Day 10- Gentleboys, Hallelujah's, & Bellyflops

Today was a later day than usual. Of course we had to get our fix and go to Starbucks. Then, our first stop of the day would bewas the Broadway Baptist Church. We got into the parking lot but we didn't know which building it was.There were churches on both sides of the parkinglot. One building was a pretty brick building, the other was a classic, beautiful church. We really wanted it to be the classic building, especially since we were told to listen to the organist. We imagined the organ to have 20 foot pipes. We thought about it and made phone calls in the parking lot while the kids waited in the vans. After a few minutes of talking, Patti came back with the verdict... we would be going to the pretty one! Yay! We quickly  set up the room, as the mimes blocked.

Finally, the kids came in, all carrying their chairs. They all came in so unsure about what they would be seeing. When we began, and the kids beamed with excitement from seeing the white faces. They were attentive; they giggled during the box skit, they silenced during "Not Alone." It was great. After, the kids were so excited to play with mimes. Tanner got rushed by at least ten of them. One of the women

panicked; but I assured her that it was okay. He liked the children. The girls taught them how to mime, which made them super excited, while others talked about face paint. The little boys were such gentlemen. When we went to put the chairs back into their classrooms, every girl that was carrying two chairs, the boys would insist that they carry them. The kids went back to their classrooms, and a few of the techs went to see the pretty chapel while the mimes took off makeup.

The chapel was beautiful I wish we had an organist is there to play for us. The organ pipe had to be at least 40 feet high, and the bigger pipes held smaller pipe inside. The choir was massive and the pulpit could actually change position,  up or down. So cool. Our next stop was the Hulen mall. There, we met Zach and Bobby for the last time. It was good to have lunch together in a relaxed atmosphere. The girls did another power shop, though a lot more relaxed than the previous :) We ate and talked before saying goodbye to our friends and heading out.

 We would be returning to the Union Gospel Mission for our last three performances. The first performance would be resident (those who lived at the mission) women and children, resident men, and then general public. We had plenty of time to get ready and set up sound. The mimes debriefed and soon, the first resident appeared. I think she was overwhelmed; all by herself in a sea of black. Patti jumped in and did what she does best and instantly made the lady feel at ease. Soon, others joined her and the mimes jumped into action to welcome all.

We had some church up in there. During "If that's what it takes" the women stood and clapped, when it just got to the chorus of the song.  Hands were raised, hallelujah was shouted. During " Not alone" every time the song said "I am with you" the women clapped and praised. Amen, the holy spirit was not moving, He was sprinting. During "When I survey" tears poured down one woman's face. Another ticked back and forth. The mimes were encouraged and put everything into it. Steph talked about Gods love before doing "Not guilty" The women responded, all feeling the freedom God gives when He gave that verdict of not guilty. During just the first chorus, the women stood and clapped and praised on their  feet the remainder of the time. It was the best way to end it. Caroline's family snuck in during and they joined the talking after. Some of the girls prayed with one woman as she was leaving.
The resident men group was much larger. They were certainly more hard than the women...so I thought. When they heard we were from Colorado Springs, they applauded. They are praying for you, Home. At first, the men seemed to just be starring blankly, but during "East to West" it was obvious that they were watching attentively. When David finally got free from his past, (the other mimes holding him down)  one man clapped and praised. Even while the message seemed to fall on deaf hears, it was okay if only the message reached one. Some men left in the middle, distracting some. I became a little discouraged, only to next see a man going over paperwork, but mouthing the words and nodding his head. I was almost wishing we had done the women last, since they were so worshipful. At the end of "I will Rise," our one man rose and clapped. Patti ended it, and it turned out there was more than just one man, there were about five, though they were not as vocal. I could tell because they were the few that didn't bolt out at the conclusion. (in order to be served food, they must first go to Chapel) A few talked and joked with the mimes. "Well, hey there, Jesus!" to Chris "I've been excited to meet you!" Good fun, even if it was just a few.

The last group would be the general public. There were a lot less than last year; simply because there was record breaking heat wave the year before, and everyone crowded to get in. This time, it was sparse. People trickled in, even after when we had started. I was kinda nervous for a moment; a huge biker man came in while David and Steph were miming, walked right up to then and started mimicking them, getting closer and closer. When he got the laughs he was seeking, he sat down. The people continued to enter until the third song. They were late but  they were ready for church.although silent during the songs, they called out and responded during the messages. During "Your Great Name" people were nodding, drumming the pews to the beat, and wiping their eyes. Even the big  biker dude was humble and raised his hands to praise the Lord. His During the "Glory of the Blood" one woman had tears pouring down her face."Not Guilty finished the set and left several people applauded. It was a great way to end a great (but difficult) to end a great trip.

