I want to spend my life
00:00:01.46\00:00:07.54
Mending broken people
00:00:07.57\00:00:12.44
I want to spend my life
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Removing pain
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Lord, let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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Hello, and welcome to
another 3ABN Today program.
00:01:08.13\00:01:10.93
We are so glad that
you've joined us today.
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As you do each and everyday,
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you may even be
driving in your car
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and you can't actually see
the video going on right now,
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but thank you for
joining us on 3ABN radio.
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But thank you
again for your prayers
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and financial support
to the ministry of 3ABN.
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Because, of course, we always
point to the Lord Jesus Christ
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who's providing
for all of our needs,
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but if it weren't for you
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and your financial
support to this ministry,
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many souls would not
be won to the kingdom.
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So it's a
blessing, isn't it, Brian,
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to be part of
the ministry of 3ABN?
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I don't have my
wife, you are not my wife.
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Jill's not able to be
on the set with us today.
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Your wife's not able
to be on the set today.
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So, Brian, we're
hosting and co-hosting together
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and this is a
really special ministry
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that we're gonna be talking
about today is Prison Ministry.
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And, of course,
Brian is the director,
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of course, of our
financial department
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here at 3ABN.
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But he's also involved
with 3ABN Prison Ministry.
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We're not talking just about
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3ABN's prison ministry outreach,
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we're talking about
Christmas Behind Bars today.
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So for some of you
this may be an update
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because you follow
Christmas Behind Bars for,
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for many years
or for some of you
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this may be the first time
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that you've heard of
Christmas Behind Bars.
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So we're gonna be
talking with Lemuel
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and a couple of
other guests he has.
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This is gonna be a
fast-moving program today
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because we have several rolls
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that are just,
wow, really powerful.
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We're gonna be
switching out guests
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in between somewhere in
the middle of this program.
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So it's gonna be a
really packed program today.
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We have pictures as well so,
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this is gonna be
really fun, Brian.
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Yup, looking
forward to it. For sure.
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I have a text here
that kind of launch us out.
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Oh, good.
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You know, Peter
right after Pentecostal
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delivered a powerful sermon,
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and when he got
done the people were,
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this is the Holy
Spirit had pricked them
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in their hearts.
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And that says, "Now
when they heard this,"
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this is Acts 2:37,
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"Now when they heard
this, they were cut to the heart
00:03:01.31\00:03:03.98
and said to Peter and
the rest of the apostles,
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Men and brethren,
what shall we do?"
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"What shall we do?"
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And Peter answered them,
"Repent and be baptized."
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Amen.
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One of the blessings of prison
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and I say it's a
blessing of prison
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is it gives
individuals a timeout
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and during that timeout
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is when the Holy
Spirit pricks them
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in their conscience,
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no more do they have
the alcohol, the drugs,
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or the other addictions,
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you know, they have been put
a little bit out of their life
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and the control has
come back to their life
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in a prison setting
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and the Holy Spirit
uses that time to prick them.
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And so it, you
know, tells them about
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what the issues are,
and then, their response is,
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Lord, what shall
we do, what can I do,
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I know I want
something different, what?
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And henceforth God
brings in ministries like
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Christmas Behind Bars to
bring a message to all of us.
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No, you're absolutely right.
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And we want to
welcome you, Lemuel,
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I know you are the director,
president, I don't know,
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I know titles, you
always shy away from those,
00:04:05.11\00:04:07.64
but you are the director
of Christmas Behind Bars,
00:04:07.68\00:04:10.81
and I know that we
got a little box here
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that's in between us here,
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and it says
Lost and Found on it.
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I know that's the key thing
for you with prison ministry
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you've sort of
set that as a theme
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even for today's
program as lost and found.
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But, Lemuel, welcome,
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we've got couple of
other guests with us.
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We have Renita, I
think is it Kropf,
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and your husband Amos,
we're glad that you are here.
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We're gonna package
your story in a little bit.
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But, Lemuel, for
the first time viewer
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that says oh,
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what is Christmas Behind Bars?
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Sounds great.
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I know what
Christmas is, behind bars,
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something with prison.
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So, Lemuel, just
kind of unpackaged,
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give it a brief description.
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Christmas Behind Bars
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is one of the
actual loneliest times
00:04:48.65\00:04:50.85
for ones
persons of incarceration
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so there you are the
holidays are come and go.
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But Christmas
you're just you're lonely.
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And so the meaning
of Christmas Behind Bars
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is sharing the gospel, 365
days a year with those folk
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that are in prison.
00:05:02.63\00:05:03.97
Brian said that when
you put folk in prison
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you kind of get a timeout.
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I told my wife
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basically the same
thing about a year ago.
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We're on our way
to supermax prison
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and it was early in the morning,
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and I said, honey, I believe
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that this is one of the
last reachable people groups
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in the United States of America
because they want change.
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They've tried to change,
and they feel like a failure
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so they feel lost.
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Lost and found box,
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what do you normally
find in a lost and found box?
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What would you say?
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You might find a watch.
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No watch, what about cell phone?
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Yes. Cell phone.
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May be a pen? A pen.
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We got a pen, car
keys, loss and found box.
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Yeah, yeah. Glasses.
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Glasses, glasses.
What about $100 bills?
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Once in a while
you do find $100 bill.
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We'll donate it to
Christmas Behind Bars.
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Amen.
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So lost and found
box, stuff is lost
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and people are seeking
to find their lost things.
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Right.
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Jesus is seeking
to find the lost.
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Amen, the Good Shepherd.
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And so when you are in
prison, you're either lost
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or you're found.
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And so Christmas Behind
Bars we wanted to be a ministry
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to bring hope through
Christ to those that are lost.
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If they are found and
they already know Jesus,
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then we want to
bring them inspiration,
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and encouragement, and hope.
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And that's were people
like Amos and his family
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and different
people come into sing,
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make cards and things like that.
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Why don't we go to
the warehouse quick
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before we meet our guest?
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Okay. Okay.
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I have some pictures here.
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Christmas Behind
Bars is a non-for-profit
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outreach ministry
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and it started
about 20 years ago.
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And we have a
warehouse, it's been donated,
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we have a truck.
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We have some
different things here that,
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the Lord has worked it out,
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it's a borrowed
truck, it's not our truck.
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This is at your warehouse?
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This is at the warehouse,
yes, in Bluffton, Indiana,
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Central Indiana.
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Nice truck, the trailer,
let's go inside the warehouse.
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The next picture
here is the trailer
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that you just saw
outside but it has a problem.
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It leaks.
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People have donated it
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but we actually
need a new trailer,
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we don't want our
packages to get wet.
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So we'll go to
the next picture here.
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This is my wife
in the semi trailer.
00:07:06.29\00:07:08.59
And people have
sponsored Bibles,
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we need Bibles to
give to the prisoners.
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And we want to say thank
you for your sponsorship,
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but certainly we
don't want them to get wet.
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In this black bags,
in this semi trailer
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are gift packages
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that have been put together
for inmates across the country.
00:07:19.80\00:07:22.70
So it's just pretty amazing
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how the Lord as
worked this whole thing out.
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This next picture here
is actually Donna my wife
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in front of 2,000 packages
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that have been made
specifically for Florida.
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They only allow them
to have hygiene items
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but also the devotional material
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that's the ingredient,
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so whether it's Ramen noodles,
cookies, snacks, and chips
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or whether it's hygiene
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and the devotional materials
so that's a great blessing,
00:07:44.69\00:07:46.93
and we appreciate the sponsors
00:07:46.96\00:07:48.43
that have
donated those materials.
00:07:48.46\00:07:50.17
Again here's a semi truck,
00:07:50.20\00:07:52.33
I got my CDL
license about a year ago,
00:07:52.37\00:07:54.87
never dreamed possible
with a third grade education
00:07:54.90\00:07:57.61
I could study or
pass any kind of test.
00:07:57.64\00:07:59.77
So that's a
great blessing to have,
00:07:59.81\00:08:01.18
have that piece of equipment.
00:08:01.21\00:08:02.58
Nate, great blessing
young man comes in everyday,
00:08:02.61\00:08:05.08
volunteers his time,
works at the warehouse,
00:08:05.11\00:08:07.75
drives fork truck
and some other things.
00:08:07.78\00:08:10.25
He's one of the few
that have a driver's license.
00:08:10.29\00:08:12.82
There's toilets to
clean, sinks to scrub,
00:08:12.85\00:08:14.76
and so there's lot of things
00:08:14.79\00:08:16.19
that go on
day-to-day at the warehouse
00:08:16.22\00:08:17.63
to make the
prison business possible.
00:08:17.66\00:08:20.60
This is really interesting,
you're gonna meet Tyler here
00:08:20.63\00:08:22.76
in the next
segment of this program.
00:08:22.80\00:08:24.67
Tyler is no longer on
the wrong side of the law.
00:08:24.70\00:08:27.17
Here he is standing next
to law enforcement officer,
00:08:27.20\00:08:29.80
but he'll be here
little bit later so stay tuned.
00:08:29.84\00:08:32.84
Tyler's actually ministering
at the warehouse to some lady
00:08:32.87\00:08:35.74
that got out of prison,
00:08:35.78\00:08:37.11
six months early
addicted to meth,
00:08:37.15\00:08:39.38
have a lot of problems,
00:08:39.41\00:08:40.75
but she has community
service for 20 hours a week.
00:08:40.78\00:08:43.85
So she comes in,
Tyler had the opportunity
00:08:43.89\00:08:45.75
to minister to her,
00:08:45.79\00:08:47.42
before we came to
the program today.
00:08:47.46\00:08:50.16
There he is, there by the truck.
00:08:50.19\00:08:53.09
I hope he'll stay
and continue to help us
00:08:53.13\00:08:55.06
at the warehouse.
00:08:55.10\00:08:56.43
So it's great blessing.
00:08:56.46\00:08:57.80
He actually was in
prison and received the package.
00:08:57.83\00:09:00.37
Craig has a CDL license,
he comes in regular basis to,
00:09:00.40\00:09:05.07
make deliveries
for us and picks up
00:09:05.11\00:09:06.54
and so the Lord has just brought
00:09:06.57\00:09:08.34
a multitude of
volunteers together
00:09:08.38\00:09:10.55
to bring hope to the prisoners,
00:09:10.58\00:09:11.91
young and old alike,
it's a great blessing.
00:09:11.95\00:09:13.88
Yeah, amen. That's amazing so.
00:09:13.92\00:09:15.82
So how long has
00:09:15.85\00:09:17.19
Christmas Behind
Bars been in existence?
00:09:17.22\00:09:18.55
It's started about 20
years ago with one county jail,
00:09:18.59\00:09:21.16
and then it has
continued to grow.
00:09:21.19\00:09:23.26
And now it's in
multitude of states
00:09:23.29\00:09:25.29
and that's kind of
where Amos comes in,
00:09:25.33\00:09:27.63
to bring packages and
hope, the love of Christ.
