tired. We thought about canceling, but there was no way we could let these kids down:) It was a smaller group but, wow, they were so precious! It just breaks your heart to see the pain and sadness in their eyes and know they have seen things and gone through things well beyond their years. At one point in our show, in the middle of a clown act where my brother is crying because he has no one to celebrate his birthday, all the kids came up to him…

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Large mens prison, Emboscada, Paraguay – May 2nd

This prison was about a two hour drive away, out in the country. The directer was so cool and allowed us to perform right in the main area so we were able to get the whole prison. As we started, there was some fire nearby that began to blow think smoke and ash into us. I thought we were going to have to leave but then as quickly as it started it stopped, and I thank God we could continue. Literally the entire crowd of 700 to 800 guys were so engaged and listening to everything. I do a skit…

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Women Prison, Paraguay – April 30th

We had a very special evening at the women prison here. This prison was built to house 200 women and now holds over 500, so it is a very difficult situation for the women. I was able to get chairs so they could all sit close and they were so grateful and engaged in everything we did. I sing  a song about a wounded bird that flies again and I share how we are all in a sense, “a bird with a wounded wing” and in our broken state, the Father is by our side and lifts us up so…

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Government Event, Boardwalk, Asuncion – April 29th

It was really cool to have government support for this event and since they put out flyers, and social media advertising, a very large crowd showed up. It was so beautiful, behind us there was a stunning sunset, and in front of us a full harvest moon was rising. A lite breeze came off the river and it was just a beautiful night. The crowd grew so large that many could not fit in to see. We were supposed to be on a stage, which would have allowed a lot more people to watch, but the crew that set up…

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Government event- Plaza de Armas, Asuncion – April 27th

IT was cool to work with the government for this event and the one we are doing on Saturday, because they provided us with a stage, tables and security. This event was in a very poor area where many of the victims of the flood are living in temporary shelters. These people have nothing and the kids really suffer. They were thrilled to get a free show and see all the magic. We had made over 500 sandwiches which we gave out afterward.

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School for children with special needs – April 24th

Today was definitely one of the best days of my life:)! Last week we ran a race that was in benefit of this school and so it was really special to perform for them and spend time with them. Even with all the challenges these kids face, down syndrome, autism, ceribal palsy, they were so precious and engaged.

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College in Central Asuncion – April 23rd

My youngest brother wrote a rap/song that has a message in it about being the bigger person and helping make peace with others. The words “I am sorry” can be so powerful and prevent heart break, sadness and even divorce. “I am sorry”, “its my fault”, “I love you” are words we all need to be quick to say. We act out two people arguing, we comes in and loves them and says he is sorry and helps them make peace. So many of these children come from broken homes and at times hear their parents shouting at each other. Sometimes…

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Juvenile Detention Center, Paraguay – April 20th

We do a cool thing where we ask who of them wants to be a leader and doesn’t care what their friends think. After we get a few volunteers (in this case like 20!), we give them cards to read that have historic quotes written on them such as, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself”, and many inspiring quotes from past famous figures. We then have a competition to see who can read it like a leader with emotion and passion in their voice. These boys really got into and gave it all their heart. So much so…

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Largest Prison in Paraguay – April 18th

Now this one was tough. It is the largest prison in Paraguay and was a very, very bad place. Unlike most prisons we have been to, there were no “patios” or separate sections here. As in, all 5,000 prisoners were all walking around the prison at the same time and in the same area. Basically like a huge city inside a prison and just complete chaos. People shouting, the guards blowing whistles, little fights breaking out between the prisoners, soccer balls flying, guys crowding around an begging us for things, ecs… The conditions were just horrible with the walls covered…

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Running a 10k race to support a school for children with special needs – April 15th

We had been in contact with a school for children with special needs and they asked us to run a 10k race with them that was for their benefit, so we did:) It went through the center of Asuncion and along the river. It was fun to run the event with my family even though I was not in the best shape;) After the event I asked the director if I could say a few words and he gave me the microphone:) I was able to share with the whole crowd, about 7000 runners how even in difficult times and…

