They met for a while in a karate academy, until the owner began asking for a rental fee. And they explored the idea of giving lessons to poor children at a Catholic soup kitchen. But politicians are unwilling to support the idea of juggling as a worthy service to the poor, and the family's efforts in that direction are now at a standstill.

 

But while their evangelism has been running into many roadblocks, Ferdinand has been improving steadily through practice and occasional performances in clubs, shopping centers or school events. Even that has its problems, though. Heidemarie described Brazil as "the land of hope and promises - the promise of getting paid for work and the hope that you'll actually receive a check that's good after the show!"

 

She has written most of his shows, and tries to include all his talents - juggling to music, mime routines, "crazy" violin playing that mixes live and recorded sound, unicycle and rola bola. His juggling routine includes three and five balls, three clubs, three torches and eating fruit, and he seldom drops a prop. He also has a comedy strip-tease act in which he takes off wretched clothing to reveal shimmering gold garb at his core.

 

He has appeared on several local television shows, done guest spots with circuses passing through town and appeared recently in a show with rock bands.

Ferdinand lately took a big career step as the solo performer in a show that Heidemarie wrote for the publication party of a book called, "Voices in Silence." The book discusses the plight of sugar plantation workers in Mato Grosso from the time of slavery until 1930. The academic audience at the University of Mato Grosso thoroughly enjoyed the unique presentation, in which Ferdinand began as a native inhabitant, frolicking in the forest and finding three gold balls to juggled happily and expressively. To represent the coming of settlers and subjugation of the natives, Ferdinand joggled the balls to "the hills" to hide. To represent more modern times, he juggled clubs, three to five balls, and three balls on a rola-bola.

 

When he's not juggling, Ferdinand is a third year student at the local technical high school with an affinity for music and computers as well as juggling. He hopes some day to win a scholarship to attend an American university.