00:09:27.66\00:09:29.86
You know, what I think
is really neat, Brian, is,
00:09:29.90\00:09:31.80
you know, we
participated at our local church
00:09:31.83\00:09:34.10
at Thompsonville
Seventh-day Adventist church,
00:09:34.14\00:09:35.47
you saw all of those
big black plastic bags
00:09:35.50\00:09:38.67
and inside of those are all
kinds of smaller little bags
00:09:38.71\00:09:41.24
and inside those bags,
Brian, what are in those bags?
00:09:41.28\00:09:43.41
In those little paper bags?
00:09:43.45\00:09:45.68
Yeah, for us
there were paper bags.
00:09:45.71\00:09:47.98
Yeah, that's where
the hygiene or the snacks,
00:09:48.02\00:09:51.32
but also the real nourishment
which was a spiritual food
00:09:51.35\00:09:54.56
and we get to gather
usually once or twice a year.
00:09:54.59\00:09:58.63
And Lemuel brings the
product and items down
00:09:58.66\00:10:02.53
and we put in our
gym, make assembly lines
00:10:02.56\00:10:05.10
and Sabbath
afternoon church comes out
00:10:05.13\00:10:07.80
and we package those gift
bags for our local prisons here.
00:10:07.84\00:10:11.97
It's really fun.
00:10:12.01\00:10:13.34
I'd like to say something,
00:10:13.38\00:10:14.71
if anybody be interested in
having Christmas Behind Bars
00:10:14.74\00:10:16.95
to come to their state,
00:10:16.98\00:10:18.31
we'd love to bring
product and get it organized
00:10:18.35\00:10:20.72
and maybe visit a prison.
00:10:20.75\00:10:22.08
So if anybody is
involved in prisons already,
00:10:22.12\00:10:24.75
prison ministry,
we'd like to help
00:10:24.79\00:10:26.59
because the beauty
of Christmas Behind Bars
00:10:26.62\00:10:28.22
is there is many
prison ministries that go in
00:10:28.26\00:10:31.43
but you only get to minister
00:10:31.46\00:10:32.79
to the 18, 20,
30, 50, may be a 100
00:10:32.83\00:10:35.40
out of the 2,000
inmates that come out.
00:10:35.43\00:10:37.37
But with Christmas Behind Bars,
00:10:37.40\00:10:38.73
every inmate
receive the package,
00:10:38.77\00:10:40.54
Muslim, atheist, Hindu,
non-believer, a Christian,
00:10:40.57\00:10:43.71
every inmate
receives the package
00:10:43.74\00:10:45.54
and that's the beauty
00:10:45.57\00:10:46.91
and that's what sets
Christmas Behind Bars aside.
00:10:46.94\00:10:48.31
You know, I think
the key part too, Brian,
00:10:48.34\00:10:49.74
as you mentioned
and you too, Lemuel,
00:10:49.78\00:10:51.21
is that in there is the
spiritual pamphlets, books
00:10:51.25\00:10:55.02
but there's also a card
and that's critical too,
00:10:55.05\00:10:57.65
because it's just not
okay, now I'm blessed,
00:10:57.69\00:11:00.26
now what do I do.
00:11:00.29\00:11:01.62
There is actually contact
card inside of each package
00:11:01.66\00:11:05.53
and that goes back to
Christmas Behind Bars.
00:11:05.56\00:11:07.40
And then Donna
opens everyone of them
00:11:07.43\00:11:09.13
and she sends out all
the different book requests,
00:11:09.16\00:11:11.43
Bible study offers,
3ABN has one in there,
00:11:11.47\00:11:13.80
so the inmates can
go on and start studying
00:11:13.84\00:11:15.60
and learning, so
that's a great blessing.
00:11:15.64\00:11:17.74
We always know when
Lemuel's hit a new prison.
00:11:17.77\00:11:21.01
Our mail volume
increases all of a sudden
00:11:21.04\00:11:24.41
from one particular spot.
00:11:24.45\00:11:26.72
So they are sending them in?
00:11:26.75\00:11:28.08
Yeah, they are.
Yeah, we know that so.
00:11:28.12\00:11:29.78
That's amazing. Yeah.
00:11:29.82\00:11:31.15
Yeah, it's tremendously blessed,
00:11:31.19\00:11:32.52
it is a real blessing,
00:11:32.55\00:11:33.89
I know that just recently
00:11:33.92\00:11:35.89
Jill and I and,
you and your wife,
00:11:35.92\00:11:38.53
and your wife and see
00:11:38.56\00:11:41.10
who else was in that
group was there others
00:11:41.13\00:11:43.60
that went with us on there,
anyway there is a whole group
00:11:43.63\00:11:45.27
that went North.
00:11:45.30\00:11:46.63
I have had the opportunity
of helping to package
00:11:46.67\00:11:49.84
some of this bags,
oh, number of years ago.
00:11:49.87\00:11:52.51
But actually get to go in
with Christmas Behind Bars,
00:11:52.54\00:11:55.34
wow, I caught the bug
and it's not the flew bug.
00:11:55.38\00:11:59.01
It's prison ministry
brings, that such a thing
00:11:59.05\00:12:01.65
and hopefully it's contagious.
00:12:01.68\00:12:03.28
What a tremendous opportunity
to go into this women's prison
00:12:03.32\00:12:07.02
and actually participate.
00:12:07.06\00:12:08.62
Thank you for the invitation.
00:12:08.66\00:12:09.99
Thank you too, Brian,
to actually hand them out
00:12:10.03\00:12:12.53
and to touch the
inmates one-on-one.
00:12:12.56\00:12:15.56
That is a totally new experience
00:12:15.60\00:12:18.13
and totally it has
changed my life forever
00:12:18.17\00:12:20.04
and wow, very, very blessed.
00:12:20.07\00:12:22.34
Well, the Lord
has blessed that way
00:12:22.37\00:12:23.94
to where when
people volunteer and share.
00:12:23.97\00:12:26.68
They're able to share
blessing by God's grace
00:12:26.71\00:12:29.08
but then we're
blessed by it as well.
00:12:29.11\00:12:31.05
And we just want
to stop for a moment,
00:12:31.08\00:12:32.41
we want to send a
shout out to all the inmates
00:12:32.45\00:12:34.68
wherever they are,
watching this program.
00:12:34.72\00:12:36.58
And let them know
if they feel lost,
00:12:36.62\00:12:38.49
Jesus is the answer.
00:12:38.52\00:12:39.92
This weekend we're at a
prison and this man, he said,
00:12:39.95\00:12:42.36
do you think if I would
pray that Jesus would hear me
00:12:42.39\00:12:45.06
and forgive me.
00:12:45.09\00:12:46.43
And I said, absolutely,
so that's a great blessing.
00:12:46.46\00:12:48.43
So we want to say hello
to all of those watching.
00:12:48.46\00:12:49.90
Amen.
00:12:49.93\00:12:51.27
Well, Lemuel, you
brought two guests
00:12:51.30\00:12:52.83
Amos and his wife
Renita who're with us today.
00:12:52.87\00:12:57.04
And you folk are from the
Amish Mennonite community?
00:12:57.07\00:13:01.38
Right.
00:13:01.41\00:13:02.74
You know, there is one
thing, a few months ago,
00:13:02.78\00:13:05.91
number of months ago now,
00:13:05.95\00:13:07.45
I had a chance to go
with Lemuel to Arkansas.
00:13:07.48\00:13:10.72
Is that home
territory for you, folks?
00:13:10.75\00:13:12.22
Amen. Amen.
00:13:12.25\00:13:13.59
I spent 40 years there
so kind of our home state.
00:13:13.62\00:13:16.69
Yeah.
00:13:16.73\00:13:18.06
And, Lemuel,
and myself and then,
00:13:18.09\00:13:23.77
three of your volunteers,
00:13:23.80\00:13:27.70
your people came and
joined, or we joined with them,
00:13:27.74\00:13:31.84
put it that way, to do
this Christmas Behind Bars
00:13:31.87\00:13:36.21
event in ministry.
00:13:36.24\00:13:37.91
Yeah, it's truly a blessing
00:13:37.95\00:13:39.28
when people from various beliefs
00:13:39.31\00:13:41.72
and groups get together,
00:13:41.75\00:13:43.65
you know, the
Holy Spirit is there
00:13:43.69\00:13:45.05
and just, I've
heard it numerous times
00:13:45.09\00:13:47.96
like people get together
00:13:47.99\00:13:49.92
and just like they can
feel the presence of God.
00:13:49.96\00:13:53.73
It says my
prayer will go with you.
00:13:53.76\00:13:56.16
Yeah, amen.
00:13:56.20\00:13:57.63
You know, I'm
gonna say something
00:13:57.67\00:13:59.33
and I hope our
viewers don't take this wrong,
00:13:59.37\00:14:03.00
but often times our
teachings and our theology
00:14:03.04\00:14:08.51
tend to
separate us or divide us.
00:14:08.54\00:14:10.21
Amen.
00:14:10.25\00:14:11.78
And, I'm a firm believer
that you have to have truthful,
00:14:11.81\00:14:17.32
honest, Bible based
teachings, that's important.
00:14:17.35\00:14:22.66
But when Jesus sits on
the throne of His glory,
00:14:22.69\00:14:27.90
Matthew 25, and He
calls the nations before Him.
00:14:27.93\00:14:32.70
And He starts dividing the sheep
00:14:32.73\00:14:34.64
from the goats, okay.
00:14:34.67\00:14:36.77
What makes the big divide?
00:14:36.81\00:14:39.27
He doesn't question
them on their teachings,
00:14:39.31\00:14:42.11
false
teachings, wrong teachings,
00:14:42.14\00:14:43.68
were they were
mistaken on teachings.
00:14:43.71\00:14:45.11
Right.
00:14:45.15\00:14:46.82
What He questioned them on
00:14:46.85\00:14:48.58
is their loving
outreach to each other.
00:14:48.62\00:14:55.12
You know, I was in
prison and you visited me.
00:14:55.16\00:14:57.79
I was naked and you clothed me.
00:14:57.83\00:15:00.33
I was hungry and
you fed me, okay.
00:15:00.36\00:15:02.90
Those were the
things he questioned them
00:15:02.93\00:15:04.63
and then judged them on.
00:15:04.67\00:15:06.00
Not, oh, did
you have this right?
00:15:06.03\00:15:07.90
No, you didn't have it
right, so you got to go
00:15:07.94\00:15:09.90
and you got to write
but so you're a sheep.
00:15:09.94\00:15:11.74
Amen.
00:15:11.77\00:15:13.11
No, it was that, you
know, that's interesting.
00:15:13.14\00:15:14.48
You know what I love about
that scripture is, he says,
00:15:14.51\00:15:17.51
as you done it unto the
least of this, my brethren,
00:15:17.55\00:15:21.85
so Jesus equates
Himself with the least of this
00:15:21.88\00:15:24.32
by His standards
00:15:24.35\00:15:26.39
And you have a personal reason
00:15:26.42\00:15:27.89
or how we got connected
00:15:27.92\00:15:29.26
with prison
ministries a tragedy.