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School in poorest area in Paraguay , second presentation – April 13th

My sister does a beautiful ballet dance where she teaches kids to reach for their dreams. She starts all wrapped up in  a black piece of cloth and then slowly unwinds into a ballerina. She explains how we all feel trapped sometimes by our own fear, by others, by circumstance, but if we can reach beyond ourselves, and reach out to our Father, we can find a dream greater than we imagine. A dream to love others and care for those in need. Through the dance she teaches a “blind man” how to play a drum, (my dad acting), she…

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School in poorest area in Paraguay – April 13th

This school was in the poorest area in all of Paraguay. Maybe you saw a while back there was a 60 min episode about a school that built musical instruments out of trash. Well that was here. There is a massive pile of trash where all the people savage through to try to find things they can use or sell. This whole are is one of the poorest saddest places I have seen. There were 600 kids here so we did two presentations, one in the morning and one in the evening. Of course many of the kids never left,…

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Mens Prison – Paraguay April 11th

I talked to an older man here named Juan. He had 19 more years to serve and just broke down talking to me. He explained that someone broke into his house and was attacking his wife. In his rage he ended up killing the intruder and getting a 30 year sentence. Here and in many third world countries, there is no allowance for self defense in the justice system so this man was charged for murder. We shared many things with these men as well as spent time listening to their stories. As the  book of Proverbs says, laughter really…

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School for victims of the flood – Paraguay April 10th

After meeting with the Minister of Education, they opened to us the doors to all the schools and colleges in Paraguay. Three ladies spent their time to drive from school to school organizing events for us at the schools that need it the most. I really appreciated their help and care! At this school, there were 800 kids and we had to do a few groups. This was a new school just built for all the families and children that lost their homes in the flood. When I fist walked in there was a little girl standing there just weeping….

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Barrios of Paraguay – First week in April

This one lady we met while walking through the villages, started a home for the elderly that she tries to keep up in her own home. Her husband helped her start in but he died, and now she struggles to be able to afford to take care of all the elderly folks that come to her. We gave her 35$ which allowed her to be able to get a lot of rice and beans. She broke down crying, just so extremely grateful. She said God sent her angels today to pick her up:) Because of the floods here, many people…

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Easter Weekend, Paraguay – March 30th

We had a beautiful night on the boardwalk here and so many families stopped to listen. I just love performing for kids! We have so many magic, clown, puppet and funny acts they love and through it all we can teach them beautiful things. For Good Friday it was special to do our act that depicts the death and resurrection of Jesus. Many people were in tears as they watched.  It is a really tragic situation here in Paraguay. The city is in extreme poverty and just a complete disaster.  Because of bad flooding in January, thousands of people lost…

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Down Town Paraguay – March 27th

It’s cool to be in a Spanish speaking country again, but also super difficult to switch back after speaking Portuguese. We have to really focus!  I spent Tuesday writing letters and meeting with high officials to begin working in the prisons, schools, orphanages and down town center here. It all went pretty good and after Easter, hopefully some doors will begin to open (if not I will go back to all the same offices again…and again till they let us in:))

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Traveling to Paraguay – March 24th

 The border we crossed is known for being very difficult to cross and even dangerous and corrupt. Someone told us it was best to cross it late at night so we drove 12 hours straight to make it there and crossed late. The border was pretty deserted and it all went smooth.  The next day we drove another 7 hours to the Capital. It’s neat when you look on google maps and even though you only have 15 miles left to go, your estimated arrival time is 2 HOURS! Yeah for traffic:) 

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Two presentations Juvenile detention center – March 19th

