Monthly Archives: May 2015

Wednsday, May 27 – Two prisons, a university and city center, Concepcion, Chile

We wanted to visit the southern city of Concepcion but had many events scheduled in Santiago, so we split up and my brothers and sister and I took a bus south. We planed to sleep on the bus there and sleep on the bus on the way back so would not have to stay in a motel (which are quite expensive). We arrived at 6:00 and it was absolutely freezing, I think it was like 10 degrees. We had two hours to kill before anything opened and I had planned to just doze off on some chair in the terminal,…

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Monday, May 25 – Central Park Santiago

I love performing for children and families and we have many acts for kids such as puppets, costumes and magic routines. Is there anything more beautiful than a child’s laughter? This park is a beautiful place and even poor families can come here on the weekends and enjoy many free activities so it is a great opportunity. A family came up to us and told us they had seen us in Bogota Colombia years ago!

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Thursday, May 21- Orphanage, Santiago, chile

We had a beautiful time performing for a government run orphanage in Chile. These kids had nothing and no one. The director told me that 70% of them will live their whole lives in one of the homes for children that the state runs. There are three homes, one for children age 1 to 5, one for children 5 to 12 and one for children 12 to 18. They get moved from one home to the next and then when they turn 18, they are on their own. It is so sad because I once met a young man in…

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Friday, May 15 Two Prisons in Colina, Chile.

After our first performance, we had to pack up all our equipment and drive a short distance to an adjacent prison. We were quite exhausted and purely running on the grace of God. Because of all the delays, we had only a shorter time to mount our equipment and perform so we had to really rush before evening arrived. Originally they were only going to let a small number of prisoners attend, but the director knew what we were going to do and allowed an entire section of the prison to attend which was over 500 men. We are black belts in Tae…

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Friday, May 15 Two Prisons in Colina, Chile.

We had to wait along time to get cleared through security since this is a maximum security facility. There were other events going on that we had to coordinate with but it was certainly worth the work. We were allowed to go directly into a patio where the men had very long sentences. So many act so tough and strong on the outside, but just beyond the image they are scarred sad boys and it is our job to try to reach the child within them and give them the hope of the Gospel. Sometimes humor is the key to…

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Wednesday, May 13 Puente Alto Prison, Chile

This prison has a large maximum security section and the director allowed some of the worst prisoners to attend our performance. We do an act where we use a ladder to help give them a visual reference that they can begin to take small steps to make a big change. All though they cannot leave physically, they can “go somewhere” higher and find a “place” within this place. We have to work very hard to be effective and sincerity is our greatest weapon. Many “churches” come in took take advantage of the men and get them to get their families…

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Monday, May 11 – City Centers , Valparaiso and Vina del Mar, Chile

My brothers and sister and I took a bus trip to reach the Northern cities of Chile. We were able to touch and help a lot of people. There was a train you could take between the two cities so we made two teams and then met up together. There were so many homeless and handicapped it was really sad. At a center park we got together a large group of homeless and had enough tin emergency blankets to give them each one for a shelter and also bought them some coffee and snacks. The city of Valparaiso was devastated…

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Thursday, May 7 – Community Center for the Elderly, Chile

We continue to work at different homes for the elderly. Some of the homes are so bad it is really a tragedy, they are neglected, lack basic necessities like heat and plumbing, and smell really bad.  It is winter here and getting very cold obviously being elderly, they get even colder. The ladies that run some of these homes had never seen the survival tin blankets that we have, and once I showed it to them and explained what it was, they were thrilled and said they would put them on all the beds. I was making conversation with an oler man, maybe 80 and…

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Wednesday, May 6 and Friday, May 8 – Largest prison in Chile.

This is the largest prison in Chile and highly over populated. There are two separate sections and we performed in each. We do a magic routine where we convey that they can find time, within their time in prison. Beyond just existing, they can invest moments in studying and learning things that will change their future. Afterward a guard told us who grateful he was that we did this act. We also do a magic routine to the song, “Alegria” and as we were leaving, the guards were whistling this song.  

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