00:15:29.29\00:15:30.63
Yeah, it was really a
tragedy and '09 her brother,
00:15:30.66\00:15:35.13
Renita's brother
who had a lost life,
00:15:35.16\00:15:39.07
you could be in
religion and still be lost.
00:15:39.10\00:15:42.07
He was a member of the church
but through that, through the,
00:15:42.10\00:15:45.64
I call it the enemy
00:15:45.67\00:15:47.01
'cause the enemy comes to steal,
00:15:47.04\00:15:48.84
kill, and destroy.
00:15:48.88\00:15:50.21
That's right.
00:15:50.25\00:15:51.58
And he destroyed
that family's life
00:15:51.61\00:15:52.95
and got them in a downward path,
00:15:52.98\00:15:54.32
but I believe it was her brother
00:15:54.35\00:15:56.69
heard Lemuel talk
on one of the shows
00:15:56.72\00:15:58.89
and so when we had a
family member incarcerated,
00:15:58.92\00:16:02.72
it was like a
death in our family,
00:16:02.76\00:16:04.23
but we didn't know what to do.
00:16:04.26\00:16:06.26
And so we've heard
about Christmas Behind Bars
00:16:06.29\00:16:08.80
and gave Lemuel a call,
he come down and it was just,
00:16:08.83\00:16:13.23
we was blast as much as
maybe our brother-in-law was,
00:16:13.27\00:16:17.97
our brother in prison, you know,
00:16:18.01\00:16:19.87
and through that outreach
we're going to numerous prisons
00:16:19.91\00:16:23.55
and still do to members of
our, not members of our family
00:16:23.58\00:16:27.72
but people that have
grown to be in our family of God
00:16:27.75\00:16:31.19
that we treasure and
put a lot of value in that.
00:16:31.22\00:16:36.46
So, Renita, so you go in too?
00:16:36.49\00:16:38.23
Yes, I do if I can.
00:16:38.26\00:16:40.20
We have small children right now
00:16:40.23\00:16:42.16
so I can't every
time, but I miss it.
00:16:42.20\00:16:45.40
I mean... It's a
blessing, isn't it?
00:16:45.43\00:16:47.30
We get a blessing
out of it, I mean,
00:16:47.34\00:16:50.64
when my brother was incarcerated
00:16:50.67\00:16:52.94
it was a tragedy to our family.
00:16:52.97\00:16:57.21
His wife lost
her baby in a month,
00:16:57.25\00:16:59.81
and a couple months later
my mom had a heart attack,
00:16:59.85\00:17:03.12
and it was devastating.
00:17:03.15\00:17:05.55
And if it wasn't for
Christmas Behind Bars
00:17:05.59\00:17:08.56
and brother Lemuel, I don't know
00:17:08.59\00:17:09.92
how we would have made it.
00:17:09.96\00:17:12.13
But he came down,
he was a blessing,
00:17:12.16\00:17:15.73
but, you know, it
was, the whole thing
00:17:15.76\00:17:18.73
the tragedy it was
turned into a blessing.
00:17:18.77\00:17:22.37
And I like that
verse in Isaiah 61:1,
00:17:22.40\00:17:25.47
it's one of my
favorite verses where God says,
00:17:25.51\00:17:28.64
"He turns the
ashes into beauty."
00:17:28.68\00:17:32.05
Yeah. Yeah.
00:17:32.08\00:17:33.58
And, you know, I never, I
thought, you know, God, why?
00:17:33.62\00:17:36.45
Why did you let
this happen to us,
00:17:36.48\00:17:38.65
I mean, you know, I
never expected it to happen.
00:17:38.69\00:17:41.49
You worry about lot of things
00:17:41.52\00:17:42.92
but what you don't
worry about happens.
00:17:42.96\00:17:45.79
But he turned
something awful into blessing,
00:17:45.83\00:17:50.47
into something beautiful
because now we go in there
00:17:50.50\00:17:52.90
and I mean, I received a
probably more of a blessing
00:17:52.93\00:17:57.21
then even the prisoners do.
00:17:57.24\00:17:58.57
I mean, I heard some
of those prisoners pray,
00:17:58.61\00:18:02.24
they pray out of
their sincere heart,
00:18:02.28\00:18:04.81
I mean, it's
awesome how they pray
00:18:04.85\00:18:07.45
and it teaches me
a lesson, you know.
00:18:07.48\00:18:10.45
Had the same experience, we
got a phone call one evening
00:18:10.49\00:18:14.22
that change the
course of our life.
00:18:14.26\00:18:16.26
Phone call told us
that our son was arrested
00:18:16.29\00:18:18.83
and facing charges of murder,
00:18:18.86\00:18:22.43
and anyway he's
incarcerated today
00:18:22.46\00:18:27.04
and been for 6 or 7 years
and facing 50 years, you know.
00:18:27.07\00:18:31.77
So I, as you were sharing, I
know from personal experience
00:18:31.81\00:18:37.61
that shock, that impact,
00:18:37.65\00:18:41.02
but being able to
go in and minister
00:18:41.05\00:18:43.12
has brought
healing to our own hearts.
00:18:43.15\00:18:44.49
Oh, definitely it does.
00:18:44.52\00:18:45.95
And I would guess
to your hearts too.
00:18:45.99\00:18:48.59
Prison isn't
that, you can find God,
00:18:48.62\00:18:50.63
you can be free indeed,
00:18:50.66\00:18:52.99
as many people are in the...
00:18:53.03\00:18:54.86
maybe in the outside world
I know are more incarcerated,
00:18:54.90\00:18:57.73
more in prison
than those that...
00:18:57.77\00:19:01.04
God isn't a
finder for prison wall.
00:19:01.07\00:19:04.74
And I think the package
is, I just like to think
00:19:04.77\00:19:07.68
everyone is packages of love.
00:19:07.71\00:19:10.05
Some are little, some are big,
00:19:10.08\00:19:11.41
and we as humans
we like the big ones
00:19:11.45\00:19:13.95
but it's something about it
00:19:13.98\00:19:15.78
and I like that
passage you had that
00:19:15.82\00:19:18.22
now both groups
said they did something
00:19:18.25\00:19:21.49
but one didn't have love.
00:19:21.52\00:19:22.92
It says, Lord, did we not go.
00:19:22.96\00:19:25.06
He says, no, I
never knew you. Yeah.
00:19:25.09\00:19:27.20
It's kind of like the saying,
00:19:27.23\00:19:29.16
people don't
care how much you know
00:19:29.20\00:19:31.43
until they'd know
how much you care.
00:19:31.47\00:19:33.37
Yeah, that is so true.
00:19:33.40\00:19:34.74
That is very powerful.
00:19:34.77\00:19:36.10
I'd like to say something here.
00:19:36.14\00:19:37.97
This couple not only
has a love for their brother
00:19:38.01\00:19:41.18
because her brother was
transferred to other prisons
00:19:41.21\00:19:43.58
throughout the state,
00:19:43.61\00:19:44.95
but they kept
sponsoring financially
00:19:44.98\00:19:47.35
and coming with their group
00:19:47.38\00:19:48.72
to sing to other
people's brothers or children.
00:19:48.75\00:19:51.65
So even though their
brother was transferred,
00:19:51.69\00:19:54.39
they still continue to
go to those other prisons,
00:19:54.42\00:19:56.52
so that's beautiful.
00:19:56.56\00:19:57.89
Well, it just like you said.
00:19:57.93\00:19:59.26
It's a bug, I mean you catch
it and you can't get rid of it.
00:19:59.29\00:20:02.26
That's right, it's a good thing.
00:20:02.30\00:20:03.80
It's a good
bug. It's a good bug.
00:20:03.83\00:20:05.33
Yeah.
00:20:05.37\00:20:06.70
But the experience that
I had going to Arkansas,
00:20:06.74\00:20:09.47
you know, and
joining with your folk there.
00:20:09.50\00:20:12.54
Yeah, it just showed
me how the love of God,
00:20:12.57\00:20:16.81
so rich and pure,
you know, it unites.
00:20:16.85\00:20:19.95
It did.
00:20:19.98\00:20:21.38
Mission, helping others
00:20:21.42\00:20:23.45
who are hurting
unite us, you know.
00:20:23.49\00:20:26.02
Maybe there're
doctrinal differences
00:20:26.05\00:20:28.89
but, boy, when you...
00:20:28.92\00:20:30.26
We serve one God.
00:20:30.29\00:20:31.63
When you serve one God
00:20:31.66\00:20:32.99
and you are going
in to bless others
00:20:33.03\00:20:34.70
who are hurting, you
know, and need you it unites us,
00:20:34.73\00:20:39.03
it was such a sweet
fellowship to be there that day.
00:20:39.07\00:20:43.30
I joined the choir,
00:20:43.34\00:20:44.97
I'm not necessarily noted
00:20:45.01\00:20:47.11
to be greatest
singer in the world,
00:20:47.14\00:20:49.51
but I joined the
choir and we sang,
00:20:49.54\00:20:51.91
and we shared our testimony,
00:20:51.95\00:20:53.88
and gave the gifts and...
00:20:53.92\00:20:56.28
You know, the love of
God touches all people
00:20:56.32\00:20:59.15
because there was a Muslim man
00:20:59.19\00:21:00.52
in one of the prisons we were at
00:21:00.56\00:21:01.99
and he stood up and he
told all the volunteers
00:21:02.02\00:21:04.26
and everybody else,
00:21:04.29\00:21:05.63
he said, I'm a Muslim,
00:21:05.66\00:21:07.00
he said but the
words have been conveyed,
00:21:07.03\00:21:08.76
the songs have been
sung, he said touched my heart.
00:21:08.80\00:21:11.70
And that's the power of God,
so he proclaimed to be a Muslim
00:21:11.73\00:21:13.94
but he said, that he
had received something,
00:21:13.97\00:21:16.04
so it's really beautiful.
00:21:16.07\00:21:17.41
So how many are in your group,
your prison ministry group?
00:21:17.44\00:21:19.64
You go once a month?
00:21:19.67\00:21:21.01
It varies from time to
time we vary from 9 to 30
00:21:21.04\00:21:24.61
and that's the beauty of it.
00:21:24.65\00:21:25.98
All the churches in
Arkansas, and Texas,
00:21:26.01\00:21:28.32
and Okalahoma we have a
group that don't go again alone
00:21:28.35\00:21:32.55
'cause we want to go with you,
00:21:32.59\00:21:33.92
and so some come on a
Sunday morning service
00:21:33.96\00:21:36.99
and some come when we go
with the Christmas Behind Bars
00:21:37.03\00:21:40.63
and it is grown from
just a little network,
00:21:40.66\00:21:44.20
we have about 50 or
100 group that, you know,
00:21:44.23\00:21:46.50
now we have
little text group, and,
00:21:46.53\00:21:48.67
hey, we got a
volunteer date coming up,
00:21:48.70\00:21:50.54
we want a help and
now we're busy volunteers,
00:21:50.57\00:21:53.64
so not everybody
can come every time.