Todays was my youngest brothers birthday, and he was blessed to share the day caring about these young men. We did two performances for two different groups and both times we really got through to the kids. The director told us that in 15 years of working there, and seeing other groups come in and talk to the kids, he had never seen anything like what we did. He said we were the first people he ever saw “speak their language”. That is why we use cool music, do a little rap, cool magic ecs, so that we can speak…

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Supporting local foundation – March 19th

We meant a beautiful groups of people who are starting a foundation to help the homeless and those in need. They are a big family with others joined on and even thought they are not rich, they are doing what they can to start to make a difference. The father, has been battling cancer for 8 years and it is heartbreaking to talk to his wife of 48 years tell me she knows he does not have much time left. His three sons are starting the foundation in his honor and are beautiful men that really love their family. We…

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Largest Prison in Brazil – March 16th

This was one of the worst patios we have been in. There was trash everywhere (because they are not allowed bags or anyway to deal with trash), open sewage, and the walls were covered in mold. My heart just breaks for these guys suffering these conditions. A lot of the guys knew Capoeira and were so excited to participate! One guys said, “wow, thanks! I haven’t done that in 5 years!” Doing Capoeira brings a lot of energy into the whole crowd so everyone becomes more attentive to listen to all we share.

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Bringing food to prison – March 15th

We were able to revisit the prison I wrote about early that was on the coast, where the men did not get enough food because of corruption. The previous day my sister and I went to the local fruit market and talked to the sellers. We were able to get a bunch of fruit, potatoes, watermelons and beans donated to add to the food we were bringing. The prisoners were so grateful we remembered and came all the way back with more food. We did two performances here again, and reached a lot of guys.

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Home for the elderly – March 14th

We had a beautiful time visiting and performing at a large home for the elderly. It was so cool to see these beautiful, but sad people, slowly warm to us and then accept us like family. The director of activities was a 17 years old girl! She was mature well beyond her years and really cared about the people she worked with. Her mom had died when she was 11, her dad just left and her grandparents were raising her. Seeing the kindness of her grandparents, gave her the desire to work with older folks and choose to lay down…

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Two more sections in Juvenile detention center – March 13th

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Regional Prison, Southern Brazil, – March 12th

My crazy brother really made the prisoners laugh when he climbed up this pole to get away from the angry “dog” that was chasing him in a clown routine:) There were about 250 guys all spread out along the wall, all of them were really engaged and listening to all we shared. I felt so bad for this older man who had lost one of his legs in a hit and run accident years ago. Imagine dealing with the hell of prison with one leg! We do a traditional Brazilian dance called a, “Gaucho dance”. It is a song and…

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State Prison, Southern Brazil – March 12th

I share with you a letter we just got that one of the men from inside this prison dictated to a worker to send us. He wrote it in his attempted English:) :  “This date will surely be remembered in my memory and in my heart. the day that a group of Americans who might even call them angels, have arranged to come to a penitentiary, where much of society wants to stay away, to give their personal testimony, to present themselves theatrically and to demonstrate knowledge of the culture of our state. I wanted to thank everyone without exception….

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Down Town Center – March 9th

We were down town in the center for a looooonnnggggg time last night:) It was super exhausting but really blessed. We reached so many people that were crossing through the plaza on their way to the bus stop. When they heard our music they stopped in the crowd, and many of them ended up staying the whole time! My sister does a really classy ballet dance that stops people in their tracks:) My brothers do this act where they use a net and a really cool costume they made, to communicate that we each have a free will. Our free…

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Center for at risk youth, 2nd presentation – March 8th

Spent a day doing multiply presentations at a center for at risk kids. We made a color flyer with a cool car on it and use the example of a car, to teach them how they have to start their mind (think), shift into gear (make right choices) and drive their life (short version of a detailed and helpful example). No one can drive our “car” (life) for us, if we are distracted by peer pressure and all the voices of the world, we can “crash”,. We communicate these ideas through a theatrical act, and large colored posters as well….