Dinner was so relaxed. We split into three groups: one for In and Out burgers, one for Church's chicken and the other for Canes chicken (why two chicken places? Why not?) It was a good times to just have small groups chill together and talk about the trip.When we got home, we just unwound. Most everyone went to the pool where we did syncronized mime swiming, bellyflops and cannonball contests. it was a good tossup between Michael and Tanner. Michael pulled ahead though with a belly flop whose smack echoed in the area and sent waves all the way to the other side of the pool where we were sitting. Speaking of waves, we had a cannonball contest. By contest, I don't mean, 'who-can-do-the-best-cannonball' contest, I mean, 'who-can-get-the-girls-sitting-on-the-edge-of-the-pool-wearing-dry-clothes-and-just-wanting-to-get-thier-feet-in,-soaked' contest. The boys (and David) decided it would be fun to cannonball...as close as they could to us without hitting the edge. When going back upstairs, Mrs. Lovisone commented, "I didn't think you were going swimming"

Yeah. I wasn't. :)

Day 9 - Awoo, Secrecy and Texas-Sized Burgers

Today, we were all refreshed. Though, we still prayed hard in the morning, the overall feel was less somber. We did devotions in our vans, and headed to Turn Key Boys and Girls club. we are arrived a little bit early so we decided to play on the playground for a bit.We soon went inside, and took a tour. On a personal note, it was amazing. I used to be a girls and boys club kid; it taught me computers, pool, cheer, how to write, play music, DRAMA...this place made me...me.

The sound team got set as the mimes got situated. The kids giggled excitedly when the mimes came in with their white makeup. One lady, Mamma Bear, was going to have some church. Even at the very beginning she was calling out.  "amen! Praise Jesus!" Mhm! That's the truth." The kids really enjoyed the white faces and the box skit was probably their favorite. They giggled and smiled during most of it, and at the end, Mamma Bear praised the Lord when Ben got out of the box.  It was good fun.

Afterward, we played dodge ball with the kids. That was their favorite game. And man were they good. Of course, our boys went in with a gentle spirit and were going to play easy. those, kids were so good, being nice was no longer an option. We played hard, we lost hard. We met a girl named Christy, who was a very proud five years old and wanted to make sure we knew how to "awoo."

So cute. Her sister (that she kept
fighting with) and her were foster sisters and there was a third somewhere that had grown up in the system together, and just recently got adopted together. Super amazing. After a group picture and goodbyes, we loaded up and headed to lunch at CiCi's.  There we laughed, we joked and had an overall good time.

Our next stop was Bryan's house. Byan's house is a safe-house for medically needy kids, such as HIV babies. The secrecy is so intense and protected by law...the law placed by the government...that is separated from the church. Since it is a government facility, we could not say God, Jesus or make the cross. That got rid of most of the songs...and most of the  moves. Needless to say, creating this set was quite difficult. They actually created a new song and taught it right then and there in the room. To make things even more difficult, they had a high ozone warning (too much pollution in the air) so we couldn't go outside to play (the kids lungs aren't as strong) so we were stuck inside. But the team got ready. The youngers worked on listening to the music and checking songs. We had to sign in agreement to aside by the house rules...three pages. There were some obvious rules that we certainly wouldn't break as Christians, but really everything had guidelines. We couldn't talk about their lives, focus on one child (it had to be a group playing) no giving them presents (like the candy) nothing.

The kids mimes were awesome. Just even making things up as  they went. They made everything so gentle and sweet. Tanner got the most props for his silly "If that's What It Takes" even one of the staff, who was a believer, said God's Word won't return void. Even if we can't say the name of Jesus, we can live it. Amen. After, we got to play with the kids for a bit. Not too many of them, just enough to have some face time. The boys were so good to the little  ones. They played monster and chard and climbEd our boys. We went into their classrooms in teams of three, as to not overwhelm the kids. It was a good time to play and mix with the kids.