00:21:53.68\00:21:55.91
Sure.
00:21:55.94\00:21:57.28
But you can pray in
your sponsorship too
00:21:57.31\00:22:00.32
that the Word
of God would go out
00:22:00.35\00:22:02.32
and accomplish the thing
that He wants it to prosper in.
00:22:02.35\00:22:06.05
Yeah, you gonna
say something, Renita?
00:22:06.09\00:22:07.82
Well, it's just
wonderful, I mean,
00:22:07.86\00:22:09.66
the volunteers have no
idea how, how the support,
00:22:09.69\00:22:13.76
how big it feels to us,
you know even, I mean it.
00:22:13.80\00:22:17.93
I mean, I don't know, it's
not, you can't explain it is,
00:22:17.97\00:22:20.94
the support is
absolutely phenomenal.
00:22:20.97\00:22:24.51
I mean...
00:22:24.54\00:22:25.87
So, Lemuel, question
for you, so you, you know,
00:22:25.91\00:22:27.61
we're looking at
those trucks you said,
00:22:27.64\00:22:29.74
I think you said
Bluffton, Indiana is where
00:22:29.78\00:22:31.58
Christmas Behind Bars is...
00:22:31.61\00:22:32.95
Central Indiana.
00:22:32.98\00:22:34.32
Yes, it's where it's
located, its headquarters.
00:22:34.35\00:22:35.68
So Arkansas is
not just next-door,
00:22:35.72\00:22:37.99
so you're taking
semis, is that correct,
00:22:38.02\00:22:39.99
or some of your Bosch trucks
00:22:40.02\00:22:41.96
to deliver these
goods from your warehouse
00:22:41.99\00:22:44.59
because a lot of the
packages I believe are packaged,
00:22:44.63\00:22:47.30
put together in Bluffton,
they are loaded into the semis,
00:22:47.33\00:22:50.70
and then you go
off to like this prison
00:22:50.73\00:22:53.40
that they are ministering to.
00:22:53.44\00:22:54.94
So to get from there to Arkansas
00:22:54.97\00:22:58.07
and other places
too, Brian, right?
00:22:58.11\00:22:59.87
Around the country. Virginia.
00:22:59.91\00:23:01.48
Baltimore, Maryland,
South Carolina, Alabama.
00:23:01.51\00:23:04.01
Florida. Florida.
00:23:04.05\00:23:05.38
Costs money, that's what
I'm getting that, you know,
00:23:05.41\00:23:07.15
feeling all that.
00:23:07.18\00:23:08.52
So I just want to
put this out there,
00:23:08.55\00:23:09.88
get your pencil and pen ready
00:23:09.92\00:23:11.25
because we are
gonna show some ways,
00:23:11.29\00:23:12.62
tell you some ways,
00:23:12.65\00:23:13.99
and to give the
contact information
00:23:14.02\00:23:15.36
of how you can
support Christmas Behind Bars.
00:23:15.39\00:23:17.09
They have some specific
needs so keep that handy
00:23:17.13\00:23:19.23
'cause we'll give that
to you in here shortly.
00:23:19.26\00:23:21.76
Anything else
here, Lemuel, on this,
00:23:21.80\00:23:23.13
I like the lost and found
00:23:23.16\00:23:24.50
because that's
really what it's all about,
00:23:24.53\00:23:25.93
isn't it, prison ministry.
00:23:25.97\00:23:27.30
And it's interesting
because you have the program
00:23:27.34\00:23:29.20
"Free indeed".
00:23:29.24\00:23:30.57
It's interesting, isn't it,
00:23:30.61\00:23:31.94
how you can be
behind bars but yet be free.
00:23:31.97\00:23:34.48
You can be outside of the bars,
yet be in prison so to speak.
00:23:34.51\00:23:38.08
Yeah. Amen.
00:23:38.11\00:23:39.45
I would like to say
that, I think, Amos,
00:23:39.48\00:23:40.98
what would you say,
00:23:41.02\00:23:42.35
what percent of an
inmate population would come out
00:23:42.38\00:23:44.95
when Christmas
Behind Bars comes?
00:23:44.99\00:23:46.32
It's voluntary,
00:23:46.35\00:23:47.69
they don't have to
come out to hear the message
00:23:47.72\00:23:49.06
or to receive the bag.
00:23:49.09\00:23:50.43
But what percentage
would you say come out?
00:23:50.46\00:23:51.79
It's not about a
package, you know,
00:23:51.83\00:23:53.63
I don't care how big
or little but they here,
00:23:53.66\00:23:56.50
I talked with my
brother-in-law last week
00:23:56.53\00:23:58.73
and I ask him little,
00:23:58.77\00:24:00.17
we come some
times with that, I said,
00:24:00.20\00:24:02.20
well, do the people still,
00:24:02.24\00:24:03.77
the inmates want
Christmas Behind Bars?
00:24:03.81\00:24:05.87
He said, you never
have to worry about that,
00:24:05.91\00:24:09.01
they also they wanna
know when are they coming.
00:24:09.04\00:24:11.25
When are they coming?
00:24:11.28\00:24:12.61
And, you know, the
thing that I like to, Greg,
00:24:12.65\00:24:14.78
join with you is
we've tried, you know,
00:24:14.82\00:24:17.72
occasionally just
go to Sam's wholesale
00:24:17.75\00:24:19.35
and buy a little,
00:24:19.39\00:24:20.72
but I mean one little
package just four little items
00:24:20.76\00:24:24.56
cost a lot of money
and the items that he gets,
00:24:24.59\00:24:28.66
you know, he can get big
Wal-Mart bag for all that,
00:24:28.70\00:24:31.63
I would even like it,
00:24:31.67\00:24:33.10
you know, lot of time
we take it for the staff
00:24:33.13\00:24:35.34
and as the staff does that
it has a lot of value there
00:24:35.37\00:24:38.61
that maybe a 2,000-bed prison
00:24:38.64\00:24:41.71
if you go by it would
cost $20, 000 that you can,
00:24:41.74\00:24:45.48
I like to think little
is much when God is in.
00:24:45.51\00:24:48.65
Amen.
00:24:48.68\00:24:50.02
Yeah, just the
lost and the found
00:24:50.05\00:24:51.39
that the $1 can
be $100 to someone.
00:24:51.42\00:24:54.32
No, we went to the prison
just north here few months ago.
00:24:54.36\00:24:58.76
I think, just
about everybody came out,
00:24:58.79\00:25:00.80
didn't they, to
receive the package.
00:25:00.83\00:25:02.16
Oh, yeah.
00:25:02.20\00:25:03.53
99%, yeah.
00:25:03.57\00:25:04.90
Yeah, if we're
looking at percentage,
00:25:04.93\00:25:06.27
obviously, 99 %.
00:25:06.30\00:25:07.64
It was with Dr. Yvonne,
she did some ministry music,
00:25:07.67\00:25:09.17
Jason went, and of
course the rest of the team
00:25:09.20\00:25:11.51
and it was really
a blessing for sure.
00:25:11.54\00:25:13.91
Amos, you just
shared with me earlier
00:25:13.94\00:25:17.21
before we
started the program that,
00:25:17.25\00:25:19.61
and Lemuel had said that
you are helping to sponsor,
00:25:19.65\00:25:22.42
and sponsor means
helping financially.
00:25:22.45\00:25:25.25
And not just in
this case prayer,
00:25:25.29\00:25:27.06
but you are actually
00:25:27.09\00:25:28.42
and how the Lord
blessed you on that?
00:25:28.46\00:25:29.82
Share a little bit about that?
00:25:29.86\00:25:31.19
Yeah, it was truly a
miracle that humbled me
00:25:31.23\00:25:34.00
that I want to
give God the glory.
00:25:34.03\00:25:35.63
We had went to little
prison called Little Tucker Max,
00:25:35.66\00:25:39.40
there's two prisons
but we went to Tucker Max
00:25:39.43\00:25:41.74
and there was about
500 men there mostly,
00:25:41.77\00:25:46.47
a max unit
00:25:46.51\00:25:47.98
but you could feel
the spirit of God there,
00:25:48.01\00:25:50.68
I mean, when we
arrive, you know,
00:25:50.71\00:25:52.21
we took the packages in,
00:25:52.25\00:25:53.58
and we went and did the program.
00:25:53.62\00:25:55.68
And each inmate
got their package
00:25:55.72\00:25:57.39
and that night we had a
voluntary church service there.
00:25:57.42\00:26:01.22
It was a little chapel, a
lot smaller than this room
00:26:01.26\00:26:03.83
even but it was packed
00:26:03.86\00:26:05.19
and in the end
Lemuel asked the prisoners
00:26:05.23\00:26:09.16
that they would share
00:26:09.20\00:26:10.53
what Christmas
Behind Bars meant to them.
00:26:10.57\00:26:13.40
But one of the inmates
prayed that God would bless us
00:26:13.44\00:26:15.70
tenfold for what our efforts was
00:26:15.74\00:26:18.61
and that night after it was done
00:26:18.64\00:26:20.34
I decided I would donate $3,000.
00:26:20.38\00:26:24.55
Didn't really
know if the money was,
00:26:24.58\00:26:26.72
I didn't check my
bank account to see
00:26:26.75\00:26:28.52
but I trusted God
that it would work
00:26:28.55\00:26:31.62
and get the money.
00:26:31.65\00:26:33.12
So I called my wife,
00:26:33.15\00:26:34.76
she was staying in
the family and said,
00:26:34.79\00:26:37.26
did you give the mail today.
00:26:37.29\00:26:38.99
And she said she
didn't, so I said,
00:26:39.03\00:26:40.66
well, I'll get
it when I get home
00:26:40.70\00:26:42.03
and it's about a
three-hour drive.
00:26:42.06\00:26:43.60
And I got home about 12, 12:30
00:26:43.63\00:26:45.50
and just kind of quick
glance through the mail.
00:26:45.53\00:26:48.30
I've seen there's one
envelope was, you know,
00:26:48.34\00:26:50.31
how you can see when
there is a check in it
00:26:50.34\00:26:51.84
so I thought I'd open that check
00:26:51.87\00:26:53.78
and there was a
check for over $22,000.
00:26:53.81\00:26:57.48
And I absolutely had no idea.
00:26:57.51\00:26:59.71
That prayer got answered...
00:26:59.75\00:27:01.32
It just humbled me that
God had his timing perfect,
00:27:01.35\00:27:05.09
and my verse is prove me
here what saith Lord of host,
00:27:05.12\00:27:09.42
see if when I open
you the windows of heaven
00:27:09.46\00:27:12.09
and pour you out a blessing,
00:27:12.13\00:27:13.90
that there'd be not room enough
00:27:13.93\00:27:15.26
in my storehouse to contain it.
00:27:15.30\00:27:17.50
And I just give
God the glory that
00:27:17.53\00:27:19.80
he act or
remembers us poor mortals
00:27:19.83\00:27:24.37
and his timing is perfect.
