Lewiston, Maine is a small city of about 40,000 people, but it has, per capita, the highest population of Muslims in the United States. This formerly French Canadian community is now 20 percent first generation African immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. In the middle of one of the city's poorest, and most African, neighborhoods is the Root Cellar. The Root Cellar is a Christian mission that provide ESL citizenship and GED classes, after school tutoring, a food pantry, community meals, youth group and so much more. This week it was LOL's privilege to visit their ministry and do a show for their kids program.

My nine middle school students (2 were absent) spent the afternoon learning about refugees from the director, Joel. After that session, we set up for our show, finishing just as the RC kids began to arrive. The two groups of kids then had 45 to play together before our show started. It was amazing watching the kids from the Root Cellar (mostly a couple years younger than my students) playing with the LOL kids. Spontaneous games of hide and seek, tag, and nerf basketball were going in one room, while kids read together or colored together in another. I have pictures of this, but have not been able to get them on my gallery. I do have some up on my brand new Facebook page, so check them out there.

Suddenly the momentum kicked up a notch, if that's possible, and all the kids went outside to a hill between two apartment buildings adjacent to the mission. It was a steep, icy hill, and the kids all had old cardboard boxes that they used as sleds. What a blast!

When the show finally started the performers and audience had become friends. Every time I introduced a new dancer, juggler, illusionist or actor, the crowd went wild. My students felt like rock stars. In fact, they also performed like rock stars, as every routine was excellent. Technically, it was the best show of a very successful year so far.

After we finished, there was a little more time to interact, pet the bunny, and promise we'd come back some time. And we will.