Performing for the Colombian Army

We have had a really full last couple of days. On Thursday, we were invited to perform at a military bass which is a rehabilitation for injured soldiers. All of the soldiers there have serious injuries from the war and the time they spend in the jungle chasing the FARC. Many have lost limbs due to land mines. It's hard to believe that right now, in the mountains that surround this city, there is a war taking place against the drug lords of Colombia. The General told me that three days earlier he had been up in the jungle with a battalion of soldiers. They had stopped to take a break and set their back packs on the ground. When one of the soldiers picked up his back pack to head out, he had no idea it was sitting on a land mine. He lost his right eye and half his face and is now in the hospital recovering. The General telling me this was really shaken up by it. He had a hook for his left arm from also loosing it years ago because of a land mine.

It was honor to spend time with them, to make them laugh and to dance with them. Having spent time in a wheel chair myself, with intense pain, I really understand what they are going through. Some of these guys are only 18, just kids really, and have seen and done things that they can't get over besides now having a life changing injury. To give them the hope of the Gospel and tell them about the love and comfort that can be found in our Father, is the greatest thing we can give them.  They were so grateful for everything we did, after we were done all the commanders and generals took us in their office and gave us a number of little gifts they had for us. 

On Friday we drove two hours north to visit a huge school that the army had asked us to visit. The schools here are different then the ones in the States as in all grades, from first all the way to twelfth grade attend the same school. So we have a crowd of a few hundred five to eight year old's and a few hundred teenagers. This is a VERY challenging venue. We want to engage everybody and sow seeds into their young hearts and our performances is for all age groups but for example, there are all the little kids sitting in front who get so excited, can't sit still, want to be held and touch everything that it is easy to lose the older kids. So we have to work hard to get the older kids to participate and engage as well because they are at the age were they will be making the choices for their lives. Over all it was really blessed and I think a lot got in. We had a lot of fun with them, we all put on one of the costumes we have and did a choreographed dance in them. You had a lion, a frog, a pirate, a wizard, a dragon, a prince on stilts and a monkey all dancing choreographed moves. 

This one little guy, maybe five, I kept talking to him and he just starred at me with a beaming smile, then the teacher told me he is deaf. All I could do is hold him and tickle him, he loved the magic. A lot of these kids have come from damaged homes and great poverty, many had scars on the hands and faces and a few were autistic.  

It was funny, after my mom does this dance with a caterpillar and a butterfly, we have these little wings we let maybe ten to fifteen kids wear and then we do a dance with them. We do it almost every presentation so it's kind of habit. Well here there were a few HUNDRED little kids, who ALL wanted to fly like a butterfly. So as if in slow motion as my dad was thinking we would not do it and was ending, my brother starts choosing little kids, I was saying nooooo....dooonnt... dooo iiiittttt... it's gonna be a disaster and in a blink ALL the little kids had me surrounded and wanted turns with wings and then wanted to be lifted in the air and spun around. It took a while to get it all sorted but it was worth it seeing their beautiful smiles and some of the older girls also wanted to dance. We probably lifted a few hundred pounds worth of kids. It's just such a privileged to touch their lives. I think in my opinion schools may be the hardest place to perform and minister but it sure is worth it.