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Center for at risk youth, 1st presentation – March 8th

Spent a day doing multiply presentations at a center for at risk kids. Many of the kids have come from broken families, had no parents or been through a tragedy. A certain section is a detention center that holds teens who have committed crimes. We were able to reach a lot of really beautiful young people and give them some real direction. They were quick to ask questions and participate. It was like they were just starving for love and attention. All the teachers and director were extremely grateful and asked us to return and perform for all the sections…

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Prison in mountainous area in Southern Brazil – March 6th

We drove three hours away up into a mountainous area. It was a long drive down a narrow windy road and we came in and out of of and rain. We finally found the prison which was buried behind a small town. The workers were expecting us and very glad to see us. The temperature at this higher elevation was a bit cooler so that was really nice for a change:) The men were very sad and it took some work to enter their world and get them to trust us and let us in. But we were able to…

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City Center Plaza – March 2nd

We try to make it to this plaza once a week, and many people come out to look for us. It is so busy here and at times our crowd gets really large, full of people from all walks of life. I do a magic routine with my brother (who wears a cirque do solid type mask) where I make an invisible “seed” turn into flowers. We go up to random people in the crowd and make them put a “seed” in my bag then I turn it into a flower:) Seeds are those things which can seem so insignificant,…

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Prison in coastal city, Southern Brazil – February 28th

When we were in this, we noticed right away that something was wrong. All the guys were unbelievably thin, way more than any other prisons we had been too.  They began to come up to us and ask us if we possibly had any food we could give them! It was just tragic. They explained they only got one meal a day and sometimes not even that. We could not figure everything out, but realized that there was some serious corruption going on between the gang leader, prison guards, and a huge (very evil) “church”. Anyway, long story short, it…

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Follow up visits in prisons – February 26th

Its really awesome when it works out and we can go back to visit a previous prison. All the prisoners have had time to read the material we give out and think about all we shared and now they get the chance to ask us any questions and engage in conversation. We keep track of what of the acts, magic routines and dances we did the first time, and do all new things the next time so they get a whole new show. My sisters and I do one magic routine that is about time (obviously this is such a…

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Revisit to Largest Prison in Brazil – February 23th

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Women’s Prison inner Brazil – February 20th

We had a beautiful time inside a women’s prison the other day. It was pouring rain so we had to cram into a small space but we were able to really touch some precious women who were hurting. I am so grateful to the chess company that donated some beautiful quality chess boards to us that we can give to those we meet. It has been such a blessing, and those that receive them are extremely grateful. It allows people in difficult situations to get lost in the game and focus their minds on something besides their pain. We can…

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Rio de Janeiro during Carnival – February 7th – 15th

We took a trip to Rio during the week of  Mardi Gras. Literally millions of people flood the streets every day. We performed on the streets and beach board walk and also made beautiful flags with Portuguese messages on them that we carried in the large crowds.  The beaches were just crammed packed and we walked them with our flags talking to the people. Countless people would come up and want to talk and take the flyers we were giving out (we gave out 30,000 beautiful color flyers all together that said, “don’t give up, you are wanted” on the…

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Largest and worst prison in Brazil – February 5th

In the patio that we were scheduled to visit, a part of the building structure had just collapsed and a major sewer pipe had broken. All the guys had to bring their stuff onto the outdoor part to try to clean it and everything was a disaster. The smell was just horrible. But the men had been anticipating our visit and really wanted a break from the nightmare that is their usual reality, so we decided we would figure out how to work around what they were dealing with so we could give them a little laughter and hope. We…

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Large Catholic Festival – February 2nd

So many families and people from all the surrounding cities came to this festival. Some to participate in the religious ceremonies, but many came just to get out and enjoy the holiday. We had a good spot in the shade so a large crowd gathered and stayed a long time. We were celebrating my dads birthday so it was extra special:) I even got the crowd to sing him happy birthday. My parents have been married almost 40 years and so they teach a lot of things that help other parents raise their kids and keep their families together. I…

