Touch

Touch

A group of prisoners I got to teach and spend time with after our presentation. 

There were a lot of opportunities in Chile, and after spending a good deal of time there, reaching most every city, many prisons, homes for the elderly, schools and orphanages, it was time to move on and head back through Argentina and towards Brazil. The border between Chile and Argentina is located at the top of a pass up the Andes mountains. After we made it up the 29 curves (with a nice sign to count each one) we got in the line to cross the border. 

All the mountains were covered in snow, the lake was ice and it was freezing with the wind chill bellow zero. We kept warm with ten cent cups of coffee (which was really black watered down water). In the same window you leave Chile and enter Argentina, so it was pretty simple. The only delay is when curious, bored guards wander over and "have" to inspect something, but in this case they were cool and joked around with us. One guard looked at all our gear and equipment perfectly packed in the back of our van and straight faced tells us we have to take every single thing out and open it up. We held our breath a second until we realized he was joking.

Some of the road signs along the way can really scare the heck out of you.  Like this one which would mean: “Caution or your car will fly off a cliff and plummet into a river”. And then we come around a bend and see this semi tipped over and realize its no joke. 

The prisons in Mendoza are some of the worst in the world. In 2004 there was a major incident in this one prison where the prisoners actually held hostage a group of civilians that had come to do a theater act for them. Apparently the president was on the way and they had intended to hold him hostage protesting the horrible condition. Anyway, long story short, eventually the situation was resolved without causalities but this led to a policy which forbids civilians to enter this specific. 
They were able to organize an event for us where we could perform inside one wall but outside the main wall in a court yard. We were able to move all the benches out of a Catholic church so the guys had a place to sit and then prisoners were escorted out under heavy guard. We shared a beautiful time with them and they were  eager to listen and learn. Most of the men had very long sentences and told us they never get visitors or to participate in activities. 

After our performance, the director insisted we have coffee because he wanted to tell us that he has never seen anything like what we did and in our case he would make an exception to the "no civilians inside policy",  and let us inside the prison to perform our show for multiply patios. We were honored.

Giving each of them an aluminum blanket for the cold. When they understood what they were, they were extremely grateful. 

This one young man I spoke with only had one arm and had just gotten into prison. I asked him how he lost his arm and could not believe the story. He said when he was 12 years old, he was at the zoo with his parents and fell into the lions cage. The lion attacked him, took off his arm, part of his face and his heart actually stopped for a time. 

A picture of my brother with the guy that lost his arm.
 He was cold and had no coat so my dad gave him his. 

I found his story absolutely unbelievable until one evening I was out jogging and got to the zoo just before it closed. The guys let me in and I could not believe the conditions, you could literally touch the tigers and cougars, the bears were barely out of reach with no fence around them, and although there was no lion anymore, its area had no fence around it and one could easily trip inside it. There were many other animals that were out of the cages walking wherever they pleased and there was zero staff around. Anyway, all though  I did enjoy seeing the animals up so close, it was a rather dangerous situation and I totally believe the prisoners tragic story of how he lost his arm.

There was NO fence between me and this guy!

It was cool to touch an elephant. 

This little dude was throwing things down trying to cause trouble.

When we were performing inside one prison, the director and staff abruptly left and we later learned that there had been a death at that moment and they do not know the cause whether is was an accident, suicide or a murder. It was really tragic and brought a sense of sadness to the prisoners and the guards. To think death is so close to us and can steal us at any moment. Many of the men became very sober and really listened to our words and teaching. 

On our way to the maximum security prison. 

On my birthday we were inside a maximum security prison and did multiple performances for smaller groups because of security. There was a prisoner there who was blind and had a very long sentence. He placed my hands on his head to let me feel where a bullet had entered leaving deep scars. He had been involved in a robbery where he ended up getting shot, almost dying and blamed for the crime when he was barely involved. I just can’t imagine not only being in prison, but being completely blind and vulnerable. I asked him to dance with me when we do a cultural dance and at first he hesitated, but after I encouraged him to trust me, he really enjoyed it and was very good at leading me. His name is Walter.

Dancing with Walter.

  

One prisoner, who had learned it was my birthday the day before,  drew this picture for me of Jesus laughing that was beautiful. He said that he had always thought of Jesus in a boring kind of way, but after seeing what we did, he saw Jesus as full of joy, hope and life. It really touched me and meant a lot. I turned 33 which was the age of our Lord when He walked this earth and I love to imagine Him being my age and dealing with so many people. I hope by my life I can bring him honor and touch others with His love. This definitely will be a birthday I will remember for a long time. Another prisoner baked us empanadas for lunch and served us coffee. 

