It's easy to become discouraged these days with all the bad news. But the link below to a video about the work of Clowns Without Borders might help to restore a sense of confidence and hope.
Here's the mission statement for Clowns Without Borders: CWB is a non-profit organization which offers laughter to relieve the sufferings of all persons, especially children, who live in areas of crisis including refugee camps, conflict zones and other situations of adversity. We help people to forget for a moment the tensions that darken their daily lives...we seek to heighten our society's awareness of effected populations and to promote a spirit of solidarity. Our motto is: No Child Without A Smile.
Tortell Poltrona founded Clowns Without Borders in 1993. A professional clown from Barcelona, Spain, some school children approached asking for him to visit a refugee camp in Croatia where there were children with whom these Spanish friends had been corresponding. The Croatian children said the thing they missed the most in their situation was laughter. So Tortell drove with some of his own clown friends to Croatia not knowing what to expect. Hundreds of children and their families greeted them and the show went on. At the end the children asked, "When will you return?"
These laughter missionaries have performed for children in Mexico, Turkey, Kenya, Greece, Colombia, Nepal, Texas and California. This month they have shows in El Salvador. They've performed at a children's home in San Antonio ~ over 200 young people, infants to age 18, trying to beat death in Guatemala and Honduras and who have crossed the U.S. border.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and, those who are crushed in spirit, he saves. Psalm 34: 18-20
The video below lasts about 16 minutes. Get a cup of tea, give yourself a Sunday rest, and ponder the mercy-kindness of the young people who clown around to help children forget if even for an hour or so.