00:27:24.41\00:27:25.87
I mean, God knows so
much more than we do,
00:27:25.91\00:27:28.64
give God the glory.
00:27:28.68\00:27:30.01
The prayer had
been answered beforehand
00:27:30.05\00:27:31.88
because this guy had forgot,
00:27:31.91\00:27:33.65
he'd forgot that this person
00:27:33.68\00:27:35.08
everyone owed him
money from long time ago
00:27:35.12\00:27:37.35
and that's our prayer today
00:27:37.39\00:27:38.72
that people would see
value in this ministry
00:27:38.75\00:27:40.86
and help that
may continue to grow,
00:27:40.89\00:27:42.36
we're willing to go.
00:27:42.39\00:27:43.73
Amen.
00:27:43.76\00:27:45.09
Lemuel, I'm just thinking too
00:27:45.13\00:27:46.46
'cause we have a
roll we wanna go to but,
00:27:46.49\00:27:47.83
you know,
thinking about, you know,
00:27:47.86\00:27:49.20
your experience in
prison, you know, and your time.
00:27:49.23\00:27:50.97
When I was in prison?
00:27:51.00\00:27:52.33
When you were
in prison, correct.
00:27:52.37\00:27:53.74
And how God has taken you
00:27:53.77\00:27:55.37
to where you are
now with this ministry.
00:27:55.40\00:27:56.74
Isn't it amazing, you know,
00:27:56.77\00:27:58.11
to see how God has
worked in your life
00:27:58.14\00:27:59.57
to the countless inmates
00:27:59.61\00:28:01.41
that you have reached
through this 20 years.
00:28:01.44\00:28:04.15
And I'm just excited
about what's in store
00:28:04.18\00:28:06.45
for Christmas Behind Bars,
00:28:06.48\00:28:07.82
but I know there's a
video you put together
00:28:07.85\00:28:09.35
with one of our
directors here Brad Walker
00:28:09.38\00:28:10.95
and he's been participating
in this prison ministry
00:28:10.99\00:28:12.85
for a while too,
00:28:12.89\00:28:14.22
but set this video up for
us and then we'll through it.
00:28:14.26\00:28:15.92
Okay, this video is
about, well, actually,
00:28:15.96\00:28:19.29
let's just go to
inside the prisons,
00:28:19.33\00:28:21.90
it just shows the
power of the gospel,
00:28:21.93\00:28:24.67
goes back to the
lost and found box,
00:28:24.70\00:28:26.57
folks that are been lost,
00:28:26.60\00:28:28.07
are been found
baptisms and lot of things,
00:28:28.10\00:28:30.24
there are
testimonies, there are songs.
00:28:30.27\00:28:31.91
So we just thank
out all the sponsors
00:28:31.94\00:28:33.61
who helped 3ABN and
Christmas Behind Bars.
00:28:33.64\00:28:35.04
Okay.
00:28:35.08\00:28:36.41
And then I know
we're gonna switch out
00:28:36.44\00:28:37.78
so we want to thank you, Amos...
00:28:37.81\00:28:39.15
Thank you.
00:28:39.18\00:28:40.52
Thank you. We enjoyed it.
00:28:40.55\00:28:41.88
Thank you for being here and
God continue to bless you all
00:28:41.92\00:28:43.25
in your ministry there,
00:28:43.28\00:28:44.62
and it's a
blessing to be partnering,
00:28:44.65\00:28:45.99
I know with
Christmas Behind Bars
00:28:46.02\00:28:47.36
and with you all, too.
00:28:47.39\00:28:48.72
Same here.
00:28:48.76\00:28:50.09
We pray God will bless
3ABN and Christmas Behind Bars
00:28:50.13\00:28:51.46
as we look at the
miracles that God has.
00:28:51.49\00:28:53.93
And, Amos, I just
want to say thank you
00:28:53.96\00:28:55.36
'cause you helped
us get that semi truck
00:28:55.40\00:28:56.97
and you've helped us diligently,
00:28:57.00\00:28:58.67
you helped us with some
of our insurances stuff,
00:28:58.70\00:29:00.97
so just thank you so
much, and God bless you.
00:29:01.00\00:29:02.34
You're welcome.
00:29:02.37\00:29:03.71
Thank you for
what you did for us
00:29:03.74\00:29:05.14
and our family and
for Anthony's family.
00:29:05.17\00:29:07.91
Well, look, how the
gift is still giving
00:29:07.94\00:29:09.74
because now you are
doing for many other families
00:29:09.78\00:29:11.61
that are incarcerated
and so we thank you.
00:29:11.65\00:29:13.42
So God bless
you. Praise the Lord.
00:29:13.45\00:29:14.78
All right, so let's
go to that video now
00:29:14.82\00:29:16.42
that gives the update
of Christmas Behind Bars.
00:29:16.45\00:29:21.29
What inspired you to make
that commitment for Christ
00:29:21.32\00:29:23.59
less than a year ago?
00:29:23.63\00:29:26.29
Agape love.
00:29:26.33\00:29:28.16
People that
come in here like you
00:29:28.20\00:29:29.66
and you do it out of love,
00:29:29.70\00:29:32.43
unmerited love.
00:29:32.47\00:29:33.80
We don't deserve this from you,
00:29:33.84\00:29:35.17
it's through Jesus
Christ you come here
00:29:35.20\00:29:36.81
and you share this
agape love with us.
00:29:36.84\00:29:38.91
And it's a
treasure that we'll cherish
00:29:38.94\00:29:40.68
for the rest of our lives.
00:29:40.71\00:29:42.04
I can tell you from the years
00:29:45.91\00:29:48.75
that I've had Christmas
behind Bars at my facilities.
00:29:48.78\00:29:52.02
It is the biggest program
that after you guys roll out,
00:29:52.05\00:29:56.96
the thank you
notes come in like wow.
00:29:56.99\00:30:00.40
I mean, hands down.
00:30:00.43\00:30:02.13
I don't get near the thank yous
from the offender population.
00:30:02.16\00:30:05.80
Christmas Behind Bars
is a wonderful program.
00:30:05.83\00:30:07.80
Finally, hit rock
bottom and there was no hope.
00:30:15.18\00:30:17.85
I sat in the cell I'd
already see they shaved my head,
00:30:17.88\00:30:21.25
they take away your dignity,
00:30:21.28\00:30:22.62
they give you
an orange jumpsuit,
00:30:22.65\00:30:24.19
you go into a cell.
00:30:24.22\00:30:25.85
And the shock of
reality setting in that
00:30:25.89\00:30:29.09
this was my life
for the next 15 years
00:30:29.12\00:30:31.49
was just overwhelming.
00:30:31.53\00:30:33.16
I heard this hymns and
I thought I was in heaven.
00:30:33.19\00:30:36.67
It was beautiful
singing, it was a cappella
00:30:36.70\00:30:38.80
and I looked out
my window of the cell
00:30:38.83\00:30:42.04
and I saw these group of people
00:30:42.07\00:30:46.17
singing together men and women.
00:30:46.21\00:30:47.74
And then after the
singing of a few hymns,
00:30:47.78\00:30:51.51
a speaker came
forward and started to speak
00:30:51.55\00:30:53.82
which happened to be Mr. Vega.
00:30:53.85\00:30:56.42
I sat there and the thing
that struck me was the message
00:30:56.45\00:31:00.99
and the message was on Jesus.
00:31:01.02\00:31:02.79
The message was on...
00:31:02.82\00:31:05.79
no matter what
you've done there is hope.
00:31:05.83\00:31:08.36
I realized at that
moment that I had been forgiven,
00:31:08.40\00:31:13.67
that despite all I'd done,
00:31:13.70\00:31:19.47
despite all the hurt I'd caused,
00:31:19.51\00:31:22.41
that Jesus wanted me home.
00:31:22.44\00:31:28.15
We enforce the rules
here, we lock people down,
00:31:28.18\00:31:33.72
we discipline
people for their actions.
00:31:33.76\00:31:37.59
There are quite a few
inmates in our facility,
00:31:37.63\00:31:39.86
they pick up more
charges for the bad choices
00:31:39.89\00:31:41.86
they make even after
they're incarcerated.
00:31:41.90\00:31:44.70
But Christmas Behind Bars
00:31:44.73\00:31:46.63
brings a certain amount of peace
00:31:46.67\00:31:48.60
and tenderness
within this facility,
00:31:48.64\00:31:50.54
for some people for
hours, other people for days,
00:31:50.57\00:31:54.78
other people for
maybe months or even years,
00:31:54.81\00:31:57.88
and there is no
doubt in my mind,
00:31:57.91\00:31:59.85
there are some of those people
00:31:59.88\00:32:01.45
for the rest of their
lives will remember the kindness
00:32:01.48\00:32:03.65
that was shown on that day.
00:32:03.69\00:32:05.49
I would have
Christmas Behind Bars
00:32:05.52\00:32:07.22
in my facility on a
daily program basis,
00:32:07.26\00:32:10.43
if I could get
somebody to volunteer and do it.
00:32:10.46\00:32:14.10
For me, just for me,
00:32:14.13\00:32:17.70
just for me!
00:32:17.73\00:32:22.30
This Behind
Bars, this was amazing.
00:32:22.34\00:32:24.21
We felt Jesus in here
walking around us and,
00:32:24.24\00:32:28.18
God just let's
to get right there.
00:32:28.21\00:32:30.31
Every one of us
felt it and we...
00:32:30.35\00:32:33.48
I walked into my cell and
saw, not because I was sad
00:32:33.52\00:32:36.69
because I felt him and
it even felt beautiful.
00:32:36.72\00:32:39.89
And I'm just,
I'm just so blessed
00:32:39.92\00:32:42.52
because I could be rotting
in a cell and nobody cares,
00:32:42.56\00:32:45.79
and I know that, that's just.
00:32:45.83\00:32:50.77
I'm free to behind bars I mean,
00:32:50.80\00:32:54.04
I'm free and I'm in behind bars
00:32:54.07\00:32:56.00
and that's a beautiful feeling.
00:32:56.04\00:32:57.37
These people don't have to
do things that they're doing.
00:33:04.71\00:33:06.35
They're taking time
out of their day to come,
00:33:06.38\00:33:08.85
you know, help out
strangers, you know,
00:33:08.88\00:33:11.65
to so attentive to
people that, you know,
00:33:11.69\00:33:14.56
I kind of feel like
we'd have forgotten.
00:33:14.59\00:33:15.99
You know, people
look at as, you know,
00:33:16.02\00:33:17.76
they put a tag
on us as criminals.
00:33:17.79\00:33:19.76
And, you know,
we've done some bad things
00:33:19.79\00:33:21.76
but that doesn't
define who we are,
00:33:21.80\00:33:23.90
so for these people to
take time out of their day
00:33:23.93\00:33:26.03
and give us a chance, you know,
00:33:26.07\00:33:28.44
I really appreciate it.
00:33:28.47\00:33:29.80
I need Your glory
00:33:47.89\00:33:50.33
Okay. Hey, come out big.
