Well yesterday we had our last concert with Prisoners for Christ. For the last two weeks we have been traveling around the Seattle area to a bunch of different detention centers, rehabilitation centers, and prisons; doing between 1 and 4 concerts a day! Prisons have become one of my favorite places to play. We have had our most lively interactive crowds at prisons, and our most "singing to a brick wall like" crowds. Either way it has been a really good excperience just knowing that most of the people in the room aren't Christians, and you know that the've had some not so good things going on in there lives. Going into these places we were able to be one of the few outside influences on the prisoners. Through the many prisons I've been in and out of in the last couple weeks, we have seen God doing work through us. We've seen people laugh, sing along, cry on several occasions, and have had people ask us some good questions.
-We played in a juvenile maximum security cottage one day, and afterwards they let us spend time with the kids. I got to talk with quite a few of the guys, and one of the girls there actually asked us to pray for her, so the girls on my team got to pray with her.-Another day we went to a rehab center (where the prisoners go shortly before they are released back into society.) We just brought acoustic guitars in and sang some songs with them, including a few songs by request. The people in charge there had us stay an hour past when we were supposed to leave, just because the guys there talked and interacted with us so much. Which appatently they have a hard time getting them to interact with anyone.
-Then just last night we played at another juvenile center. I actually have family in the Seattle area (the Taylors) and they met up with me and I took them to prison! Aren't I a nice guy. Yeah we were able to get two more passes for them and they came in and watched the concert. The concert went very well. Most of the kids were pretty receptive to it. After the concert we were allowed to shake the kids hands. One of them asked us were to find the story of peter denying the Lord three times. Another kid asked my to write a note in his Bible for him. That was pretty cool, I just wrote a note encouraging him to keep following after the Lord. Also after the concert the Chaplain informed us that the Lord had really touched one of the counselors who was in the room that night, through our service. He said the music, the drama, and just the way we interacted really made an impact on this counseler. Apparently the guy had kinda been on the edge, really struggling with his faith, and the Chaplian said he thinks our ministry may have saved a marriage that night. It's always neat to see the direct results of the Lord using us.
Signing off
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2 comments:
Wow, that's awesome team 14:22! I'm sure God has used you richly in those prisons. We (team 14:21) haven't played in any prisons yet but we have played at a couple of homeless shelters and for me they have been one the most blessed times. It's exciting seeing the kids open up and let us pray with them.
We are thinking and praying for you Team 14:22 :-)
Hey guys, that's awesome to hear! I'm glad that you can see the effects of the wonderful work you do. But also, remember that even when it seems you're not making a difference, sometimes God won't use your ministry until long after you have physically left an area. Don't get discouraged, He knows what he's doing : ) Thanks for everything you guys do, and keep up the good work!
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