Our next stop was dinner at Fuddruckers. After a long and stressful time getting lost by  Wendys and Whataburgers ;) we made it. We  had good fun over buffalo and giant Texas-Sized burgers. (Like a full pound with toppings) Chris and Tanner were brave. Poor Ben just shook his head the entire time...he was sharing a room with Chris. "He will be in a corner," Ben promised after Chris finished the monstrosity and got a large milkshake. After that, we headed to the Grapevine Mills mall. We only had an hour. So we girls got ready and started to mall-walk. Actually, Caroline mall walked and we tried to keep up. We actually made the loop and hit all the stores we needed.Everyone left satisfied with what they got.

Day 8 - God's Mercy, Twue love & Praising in the Storm

In the morning, we loaded the vans and did our devotions by van. Ours talked about what we could share during our trip and if we had been sharing. We made a quick Starbucks run. Our only stop today would be Parkwood. This facility houses three different populations, assited living, nursing home, Alzheimer unit. 

The first stop was nursing. The residents were really excited (and rather confused) to see the mimes. They paid very close attention the whole time, never got distracted. Even the nurses were paying close attention; one was all the way down the hall, and when she heard one of the songs about God having mercy, she called out "AMEN!" One lady, Virginia Lee,

had never seen mime, and was very lonely as her husband was gone as well as her sisters. She heard the message and cried at the end, saying that she needs to focus on God more.

The next stop was the Alzheimer's unit. This would be a little more difficult. This unit was for very advanced stages. We quickly set up, as the mimes talked.   This would also be difficult because of the distractions. During the first song, one man walked through the mimes, and stood next to them, watching from the stage. One woman came half a song late. She was devastated, thinking she missed it...thinking she couldn't belong. Patti assured her she was fine and at the woman's request,  sat with her the entire time. One woman was very familiar with the Bible and its stories, and wanted to tell everyone. Steph talked between each song, and so did she. She was certainly more articulate that the rest, and intro'd the songs as well, explaining Stephanie's talk a little more. The mimes were solid; even with people calling out for help, trying to grab Andy, unappropriately-timed clapping, and nurses walking back and forth, they stayed solid

During "Not Guilty" the demons were much more gentle that they had been in the post, almost playful (as not to scare the residents) The adults and crew thought it was funny, but the residents were intent. During "Your Great Name" we sang acappella and incited the residents to song along. It was just a great time of worship.

 At closing, our preacher woman, Helen had to call out "This might be a little unappropriate, but you have a lot of good looking boys in this group!" We laughed and went to talk with the residents. One saw our ladies-man Tanner and got excited, "oh.... Here he comes!" So fun. One woman (Wanda) says just been traveling with her husband and was so tired but still came. it was great to learn all the stories.  Our lunch was a chill time of puzzles and sandwiches. It was just a good time to fellowship.

Our last stop was the assisted living wing. There were not that many people but the mimes mixed anyway. The residents were excited. It grew as the performance went on. One lady happened to be walking down the hall, and paused to watch. Suddenly, she stormed off; I thought she was angry. In two minutes, she returned with her daughter and her mother who she was visiting. It was awesome.    The residents, nurses and the like all stopped to watch.

After we mingled with the residents and heard their stories. Phillip Fairhead had the most beautiful love story. He was drafted at 18, and risked widowing his true love by marrying her before he went off. They had such a happy marriage; they got through the war, had kids, and traveled the globe. Later, his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and was sent to the unit. Phillip then decided to move into the assisted living unit to be near his wife. He stayed all day with her until he went to bed in his room. She died last year. He broke our hearts. He misses her of course. He's lonely. His friends have died as well, so he called their wives every now and again to make sure they were fine and not lonely. Patti promised to be pen pals with him. Such an awesome blessing.

Once we got back, we has plenty of time to get ready for El Fenix. The gals got nice and purtied up and the guys plaided up. (And aviator'd it up.) Dinner was going to be fun. Between bites of chips and salsa, we chatted and laughed. Suddenly, the boys needed to go to the bathroom, and called all the boys to go with them. (makng fun of the girls) So the girls decided to do the same. The instant the boys set at the table, the girls stood and walked quietly into the bathroom before bursting into giggles. Only two of us had to actually go. So we had a dance party in the bathroom.

