With all of that being said, I really enjoy some sports. While I'm somewhere on the tail end of playing, I really enjoy playing softball and I'm thrilled that I get to play softball and use it as a means to share the Gospel.
We woke up and got ready for the day. We were up and dressed before the hotel staff could make breakfast so most of our team got some granola bars, high protein snacks, athletic energy drinks, and other healthy options. I stuck to my usual staple of Kellogg's Cherry Pop Tarts as my healthy breakfast choice. I actually did compliment the Pop Tarts with chocolate protein shake!
We got to FMC Fort Worth before the sun came up. We had a bit of a wait in a rec room in the prison. We had an opportunity to hang out as a team and have a few conversations with the men that we saw. Several of the men that we saw remembered us from the previous year. It is always amazing how much they can remember and how much these visits mean to them.
We finally got on the field, stretched out, got some throwing in, and eventually started the first game of the day. We came out swinging the bats really well and cruised to a game 1 win.
FMC Fort Worth made a big deal about the day and allowed a prison band to perform in a courtyard near the field. After our game, we got to share the Gospel in the courtyard area. We were able to hand out quite a bit of literature to men who were milling about and had some decent conversations.
During our first game, Wyatt Jicha from Wisconsin shared his testimony. Wyatt has been a huge pickup for our ministry the last couple of years. I appreciated his testimony and I appreciate that he is a good teammate to be around on trips like this. After Wyatt shared his testimony, Jim Jefferson shared the Gospel. I always love to hear JJ's energy and genuine love for the men that we see.
We went back and started a second game but we only played about an inning before we broke for lunch.
We had a long lunch in the prison. The staff prepared some sub sandwiches and snacks for us. Like the day before, we got lots of teammate time in to share stories of Saints trips of years gone by!
After lunch we lost game 3 but we had another opportunity to share the Gospel. Tom Carberry shared his testimony and Patrick Jarvis shared the Gospel. Tom and I have been on several trips together over the years. Patrick is from Georgia and presented a clear Gospel to the men in the prison yard.
We came back and played a 4th game and pulled a win!
At the very end of the day we circled up with the men and handed out some awards books to the men we saw. JJ challenged the men to make a decision to follow the Lord before praying for them.
Overall on the day, we handed out 311 Gospels of John and had 11 men indicate that they made a profession of faith in the Lord.
We left the prison and made a stop at a local BBQ place. It is probably best when we have a chance to clean up before a meal but I really enjoy having at least one meal while we are in full uniform. It is kinda like going out for pizza after a little league game!
We got back to the hotel, got cleaned up, and had our last team devotion of the trip. Bruce Buri did a good job of giving us tools to study some tougher Old Testament passages.
After devotions, we went out and got some ice cream as a team before crashing out for the night!
