Conclusion - PART THREE

This is a long overdue part 3 of 3 to a series we started in September! If you want to refresh your memory on the previous two Click here.

Gary finishes up by sharing some of the particular challenges he faces on his visits to the local prisons here in the US. Good stuff. God stuff.

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PART THREE

Many of the challenges that I have to deal with are the results of my shortcomings and lack of self control.  Of late, I am finding a decreasing ability to deal with details and also with shortened fuse on my temper.  I believe it may be just “old timer’s” but it frustrates and worries me.  

In getting into the prisons, there are of course many security issues that you must deal with.  Each facility seems to have a completely different set of ‘dos and don’ts.”  Of course the first requirement at all institutions is you must get a reservation in order to visit any inmate.  While the process varies from one institution to the other, it is generally straight forward.  My major difficulty has been how and what I need, have to have, can’t have when I enter a particular prison.

Inside, we need to use a “food card” in order to purchase food to share with the inmate while we are inside.  This necessitates purchasing a food card (cash required), then loading it with credit (cash or credit card)  and this must be purchased inside the prison at the Visitors room.  PROBLEM:  You can take the food card in, but cannot carry any cash or any credit cards.

We are required to present identification (driver’s license) to prove who we are in order to get a pass to enter the prison.  PROBLEM:  Once you are cleared you can enter the prison but you can’t take the license in with you.

Their solution, rent a locker from them.  You must have two quarters in order to use the lockers.  No change available!

Now, at three of the four institutions I visit, you can enter carrying your car keys and you can wear a wrist watch, however at the fourth institution, neither are allowed.  You must now re-open your locker and deposit your watch and car keys  in your locker and then lock them in...... oh yes, need two more quarters.

On my first visit to this institution, I had to return to my car, once for extra quarters, once for cash for the food card and the correctional officer was amusing himself with my frustration.  I eventually had to turn my back on him, take a deep breath and calmly walk out of the institution.  I returned four days later all prepared.  I was truly afraid that my temper was going to get the better of me and I was going to say something.  

I am not proud of the fact that I almost lost it, but the experience provided me with a  taste of what the inmates put up with daily.  God’s lessons are easier to recommend than experience sometimes.  But God is in control and by His leave, I continue to try to minister to these men.  They aren’t saints, but then neither are any of us.

Long overdue - but well worth the wait!

Poor Gary and Diane have had a busy August and so has their blog administrator, leaving a great big gap in their blog history! So here we are trying to get back on track. The last post we had a few months ago was a brief summary of what Gary does in his work in the prisons. However, I got an even better review from him after that first one that I believe does a much better job of telling the story of how all of this is transforming not just the lives of those Gary serves but in Gary himself. Bear with us as it is lengthy and represents parts one and two of a three part post.  You may also notice in the beginning we repeat some of the last post but in that it's been a few months we will leave it in there to give others the full context. ENJOY and check back next week for part three!

PART ONE

Many people are aware through this blog what we are doing when we are out of the country with regard to prison ministry in Latin America, You also know that we aren’t there all the time and that we spend a great deal of our time here at home in Ohio.  What some of you may not know is that my interest and desire is to share the Gospel with individuals who, because of bad decisions and separation from the Lord, have found themselves in prisons.  

Many of you know that for close to seven years, I have been involved in prison ministry at the local prison with an organization called KAIROS.  KAIROS is a prison ministry organization that twice each year, in the prisons they serve, brings in a team of approximately 30-40 volunteers to meet, socialize, and witness to approximately 30-40 inmates.  I participated on teams for approximately three or four years before I started going to Latin America.  Since that time, the required team building for KAIROS requires that I be involved with the teams for approximately 5-6 weeks before we go into the prison, and that has consistently involved times when we are scheduled to be in Honduras or Colombia.  The result is that I haven’t been on a KAIROS team for about 4 years.  However, I have continued to be involved with their Prayer and Share program which occurs every Thursday evening.  

