Today started out chilly...42 degrees on the way in ...but sky's were clear and the light fog driving in with the sun just starting to break light made for a Spiritual beginning to the day. When we arrived something happened to start off the day that was highly unusual. The old timer Kairos guys who have brought groups in on at least 100 occasions say this has never happened. Normally it takes 30 minutes to process everyone in the front gate...with the guards checking ID's etc...but this morning when we all were ready...they just opened the gates and we all just waltzed in like we owned the place. I thought at the time that God was removing barriers for our Ministry today...and I think that was correct in retrospect. On the other hand...I can see how the guards aren't real concerned with people breaking in, but rather breaking out.
I gained some more insight today on prison life and how difficult it can be. They shared that you never give anyone good news ...like you are up for probation or about to be released. Others that are jealous of you will plant contraband in your cell and then rat on you to the guards. Or they will just come right up and punch you in the face trying to get you to fight back. If you do...it doesn't matter who started the fight...both guys get written up and it very well will ruin your parole chances or get time added onto your sentence. What a terrible way to have to live life...good news is pretty rare and when it does appear you dont have anyone to share with or be at risk of having it spoiled by evil people around you!
David that sits to my right shared a little about his family with me. His Dad is serving a life sentence in a unit in Amarillo. He showed me a picture of his mom, little sister and step father. They had cigarettes hanging out of their mouths and they were shooting him the finger. Lovely. He told me how some dogs got onto his property and got into an illegal deer head rack that he had poached and was saving ..so he got mad and went out and shot and killed all the neighbors pets. How would you like to be raised with this kind of family? He has a teenage son...with grand dad and dad in jail and a white trash mother and sister...what chance do you give him growing up straight and narrow much less leading a youth group at your church? That is one reason Kairos serves such a great purpose. So residents can establish some Christian friends and role models. So when they get out of the unit maybe they can be more Godly Dads and husbands. And maybe they will stay out of jail. Statistics tell us that about 70% of the 'fenders return to jail...but if they go thru the Kairos program and are faithful to the community in follow up Bible Studies and worship...less then 20% return ! Amazing I think and plenty eough reason to support programs like this. Thank you to all that did with prayers, cookies or financial support.
Remember John Coffey, the huge black man from the movie The Green Mile? I think I met him today. Not really but this guy is a giant of a man and gentle as a mouse and a great lover of Jesus. He put his huge arms around me and we sang a few songs together. It was great.
We had two awesome meditations and three Talks today that knocked everyones lights out! We hit a homerun for the Lord today. Starting at 9:15 am and running until the end of the day we had a constant stream of new believers and re-commitments to the Lord. The experienced Kairos workers said they have never seen anything like it. I think I counted 14 ! Both guys to my right and left made confessions of sin, repented and gave their life to Christ...including a third resident that I sponsored. Each one of the 14 represented a touching story and a new soul for Christ in this Unit. We sang, danced , worshiped and prayed all day between talks and meditations. It was Spirit filled day to say the least. At one point we had to rest the guitar players because their strumming fingers were getting worn out! I told you about the "White Pride " guy in the earlier entry...he made a commitment as well and during open mike he said" I used to think I was the toughest dude in this prison ( head of a gang ) but I figured out that Jesus is tougher then I am...I can follow a God like that!" Another resident made the comment that this was "the Holiest Gym he had ever been in." I think we could all say that as well.
I shared a story about how Ashley Nix had made 16 dozen cookies for the residents because of her love for the Lord and her compassion for reaching the lost...all while her mother is gravely ill with cancer. That brought down a few tears.
But our work is not done! We still have "shoppers", skeptics and hard hearts to penetrate. We dont want to leave any man behind if we can help it. Gene Strauss said that we took some guys away from Satan today and he is getting restless...we need to have our armor on for our last day.
We also have hard hearts at our home church as well....as some do not believe this is a Scriptural Ministry and others cant get past the victims to reach out to the criminals.