~

Chatting was interrupted. Laughter ceased. We just got the news that the fire jumped the ridge. Some have friends, some have family whose homes have been emptied. Whose lives have been turned upside down. Dinner turned solumn as texts and phone calls started to pour in. Most didn't even have the appetite anymore for dessert. We are praying hard for you, Home. We are praying hard.
Its amazing that we had originally planned to have worship after dinner. Originally as a comfort, a breath of renewal. Now, it was a necessity. We went to Zach's church so we wouldn't bother the hotel guests.

 When we arrived, there were some kids coming out for VBS. It just made everything seem so far away...everyone elses life was just...as usual. We prayed. We praised. We called out. We cried. We read, we recited, we hugged, we held hands. It's hard, to be away, Colorado. Not because we feel as if we could do something if we were home, but because its so hopelessly far away. After another prayer, we climbed into the vans and headed home. Patti's van had good fun. For some reason, we ended up on a freeway that took us through the airport. We joked the entire time as we went throug, making fun of my bad navigational skills, and the pleas of the tollbooth operator to not come back. It was a good time to take a breath because all our kids were so depressed. We all needed it.

Day 7 - Old Friends, Warehouses & the Olden Days

Today, we would be all back together. We ate breakfast and packed in vitamin c. We loaded up and headed out. It's not never a youth trip unless you're lost so it was fun switching across lanes and breaking the caravan. But we made it to the mission safely. The mission catered to 3 different groups. women and children and out side guests. more than a typical mission, this place also has an intnsive program. In order to stay, they must go to classes appropriate for them (ie AA), they must attempt to get a job, and they must stay clean. After we learned about the mission, we started a tour. In the dining hall, we heard squealing. One of our old youth (like my age group) Bobby Luckel, who we haven't seen in over 7 years, appeared out of nowhere. It just so happens that he works at the mission, and just so happens that he forgot to turn in his key. He came all the way back and ran into us. It was amazingly crazy. What are the chances? God has somethin' planned.

After chatting with him for a bit, we hit the warehouse. This place was comprised of all home donations. Unlike goodwill, there donations wouldn't be sold to the general public, but was soley intended for the residents of the mission. We split into three different groups. One group was so excited because we would be setting up a toy aisle for kids' birthday's! It was all our plan so we made it ours. We set up a girls aisle, boys aisle, and baby aisle and board game aisle. Fantatic. Another group sorted clothing.

 People would drop off bags and we would take those bags, sort the clothing by size, style and sex. The clothes were not washed; as part of the program, the residents learned to be independent. So, once they got their clothes, they would wash them by themselves. Great, but hot. No ac in the warehouse. It was uber hot but our kids pushed through.

 The last group stayed inside. There, we folded toilet paper and paper towels (they put the folds behind the counter so the outside guests wouldn't take several rolls.) We also made lunches for people who could sit down to the formal lunch because of work or interviews. Once that was done, we went into the cafeteria to be lunch ladies and serve lunch to the residents.

Afterwards, we got back together and headed of to lunch at Jason's deli. Lunch was delicious and fun with the kid mixing up with new friends. there, we met up with Zach. Poor Chris doesn't know how to drink, so we got good laugh from that. it was move to just sit and laugh and conversed together as one big team. We packed up and went to our final stop, Buckner retirement village. we talked out side before going in. The top owners didn't want to bring the building up to code, and so, many residents had been moved to other retirement homes as the place closed one of the wings. The home that once held over 60 residents was now empty...almost half had been relocated. A shame.

We had plenty of time to get the sets ready and set up sound. The residents came on and we mixed. Some have seen is before, others hadn't. It was nice to talk with people. Gloria was trekking us about her prized flowers...RED. They were apparently burning up in the sun. That reminded one of the fires in our own town. The ladies are praying for you too. Then we began. One lady was rivieted. Tears poured down her face during the acappella version of "be thou my vision". She nodded and smiled and cried. All were attentative and all were loving every moment. The mimes were energized and complete encouraged. The second to last song, the same lady stood to applaud.

Afterwards, the mimes went to mix and crew tore down. Soon, they went and set it the napkins as the residents came in for dinner. Some served and after, some sat and ate with the residents, others with reach other. A lot of residents told thier life stories, while others gave advice. One was upset with his niece for hording her money "you can't take it with you" so he didn't know the point. Another praised the Lord when he survived an accidental poisoning when he was a child, a poisoning that killed his brother. So many stories, not enough time. The residents were so gracious and gave us bracelets from a convention whose theme was inspire, serve, advocate. It was such an awesome time, and the mimes really enjoyed the tome with the seniors. All the way home, they talked with each other and traded the stories. A good day

Day 6 - Gospel Truth & Waltzing

Today was an early start. I'm telling you, something is going to happen. The enemy is attacking. Distractions galore. We are thinking of you, Colorado. We are praying for you and all the fire-fighters. After taking everything in so early in the morning, we loaded the vans and headed off to Zion church.

