I've got better things to do than go to St. Louis.
As an avid Chicago Cubs fan, I typically get my nose rubbed in it about how much better the St. Louis Cardinals have been over the years than the Cubs so driving to a town with a concentrated population of Cardinal fans isn't at the top of my list.
But, in God's perfect sovereignty and perfect sense of humor, I found myself looking out the team van window and seeing the big arch as we made our trip to prison last Saturday.
Hey, at least we got to go to prison rather than Busch Stadium!
Our team met up at the Morton McDonald's at 4 am on Saturday morning. We were all a little sluggish that early in the morning but it was encouraging to hear several guys pray before we started our drive. We stopped for breakfast and a quick bathroom stop about 20 minutes away from the prison.
We arrived on time and made our way through security. We went out to the yard and had a chance to get some throws in before the men came out to join us on the field. We went over some ground rules and started our game.
The first Southwestern team hadn't had much time to get out and play softball so we won the game rather convincingly.
In between games, Joe Gibson shared his testimony with the men. This was Joe's first time sharing his testimony and he did a really good job. When Joe was done, I shared the Gospel with the men.
We then had a few moments to circle up with the men and hand out some awards books to the umpires and we recognized a team MVP from their team. Brent Gerber reminded the men of the Gospel and of their need to believe and repent.
We then got to go back into the staff dining area and enjoy a really early lunch.
After lunch we went back out to the field and played two more games against a different group of men.
In between games, James Mast shared his testimony with the men and Brent Gerber shared the Gospel. During this time, I had an opportunity to sit down with the three men who helped set up the field. They sat off by themselves. I talked with them for a bit and I shared what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus. Please pray for these three guys.
The games weren't really that competitive and we won both rather easily. We spent the end of the day just letting them hit.
We circled up with the men one more time before we left. We acknowledged the team MVP and gave him an award book.
Overall on the day, we handed out close 40 Gospels of John and saw 6 men make professions of faith.
We departed the prison and made our way to Litchfield for some Chicago style deep dish pizza. Unfortunately, the place was packed so we went a block over for some Mexican food.
A few days later, we got a couple of really encouraging notes from the warden and the chaplain of the prison.
The chaplain said:
"Just wanted to let you know that the Saints Prison Ministry went fantastic today. The guys thoroughly enjoyed the day. There were no injuries. The Good News was shared. Thank you for supporting these volunteer services. Many of the men expressed their appreciation for being able to participate in the event. I am looking forward to hearing more good reports about decisions made and lives changed.
In case you are interested, the 1&2 house team scored just 2 runs against the Saints while the 3&4 house team scored 10! They are the clear winners of today’s games!"
And the warden said:
"Awesome SWICC! Let’s Go!
Rev Cochran and Saints Ministries,
Thank you for spending your time, your hearts, and your energy with the individuals in custody through the game of softball. What may have seemed like a simple game became something much greater- it became an opportunity to inspire hope, build meaningful connections, and remind others that new beginnings are always possible.
Thank you for being today’s light at our facility. Your ministry is making a lasting difference, and we are truly grateful for your partnership. "
Anytime we get a note like that, it is very encouraging.
Please keep praying for the men there and pray for our team as we get ready to head to FCI Greenville next month!