00:33:50.36\00:33:51.89
Take it down, brother.
00:33:51.93\00:33:53.26
I want Your glory
00:33:53.29\00:33:57.73
Less of me and more of You
00:33:57.77\00:34:02.00
Is what I need
00:34:02.04\00:34:07.24
Show me Your glory
00:34:07.28\00:34:11.91
Lord, show me Your power
00:34:11.95\00:34:17.09
Less of me and more of You
00:34:17.12\00:34:21.39
Is what I need
00:34:21.42\00:34:26.23
Yes.
00:34:26.26\00:34:27.60
I need your glory Lord, I need
00:34:27.63\00:34:31.27
I want Your Glory
My God, less of me
00:34:31.30\00:34:36.20
Less of me and more
of You is what I need
00:34:36.24\00:34:43.45
My God show me Your glory
00:34:43.48\00:34:45.11
Show me Your glory
00:34:45.15\00:34:48.25
Show me Your power, Lord
00:34:48.28\00:34:49.65
Show me Your power
00:34:49.68\00:34:52.45
My God, less of me
00:34:52.49\00:34:54.32
Less of me and more of You
00:34:54.36\00:34:58.33
Is what I need
00:34:58.36\00:35:03.16
So many times I strayed
away, rejecting Your love
00:35:03.20\00:35:09.27
And Your warm embrace
00:35:09.30\00:35:11.91
See, I realized
00:35:11.94\00:35:14.08
I need You more
and more each day
00:35:14.11\00:35:21.32
I need Your glory I need, yes
00:35:21.35\00:35:25.59
I want Your glory Less of me
00:35:25.62\00:35:30.33
Less of me and more
of you is what I need
00:35:30.36\00:35:36.63
Is what I need
00:35:36.67\00:35:38.20
Show me YOUR glory, Lord.
00:35:38.23\00:35:40.24
Show me Your glory
00:35:40.27\00:35:41.97
Show me Your
power Show me Your power
00:35:42.00\00:35:45.57
I need less of me Less of me
00:35:45.61\00:35:49.51
Less of me and more
of You is what I need
00:35:49.54\00:35:54.85
Is what I need
00:35:54.88\00:35:56.82
So many times I strayed
away, rejecting Your love
00:35:56.85\00:36:03.02
And Your warm embrace
00:36:03.06\00:36:05.69
See, I realized
00:36:05.73\00:36:07.53
I need You more
and more each day
00:36:07.56\00:36:14.97
More each day
00:36:15.00\00:36:19.11
I need Your glory
00:36:19.14\00:36:22.14
I need, my God I want Your Glory
00:36:22.18\00:36:25.81
Oh, Lord, less of me
00:36:25.85\00:36:27.98
Less of me and more
of You is what I need
00:36:28.02\00:36:33.99
Is what I need, yeah.
00:36:34.02\00:36:38.99
Indeed if you feel like I do
00:36:39.03\00:36:42.13
Let Him know that Let Him
know that you are hungry for Him
00:36:42.16\00:36:45.67
That you're thirsting for Him
00:36:45.70\00:36:47.70
That you are longing for Him
00:36:47.74\00:36:50.97
My God, lift up
your voice and sing
00:36:51.01\00:36:54.21
I need Your glory
00:36:54.24\00:36:58.98
Oh, Lord, I've
got to have it, yes.
00:36:59.01\00:37:02.42
Your glory
00:37:02.45\00:37:03.79
Everyday I know,
I need, yes, Lord.
00:37:03.82\00:37:06.86
Your glory Oh, Lord
00:37:06.89\00:37:11.69
I need Your
glory I need Your love
00:37:11.73\00:37:15.76
Your glory
00:37:15.80\00:37:17.13
I need it every
morning, every night
00:37:17.17\00:37:20.17
Your glory Every
minute of the day
00:37:20.20\00:37:22.34
I don't think I'm doing right
00:37:22.37\00:37:24.77
Your glory My God, I know.
00:37:24.81\00:37:26.44
Wow!
00:37:26.47\00:37:29.51
I need Your glory To live right
00:37:29.54\00:37:33.72
Your glory To get right
00:37:33.75\00:37:35.62
Your glory To feel right
00:37:35.65\00:37:37.92
Your glory Hanging on me, Lord
00:37:37.95\00:37:40.32
Your Glory Stand and count on me
00:37:40.36\00:37:42.29
Your glory Yeah, yeah
00:37:42.32\00:37:46.83
I need Your
glory I need Your glory
00:37:46.86\00:37:51.87
I need Your glory I need
00:37:51.90\00:37:55.37
Your glory I need
00:37:55.40\00:37:57.61
Your glory I need
00:37:57.64\00:38:00.21
Your glory
00:38:00.24\00:38:05.38
My God
00:38:05.41\00:38:07.05
I'm on my knees every
night praying for You, Lord
00:38:07.08\00:38:11.15
I know I need
You to get me right
00:38:11.19\00:38:15.66
I need, I need
00:38:15.69\00:38:21.76
Show me Your love
00:38:21.80\00:38:24.83
Thank you, Jesus.
00:38:28.54\00:38:29.87
Wow. Amen.
00:38:33.84\00:38:35.18
I tell you
Christmas Behind Bars,
00:38:35.21\00:38:36.68
what a ministry.
00:38:36.71\00:38:38.11
And you saw some
lot of footage in there.
00:38:38.15\00:38:40.62
You saw some of
the assembly lines
00:38:40.65\00:38:41.98
that are putting
these packages together,
00:38:42.02\00:38:43.69
baptisms, people
coming to the Lord,
00:38:43.72\00:38:46.12
you heard the music, I mean,
00:38:46.15\00:38:48.09
even Behind Bars they
form these music groups,
00:38:48.12\00:38:49.62
don't they, Brian?
00:38:49.66\00:38:50.99
Right. Yes.
00:38:51.03\00:38:52.36
Some amazing music that comes
from behind the prison bars,
00:38:52.39\00:38:54.23
and what a ministry
of Christmas Behind Bars.
00:38:54.26\00:38:55.96
Thank you, Lemuel. Thank you.
00:38:56.00\00:38:57.33
You know, it's all
honor and glory goes to Jesus,
00:38:57.37\00:38:59.37
you always tell us that.
00:38:59.40\00:39:00.74
Yeah.
00:39:00.77\00:39:02.10
And so, of course, we've added
00:39:02.14\00:39:03.47
a couple of new
people on the set.
00:39:03.51\00:39:04.84
I don't wanna
disrespect to you, Lemuel,
00:39:04.87\00:39:06.21
but your better half.
00:39:06.24\00:39:07.58
Yeah. Your dear wife, Donna.
00:39:07.61\00:39:09.68
Donna, it's so good
to have you here too.
00:39:09.71\00:39:11.51
Good to be here.
00:39:11.55\00:39:12.88
And I'll tell you,
00:39:12.91\00:39:14.25
you and Lemuel are
just a fantastic team
00:39:14.28\00:39:15.98
for Lord Jesus Christ.
00:39:16.02\00:39:17.35
And I believe only in heaven,
00:39:17.39\00:39:18.85
where we truly
know that impact, right?
00:39:18.89\00:39:20.62
Amen.
00:39:20.66\00:39:21.99
..Of Christmas Behind
Bars and all these ministries
00:39:22.02\00:39:23.36
and your participation too.
00:39:23.39\00:39:25.03
Thank you so much
because of your support,
00:39:25.06\00:39:27.56
I know many of you
have been supporting
00:39:27.60\00:39:28.93
Christmas Behind
Bars through the years.
00:39:28.96\00:39:30.40
Thank you very much.
00:39:30.43\00:39:31.97
We've also added Tyler Morris.
00:39:32.00\00:39:34.20
We're gonna hear a little
bit of your story as well.
00:39:34.24\00:39:37.27
But, Donna, I wanna
just go to you, you know,
00:39:37.31\00:39:38.87
'cause your husband of course,
00:39:38.91\00:39:40.24
he's very busy with
the Christmas Behind Bars.
00:39:40.28\00:39:42.54
This isn't something you
just do at Christmas time.
00:39:42.58\00:39:45.31
No. So it's
Christmas Behind Bars.
00:39:45.35\00:39:47.32
It's actually 24 hours a day.
00:39:47.35\00:39:49.88
Did you say 24 hours a day?
00:39:49.92\00:39:51.55
He does find a
little time to sleep.
00:39:51.59\00:39:53.96
Basically, that's all day
00:39:53.99\00:39:55.32
'cause there's no
more than 24 hours a day.
00:39:55.36\00:39:57.79
So your participation
with Christmas Behind Bars,
00:39:57.83\00:40:00.10
I know that Lemuel goes out
on the road a lot, you know,
00:40:00.13\00:40:02.56
delivering these packages
00:40:02.60\00:40:03.93
going out
ministering to many prisons,
00:40:03.97\00:40:06.37
but I know you
get a chance to go,
00:40:06.40\00:40:07.77
you know, sometimes.
00:40:07.80\00:40:09.14
Yes.
00:40:09.17\00:40:10.51
But I know that you're blessed,
00:40:10.54\00:40:11.87
so you can tell us a
little bit about that,
00:40:11.91\00:40:13.24
but also when
you're staying home,
00:40:13.27\00:40:14.61
you're involved
in some office work
00:40:14.64\00:40:15.98
that's very important.
00:40:16.01\00:40:17.35
Tell us a little bit about that?
00:40:17.38\00:40:18.71
Yes, I get to go to the mailbox
00:40:18.75\00:40:20.58
and gather the
letters and write to them,
00:40:20.62\00:40:23.45
and there's a
couple other people
00:40:23.49\00:40:24.89
that help writing us.
00:40:24.92\00:40:26.25
It's very exciting.
00:40:26.29\00:40:27.62
It's a great blessing.
00:40:27.66\00:40:28.99
It is, isn't it?
00:40:29.02\00:40:30.36
Because then
you get to actually,
00:40:30.39\00:40:31.73
you're realizing the impact
just a little bit of the impact
00:40:31.76\00:40:33.76
that Christmas Behind Bars...
00:40:33.80\00:40:35.13
Yes.
00:40:35.16\00:40:36.50
..is making in people's lives.
00:40:36.53\00:40:37.87
And it's a blessing, doesn't it?
00:40:37.90\00:40:39.23
You enjoy being to
participate and being a part
00:40:39.27\00:40:41.70
in such a big way of
Christmas Behind Bars.
00:40:41.74\00:40:43.24
Actually, I hope
they're blessed one eighth
00:40:43.27\00:40:46.11
as much as I am.
00:40:46.14\00:40:48.01
Yeah, it's a true blessing.
00:40:48.04\00:40:49.38
I feel I get the blessing.
00:40:49.41\00:40:51.68
Well, I know that
3ABN is very blessed
00:40:51.71\00:40:53.45
to being able to participate
with Christmas Behind Bars
00:40:53.48\00:40:55.78
through all the years
00:40:55.82\00:40:57.15
and it's just
neat to see you guys
00:40:57.19\00:40:58.62
moving as a team together,
you know, as husband and wife,
00:40:58.65\00:41:00.99
and how God has
blessed, Brian...