At the Prayer and Share Meetings approximately 6-10 Volunteers meet with usually about 30-40 inmates in small circles to pray for one another, for the institution, for the inmates in the prison that have not come to know Jesus, and then to discuss both challenges and victories that we have experienced in our walk with the Lord in the previous week.  We provide Scripture based discussion to one another. You may be surprised to learn that the support comes as often from the inmates to the volunteers as it does the volunteers to the inmates.  There are a tremendous number of strong believers behind the walls of the prisons.  All of us volunteers feel that we get every bit as much as we give in these meetings.  There is song and praise as well with a band with performances from both the volunteers and the inmate population with 2-3 guitars and drums.

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PART TWO

Because of prison regulations as a volunteer, I cannot develop a special one on one relationship with any individual to the point of being permitted to visit that individual for a personal visit.  However over the years, several inmates have been transferred to other institutions throughout the state of Ohio.  Many of these prisoners come from broken families, or from very broken and dysfunctional backgrounds and they actually have few if any visitors from the outside that come to see them.  

Some individuals who have attended the KAIROS events and Prayer and Share meetings are transferred or moved out to other institutions. For some of those, I have begun following up with them with a continuing written ministry through their in house e-mail system or through the regular US Postal system or even through physical visits to the facilities where they have been transferred.  

Currentlly, I am making physical visits on a once per month schedule to sit and talk with four  men who have become Christian brothers. The visits usually are approximately 3-4 hours with the respective inmate and because of the distance to travel, each visit takes the better part of a full day, leaving home at 5:00AM in order to arrive at the facilities by 9:00AM and visiting and then returning home.  These visits have resulted in developing a mentor type relationship with these men and strengthening both their faith commitment as well as my own.

While each individual relationship is quite unique, one that stands out is with a man who has the unfortunate position of being a 53 year old man who entered the prison system when he was 18 years of age.  His maturity and development have in many ways never developed beyond the eighteen year old level.  He was recently brought before the parole board and after being prematurely led to believe they were recommending him for parole was instead denied parole and advised he would come up for review in another three years.  

Our discussions on those first visits after this decision naturally focused on his disappointment and resentment over being passed over again for parole.  We discussed at length God’s Plan, Sovereignty, Goodness and Faithfullness.  I repeatedly explained that wherever each one of us finds ourselves, while it may be a surprise to us, it is no surprise to God.  He has a plan and we are all in exactly the place that he needs us to be.  That may be to teach us something, or it may be for us to teach someone else, it is our responsibility to be responsive to the situation and search for the Lord’s leading and instruction.  I will be honest, it was a very hard sale,.  He passed through several phases including anger, resentment to resignation, to seeking the what, where, who, and when of God’s plan for him.  He passed from saying “He may have a plan, but I for one don’t like His plan” to, I don’t understand His plan, to “What is His plan.”

These are not easy conversations to have.  I have been blessed in my life extraordinarily and I haven’t had to deal with these kinds of issues.  But somehow the Lord has seemed to give me the words to say, and given me am uncompromising insistence that God is unchanging, His love is constant, and the only thing that changes has to be our attitude toward Him.  

Last week, I attended that particular inmate's “Family Day.”  At his invitation, I was, for that day, the father he never had, and the biblical message and perspective I had been able to share regarding God had softened his resentment and he was back on track after a six week snit.  These visits with each of the inmates are quite different one from the other, but all leave me filled with gratitude in so many ways for the life that the Lord has permitted me to live.  It certainly is the result not of me or anything I have done or not done, it is solely the result of His grace in my life.  

Gary asnwers the question, "What do you do when you are HOME?"

With our overseas prison ministry work being intermittent and our travels only representing a portion of our time, some people ask if there is anything we do regarding the prisons here in the United States.  I am not sure if everyone really knows that our work in the prisons in Latin America was a development of what started almost eight years ago.