The church was a converted box theatre, so naturally it was a great performing space. After a quick set up, the mimes ran through and we sat in the congregation. After announcements, we had praise and worship and then it was the mines turn to perform. The first service was really small; maybe 10 people total. All were attentative as the mimes performed their 3 songs.

The message was amazing. The basis was the lame man on his mat that Jesus healed. Pastor Darrell put it in a light that I had never seen before. Jesus told the man to 1 - get up, 2- pick up his mat, 3- walk. He related this to the calls that jesus has for all Christians. Just up take up your cross, and walk. It was a really good message.The second service was packed. A lot of the people were kids from the Roc, who has seen the mimes before. All were excited as the mimes got ready. There were two in the back that were texting during most of the service and the performance. But even they paused to witness "not alone." That song seems to speak volumes to these kids. After their performance, we quickly packed and went to lunch.There, we ate a quick lunch before the older team jetted out for the prison. The younger team had a little more time to enjoy their lunch. Andy had a high fever during the night before and it hadn't passed. Marcy (who had come to join us) offered to take him and his mom home. Courtney was also being bothered by an injured knee, so she went along with them.

YOUNGER
The rest of the team headed out to the Governors Place retirement home, the place where last year we all decided we would retire. We were there a bit early so the mimes worked out the set as the boys set up the sound. After everything was set, the mimes went and invited residents to the performance. Soon, the room was filled with sweet older ladies, all ready to watch. as the mine showed their stuff the ladies watch all attentatively. One lady came late, just in time to catch the last two songs. She was very upset that she was late, and wouldn't sit and be comfortable. She wanted to find the gal who invited her, desperately wanting to let her know that even though she was late, she was there. I promised that the kids would come around after they were done, so she relaxed. The mimes had a great idea; they taught the ladies a few mime moves so for the last song, the women could join in. It was fantastic.At the end, the kids mixed as promised, and the woman got to meet the one who invited her. One lady, Luverne, was so inspired by learning the mime moves that she invited Tanner to dance with her. She was making jokes the entire time; poor Tanner was having a time trying to contain his laugher. After we danced, we talked, and laughed, we packed up. Since we had an hour or two before our next performance, we went to Starbucks for some much needed caffeine and cool drinks. Once we had our fix, we switched drivers (Patti was transfering back to the prison team) then we headed to our next home.

OLDER
The first home was amazing! Thes audience was only seven-ish people, but they were so excited and full of life and God. During "Be thou my vision" they sang one lady gently to sleep. And during "when I survey" one of the women woke up and at first she was very confused where she was; but when she saw Stephanie and Rachael smiling at her, she smiled back and enjoyed the rest of the presentation. The mimes were going to end with shout to the lord, but suddenly the spirit was calling "praise you" this spured several conversations. One lady named Mary was so encouraged. "Just because I'm old, doesn't mean I don't have a mission. This is your mission and I have mine. My roomate isn't saved yet!" Another lady had lost her leg to diabetes and was about to lose the next one soon. "I guess this is my storm. I will praise God in it"

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This home was such a relaxed place. Several of the residents were excited and coherant; a breath of air for the team. This place they worked out the set quickly, and only had to run through a single song as the sound guys worked on thier job The residents were friendly and chatted with the adults as they waited. Finally, it was time to begin. The kids were rock solid. It was amazing the focus they kept; especially when they faced the door, people kept walking past, and one lady actually stood up in the middle of the performance and glared at the mimes. She eventually sat down, but it was certainly awkward.

After talking with the residents, we packed up and headed out to our final home.

OLDER
This home had a group of abou ten people. The mood was much more relaxed and slow than the first one. The set was so good. The people were so intrigued. Steph intro'ed most of the songs, one included "I know everything can get confusing, especially with all the new technology out" most everyone nodded in agreement. "But God knows our hearts and our pains and our confusions." Then she sang "The real me" and the mood changed and became so lighter. The last song was "I will Rise" The mood had changed so much and everything was just so peaceful that all the mimes just worshiped. The residents just loved it. Afterwards, the mimes went to mix with the residents. One lady insisted that the group stay for dinner. Then we packed up, and headed out.

