SAN ANTONIO, Texas—A performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio, Texas, on Jan. 13 was very special for one special lady. Mrs. Almodovar, a former biochemist and currently an assistant elementary school principal, had startling words for the performance: “Now I can die in peace.”
Mrs. Almodovar had a near-death experience during the birth of her child and was brought back to life. “One of my lifelong dreams before that was to attend a Shen Yun performance, but I was not able to, either because of travel or because of my kids. I actually passed away giving birth to my daughter, [but] I was brought back,” she said.
Mr. Almodovar, a biomedical electronic technician, made it his business to grant his wife her wish. “My husband, for my birthday [bought tickets] because my birthday was this week. This is my birthday present, and he said no more,” Mrs. Almodovar said.
Mrs. Almodovar had many feelings during the performance. “I was joyful, tearful. I wanted to jump out of my seat. It’s … a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said.
Shen Yun moved Mr. Almodovar deeply. “It is very touching. It touches deep down into you, to the heart and soul,” he said.
Mrs. Almodovar said she got a mission after her near-death experience. She works with the behavior of special needs children at an elementary school. “Before my experience ... I was actually a biochemist. So now, instead of working in a laboratory, I’m actually helping kids with special needs. So I changed careers completely. Now you can say I’m helping others. I’m trying to make a difference in this world through kindness.”
She said her experience may have taken her to another dimension. “I definitely felt like that. And seeing all of that and seeing how… obviously I’m Christian. And seeing how God gave me a second chance in life to make a difference. It definitely, definitely… You know this is an affirmation of what I have to do now.
“It definitely affirms the mission and the purpose,” she said. Shen Yun gave Mrs. Almdovar a special message: “That through unity, through compassion, I can definitely help others see that that’s the way to go, instead of being rude and being selfish, that we need to be loving, caring, and most importantly give of ourselves so that we can help [those we care for] to see the light within us.”