I think that many of you know about my involvement with KAIROS PRISON MINISTRY where along with a team of approximately 30 other volunteers we went in to prisons twice a year for a kind of “Weekend to Remember” for the inmates where we introduced a group of 30 inmates to the love of Jesus Christ.  This experience is what got me hooked on prison ministry. 

I still participate in KAIROS by attending  what is called PRAYER AND SHARE every Thursday evening where we do just that, we share experiences from the previous week, discuss challenges we have experienced in our walk with Christ and then Pray for one another.  This is generally attended by approximately 6-8 volunteers like me, and about thirty inmates from Trumbull Correctional Facility and is held in the chapel at Trumbull.

In the past eight years, I have developed friendships and a kind of mentor relationship with many of the inmates such that as they have been transferred to other prisons or have been released, I keep in contact with them by both e-mail, snail mail or by personal visit.  Currently I visit four inmates at four different facilities from prisons located in Ohio in London, Mansfield, and Marion. Diane accompanies me on my visits to one of the inmates who I met almost eight years ago. 

Every Friday, I teach a class in the chapel area at Trumbull Correctional Institution.  We have done studies on the character of God, God’s plan for our lives and how to recognize that plan, we have studied individual books of the Bible.  Generally, it is a meeting of Christian men to have an open discussion about a variety of Biblical topics. While it has structure, the inmates appreciate the opportunity to express their opinions and open those opinions to discussion, correction or refinement of those opinions and friendly debate on issues, always keeping the scriptures as the final authority in the interpretation of problems, issues and decisions that we each encounter in our walk.

I would love to be able to scatter pictures of these activities here among the text, but photographs are difficult to get in the prison.  As you enter the prison facilities, there is a sign that reads – “No Photography beyond this point.”  There is a general rule of no photography inside the prison, but we have occasionally been given permission for special circumstances or events. I have included one of these in this message.

Driving in Honduras

Check out Gary's entry below and keep in mind a few things. First notice that driving and riding are NOT the same as it might be here in the US on big interstates. Gary spent much of his life on the road in a car logging many miles of driving managing significantly sized sales territories in his sales career. But THIS driving is truly a test of his faith!! A few more of the reasons that prayer for them is so critical when they are in country. 

ITINERARY AND TRAVEL TIMES AND DISTANCES

Day 1 - Tuesday - left 6:00 AM from Santa Lucia. Arrived in La Ceiba approx 6:00pm. Overnight in La Ceiba (469 km - approx 9+ hrs driving and 12 hrs on the road.)

Day 2 - Wednesday -  Visited La Ceiba Prison. Overnight in La Ceiba

Day 3 - Thursday - Left La Ceiba at 7:00am, and drove to La Provenir, visited the prison, then drove on to Tela. Visited the prison for an evening graduation.  Couldn’t find an open restaurant for dinner.

Day 4 - Friday - Got up early. On the road by 7:00am. Drove for approximately 4-1/2 hours to Yoro prison in the mountains.  Held a meeting for graduation at Yoro.  Drove to San Pedro Sula, arrived by 7:30am Got take out pizza for dinner. Stayed at the Casa de Arcos.

Day 5 - Picked up by 7:30am. Drove to the prison at Puerto Cortez, had a meeting and graduation ceremony in the morning.  Visitation day for family.  On the road driving 4 hours.

Day 6 - Picked up by 9:00am drove back through Tegucigalpa to Santa Lucia, the home of the Rammer family.  Arrived home at 3:00pm after driving for six hours.

Total driving time since we arrived at TGU on Monday - approx. 30 hours in six days.   Averaging between 30-35 mph!!!  NOTE:  drive time included rest stop breaks and meals so we actually were driving faster than 30 mph.  Allowing time for stops and lunches, - estimated we averaged approximately 43 mph.

Driving is a particular challenge.  First, there are few hard and fast rules.  Secondly, the road surface in many areas is unreliable and potholes , ditches and natural and man made speed bumps can appear almost anywhere.  About the time you get your speed up to 50 mph there will be a ditch across the road or a large pothole and you will have to slam on your brakes in order to avoid breaking an axle or destroying a wheel rim.  