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Down Town Center – January 29th

I love performing on the streets at the end of a busy work day. There is always a “rush” in the evening when everyone leaves the city to go home. The bus stops are just packed. We are able to reach people from all walks of life, both rich and poor, old and young.  As well as just constantly talking to the crowds, through our performance we weave in the many beautiful truths of the Gospel. The need in this country is very great. There are so many new strange religions, churches and teachings here. Its like thirsty people drinking…

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Prison Northwest, Inland Brazil – January 26

At this prison  we did three presentations, each for around 200, to 300 guys and were able to reach one entire section of the prison. The area was not ideal because there was not much space and the acoustics were a nightmare, but we figured it out:) The men here were very sad and had long sentences. It took work to get through to them, but by the time we left, we were family. There were literally no guards or staff that helped us in and out. It was like the place was abandoned except for all the prisoners crammed…

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Prison in far coastal city in southern Brazil – January 20th

I don’t know if I have yet seen such a forsaken place as this prison and the town that it was beyond. First we could not find it and got lost. Finally we found someone who told us where to go and we had to drive miles down a real bad dirt road. There was no one around and even the guards at the gate had the attitude of absolute hopelessness and despair. We had to  explain again why an American family drove all the way out here and was trying to get in. Once we finally got into the…

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Helping the homeless – January

There are just so many homeless on the streets and in the parks here. The rains can be very severe and flood the streets. The homeless suffer greatly and it is very hard for them to find shelter. We make up hundreds of lunches and care packages and then walk and drive the streets giving them out and talking with the people. So many, many stories of suffering and tragedy. I wish I was rich and could help them in greater ways. I wish I could afford to get them a room sometimes, or new clothes, or constantly feed them…

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Prison in Southern Brazil – January 12

This prison was way in the middle of no where. It is a relatively new prison and was built to accept prisoners from some of the over crowded prisons, but it is filling up so quickly that it soon will become over crowded as well. We performed for a group of young men. At first, they were very skeptical of who we were and what we were going to do. Often times evangelical preachers will come in and just preach at them and they dread it. Some of these preachers actually tell the prisoners they need to tell their families…

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Psychiatric Prison – Southern Brazil – Jan 10

It was a really sad situation at this prison. All the men suffered mental disorders to various degrees. Some minor, and some severe. They have committed crimes and are being help here until their cases make it to court. Many of them were like children, very simple and just wanting attention. They loved to paint and wanted to show us all their drawings. Some of them were almost completely normal, just something was slightly off in their brains. These guys would tell us how hard it was to be at this place, surrounded by others who had serious issues. Its…

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Orphanage in Southern Brazil – December 16th

We had a beautiful experience putting on a Christmas party at the largest orphanage in this part of Brazil. The children were so precious and so grateful for every little thing.  We had games, activities and prizes. Total chaos and total fun! We certainly got our work out picking up kids and throwing them in the air:). The director was explaining to me that usually the little children will get adopted, but once the kids are around 10 and up, no one will adopt them and they will live at the orphanage till they turn 18. You see so much sadness in the…

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Super cell Storm – December 9th

The day after we landed there was a super cell storm and it poured all night. We woke up to a river outside our door:). Since we had not yet exchanged money or got groceries and water, we had to wade through the river to get to the store:) We were knee deep trekking along for a few miles (trying not to think about everything we were stepping on and everything that was floating in the water). The whole city was completely flooded and our street was actually better than most! Hey, its Brazil and this is just another adventure. …

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Arriving in Brazil – December 8th

After a long, turbulent flight and delayed layover, my family and I  made it to Brazil safe and sound:)! It’s really good to be back and to have so much opportunity before us and so many open doors, we pray for Gods grace to carry us. We have had to do a lot of work these last weeks to get stuff ready. The vehicle that we had here was not in the best shape and we had to work on it to get it fixed up and running again.

