Dear Friends and Family,
We are less than three weeks away from our first visit to FCI Terre Haute. To say that we are excited about the start of our season and the opportunity to share the Gospel would be an understatement!
A couple of months ago, one of my fellow Saints teammates and I got to go and hear former Chicago Bear, Charles Tillman speak at an event in Chicago. He told several stories about his time with the Bears while taking some well-timed jabs at now former Green Bay Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers!
One of the things he brought up was how close the Bears team was to each other and how they were on the same page. He said, “There is something special that happens when you have 11 guys pulling in the same direction.”
As we head into our Saints season, it will be important for our team to be pulling in the same direction but it is just as important for our support teams to be pulling and praying in that same direction with us.
Here are some praises and prayer requests for our team in 2023:
We have a full schedule in 2023!- After a couple of years of uncertainty because of COVID, we are now back to making regular visits! We will visit 9 different prisons over 7 dates this year. I am also planning on going on a Crusade to New York and a Crusade to New Mexico this year as well.
Traveling Mercies– If you have followed our team for any length of time, you know that traveling isn’t always merciful! Pray that the Lord allows us to travel to and from each prison that we visit this summer. Pray that transportation won’t be a hindrance to sharing the Gospel this week!
Team Unity– We have a pretty unique range of guys on this team. Some guys are 12 year veterans and some guys are making their first trip to prison! Nevertheless, we will all feel like rookies again as we make our first visit this month. Our team is a very excited and eager group of men and we will be spending quite a bit of time together this summer. Please pray that fellowship will be sweet and morale will be high as we serve together.
Team Performance– As I am getting older, the softball part is getting harder! However, it is important that we play well this summer. Please pray that we are able to play well and that we earn the respect of the inmates. If we play well and earn their respect, they will be more likely to stick around and listen to us share the Gospel. Please pray for tired arms, legs, shoulders, knees, elbows, and backs as we go through the season!
Speakers– Pray for the Missionary Athletes who will be sharing their testimonies of how they met Jesus and for the Missionary Athletes who will be sharing the Gospel. Please pray that God draws men to Himself through men being willing to faithfully preach His Word in prison this summer. Extra Praise- I have been going through some training with my pastor regarding expository preaching. It has been a blessing to learn how to share God’s Word and I am excited to share the Gospel in prison this summer!
Families–Please pray for all of the wives who have to brave work and parenting by themselves. I used to write this part of the email thinking of leaving my wife with a house full of small kids but these days my kids are old enough that they are driving themselves around and are pretty self-sufficient! Please pray for safety for our kids and for our wives as they minister at home!
Inmates– Most importantly, pray for the men that we will encounter as they are the purpose of this trip. Jesus says in Matthew 28:19a, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,” He also says in 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”.
Please pray that God works in the inmates' hearts and that they hear the Gospel and will see a need in their lives to follow Jesus. Softball is fun, the fellowship with other missionary athletes is precious, but sharing the Gospel behind the prison walls is why we are going. Please pray that our trip is fruitful for the Glory of God!
Thank you in advance for the prayer support and for all of the encouragement many of you have been over the last several years! Lord willing, we will be sharing the Gospel again later this month!
