Fortunately, the third day of our visit gave us a slight degree of rest from the extremes. We didn't have to leave the hotel until 7:30 am so we had time to get sleep and eat a good breakfast before another full day. We had a much shorter drive to the prison so we were well rested with only minor bumps and bruises from the two previous days of softball!
We visited Buena Vista CF. They had a minimum and a medium unit. We visited the minimum unit first. We played two very non-competitive games but we had a good time with the guys we saw. In between games, David Cogliano shared his testimony with the crowd. Cogs is one my best friends in the ministry. We have been on several trips together over the years and it has been a blessing to have been his teammate for so long!
After Cogs shared the Gospel, Jimmy Cochran shared the Gospel. Jimmy is the full-time director of team operations with the ministry. We have been on several Crusades together over the years and it is always fun to serve with him.
After the sharing time, I talked to a couple of guys in the bleachers. One thing I have run into a lot lately is people who say they are ok with God because they are good enough. I got to share the message that no one is good enough to make things right for the sin that we have in our lives and it took God sending His Son to die on a cross for us to satisfy God's justice for our sins. Please pray for the guys that we see and that God makes that clear to these men. Please pray that God sends other teams and churches to preach this message to these guys in prison.
After our second game, we got to go inside to a chapel/activities room and wait for lunch. We had about an hour wait so we had plenty of time to talk, stretch, and rest. We then came back out to the yard and we were served some burgers and hot dogs that they had grilled for us and the men who participated in the games. Sometimes prison food can be sketchy to put it mildly but we enjoyed some good prison food on this trip.
Overall on the day on the minimum side we handed out 103 Gospels and saw 7 men make professions of faith.
After lunch, we loaded back in the van and headed to the medium unit. We played on a very large softball field. The bases were close to 90 feet apart like an actual baseball field. The team had been practicing all day getting ready for us so they were a confident team and games were more competitive.
We started out playing a very competitive back and forth game but we eventually pulled away and won.
In between games, Tom Carberry shared his testimony. Tom and I have known each other since 2012. We both started in the ministry about the same time and have enjoyed several special moments serving together. After Tom shared his testimony, Jim Jefferson shared the Gospel.
During the Gospel sharing time, I talked with a guy named Larry who was a Vietnam veteran. Larry shared that he didn't have anywhere to live once he got out of prison and that he had a strained relationship with his family. David Cogliano, who is also a veteran, and I prayed with Larry and shared the Gospel with him. Guys having nowhere to go is a common problem so please pray for Larry and his situation as he will be getting out soon.
Overall on the day on the medium side, we handed out 104 Gospels and had 7 men indicate that they had made a profession of faith.
After we left the facility, we went back to the hotel. Once we got cleaned up, we had our devotion time. During our devotion time we went through Luke 10:25-37. This is the story of the good Samaritan. We talked about how we are willing to share the Gospel with guys in prison but it is harder in our neighborhoods and places of employment. We challenged each other to be bold and share the Gospel with others in our lives, even when it is hard.
After our devotion time, we went to a local pizza place for dinner and had some ice cream afterwards. Our team meals are special and it is fun to sit with teammates and talk about how God is working in each others lives. We then got some ice cream before heading back to our hotel for the evening.