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Moving out of Vegas – August 2017

We decided to sell our belongs and get back on the road. We have been invited to many places back in Brazil and requested to continue our work in the prisons there. We want to work in the US for a few months before we head back since there is so much need here as well.

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Shanghai, China – 9 hour layover – November 25th

We arranged to have a long layover in China on our way back. This allowed us to visit, and get to touch the country without having to each buy a visa. China allows you to visit the country without a visa if you are only going to visit for less than 72hours. Obviously since China is still communist we had to use caution in what we did and where we went. We were able to walk the streets, talk to the crowds and hand out our color flyers that we also translated into Mandarin. The Chinese are a beautiful people…

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Tokyo, Japan – Performing down town – November 24th

Thanksgiving today and I am so grateful to be here!! We performed on the streets, parks and subway stops. It was really cool to use laughter as a way to break through their wall and find a crack in their armor. In one act we depict a child playing with a ball. Eventually the ball is stollen away and he is given a heavy burden instead (such is life as we loose our innocence and take on the world). In the end someone depicting our Lord, takes back the burden and gives him back the ball (just summing it up,…

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Tokyo, Japan city outskirts – Climbing Mount Takoa – November 24th

We woke up to an earthquake that shook the apartment where we were staying. There were aftershocks the next two days. The earth quake delayed a number of trains throughout the city making the already crammed metros even more crammed(you wouldn’t think that was possible but it was:)) There was also a heavy snow storm the last day we were there. It was the first time it had snowed this early in 50 something years. It was so pretty and magical! I loved it. One morning we squeezed in a hike up a nearby mountain. You could see Mount Fuji…

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Tokyo, Japan – Largest fish market and China town – November 23rd

We split up and visited the largest fish market in the country and also the largest China town (I guess there are a lot of “largest” in Japan:)) We talked to so many from all walks of life. A simple phrase I learned in each language was, “Don’t give up!” I would say it over and over to the crowds on the streets and when we performed. I would see it lift peoples countenance and even make them smile. Sometime, when you see someone who is down, try it, tell them not to give up, lift them up. Kindness is like…

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Tokyo, Japan – Helping the homeless – November 23rd

It was amazing that in a city this massive, the homeless were basically invisible and hidden from society. Late at night and early morning we would find the metro stations full of the homeless hiding out and sleeping wherever they could. They were so grateful for anything and any word of hope and encouragement.

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Tokyo, Japan- Shibuya Ave – November 21st through 24th

Most evenings we would end up standing on the corners of Shibuya to talk to so many and give out the beautiful color flyers we had worked hard to create and translate into Japanese. This is the busiest crossing in the world with over one million people crossing a day. Around 10k each time the light changes! We touched so many.

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Tokyo, Japan – Performing near Shinjuku Ave – November 22nd

Since we did not speak much Japanese , we also used theater and dance to help communicate ideas and messages. We used magic to communicate ideas like little seed taking root and growing, or to communicate how starting to care about someone else can be like magic and lift you up. We do an act of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly to communicate the new life we can each find in the Father. I talked to a number of young people who had no Bible and no way to get one. The religion of the nation is called, Shinto, “It is…

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Tokyo, Japan- Visited 6 of the largest Universities – November 21th

We got up really early and each took a different train to a university. All the students got out at 12 and since most of them spoke English we were able to talk to so many and give them material to read. Many had never read the Bible and it was so awesome to give them one for the first time.

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Tokyo Japan – Performing on a street closed to traffic on Sundays – November 20th

It was a challenge communicating in countries where we did not speak the language at all.  We used theater, dance and music to communicate on the streets. We did theatrical performances and skits to communicate different messages. The one we were doing in the picture below depicts a man spending his whole life chasing the dollar bill. Gradually he grows old and dies miserable and empty still chasing money. It really hit home to a lot of people, especially in Japan where their culture revolves around success and everyone is consumed with the newest, best things.  