YOUNGER

This home would be the largest home of the night. We had some time, so the sound guys set and as the mimes talked out the set. They spattled a little bit before. Linda pointed out that we didn't pray before and we really needed to. Once we did that, our heads were clear and the kids could work on the set. A toss-up was in the air - should we do If That's What It Takes or One Touch. Then Tanner came around the corner, confessing that one of the nursing home residents planned to leave when she heard the performace was about Jesus. That settled it - If That's what it takes would be the one. The mimes gathered once more before going out and doing what they do best. Thier audience was rivited. I hope they got the message.

We talked with the residents for quite some time. My friend was Luverne, who was very talkative and greatful for us coming. Dalores was grateful also, but a little upset with the new activities director, who apparently forgot to tell the residents that we were coming. She wanted to share with all her friends, but because she is very disabled, she couldn't leave.After we talked, we went to dinner. It was nice to talk about the day, make jokes and just enjoy each other's company.

OLDER
We went to do a quick dinner at Subway. It was so funny. One group was staffing at a camp, and when they came in, they were convinced we were a ninja convention. It was so great to talk and fellowship and be silly with other believers. Our last stop for the day was Bridgeport prison. As we waited outside, the mimes practiced the songs until they called us in. You know that Patty. The metal detector went off when she got waved and kept going. The mimes teased her, all in good fun when she kept going, not hearing the guards requests to come back. We walked into the chapel, greeted some of the guys and talked with some from last year, one even from two years ago. It was awesome to catch up. First we had worship.

Because of good behavior, the prisoners were allowed to form a praise band. The ministry was so established that this was possible. It seems that to keep the men grounded, they needed to be grounded in the word. (crazy concept, right?) So, that's how they grew the ministry. Freedom was the song that stuck out. "freedom from chains, freedom from bondage" It was so awesome because many of these men found Jesus in jail.

"While in prison,I found freedom, and I don't want to go back to the world and get imprisoned again."

They found freedom in Christ in jail, and didn't want to go back to their old lives and old flesh that would imprison them again. Deep...so deep and confound. "East to west" certainly demonstrated that. They also loved not guilty which gave them the same final verdict. The sets were powerful. The men sang along to every song they knew...they worshiped.

"God is good..."
"all the time!"
"all the time..."
"God is good!"

Not guilty just sent so much energy. The mimes held nothing back. It was because the prisoners know. They know what it is like to be chained in sin. And they just wanted to hear God give that verdict of "not guilty" and have angels come and toss away their chains. It was just so awesome. One man had never gone to chapel. This was his first time. During "I will rise" and "if that's what it takes" tears just poured down his cheeks. Everything just worked together so well. The line for prayer was so long. This is when the prisoners would ask the mimes to pray with them for various things...most

Day 5 - Nursing Homes and Prisons

Today was an extremely early morning. We met in the lobby at 730, finished sorting gloves before packing the van and heading out. We drove for about 45 minutes before stopping at our favorite morning destination. That's right...Starbucks.after getting our fix, we got back on the road for a decently long drive. When we got to the Texas Veterans Home, we quickly set up and reconnected with our old friends. I found Samuel, and listened to his good jokes. The mimes began, all a little tired, but energized from their highly attentive audience. One man liked to whistle,so on familiar songs,

he joined the song. Although the nursing staff asked him to stop, the mimes didn't mind. It was his way of letting them know he was enjoying it. After the performance we went to talk with our friends. Samuel had just turned a proud 92. And Jim really liked our smiles. After a hard goodbye, we loaded up the band and headed to lunch. The menu was Italian at Roma. Good fun with stories and jokes. Our waitress was very good and very nice, so we were spite relaxed. Finally, it was time for the spilt. 

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The first performance was in a hallway. But they were solid. Even when one of the residents' dogs barked crazily at CJ during one of the songs. CJ jumped, but quickly recovered. Even with  residents walking through our makeshift stage, demanding Cokes, or coughing loudly, the mimes were like a rock. After, the residents were overjoyed to talk with the mimes. Orvis must have proposed to everyone at least twice, while Mary praised everyone. We packed up and headed to the Mraz house....aka the Tetris house.....aka the living room. We were so prepared and ready, but once we got there, we were surprised. They had rearranged, disengaged and got new furniture, and so we had a lot more room.it would still be our smallest place but now it would be comfortable. They also got air 

 conditioning.since it was not as nearly as difficult as the year before mimes described it, the new team had tons of confidence. They went into it bold and with so much energy. They nailed every song and didn't pay any attention to the low ceiling or inquisitive residents during the performance. Afterwards everyone said goodbye and we boarded up and headed out. We headed to sonic to get some nice cool drinks.

