We would have won game 3 if it hadn’t been for a case of P.I.B.S.
P.I.B.S. affects approximately 1 out of 12 Saints teams annually and side effects may include:
Decreased energy
Heartburn
Instant irritability with teammates
Unexplained stomach pain
The ability to turn a triple back into a single
Uncontrollable sweating that causes blurred vision
A decreased level of interest in playing the outfield
Short term memory loss when remembering the number of outs
Swinging a bat like you’re underwater
And definitely more heartburn
The recovery time for P.I.B.S. varies from athlete to athlete but rest and Pepto Bismol are recommended. P.I.B.S (Progressive Irritable Burrito Syndrome) is the reason we lost game 3!
…But to start from the beginning of the day, we met and prayed for the day. I’m very thankful for this time. A verse that I think of before traveling to prison is John 6:44
John 6:44- No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
This verse reminds me that I shouldn’t just be praying for a nice day or even that we would be exceptional speakers, but rather we should be praying that God draws these men closer to Him. It is also a reminder that we plant and sometimes water, but God is the one who harvests. Please continue to pray that God breaks the men’s hearts and that they see a need to repent and follow Him!
We arrived at Taylorville CC and played two morning games in front of an audience of around 80 men. We won both games convincingly. In between games, Jeremy Haab shared his testimony. Jeremy has been through a lot over the years and I appreciate how he has drawn closer to the Lord over that period of time. Robert Cook shared the Gospel and as always did a great job of relating to the men and delivering the Gospel clearly.
We then had a chance to break for lunch and have lunch in the chow hall. We were served a lunch of, you guessed it, beef and bean burritos. Now before you rush to judgement on prison food, this was a really good meal and better than Taco Bell (at least my local Taco Bell!) We were served two burritos, some rice, and a slice of chocolate cake. I know I often throw some shade at prison food but every prison I have been to makes really good cake!
After lunch, we were all sluggish as the burritos had taken a toll on our team. We got down early and the inmate team controlled the entire game until the last inning when we rallied to score 10 runs but still fell short 1 run.
Before the start of the 4th game, Josh Frederick shared his testimony. Josh does a great job of interacting with the inmates. I really appreciated his story and how God has taught him about His forgiveness and shame. That story resonated with the crowd. Brent Gerber shared the Gospel. Brent shared about how God sent His Son to take the punishment that we deserved. He told a story of a pastor who once knew a young man who was in a gang. The young man wanted out of the gang but he knew that he would have to endure a beating from his gang in order to get out. This pastor offered to take the beating so that the young man could leave the gang. This obviously hits home with the crowd that we talk to and it really helps illuminate how awesome the Gospel is. He has used this illustration several times, and I really appreciate it.
After our ministry time, we came back and won game 4. It was a little bit of a nail-biter, but we ended up coming through with the win! After circling up and praying with the men one last time we left for home.
We did have plans to stop for dinner but the P.I.B.S. was still affecting too many our guys!
Overall on the day we handed out 78 Gospels of John and saw 9 men make decisions to follow Him! Please keep these men in prayer!
Thank you again for supporting our team throughout this year and throughout the years. This past Saturday marked the 7th anniversary of my first visit with the Saints Prison Ministry and it has been awesome to see how God has been good and merciful over that time period.
Tomorrow, three of us from the Illinois team are heading to Indiana for a 6 day Crusade. We will visit 8 different prisons and play several softball games!
I will be posting updates on my Facebook page throughout the trip.
Thanks again for your support and encouragement!