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Traveling to Tokyo – November 18th

Because of our budget, we were on a very tight time frame for this trip and so had to squeeze a lot into each day. Our flight from Manila to Japan left at 5am and since we got back late from being out all day on the streets of Manila, we got no sleep before our journey (We were kind of sleep walking and I am just grateful we got on the right flight and didn’t end up in Zimbabwe :)) Once we landed in Tokyo we had to take a two hour train to where we were staying. It…

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Manilla, Philippines – Working with orphans and the homeless – November 17th

There were so many kids living on the streets just trying to survive. In 2013 Typhoon Haiyan killed more than 10,000 Philippines and left many with no where to live. Many families came to Manilla seeking to start over and ended up living on the streets. Malaria is something they constantly have to deal with and we had to take great measures to avoid. The children had absolutely nothing and were very desperate for both love and attention as well as physical provision. I just love making them laugh and seeing their eyes full of wonder because of a magic…

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Manilla, Philipines – Manilla City Jail – November 16th

(See photos at the bottom of this post) It was around 107 degrees with high humidity. They had a huge parachute they strung up to give everyone shade. A head director in one of the prisons actually translated for us our entire presentation into Tagalog to ensure that all the inmates understood everything (they all speak some English).  There gratitude was incredible and they all begged that we would come back. They set up big speakers and sound equipment for us so that everyone in the whole prison could here. They introduced us and gave us a warm welcome. It was like they…

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Manilla, Philippines – 4 of the Largest universities – November 15th

We visited a few of the large universities in Manilla, including the largest Catholic university in the world. We had talked to so many and had crowds of students who were so grateful that we had come there. We took the side car transportation to get around since the traffic was hopeless. It was so hot here, one day it got up to 107 with high humidity and to think that it was freezing in Korea!  

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Manilla, Philipines – Down Town performing and helping the homeless – November 15th

Manilla was definitely one of the poorest and most desperate cities I have ever been to. There was a board walk by the water that was literally full of people sleeping on it. In some case whole families had little camps made up. They wander the streets in the day, and then spend the night here. Its really sad. The need was just overwhelming and the only answer I could offer them was the only real answer there is…for all of us. That we have a loving Father who is kind and patient and wants to help us. He can…

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Manilla Philipines – Quezon City Jail – November 14th

(See more pictures at the bottom of this post) After many phones calls, emails and faxes sent, we were miraculously able to get authorization to visit the prisons in Manilla where they brought out all the men to see our performance and listen to us. It was such a privilege (and a big gulp). If you follow world news, you’ll know a little about how bad the situation in the Philippines is. The current president has a very strong stance against drugs and has basically given the cops a “shoot on sight” ordinance on anyone reported as using or dealing…

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Travling to Manila, Philippines

We left early Sunday morning and flew to the Philippines. Talk about a different culture! From the perfectly clean and quiet streets of Seoul, to the third world, dirty noisy streets of Manila. They used side cars attached to motorcycles for taxis. The traffic was so bad everywhere, like complete grid lock, if you wanted to get anywhere one of these things was the fastest (all though not the safest…or cleanest..). The price and speed depended on how many people the driver could cram on (one fat guy and your in trouble:)). A taxi driver we had cracked us up…

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Seoul Korea, – Massive gathering of crowds- November 12th

There was a massive protest going on to impeach the president (who is now impeached). It was a gathering of a few million people. We found a spot up on a pick up truck where we could get above the people to share with the crowds and hand out a lot of flyers. Preparing for this trip we made beautiful color pictures and wrote a message containing the hope and forgiveness of the Gospel. After a lot of time and work, we were able to translate them into Japanese, Korean, Mandarin and Tagalog. It was very difficult for a number…

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Seoul, Korea – Visiting the Tae Kwon Do world headquarters – November 11th