In one of the acts we do I have a picture of a door painted on the side of a collapsable changing room (the kind that are used for camping). I first show it as just a black circle, then pop it out to reveal the door. I share how even in the darkest, worst place, we can find, another "Place" (Jn.14:3). Although these men cannot leave the walls, the can find "a Door" beyond them, which is Jesus. No matter what situation we are in physically, there is a door out, and we can find a beautiful "place" even in suffering if we choose humility, because God dwells with the lowly (Is.57:15). 

After we are done with our performance, if time allows, we always spend time talking and listening to the guys one on one. I was translating for my dad and we were asking the guys to tell us some of their best childhood memories. It was a beautiful moment, all remembering the joy and innocence of being a child. One man told us he remembered making a sling shot out of a tree branch and hitting targets in the woods. One man said he remembered climbing a hill by the zoo and looking at his house far below.  One young man said his favorite memory was at his 8th year birthday party at his grandparents house. He said that day everyone knew him and he was important, now he was nothing. We encouraged them that all though in a sense, we left the child, the child did not leave us and we can go back to being children, trusting our Father. 

Check out this picture my brother snapped when we were waiting in a government building.  The sign says, " Use in case of evacuation" and the little black thing in the glass is a whistle.  No kidding. Well I definitely feel safe knowing that I am in an earthquake zone and this buildings evacuation plan is someone breaking the glass to blow a whistle!!! Because when you're three floors up and the building starts to shake and things are falling, hopefully you will hear the guy on the first floor blowing a whistle which will let you know you should get out (because obviously you had not already thought you should get out of a moving building).

As we left Mendoza and headed to Cordoba, there was a large prison on the way. I was able to find a phone number and after one phone call the director, he set up an event for us with barely a days notice! This is a miracle and God definitely had destined for us to go there.  There were certain patios that could not be combined with other patios but the director figured out a place where we could go so that nearly the whole prison could see us and also brought out the women’s prison. It was an ideal situation and so many people could hear and be touched by the Fathers love. 

To the left of us is a large crowd of men behind a fence and behind us is another large 
group in a separate area but they are still able to see and hear us. 

I know there are some of you that probably do not really understand why we would spend time in prisons and may think that these men and women are simply criminals getting what they deserve. Well for one, the Master tells us to remember them and really, are you an I that much better? Maybe our moments of anger  or mistakes don't have as bad of consequences, but they could and in Gods eyes, we are all the same, sheep that need a Shepherd. Anyway, in third world prisons, there is great suffering, injustice and punishment that does not correspond to the crime. 

Like this one young man, maybe 20, who is serving an 18 year sentence in a horrible prison. He was at home sitting on the couch in a room with his parents when he heard his mother scream. A robber had barged in the door and was assaulting his mom and shoved her to the ground. This guy went to get his dads licensed gun and in a panic shot the intruder. He called the cops and an ambulance who took the injured intruder to a hospital. If the man lived, the guy would not have been charged, but according to the countries law, if he dies, you get charged with man slaughter. The man died. So when you think that all prisoners are criminals by choice, also remember this guys story and think about what you would have done if someone attacked someone you loved.

Two of my brothers, my mom dad and I with the director of the women's prison. My mom is holding a table cloth she gave us. 

After we were done the director brought us to a room where they had prepared coffee and pastries and a place for us to rest before we continued on our journey. The coffee was produced on the prison grounds and was delicious. The director of the women prison gave us a beautiful table cloth the prisoners had made and wanted her to give us on their behalf. These people are so genuinely grateful to be remembered. They even used a military van to escort us to the nearest cheep motel.  

The guys to our left that were not able to come out.
 A few of us were allowed to go in there and give them things and talk to them after our performance. 

So many prison cells we walk by with hands reaching out, hoping to be touched. They go for years without ever being touched or touching anyone. Jesus was touched by everything that touches us but remained untouched by sin. He was both God in His power and a Man in His weakness and identity.

Men touched His hands and feet with nails. He touched men’s feet with a wash basin and a towel.  Men touched Jesus with a whip. He touched men with healing, deliverance and food.  Of all things John could have written, he says of the beloved Son “what we have looked at and touched with our hands”(1 Jn.1:1). 

This picture was painted on the wall behind us in a patio of a prison.

The question is, will you let Him touch you? Will you touch Him? Will you touch others? Your life is flying by. Take a chance. There are so many scores of  people barely existing in this insane world. They live in such sad loneliness and crave a loving touch, but would never admit it. When you truly have been touched by the Father, the only response is to want to touch someone else and go the extra mile to touch another soul. So many homeless people whose lives you can comfort without a penny, just a touch.  The same can be true of anyone around you.  There are so many who crave what you and I have in our possession and can give to anyone at anytime: love. 

Sunshine after rain in a cold early morning drive.