 Since there are no rules, people pull out in front of you when you are going 50 mph and they make no effort to accelerate to speed, but rather drive right in front of you at 20-25 mph.  It is a real test of your Christian principles, and I am just thoroughly grateful that I am not driving because I think my outward expressions and behavior would not reflect my faith.  Herasmo and Erasmo seem to be infinitely patient and forgiving, I like to think it is because they have grown used to these conditions and these drivers, but I believe instead that they are truly more forgiving and tolerant than me.

Standing Room Only: Tela and Yoro Graduates Spread the Good News!

The travel log for the blog today comes from Gary's records in March as they continued their visit in Honduras. Take note of the way God used the very graduation ceremony to reach those inside the prison walls!

On Thursday Evening, we visited the prison of Tela. This was a relatively new prison with the program, and new to us this time . Our volunteer Francisco has been coming here for about 4 months and has already got a group of about 80 men participating. The original chapel room was only about 15 by 20 and with the implementation of the Prison Fellowship “The Prisoner’s Journey” and OMS’s “Train & Multiply” program, the meetings have outgrown their chapel!

For the “graduation” program on this night when we visited, there were approximately 75 graduates.  There were about sixty graduating from TPJ and fifteen inmate leaders graduating from the Train & Multiply Program and being prepared to take this to the other inmates within the month.  

The total attendance at the meeting, held in the open air yard of the prison, was approximately 150-160 people.  There was seating for approximately 75-80 and then standing around the walls and the remaining open area there were approximately another 50-60 individuals, and THEN there were others who were watching from the windows of their cells that looked out on the yard from both the first and second stories.    

It is of note that among those graduating from the program were 15 women from the women’s prison there at Tela.  These women and fifteen of the other graduates are the inside leaders who will be teaching the program to other inmates in the weeks to come.  This is an example of Train & Multiply at its best.  Even when none of the outside volunteers is able to get in to the prison on any given week, the program continues and the Gospel is spread to more and more individuals and leaders from within the prison population.  

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Friday morning, March 9, we left the hotel at 6:00AM and began another trek down the shore and then up into the mountains to visit the prison at Yoro.  This is another smaller regional prison where Pastor Francisco has been able to begin the program and 25-30 inmate leaders were graduated including two or three women from the local women’s prison at Yoro.  Again, we overflowed the chapel and there were dozens of other people who were not yet involved with the program who were gathered around the open air chapel, two or three deep.  While the attendance in the chapel was probably approximately 50-60, there were an additional 50+ standing outside the chapel for the entire graduation and encouragement service.  

Following our departure from Yoro, we drove until 7:00PM in order to return to San Pedro Sula where we spent the night.  Departure in the morning is for 7:30AM and we are off bright and early to Puerto Corte’s on the Gulf of Honduras where there is yet another of the regional prison centers here in Honduras. 

La Ceiba - Honduras!

Gary and Diane spent the early part of the month in Honduras. For the next few weeks we'll take a look at their visit and what God has been doing in their ministry. Let's dig in with Gary's travel log for their trip out of the mountains of central Honduras and to the beautiful coast!

On Tuesday morning, we departed the home of Erasmo and Nora Ramirez at 6:00AM and drove for the entire day, arriving in La Ceiba after passing through El Progresso and San Pedro Sula and along the northern coast of Honduras to the city of La Ceiba.  We arrived at approximately 6:00PM.   La Ceiba is located on the Caribbean coast.  We stayed at an old Hotel called the Art Deco Motel of La Ceiba for two nights.  In its day, it was probably a grand old hotel, but it has seen better days although it looked like someone was trying to bring it back, but the prices were right and the accommodations, although not exceptional, were okay.  We walked out on a pier, ate a late supper and went to bed exhausted!

