I've said many times during my juggling career that ours is not a children's ministry, per se.  Of course kids love juggling and a magic shows, but a lot of our routines are really meant to communicate to teens and adults.  That said, we do get invited to do shows specifically for children's audiences, and last Sunday was one of those times.  While my wife and daughter went to our home church in Bridgton, I set off for Little Falls Baptist Church in Gotham.

the children's ministry at LFBC is in the basement of the building, which made for low ceilings, the bane of jugglers.  Nonetheless, I was able to do my three ball routine, cigar boxes, devil sticks and spinning plates.  The rest of the morning was filled with illusions.

  The best part of the morning had nothing to do with the show, though.  The show was a lead in to the filling of Operation Christmas Child boxes.  These shoe boxes are filled with toys, school supplies, toiletries and Christian literature, then sent to children in third world countries so they can have Christmas presents to open.  Jona-Lynn (our oldest daughter) and I were present at the distribution of OCC boxes in Ecuador ten years ago, and it was amazing.  Although we were there in February, OCC boxes don't always arrive in December.  Actually they never do, but that doesn't mean anything to a kid when you give him a box full of toys and candy.  Anyway, it was fun to be at a local church that was involved in that mission on the day I was there.  I was able to share with them about our experience in South America, and hopefully this was an encouragement to the young kids present.