January 1, 2024
Hello my Beloved,
Monday, the 1st, wow, a whole year down!! 2023 was definitely eventful. I left Northern Neck Regional Jail at the end of January to begin my time in the prison system. It saddened me to say good bye to so many people that God used me to minister to. People that became my friends. Peacock, Richard, Dor, Africa, John, Kevin, Rico, Jose, Martinez, Patrick, Mike, Trash can, and so many others, helped to clarify what God wanted to use me for in the coming years.
Leaving the jail to go to prison was not a journey I had to make alone. Adam came with me. It was good to have a familiar face with me, especially of another brother in Christ. Adam had made a lot of progress at NNRJ under Peacock’s mentorship. I was glad we were together.
I spent the next month at Nottoway. Things were different there. I saw my first stabbing there. Like NNRJ, there were many fights, this time though people would fight the guards as well. The food at Nottoway was better, as was the rec yard. It was also nice having a cell. I also finally got a bottom bunk. It was on the second floor though, so my knees continued to deteriorate because of the injury I had at NNRJ and their lack of treatment. Nottoway’s medical department did not seem to be much better.
I made new friends at Nottoway and continued to minister to people. Friends like Lionstone, Smitty, Cliff, Samuel, Jason, Tennessee, and my cell mate Bryan, spanned a huge range of beliefs and sentences. Each had a story that broke my heart on the way they were raised. Adam really began to get sharper as I mentored him. It was fun to watch him begin to employ Tactics in his day-to-day engagements. My own skills began to sharpen even more as I learned to adjust my
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language to a larger array of education levels and worldviews.
In late February, I was moved to St. Bride’s. By the time I was moved to St. Bride’s I had begun to develop a deep distrust of the prison and jail systems. I had watched as friends like Afrika, and Brian were viciously attacked, without instigation. They defended themselves without striking their attackers yet were charged and punished as if they had fought back. I have had my mail delayed by over a week by a guard who attempted to belittle me in front of others, only to have his teasing turned around on him by a quick-witted response. I have seen guards turn blink eye or joke with inmates about drugs they had but throw the book at Peru for not having gas relief pills in a properly labeled container. I have had over $200 in clothing stolen by guards at Nottoway, who then lied to me about it, then confessed and said I had better sign a paper saying everything was ok. I watched those same guards send a 3-man team into intimidate my elderly friend John when they did the same to his very expensive wedding band. I watched as female guards flirted with inmates and heard stories of various sexual encounters with them. For over a year I have seen a level of incompetence, apathy, and immorality, from those that make up the Department of Corrections (DOC), it staggers my mind. They are as bad as the inmates they are in charge of and sometimes worse. After 8 months I gave up on getting the medical department to help with my knee. I gave up on the counselors in the system doing anything, but the bare minimum needed to keep their jobs.
I have not given up on serving God in this forsaken place, though. 2023 saw our ministry grow to reach over 100 inmates with the truth of Christ. My own skills continue to sharpen as I engage people from all walks of life and education levels.
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Not long after my arrival at St. Bride’s I decided to frame up my mission in the Department of Corrections in a new way. I drew from the stories I heard about our Special Force soldiers going deep behind enemy lines to train small groups of people to engage enemy forces in their own territories. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says that the ‘Gates of Hell’ will not be able to keep the Church from reaching those people locked up tight within the prison of Satan’s lies, deceptions, and demonic philosophies. The people here are far beyond those gates.
For many of them, their entire lives are dedicated to the advancement and celebration of those lies, deceptions, and demonic philosophies. They celebrate these things and are in constant competition with each other to see who can make the most ‘converts’.
My mission here is to train the Christian brothers I encounter here. I remember God’s order to all Christians in Proverbs 24:11-12, “Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not He who keeps watch over your soul know it? and Will He not repay man according to His work?
God will ask us how much we loved our neighbors. Did we love them enough to try and stop them from being taken away to death, to stop their stumbling to the slaughter? We can make excuses for what we did and did not do with the time God has gifted us with on this earth. But God knows the truth and what we really love the most.
The first week of 2024 has been a time of rest and reflection. I am excited about our service to God this year. I have already begun to talk more with the leaders of Prison Fellowship. (the prison ministry in prisons across the country) One of the leaders from outside is a pastor. He was so impressed with our ministry as well as a short lesson he heard me do on Natural Law, that he wants to talk to you as well. I gave him our information. He seemed very excited. I don’t know what his plans are for me, but I like his enthusiasm.
I also received a picture they took of you, Dodah, Little Bear and me just before Christmas. It was such a great gift to get hugs from each of you. You know my love languages are touch and words of affirmation. Having you guys visit really filled my ‘love tanks’ all the way up. Everyone needs to read ‘The 5 Love Languages” by Dr. Gary Chapman to fully understand the emotional aspect of love.
I love you so very much my Beloved. Thank you again for loving me and for loving God even more. I look forward to continuing the Great Adventure with you throughout 2024.
Love,
Me
SCRAP
GELPOY
ILYSOOOOM LAAF!!! 4