One day when we were down town in Seoul Korea, ministering on the streets, we realized that we were only a few blocks from Kukkiwon, the world head quarters of Tae Kwon Do.  My brothers and sisters and I are all second degree black belts in the sport and incorporate this art in our performance. It was cool to see the center where we originally got our black belt certificates from. Life is a fight and if we can win our mind, we can change our life. We can fight to not give up. We can fight with kindness to touch…

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Seoul Korea – Performing at Hongdae – November 11th

We performed at a number of different parks, plazas and market places in Seoul, Korea. There was one area where all the university students would go on Friday and Saturday nights called Hongdae. It was just packed with crowds. Very large crowds gathered to watch our performance and hear us. It was a challenge since there were only three of us to keep our performance going and prepare for the next thing. Laughter is such a powerful thing. You can win a crowd if you can make them laugh and then, before they even realize it, plant a seed of…

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Seoul, Korea – 5 of the largest Universities in Seoul – November 10th

We got out before 6am and took the metro to all different parts of the city. It was a challenge navigating the metro and figure out where to go. We visited many of the large universities in Seoul. Most of the students spoke English and we were able to communicate so much with them.

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Seoul, Korea – Performing for the Lantern Festival – November 9th

Seoul Korea has an anual lantern festival where they tell the story of their history on a river with lit up statues. It was really cool to see and drew large crowds. It was super cold out, some nights freezing, but was a great place to reach a lot of people.  

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Seoul, Korea – Performing at Myeongdong Street – November 9th

We had to fit a lot into each day since due to our budget we were on  a tight time frame and had limited days in each country. So the same day we arrived in Seoul Korea, we dropped our bags in our the very small room we rented (which took about an hour to find on some back streets:)) and headed out to the center. The streets were just packed with crowds and it was so exciting to touch the Asian culture for the first time. It was a challenge communicating since we only spoke very limited Korean. WE…

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A Trip to Asia – November 8th

As well as continuing our work in South America and the U.S, we also want to touch Africa, Australia, Eastern Europe and Asia and are praying for the Lords leading and provision. Recently, all though at this time we could not afford to all go, I was able to find inexpensive plane tickets and save up enough to take a trip with two of my brothers. We visited Seoul, South Korea, Tokyo, Japan, Manilla in the Philippines and Shanghai, China. These are among the largest cities in the world and it was an absolutely incredible trip. We landed in Seoul, South…

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United States – Working jobs to save up and fund our work

We had to come back to the US for a while to work and save up money. We  are all working as waiters and waitress at restaurants and each have two jobs so we can save up quicker. It was hard to leave Brazil, especially when so many doors had been open to us in the city, schools and prisons, but we hope to save up enough to be able to stay longer in the future.

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Friday, March 11th – Prison on the Coast

We had to go down a  long winding tunnel and through a lot of locked gates to reach the area where we could perform. We passed by many cells with men calling out to us and asking us what was going on. There was a massive storm brewing in the distance since we were right on the coast and we had to hurry everything along because we knew we were on the clock. We had to quickly set up and be very focused in what we did and said. My brothers and sisters and I do a Tae Kwon Do choreography…

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Thursday, March 10th – Hospital for children battling cancer.

It was such a privilege to hold, dance with and love these children  and touching to see their sadness slowly turn into a smile then a laugh. I had been able to get a bunch of lightly used stuffed animals donated from thrift stores in the States to bring. I had enough to give each child one and they really meant a lot to them. My brother also designed a coloring book with an inspiring story and a company donated crayons to us so they each got this as well. The parents were so grateful for our words of hope and encouragement…

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Tuesday, March 8th – Prison 127km away.

Getting our van into the area where we had to unload our equipment was tough. We hit the roof backing up and damaged our back doors a little, but not too bad. It took work to get through to these men, they were more harden criminals and had been in for a long time. It is amazing how laughter is like medicine and sometimes, if you make someone laugh, you win their heart and their trust to talk about deeper things. When I did my Irish step dance here and shared my story of how I recovered from being in…

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