Today, Wednesday, March 7, we departed our hotel and went to see the Prison at La Ceiba,  it was within a short walk from the hotel and in fact was right on the beach itself.  Like most of the visits this week, it was all new territory for us, and part of the program that began just four months ago when Pastor Francisco joined our team at the coaching training we gave on our last visit in November of 2017.  La Ceiba was a developing program.  There, the inside leadership has begun the Train and Multiply Program and there are approximately 25 inmates that are enrolled in the program who will graduate in approximately 6-8 weeks.  There was a great deal of enthusiasm and wonderful music before some encouragement from Herasmo, Pastor Francisco, and they even asked me to say a few words to the group.  There was probably a gathering of 45-50 men plus the six of us, in a room not much more than 15x25, we were all crowded, but we were all there to give thanks to God and to praise Jesus as we learned what it means to live for him and serve him.

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On Thursday morning March 8, we checked out of our hotel and arrived at the prison  of El Provenir just outside of La Ceiba by about 9:30AM. Unlike many of the other prisons, this was in a rural setting in the woods. We drove off the main road approximately three miles on an almost impassably rocky road, past field after field of Pineapples.  Once we knew what we were looking at, we discovered that much of this region is pineapple producing country.  

When we arrived at the prison, we were greeted by inmate leaders and were taken to the chapel.  The Chapel here was called “Christ Who Breaks the Chains Chapel” a very fitting name for those in prison.  We all had an opportunity to address the “congregation” and speak a few words of encouragement to them regarding their situation and their salvation.  This was a smaller prison, and we had only forty or fifty people in the meeting, but they were enthusiastic and every one of them is enrolled in the sequence training which includes The Prisoner’s Journey (in Spanish is La Peregrinacion de los Prisoneres, or LPJ)  This Prison Fellowship program brings unbelieving prisoners into the church or chapel and lasts approximately 6-8 weeks after which, they are invited to continue with the OMS program, Train & Multiply.  The T&M Program takes new believers from their expression of faith to a growing, following and serving relationship with Jesus.  

After an additional drive of approximately three hours, we checked in at our hotel and went to the prison of Tela.

Gary Shares Prison Ministry Outlook for 2018

Each year in our family, we pick a WORD as a topic or issue on which to work in the coming year.  My areas in need of work seem to be boundless, but this year I selected the words Focus/Prioritize.  It is so easy to get distracted by many worthwhile projects and events and fail to concentrate on where God seems to be leading you 

As I look ahead for the next year, our focus needs to be on our Honduran partners and their work in the prisons in that nation.  In the past years, they have been our focus and their work there is reaping a great harvest in the prisons in that country.

They have even been sharing the same discipleship material in the neighborhoods in Tegucigalpa and they are seeing satellite study groups starting up and entire families are being involved in sharing the good new of Jesus Christ with their neighborhoods and places of employment.

Our focus however remains on the prisons which have been part and parcel of what I have been doing now for seven years or more, starting here in the United States. God has certainly taken us on a journey - our mission work starting with a trip to Mexico in 2012 and including in that trip, (what else??) a visit to the prisons in Mexico!

It is interesting that now, almost six years later, that same trip is leading us to return to those beginnings.  The pastors and missionaries we worked with on that trip are now expressing interest in taking the gospel into that same prison and others and have indicated their interest in the Train & Multiply program that has been developed so successfully in Honduras by the faithful volunteers there.

God is good and His plan always surprises and amazes me.  He can take people and experiences of the past and bring them all together to set new directions or loop back around to include past experiences to set new paths in continued service to him.

Diane and I feel so very blessed to have the privilege to serve in what ever manner we might, wherever He chooses.  So whether it is now to include Mexico, or some other location, so long as we are of sound mind and body, we are excited to do what we can.  

We continue to thank you all for your prayer and financial support.  Without it, we could not serve with the frequency that we do.  

                                                                                            

GOD BLESS YOUR 2018!