00:41:01.02\00:41:02.36
Yes. Amen.
00:41:02.39\00:41:03.73
..in this ministry for sure.
00:41:03.76\00:41:05.09
Great friends of ours.
00:41:05.13\00:41:06.46
Aren't they now? Yes.
00:41:06.49\00:41:07.83
For sure.
00:41:07.86\00:41:09.20
Well, I know you've known a
little bit of story of Tyler.
00:41:09.23\00:41:10.57
Yeah, Tyler shared a
little bit and I'm gonna...
00:41:10.60\00:41:12.83
we don't have a long hair
00:41:12.87\00:41:14.77
but let me just put
it in a capsule form.
00:41:14.80\00:41:18.04
Tyler was raised
in a Christian home,
00:41:18.07\00:41:20.31
Christian environment.
00:41:20.34\00:41:21.68
Yes.
00:41:21.71\00:41:23.04
But he saw
sometimes what we profess
00:41:23.08\00:41:24.88
and how we live are
two different things
00:41:24.91\00:41:26.82
and that brought some
disillusionment into his life.
00:41:26.85\00:41:30.49
And through that experience,
00:41:30.52\00:41:33.02
he began getting involved
00:41:33.05\00:41:35.62
in a little bit of
a life of rebellion.
00:41:35.66\00:41:37.53
Oh, yeah.
00:41:37.56\00:41:38.89
And that led him into drugs,
00:41:38.93\00:41:42.06
and he spent a couple of
different times in prison.
00:41:42.10\00:41:47.50
I know that there was a time
00:41:47.54\00:41:49.57
where he was
supposed to have a court case,
00:41:49.60\00:41:51.54
he decided to skip the
court case, right, Tyler?
00:41:51.57\00:41:53.58
Yeah. Yes.
00:41:53.61\00:41:54.94
Skip it?
00:41:54.98\00:41:56.31
That's not a good thing, right?
00:41:56.34\00:41:57.68
In a stolen car,
with 9 millimeter gun,
00:41:57.71\00:42:00.25
some drugs, and
high a bit himself,
00:42:00.28\00:42:03.05
and in the process got stopped.
00:42:03.08\00:42:05.95
And then found
yourself back into jail again.
00:42:05.99\00:42:08.66
Yeah.
00:42:08.69\00:42:10.03
So pick us up from there, Tyler.
00:42:10.06\00:42:11.39
Tell us how...
00:42:11.43\00:42:12.89
You don't look like
that kind of person today.
00:42:12.93\00:42:14.76
No.
00:42:14.80\00:42:16.13
I would never
believe it if I saw it.
00:42:16.16\00:42:17.67
So tell us what happened?
00:42:17.70\00:42:20.10
How things changed for you?
00:42:20.14\00:42:21.47
Well, after they had found
me after the vehicle wrecked
00:42:21.50\00:42:28.34
and they picked me up,
00:42:28.38\00:42:33.28
sat in county
00:42:33.31\00:42:35.05
and was looking on
trying to get a bail
00:42:35.08\00:42:40.19
and didn't quite work out.
00:42:40.22\00:42:42.52
But after I had sobered up,
00:42:42.56\00:42:47.50
I spent a lot of, in a
23 hour-lockdown at first,
00:42:47.53\00:42:53.27
and only with one hour
out to, to do your basic stuff
00:42:53.30\00:42:58.17
that you needed to do and...
00:42:58.21\00:43:02.18
But after I had sobered up, I,
00:43:02.21\00:43:04.51
I got sent up to the block
00:43:04.55\00:43:05.88
where you're not on
23 hour-lockdown anymore.
00:43:05.91\00:43:10.99
It's formal, I
went to the bathroom
00:43:11.02\00:43:12.79
and just
looking back on my life,
00:43:12.82\00:43:16.73
and as I seen my life unfold,
00:43:16.76\00:43:22.60
chronological order from
00:43:22.63\00:43:23.97
when I was a kid
messing up to then,
00:43:24.00\00:43:27.34
while I was
sitting in that bathroom.
00:43:27.37\00:43:30.24
And it's almost like, you know,
00:43:30.27\00:43:34.48
I was seeing
this view of my life,
00:43:34.51\00:43:37.18
but it wasn't like
it was from my eyes,
00:43:37.21\00:43:38.85
it was almost like it was
from a different set of eyes
00:43:38.88\00:43:41.12
filled with grief.
00:43:41.15\00:43:42.62
And was then that I realized
00:43:42.65\00:43:47.89
I had that privilege of
seeing through God's eyes,
00:43:47.92\00:43:54.06
see how much grief
He feels toward people
00:43:54.10\00:43:59.17
who get caught up
in that life of sin
00:43:59.20\00:44:02.04
and just to
experience it in that way was
00:44:02.07\00:44:07.34
it brought me to my knees,
00:44:07.38\00:44:08.71
I was weeping,
and I just finally,
00:44:08.74\00:44:11.38
that's when I said,
00:44:11.41\00:44:12.81
I asked Christ to
come back into my life.
00:44:12.85\00:44:14.88
Amen.
00:44:14.92\00:44:16.38
And I just told
Him that I was sorry,
00:44:16.42\00:44:18.02
that I doubted and from there
00:44:18.05\00:44:20.66
it was such a transformation,
00:44:20.69\00:44:24.16
it's like wow.
00:44:24.19\00:44:25.59
So how did,
00:44:25.63\00:44:26.96
you somehow got connected
with Christmas Behind Bars.
00:44:27.00\00:44:29.03
How did that happen?
00:44:29.06\00:44:30.40
That's, well, after
about a year in county,
00:44:30.43\00:44:34.94
I got sentenced and then sent to
00:44:34.97\00:44:38.11
New Castle
Correctional Facility level one.
00:44:38.14\00:44:40.11
Okay.
00:44:40.14\00:44:41.48
And shortly thereafter,
00:44:41.51\00:44:46.21
Lemuel and a whole
bunch of people came
00:44:46.25\00:44:49.45
and just passing out
Christmas Behind Bar sacks
00:44:49.48\00:44:52.99
and it was truly amazing.
00:44:53.02\00:44:58.36
He doesn't recall it,
00:44:58.39\00:44:59.73
but I just remember him
00:44:59.76\00:45:01.76
holding this
toothbrush above his head
00:45:01.80\00:45:04.33
and that's the way he
made his presentation.
00:45:04.37\00:45:09.44
Yeah.
00:45:09.47\00:45:10.81
I mean, he got up on the table,
00:45:10.84\00:45:12.17
he doesn't recall this
00:45:12.21\00:45:13.54
but it was only
for a short minute,
00:45:13.58\00:45:14.94
that's how he
started his presentation.
00:45:14.98\00:45:16.68
And it was very captivating,
00:45:16.71\00:45:18.81
I think he had pretty
much everybody's attention...
00:45:18.85\00:45:20.88
Yeah.
00:45:20.92\00:45:22.28
..from that point.
00:45:22.32\00:45:23.65
You know we met in prison
00:45:23.69\00:45:25.12
but tell him how we
met just not very long ago.
00:45:25.15\00:45:29.29
We met a couple of weeks ago.
00:45:29.32\00:45:31.56
Probably, yeah, on a Tuesday.
00:45:31.59\00:45:35.93
I had come with my
church and it was awesome,
00:45:35.96\00:45:40.04
I've seen him and he was
putting people where they,
00:45:40.07\00:45:43.57
you know, where
there is help needed and...
00:45:43.61\00:45:45.67
This is at the facility... Yes.
00:45:45.71\00:45:47.04
So your church was coming there
until I volunteer or help out.
00:45:47.08\00:45:49.88
Yes, to volunteer
with the assembly line
00:45:49.91\00:45:51.78
and or putting bags together,
00:45:51.81\00:45:53.15
and I seen him and I'm
like "Hey, I know you."
00:45:53.18\00:45:55.65
So we connected there,
but just tell our viewers
00:45:55.68\00:45:58.39
where you were just
a couple of days ago.
00:45:58.42\00:46:00.52
We just got a
couple of minutes left.
00:46:00.56\00:46:01.89
Yeah.
00:46:01.92\00:46:05.56
Thank God I was actually
able to go back into the prison,
00:46:05.59\00:46:09.73
where I was incarcerated
and I got to share my testimony
00:46:09.76\00:46:14.97
and seen several people there
that I was incarcerated with
00:46:15.00\00:46:19.47
and they were just blown away.
00:46:19.51\00:46:22.08
And so it's like, I
just thank God so much.
00:46:22.11\00:46:26.18
Isn't that neat, Tyler?
00:46:26.21\00:46:27.55
I mean, you think about that.
00:46:27.58\00:46:28.92
Here you were incarcerated,
00:46:28.95\00:46:30.29
you were blessed by
Christmas Behind Bars
00:46:30.32\00:46:32.22
from Lemuel at the very first,
00:46:32.25\00:46:34.06
he was standing on a
table with a toothbrush
00:46:34.09\00:46:35.42
and that was his object lesson.
00:46:35.46\00:46:36.79
Yeah.
00:46:36.83\00:46:38.16
You know, I know that 'cause
you've also held up a roll,
00:46:38.19\00:46:39.53
toilet paper roll
also as an object lesson.
00:46:39.56\00:46:41.23
Yeah.
00:46:41.26\00:46:42.60
But anyway, so you
get out your church you go
00:46:42.63\00:46:44.43
and volunteer at
Christmas Behind Bars.
00:46:44.47\00:46:46.23
"Oh, I remember
you", then, Tyler,
00:46:46.27\00:46:48.94
you get the
opportunity to go back
00:46:48.97\00:46:50.74
into the very correctional
facility you were at,
00:46:50.77\00:46:53.34
and to deliver.
00:46:53.38\00:46:54.71
Isn't that blessing, Brian.
00:46:54.74\00:46:56.08
That's nothing but a miracle.
00:46:56.11\00:46:57.45
Packages from
Christmas Behind Bars.
00:46:57.48\00:46:58.91
And now, this is
the icing on the cake.
00:46:58.95\00:47:00.28
Now you're here to
share hope with inmates
00:47:00.32\00:47:02.18
around the world
00:47:02.22\00:47:03.55
and other people
that there's hope
00:47:03.59\00:47:04.92
through making that decision
that you did in that bathroom,
00:47:04.95\00:47:07.52
that you went
from lost to found...
00:47:07.56\00:47:10.03
Yeah.
00:47:10.06\00:47:11.39
And now you continue on to
proclaim the gospel message.
00:47:11.43\00:47:13.40
You know,
00:47:13.43\00:47:15.43
Tyler, if the Lord
can do that for you,
00:47:15.46\00:47:18.20
anyone listening or watching
who feel lost right now,
00:47:18.23\00:47:22.57
I just want you to know
that God knows where you're at,
00:47:22.60\00:47:25.47
so you're not
lost with from Him.
