MALAGA, SPAIN (November 17, 2004) – An idea prompted by a movie has given a mission church in Spain a ministry that brings smiles to all each Monday.
More than a dozen parishioners at Eugenio Restrepo’s church – Comunidad Cristiana Parque Victoria – have organized a 45-minute program every Monday afternoon at Málaga Children’s Hospital, says Restrepo, a missionary with the Evangelical Covenant Church. They use clowning as a catalyst for the ministry. Children being treated for cancer and other diseases leave their rooms to join the ministry team in a large playroom where they join the clowns for a fun time. Later, the clowns visits those children in their rooms who cannot come because of major health problems.
The idea of a clown-based ministry was hatched more than a year ago as students taking a Bible class on “Christian Maturity” watched the movie “Patch Adams” (1998), starring Robin Williams and directed by Tom Shadyac. Patch Adams used clowning as part of his work as a doctor, his unique therapy bringing healing to patients in an oncology unit at the hospital he served.
“This powerful film affected my class, which had to write an essay on integrating grace and arts in a contemporary and transforming way,” said Restrepo. “They were exposed to analyzing Christian faith into pastoral and social issues in the Spanish culture. One of the students, Fran Moya, likes drama and puppets and has demonstrated his gifts and ability to improvise as an actor. He came afterwards with tears in his eyes and said, ‘Eugenio, why don’t we do something like we saw in this film as a ministry?'”
Moya and other young people at the church decided to join with members of other churches in the area and enroll in a class to learn the art of making people smile. This ministry involves learning how to draw and put on clown make-up, but also includes tips on story telling, puppetry, arts and crafts and singing. Restrepo reported recently that “we have about 14 people who share the joy and satisfaction of making these little children and their parents forget their pain and struggle for survival.”
The idea of using humor as a healing agent isn’t a new one to Restrepo. It is scientifically proven that humor helps the healing process because smiling and laughing trigger the secretions of morphine-like chemicals known as endorphins that strengthen the immune system, which is responsible for fighting disease and enhancing recovery while helping to reduce pain and relaxing the body. “Humor works because it distracts people from their worries and pain,” Restrepo said. “Humor does not alter the situation, but it helps to cope.”
During his time at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, Restrepo completed a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at nearby McNeal Hospital and watched one of his fellow CPE students dress up as a clown during hospital rounds, raising the spirits of those in the unit in the process. The experience showed Restrepo how clowning could lighten a stressful situation and it gave the student a unique opportunity to interact with others.
The clowns at the Malaga Hospital seem to provide a similar stress release and Restrepo is able to interact with parents during that time, offering words of encouragement to tired, fearful adults who may have lost hope that their children will survive. He prays with some, laughs with others and at times just adds his presence to people from a variety of countries. He and his team share Christian literature and the gospel message, along with the smiles that naturally flow from the clowning ministry.
Restrepo shared one incident involving a child that he says has demonstrated to him just how powerfully the ministry is working.
“Patricia, a 9-year-old girl, had been under chemotherapy for almost 30 days,” Restrepo recalled. “During the first 10 minutes of our visit, Patricia did not say a word – she was tense and in pain. We tried everything to make her smile, performing our best tricks, but everything seemed useless. We made a little balloon flower, but it did not make her smile either.
“Her mom explained that she was having a bad day (physically),” he continued, “but when we were ready to leave her room feeling some sort of frustration, she said, ‘Would you come later?’ Then she gave a (thumbs-up) gesture and smiled at us. The following week she was waiting at the door for us. Every Monday afternoon there are many children like Patricia waiting for us, with hope in their eyes, willing to give their pain to us in exchange for a balloon. We are learning that we can do anything just for a kid’s smile – that is enough!”
To learn more about the work of Restrepo and the church, including its clowning ministry at the local hospital, email him at epirestrepo@terra.es.
Copyright © 2011 The Evangelical Covenant Church.