GARY AND DIANE

Less like a Mission, More Like Family

Well, a new year is upon us. We are now looking forward to another visit with our ministry partners in Honduras. They really are more than ministry partners. They are our family! If someone would have tried to explain what our relationship with them would be before we met them we would have never understood. That first trip we were very apprehensive. We had never met them at all. No pictures! Only names! In fact, we worried needlessly about what we would do about a flight delay or cancellation. How would we let them know? But as He has with every aspect of this ministry, The Lord has taken care of us. We immediately were accepted into this wonderful serving family and made to feel very welcome. We are blessed to know many in their extended family also. So you can see why we are eager to return to visit them. It is a wonderful renewal of our friendship as well as the additional blessing of seeing the fruits of their labors in the prisons.

We are looking forward to visiting new areas of Honduras where new programs in the prisons have been growing. On our last visit we met a new volunteer pastor who will be working in these new prisons in the north of Honduras by the Caribbean Sea. The Lord provided this man in answer to our prayers for more volunteers to cover areas of Honduras that are too far away for our country coordinators to travel to on a weekly basis. As I said earlier, He has provided all we have needed for this ministry to reach the prisons of Honduras.

When we were in Honduras last, we had a three day seminar for all the volunteers on coaching. This would be helpful for them in working with their leaders in the various groups in the prisons. One thing we are praying about is that the finances would be available in the future for a retreat for the volunteers. They would gain such encouragement from each other by just getting together. They are spread out over the whole country and do not see each other regularly. We know and have faith that The Lord will provide in this area also. He has been so faithful in providing what is needed in the past.

When people ask us how long we will continue to serve in the prisons of Honduras, Gary and I say, “As long as the Lord allows!” As long as we are blessed with our health and ability to travel, we count it as a privilege to be a part of the Lord’ s ministry in the prisons of Honduras.

Thank you for continuing to pray with us,

Diane

Reflections

Before Gary and Diane ramp up for their next trip in early March, we thought we would ask them to share some reflections on a number of things. Diane starts us off this week.

I was just thinking back over our time in prison ministry. From the beginning of His calling us, I never had any sort of fear of going into any of the prisons. It is really amazing, because I am not a brave person. Also I am not a risk taker at all. From that very first prison experience in Ohio, to Mexico and Honduras, I was never afraid. That credit could only be given to the Lord and the calling that He was putting in my heart for those in prisoners. I recall that during our mission trip to Mexico we went to a prison there. At the time I did not think much about it, but one of the other women was very fearful as we were waiting to go past security. She was a native of Mexico, so the country was not the issue. My calling for the incarcerated started with Gary’s calling. At first, I thought it would be something that he would only be involved in. At that time he was doing written lessons that were sent in by prisoners. 

Then after some time, he started with KAIROS. That is a program where prisoners are selected to participate in a weekend in the prison. During that weekend the Gospel is presented and many are brought to saving faith. Still, I thought that this was “Gary’s Program! ” I was involved in baking the cookies that were part of the weekend. But that still did not change my heart. The change came when I witnessed first hand what this weekend meant to the men. I was privileged to attend a closing ceremony at the end of the weekend. At that time each man shared his testimony of conversion and what it meant to him. God was beginning to give me a heart for these men too. Then in the next year, I was able to work on the kitchen team for a KAIROS weekend. There was a team of us working together and also with inmate kitchen workers. That was a life changing weekend! I got to really know a few of these men and work side by side with them. Also, as the men came in to the kitchen area to eat, we would sing a song to them. It went like this: we love you and God loves you and that’s the way it’s gonna be! Just a simple song with much meaning. They knew we meant it and it meant a lot to them. On the last day, they sang the song back to us.it was so heart warming. It sounds so simple, but that was the real change in my heart. The Lord knew what experience I would need to give me a heart for prisoners. 

I am so grateful that The Lord brought me along right behind Gary. So we did the beginning of our married life together and now we are doing our retirement together serving Him!