A Magic Connection
By Lisa Livingston

Take a single request. Add an international trip. Mix with magic and orphaned children. This was the recipe for a life-changing adventure when metro-Atlanta corporate magician and Georgia T.V.P. Joe M.Turner received and responded to a single request. Subsequently, he traveled across international waters to Latvia, visited and performed magic at an orphanage, and met local magicians in that European country.Joe’s journey began with a single e-mail appeal from Simple Obedience Ministries (S.O.M.).  They were seeking American families to host orphaned Latvian children in American homes for a month during the 2007 Christmas season. Joe was intrigued and moved by the orphans’ plight, so he discussed the opportunity with his wife, Rosemary. With little reservation, they decided to host a Latvian child. (Read More)

Joe replied to S.O.M. and was put in touch with Jennifer Peters.

Joe soon realized that it is indeed, a small world. As Jennifer and Joe discussed the standards for selecting host families, Joe learned that Jennifer lived near him and they attended the same church. Jennifer soon revealed she had been praying for two years for a magician to join the organization to do mission trips. Joe immediately volunteered to be the magician for an international mission trip. 

In December, a fourteen-year-old girl named Vika, who lives at a Salvation Army Orphanage in Latvia, came to visit Joe and his family for one month. It was Vika’s first trip outside Latvia. Joe and his family took Vika on numerous outings in and around Atlanta. Vika even had an unexpected visit with her former orphanage roommate who had been adopted by an Atlanta-area family. The Turners and Vika enjoyed a wonderful Christmas visit while sharing family traditions. Joe, Rosemary, and their children – Hayley and Preston – downplayed the commercialized aspects of an American Christmas, focusing instead on building a positive, lasting relationship with their visitor.

Since Vika’s visit, her Latvian school attendance and grades have improved, and she joined the school choir. Joe and his family regularly communicate with Vika and maintain a close relationship with her. They are doing “long-distance parenting” and feel as though they are Vika’s godparents. The Turners try to give Vika encouragement and hope for a better future. Vika now knows someone cares about her even if they are far away from her home; she no longer experiences a feeling of hopelessness.

Since Joe would soon be traveling to Latvia, he thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to meet local magicians and invite them to his show. Joe contacted I.B.M. Headquarters to inquire about magicians in Latvia. International Executive Secretary Sindie Richison provided him with contact information for local magicians and I.B.M. members, Enrico and Dace Pezzoli. Joe contacted them, and the Pezzolis replied enthusiastically, excited to hear that a fellow magician was coming to Latvia, a fairly unusual occurrence.

In February 2008, Joe made the trip to Latvia and performed several magic shows for a multitude of local people. Although Joe learned enough Latvian to perform several routines without an interpreter, all of his performances were translated. There were spoken-language barriers, but the faces of the audience members reacted joyfully to the international language of magic. Joe was reassured by the smiles in the audience; he knew they were enjoying the show. A portion of one of Joe’s performances was later broadcast on local and national Latvian television.

Following Joe’s first evening show, the Pezzolis met with him and invited him and his mission teammates to the Pezzolis’ home where they spent the next several hours socializing. The Pezzolis have a beautiful private home, which is considered something of a luxury in Latvia. Their home is decorated with numerous magical photos, wonderful posters, and intriguing props. One of the rooms was designed as a large parlor theater with a stage area and professional lighting. The Pezzolis hope to use it as a meeting place for magicians around the region.

During the visit, Joe had the opportunity to watch movies of some of the Pezzolis’ performances. They all enjoyed talking and sharing magic ideas. It was a wonderful experience of magical camaraderie for him, and Joe has remained in contact with the Pezzolis since his visit. Joe later performed in another part of Riga and people came from all over the city to watch him. In addition, the Pezzolis attended, both to support Joe and to visibly support the art of magic in their city.

Hosting a disadvantaged and disillusioned child, traveling to Latvia to perform, and meeting magicians who live and work in a different culture have all made a lasting impact on Joe and his entire family. Joe feels that his own children have benefited from the experience of hosting a child with a different background and heritage. His children are more appreciative, and their views on materialistic items have been put in better perspective. Traveling to Latvia and performing for audiences who speak a different language was a challenge, but Joe overcame that challenge through his mastery of the universal language of magic.

According to Joe, “We’ve all heard the famous slogan that, ‘Membership has its privileges.’ In the I.B.M., one great privilege of membership is that no matter where you go in the world, you have the opportunity to meet and connect with people with whom you share a passion. A little effort is all it takes to make those connections happen, but it is worth it because it so vastly broadens and enriches your experience of magic.”

Lisa Livingston is a freelance author living in the metro-Atlanta area. You can contact her at klisalivingston@bellsouth.net. Joe M. Turner also contributed to this article; you can visit him at www.turnermagic.com.

This article is reprinted from The Linking Ring, the monthly publication of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. For information on joining the I.B.M., click here.