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 they have never seen an that we really care about them. We perform and act using the Brazilian martial art of Capoeira which means a lot to them. My brother communicates the idea that we each have to find our own rhythm and not just follow the rhythm of the world. Strength is found in being an individual. At the end of this event, a young man asked for the microphone and told us how much it meant to him that we would come there. He told us he was going to change and really thanked us. It meant a lot. Later, the director told us that he was considered the most violent guy there. He had three tears tattooed under his eye which is a gang symbol for each person they have shot. The teachers were blown away that we got these kids to participate during Capoeira and speak on the microphone during our leadership program. They said they have never seen some one be so effective with these kids. Thank you Jesus!