00:47:25.51\00:47:27.78
And He will take you
on a whole new journey,
00:47:27.81\00:47:30.35
if you just make that
decision just like Tyler did.
00:47:30.38\00:47:33.21
Yeah. Amen.
00:47:33.25\00:47:34.58
And praise the Lord.
00:47:34.62\00:47:35.95
It goes back to
this whole thing.
00:47:35.98\00:47:37.32
Brian, doesn't it?
00:47:37.35\00:47:38.69
This little box in between us
here that says lost and found,
00:47:38.72\00:47:40.06
and it's like, yeah, I
tell there is always hope.
00:47:40.09\00:47:42.06
Isn't there?
00:47:42.09\00:47:43.43
That was neat, I know in
that nine minute video we saw,
00:47:43.46\00:47:44.89
they're talking about that
one gentleman who was just,
00:47:44.93\00:47:46.56
you know, crying emotional
was talking about the hope
00:47:46.59\00:47:49.00
and forgiveness that God has.
00:47:49.03\00:47:50.67
We have another roll
that we're gonna wanna go to,
00:47:50.70\00:47:52.90
we're running out of time here,
so let's go to that right now.
00:47:52.93\00:47:57.14
And you guys are
being a good example
00:47:57.17\00:47:59.41
to the Christian
community out there
00:47:59.44\00:48:02.11
on how to be the spearhead,
00:48:02.14\00:48:06.41
the leaders of
helping the people of society
00:48:06.45\00:48:09.62
that most people
believe don't deserve help.
00:48:09.65\00:48:14.96
We don't have a
fancy home, matter of fact,
00:48:14.99\00:48:16.66
we're known in our
community as trailer trash.
00:48:16.69\00:48:19.36
We live in a little
mobile home district
00:48:19.39\00:48:21.40
and it is not a very
good mobile home park
00:48:21.43\00:48:24.30
but you know what?
00:48:24.33\00:48:25.67
We're happy
because we have Jesus.
00:48:25.70\00:48:27.20
That's exactly
right. That's all you need.
00:48:27.24\00:48:29.44
And a lot of times we'll
sleep in the back of the van
00:48:29.47\00:48:32.07
or the truck to save money,
00:48:32.11\00:48:34.44
and we want our
sponsors to know that
00:48:34.48\00:48:35.88
every dime that's
donated to this ministry is
00:48:35.91\00:48:39.41
put into the work.
00:48:39.45\00:48:41.12
And we wanna say
thanks to our sponsors
00:48:41.15\00:48:43.05
that make this
possible because it's not us.
00:48:43.08\00:48:46.35
And that's what we
believe Christmas Behind Bars
00:48:46.39\00:48:48.36
free indeed is all about
because we're casting our time,
00:48:48.39\00:48:51.46
our resources, our efforts,
00:48:51.49\00:48:53.50
our skills, and abilities
00:48:53.53\00:48:54.90
that God has blessed us with.
00:48:54.93\00:48:56.30
I feel like He
blessed us with a talent,
00:48:56.33\00:48:59.03
and we put that talent
back into the marketplace
00:48:59.07\00:49:01.50
for the furtherance
of the kingdom of heaven.
00:49:01.54\00:49:03.64
And we thank 3ABN and
the work that they have done
00:49:03.67\00:49:06.21
to make free indeed possible,
00:49:06.24\00:49:08.21
a living reality of
the foundational work
00:49:08.24\00:49:11.01
that Christians
Behind Bars has done.
00:49:11.05\00:49:12.91
For many years by God's grace,
00:49:12.95\00:49:14.68
His strength, His endurance,
00:49:14.72\00:49:16.18
and His sponsorship to you.
00:49:16.22\00:49:18.85
Well, this is an
opportunity for people
00:49:18.89\00:49:20.49
to see what the
love of Christ is,
00:49:20.52\00:49:23.36
and how everybody has
an opportunity to change
00:49:23.39\00:49:27.03
and live as God
intended for them to live.
00:49:27.06\00:49:29.50
To be completely
whole in Jesus Christ,
00:49:29.53\00:49:32.40
and you're doing that.
00:49:32.43\00:49:35.14
Christmas Behind
Bars is doing that
00:49:35.17\00:49:36.84
and encouraging people,
you know, in these prisons.
00:49:36.87\00:49:39.51
And we're behind you
in a small little way.
00:49:39.54\00:49:45.68
Listen to Lord's voice
and be obedient to that.
00:49:45.71\00:49:48.78
I just encourage you to
get involved with the ministry
00:49:48.82\00:49:51.25
if you have an opportunity to,
00:49:51.29\00:49:53.29
especially to
visit in the prison
00:49:53.32\00:49:55.82
to see the faces of the
people and to spread the hope
00:49:55.86\00:50:00.16
and to further God's kingdom.
00:50:00.20\00:50:02.30
Your work doesn't come in
your failures or your past,
00:50:02.33\00:50:05.60
it comes straight from heaven.
00:50:05.63\00:50:07.84
And just remember that,
00:50:07.87\00:50:09.37
that you're
created in His image,
00:50:09.40\00:50:10.97
and He loves you.
00:50:11.01\00:50:12.34
He has send His Son down,
00:50:12.37\00:50:14.51
while we were all
yet sinners to save us.
00:50:14.54\00:50:17.18
And so thank you.
00:50:17.21\00:50:21.28
Wow. Amen.
00:50:21.32\00:50:22.65
Another powerful roll,
it's neat, isn't it, Brian?
00:50:22.68\00:50:24.02
Yeah.
00:50:24.05\00:50:25.39
To be able to participate
and spreading God's Word
00:50:25.42\00:50:28.02
and touching lives for eternity.
00:50:28.06\00:50:29.49
That's for sure.
00:50:29.52\00:50:30.86
Now, Lemuel,
there's couple at the end
00:50:30.89\00:50:32.23
they're very special to you
00:50:32.26\00:50:33.60
and Donna in
Christmas Behind Bars.
00:50:33.63\00:50:34.96
I know you have a
couple more pictures.
00:50:35.00\00:50:36.33
So tell us about this couple
00:50:36.36\00:50:37.70
and then share
us those pictures?
00:50:37.73\00:50:39.07
You know, Greg,
volunteers come in all forms.
00:50:39.10\00:50:41.34
Amos comes, many volunteers
help with all kinds of things,
00:50:41.37\00:50:44.64
this couple
donated their warehouse,
00:50:44.67\00:50:46.84
and they don't charge
us any, they let us use it,
00:50:46.88\00:50:49.24
they don't charge
us no electric, no gas,
00:50:49.28\00:50:51.91
they're diligently
helping us be on the frontline,
00:50:51.95\00:50:55.02
so that's what
sponsorship is for this ministry
00:50:55.05\00:50:57.49
keeping us on the frontlines.
00:50:57.52\00:50:58.95
We're willing to go
00:50:58.99\00:51:00.32
and it's the sponsors
that make it possible.
00:51:00.36\00:51:01.69
That's right. We
have a few pictures.
00:51:01.72\00:51:03.06
Yeah. That's right.
00:51:03.09\00:51:04.43
Okay. Yes.
00:51:04.46\00:51:05.79
This is one of our
volunteers at the warehouse.
00:51:05.83\00:51:07.50
Her name is Brandy.
00:51:07.53\00:51:08.86
She's a blessing in a
lot of different ways.
00:51:08.90\00:51:10.83
I got another picture here.
00:51:10.87\00:51:12.37
If you look at
Brandy right here closely.
00:51:12.40\00:51:14.40
Brandy never smiles,
00:51:14.44\00:51:15.77
hardly ever at all in a picture.
00:51:15.80\00:51:17.47
We got one more picture here.
00:51:17.51\00:51:19.14
The reason why is
00:51:19.17\00:51:20.54
because her teeth are rotted out
00:51:20.58\00:51:21.94
from drug addiction, she
has about eight months...
00:51:21.98\00:51:24.91
How much time does
she have clean now?
00:51:24.95\00:51:26.61
This is a short period of time.
00:51:26.65\00:51:27.98
She's clean now.
00:51:28.02\00:51:29.35
Her husband's in prison,
00:51:29.38\00:51:30.72
and we're trying to
get some financial support
00:51:30.75\00:51:32.35
to get her teeth fixed.
00:51:32.39\00:51:33.72
It's about $3,100.
00:51:33.76\00:51:35.66
And we, as a team,
Christmas Behind Bars,
00:51:35.69\00:51:38.19
it started 20 years ago,
00:51:38.23\00:51:39.56
we've been able to
help many, many people
00:51:39.59\00:51:41.40
in many different
aspects of their life.
00:51:41.43\00:51:43.30
And so we'd like to help with
this dental work for Brandy.
00:51:43.33\00:51:45.20
Yeah.
00:51:45.23\00:51:46.57
Also Bibles, we
need Bibles. Yes, amen.
00:51:46.60\00:51:48.34
Because the inmates
the Word of God at RDC,
00:51:48.37\00:51:50.24
Tyler can tell you the
value of a Bible at RDC,
00:51:50.27\00:51:53.07
so we need help with
Bibles, get packages,
00:51:53.11\00:51:55.18
maybe someone wants
to help sponsor a prison
00:51:55.21\00:51:57.21
or with these medical bills
00:51:57.25\00:51:59.31
for the dental
work for Brandy and so.
00:51:59.35\00:52:01.62
I tell you what we
wanna do right now, Lemuel,
00:52:01.65\00:52:03.18
is we want to go
to our address roll
00:52:03.22\00:52:06.19
to tell you how you can,
00:52:06.22\00:52:07.56
you saw earlier they're
talking about the trailer,
00:52:07.59\00:52:09.52
that was leaking and they need
some funds for a new trailer,
00:52:09.56\00:52:11.86
we're talking about
some medical help for Brandy,
00:52:11.89\00:52:14.76
dental work.
00:52:14.80\00:52:16.23
And there's many ways,
00:52:16.26\00:52:17.60
the fuel to travel around
to these different prisons.
00:52:17.63\00:52:20.10
So we wanna give, go to
that contact information
00:52:20.14\00:52:22.17
so you can support
Christmas Behind Bars.
00:52:22.20\00:52:24.07
Christmas Behind Bars
00:52:27.41\00:52:28.78
shares Christ love
to those behind bars
00:52:28.81\00:52:31.31
not just on
Christmas, but 365 days a year.
00:52:31.35\00:52:35.35
If you would like to learn more,
00:52:35.38\00:52:36.72
you can contact
them at PO Box 474,
00:52:36.75\00:52:40.39
Bluffton, Indiana, 46714.
00:52:40.42\00:52:43.43
That's PO Box 474,
Bluffton, Indiana, 46714.
00:52:43.46\00:52:49.60
You can call
them at 888-536-8342.
00:52:49.63\00:52:54.04
That's 888-536-8342.
00:52:54.07\00:52:58.54
You can also visit them online
at ChristmasBehindBars.org.
00:52:58.57\00:53:02.78
That's ChristmasBehindBars.org.
00:53:02.81\00:53:06.35