OLDER

Inside the older home, the mimes set up and  invited the residents to come join them. The residents were silent and blank as the mimes performed. That made it a little more difficult than the last home.  Most of the residents were unresponsive; there was no energy for the mimes to feed off of.  The mimes would have to worship by themselves. But there was one woman in the front that was all smiles. The mimes were encouraged; and poured even more into the set. So much so, that during "I will Rise" one watching nurse was moved to tears. At the end, the mimes received the applause greatfully and had a little time for handshakes before they could check the first text messages and calls, informing them about The fire at Waldo Canyon. This shattered the focus of the team. Many liked to hike the area, and even more many have friends and family that were mandatorily evaccuated from the area. All thoughts were at home.  They quickly repacked to meet the younger team at Sonic and reconviene. As they finished their cool drinks, some prayed over family. We went to Walmart to relax in the AC as we burned an hour before our final split for the day. We tried avenger masks and played with the toys. who was a nice time to stay in the air conditioning while we killed time. Soon it was time for our split.

YOUNGER

We went to 7 oaks retirement facility, however, got blocked by a road block when we were just down the street. I wanted to go through, :-) but there was a large tractor in the way, so we had to drive four streets down to get around it. Eventually we made it past. When we arrived, we laughed to see that the sign announcing our arrival said "'Mind' team, Saturday, June 23, 2012." We got a good joke about sound people control the mimes with their minds and Jedi sword fights.  Once inside, we waited for the residents to finish eating dinner. We then quickly set up sound and some went to talk with the residents. I got to reconnect with my friend Dorothy who had a birthday coming up. once the mimes began, I was surprised how much energy they had. As a theatre person, I am a stickler for faces. And

thier faces were full of expressions and made everything so believable and so much more worshipful. The audience was small, but were very attentative. They could feel the kids energy too. At the end, we congratulated the kids on their set, before they spread out to talk with the residents. We spent a few minutes visiting before loading up and heading out.

OLDER (no pictures in prisons allowed)

The olders quickly checked into the first prison...the prison which last year God had directed them to a comeplete different building all together. When we were driving up, we saw the building we were at last time, and surprisingly kept going. When we pulled up, we all took a collective "huh!"  Everyone distinctly remembers standing out in the parkinglot and looking for the 'blue building" only to see a field and nothing. It blew us away when this time, the building was plain as day. It was even more clear that God didn't want them there.

The first set was the faith-based dorm. This was for guys that are seeking to live a life for the Lord. There were about forty guys. The set was completely acappella. The men came in very friendly and respectful; many introduced themselves and shook hands. David started the set with his testimony. The men certainly connected with him, some clapped, some said Amen.  They  were very responsive. The set only lasted 30 minutes, but God moved. Because it was acappella, the mimes had to push. It was wonderfull to see the progression of the set. The story of praising God inthe storm, to when God - you ran can run from God, but he's always going to welcome you. "East to west"-don't let the things of the past keep you from God. I will rise -we are going to see God, and praise him.  They ended the set with "Your Great name" most joining in and singing.

The guards kept a tight schedule.  Immediately at the end, the mimes were led to the chapel. They had just a few minutes to check the set before the guys started filling in. They just kept coming, and coming until they filled the room. Every seat was filled...130ish VOLUNTARY seats to be exact. They took roll, very elementary style. "here" Quite a few had Bibles. A few of the men had just seen the mimes, and excitedly joined the second performance. One of the guys name was Thomas. He was very friendly and encouaging. David started with his testimony again, and again the men could connect. Some additional songs were added to the second set, and that kept the energy high throughout. David invited them to sing along to any of the songs that they knew....and they knew a lot. Some you could really tell were worshiping; a few had their hands raised, others whispered in agreement. Near the end, David mentioned that this was their mission field. The chaplain then said a few words and asked who had a relationship with the Lord. A majority of the room raised their hands. Awesome.