“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15 KJV)
The Kairos web site provides lots of information on this Scriptural, compassionate Ministry!
I will close with a few of the comments from the residents at open mike time that I wrote down:
"Food brought me here but I ended up getting my soul back!"
"I have tried for years to get into Kairos and finally did....God is in the miracle business!"
"This is the most Spiritual and Blessed week of my life."
"I never thought as Jesus as a friend until now."
"Jesus is good...He came back for me."
"I normally don't get to hang around Gods people ...thank you!"
"I've seen a lot of tough guys that I have known for years ...smile and feel love for the first time ever."
"I am tired of being a sinner! I want Jesus!"
"I feel the love of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit for the first time."
"Opened my heart to the Lord for the first time."
"Didn't know what to expect coming here..but I have felt Gods Love every minute I have been here."
"I am taking back the life Satan stole from me and I am never giving it back! I am giving it to Jesus."
"It is a blessing to see souls saved here today. Thank you Lord for saving my friend Kurt!"
"Thank you Jesus...I am leaving the gangs and joining the Kairos Community of believers."
All comments we heard included sincere expressions of thanks giving to God, Jesus and the Kairos team for coming in.
I don't know about you ...but these are some pretty rough characters that I want to feel the love of Jesus before they hit the streets again! Can I hear an amen!
All Glory and Honor go to the Lord. It is a privilege to be used by Christ for this purpose.
More tomorrow!
Amazing Grace! I was there to see the Spirit move and still cannot believe all that I saw.
God is Good!
Posted by: John Boggs | April 09, 2008 at 08:39 PM
Art,
In the afternoon white lunch sacks were counted with my grandson's handprints on them. We found out that instead of 42 bags with handprints we needed 71. Donna found some extra bags left from some other Kairos events to complete what we needed. After counting again, we still needed 7 more bags. Earlier in the day there was a 3 year old girl at the church with her grandmother. I told Donna that it was too bad we didn't know sooner we could have used her to put her handprint on the rest of the bags. As Donna recounted the bags again, I prayed and asked God to send us child with a small hand to print the rest of the bags for us and I prayed believing that he would provide. In less than 1 hour one of our teammates daugther brought her own daughter and her daughter's friend. The friend was 12 years old but was short for her age and her hand was just what we needed. Well, someone else took care of the bags and when she left we realized that only 6 bags were printed. Now we still need 1 more bag but we don't have any more white bags. Donna sent me to our storage area and asked me to get a brown lunch bag and I would use my own hand since it too is small to print on the bag. I told Donna that the person that received that bag we will pray that God would bless them because it was different than the rest. As I approaced the bags, I saw something white in between the stack of brown bags. As I lifted the stack there was several white lunch sacks. God had provided not what we needed but more abundantly. It just shows us that God is concerned in the little things. I can say in closing that I have been a part of many retreats and religious events and this weekend has blown me away. To see the spirit of God moving as Satan attacked in so many ways through illnesses, loss of jobs, and other events. The team continued on believing that something spectacular was going to happen and it did. Praise be to God! Let's continue to keep all the men in white in our prayers and especially those who attended this weekend. I want us to claim all of the Boyd Unit for Jesus.
God bless,
Rhonda
Posted by: Rhonda Ramsdell | April 08, 2008 at 06:28 PM
Art,
It truly sounds like you guys had an awesome weekend. It is hard to get past the criminal part and see the real person but all of you did excellent God's work this past weekend.
May God Bless you all!!!!!!
Posted by: Nick | April 07, 2008 at 02:40 PM
Art,
This is so great... I am glad you and the others went to do this. Lizz and I prayed for you and the men you met with all weekend!
Blessings
Neal
Posted by: Neal B | April 07, 2008 at 10:22 AM
Kairos #5 Stateville Correction
April 24,25,26 and 27. I am a new Agape Chairperson and would like to share Agape with your group. Could you possibly send some for our coming weekend.
God Bless,
Brent
Posted by: Brent | April 06, 2008 at 10:26 AM