January/February/March Achilles Update

Sorry.  It’s been a little bit since I’ve had an injury update.  The side effects of healing up from this sort of injury are:  

• Returning to work

• Driving

• Going to and from several different practices and events for the kids

• And yet more driving…

I went back to work in mid-January and it has been good being back, it is weird missing three months of work but so far I have fortunately gotten back into the swing of things.  I have enjoyed being back although it is in a semi-light duty capacity.  

During my last update, I was making the transition from crutches to the boot.  As of this writing, I am almost to the 2 month mark of making the transition from the boot back to my normal shoes.  I was also able to start driving again which has been a huge blessing!

Along with getting back to normal has come lots of physical therapy.  I am still able to write this blog post so while the physical therapists have beaten me up, they have still failed to vanquish me yet!

My doctor says I am slightly ahead of schedule for my recovery but we are still taking things a day at a time and I am still trending towards July for playing softball again.  

In the meantime, our team is preparing for the 2024 season.  I have been interviewing prospective missionary athletes and preparing our team for the preseason meeting.  

While I won’t be playing softball initially, I am looking forward to the season and being able to go back to prison and being able to share the Gospel with the men in the prison yards.  

Praises

• Recovery is going well.  I can do most everything at work.    Physical therapy has been hard but fun.  I’ve been able to play a little catch and hit off a tee a little bit with no pain.    

• I had the opportunity to share the Gospel last month at Pathway Ministries (Peoria Rescue Mission)

• We just had our preseason meeting last weekend.  It was good to see our team and talk about playing softball and sharing the Gospel in prison

• Our 2024 schedule is mostly full. 

Prayer Requests

• Pray for continued recovery

• Our church’s missions conference is this weekend.  Pray that God uses this as an encouragement to our missionary families and that God works in our hearts as well.

• Pray that God keeps doors open for us to go into prison this summer

• Pray that God brings new missionary athletes for our team next year.

2024 Support Letter

 Dear Friends and Family,

2023 was one of the best and most fun years that I have ever had while serving with the Saints Prison Ministry!  Now that the calendar has rolled over to 2024, it is time to start thinking about softball, early Saturday mornings, and sharing the Gospel in prison yards again!  I’m heading into my 12th year of being a missionary athlete with the Saints (www.saintsprisonministry.org).  For those of you who may not be familiar with the Saints Prison Ministry, we use sports as a means of sharing the Gospel with men and women in prison yards across the country.  

2023 YEAR IN REVIEW

Illinois Season- Taylorville CC, Jacksonville CC, Kewanee LSRC, Graham CC, Vandalia CC, and FPC Terre Haute

In 2023 as we visited 6 prisons over 5 dates. Our 2023 season most certainly brought blessings and challenges.  We had several last minute cancellations, several unplanned dates added, and a few games and visits affected by rain.  Even though our original schedule had changed several times, God was faithful and opened doors for us to go through all summer!  We got to re-visit several prisons that we have been to over the last few years.  We also got to visit the federal prison in Terre Haute for the first time in over nine years and we made our first ever visit to Graham CC.  During our six visits, we handed out 436 Gospels of John and had 60 men make professions of faith!  

New Mexico Crusade- 10/4/23-10/7/23

The New Mexico trip will always stand out for several reasons, but it was cool to see how God worked while our team was there.  We had a veteran group of missionary athletes so it was a blast to take the field, compete in softball games, and do ministry together.  We were blessed to visit and share the Gospel with four different prisons.  Overall on our trip, we handed out 444 Gospels of John and had 47 men indicate that they followed the Lord.  Unfortunately, the trip had one casualty…

Achilles Tendon Rupture and Repair-  10/6/23-Present

…while playing softball at Roswell Correctional Center, I tore my Achilles tendon.  In the middle of the first game of the day, I hit a ground ball, took two steps, and face planted!   The prison staff got me to the emergency room just outside of Roswell, New Mexico where they verified my Achilles tendon tear, and I spent the last two days of the trip on crutches.  When I got back to Peoria, my podiatrist performed the surgery to repair my Achilles, clean up some heel spurs, and move a big toe tendon around to give my Achilles some additional support.  I have been able to walk with normal shoes on since early January.  I have been going to physical therapy for the past couple of months as I navigate my way on the comeback trail!  

I will start the year on the “injured list” but I will still go in with the team and will continue coaching and ministering while I can’t play.  If everything goes according to plan, I should be able to play softball in July but I am 100% committed and determined to play softball again in 2024.  

HOW TO PARTNER IN 2024

As a Saints missionary athlete, I am asking for your support in two areas.  

1. I need to establish a team of people who will pray for me, the Saints team, and the inmates to whom we will be ministering.  This is the most important area that I need help in and it is a huge encouragement to me and the rest of the teams when you pray for us!

2. I personally need to raise support this year to cover my travel, Crusade expenses, literature, inmate study materials, and softball equipment for the 2024 season.  Our Illinois team goal for 2024 is $11,000.  In addition to our Illinois season, I am planning on going on a Crusade to Colorado in August and a Crusade to Arizona in October.  To go on both trips, I need to raise an additional $2,300

3. I would ask you to prayerfully consider making a tax-deductible offering to support the Saints Prison Ministry in 2024.

There are two different ways you can donate this year:

1. Write a check made out to the Saints Prison Ministry and mail it to Saints Prison Ministry, PO Box 681, Moorestown, NJ 08057 using the included envelope.  

2.  Make a donation online:

• Head to saintsprisonministry.org/donate and click on “Donate Now”

• Under Donation Categories check “MA Support”

• Click on the fund drop down menu and select “MA Support- Illinois Softball”

• Click on the sub-fund drop down menu and select “Tom Gibson”

• Fill in information and click Submit

I will be posting and emailing updates before and after each visit.    

My blog address is:  https://gibsonupdateblog.blogspot.com/ 

 

Thanks again for your support, and Go Saints Go!!  

In Christ,

Tom Gibson