Stay tuned to meet a man
00:00:01.33\00:00:02.66
who isn't afraid of
spending time in prison.
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My name is Jason Bradley,
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and you're
watching Urban Report.
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Hello and
welcome to Urban Report.
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My guest today is Lemuel
Vega, and he is the founder
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and volunteer of
Christmas Behind Bars.
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Welcome to Urban
Report, Brother Lemuel.
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Hey, thank you very much.
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It's good to have
you here, you know.
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I've seen you in prison before.
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You know, we've gone
out, and we've volunteered,
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and I've taken
part in that ministry,
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and I'm so excited
for you to be here,
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and you've been here
before, but to share,
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give us some updates and
tell us a little bit about
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the needs of the ministry.
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But I want to
reintroduce you to our viewers
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and give us a little
bit of your background
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and how you got started
with Christmas Behind Bars?
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Well, Jason, we're
all born with the problem,
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and society
somehow categorizes people
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with drug addiction
or alcoholism or anger,
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and we're born with a
problem and it's called sin.
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And medication can't do it,
incarceration doesn't do it.
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In school, tying
people in their seat
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with a jump rope doesn't do it.
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You know, in second grade,
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I was tied in my
seat with a jump rope,
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I was probably
boarded by every principal
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and kicked out of
quite a few schools.
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And so at a young age, I
felt like I didn't fit in.
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I didn't fit in the
school, I didn't fit in at home.
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And so
basically, we find a niche,
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we find a place
where we can fit in.
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I think that's the
same experiences you've had.
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And so by the time
you're 13 years old,
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you just say, "Hey, I
got this figured out,"
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and you think that somehow
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you can fix life's
problems and somehow society...
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And it looks like
money can buy happiness.
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So as a young
man, I sort out money
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because my momma
needed money for necessities.
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And so I was on my
way at 13 years old,
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I thought to being
a little businessman,
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making money, selling drugs,
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and being with people
much older than myself.
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But, you know,
Jason, at 18 years old,
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I found myself...
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How many years is
it between 13 and 18?
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Five.
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Five simple years,
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I found myself
sitting in a county jail,
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for the first time
in my life looking at
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10 to 20 years in
prison with a bond of $110,000.
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Wow!
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And so that was
like really major,
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all your friends vanish
at that point, you know.
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And so there I was in hopeless.
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And there was a group of people
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that came in to
sing a few songs to us.
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They didn't tell us about Jesus,
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they didn't give
us a granola bar,
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they didn't give us a cookie,
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they didn't tell us
they'd been in a prison,
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they didn't tell us
Jesus was the answer,
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they didn't give us a Bible.
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But by them coming
and giving of their time,
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it impacted my
life, I went on to prison,
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prison doesn't
change my life, it can't,
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because if it could,
our prison system would...
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You'd only go there once,
you'd be changed and come out.
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And again, medication
and education can't change
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the internal
problem we're all born with.
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We're born with a
handicap and it's called sin.
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So on that journey to prison,
I experienced a lot of pain,
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a lot of hurt, a
lot of loneliness.
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When your name doesn't
get called at mail call,
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or you don't
have anybody to call,
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and there's no
one there anymore,
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mom and dad tried
to bring me upright,
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so I don't put
any blame on them.
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We're all born
with the same problem.
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So that's kind
of where it started.
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I started on the wrong
side of the track, I guess.
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And what brought
about that that shifts back
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to the right side of the track?
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Oh my!
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I got out of
prison, and I wanted change,
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I tried to change.
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I left prison with
one year clean, you know.
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I was fixing to
go home from prison,
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so I had one
year clean, you know.
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I said, "Well, I'm
going home in a year,
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so I need to
change something in here,"
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so I was changed in the outward.
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And so for a year I left prison,
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kept selling drugs in prison.
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And so when I got out, I just,
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I left prison with one
year clean not using drugs.
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And I tried to do
what was right, got a job,
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and it wasn't long.
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And the money thing, you know,
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'cause I seen
everybody in society,
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they had jet skies
and had all that stuff
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and cars and clothes.
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And I said, "Well, I
know how to get money,"
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and so I began taking
narcotics back to the prison,
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the officers would
meet me outside the prison,
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and they would
take it into my friends,
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and my friends would sell it.
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So the whole
thing, life was messed up.
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So the officers were involved
in this too, some of them?
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You know what?
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They're born
with the same handicap
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that the inmates born
with, born with the sin.
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It is the same
problem, you know.
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So whether it's gambling,
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addiction, or
greed, or whatever,
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because an officer
can make more money
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in a couple of days
than he can work in a month,
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you know, by
bringing in cell phones
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or drugs or whatever,
and they're not all that way.
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So anyway, I was free
from prison for 12 years
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as a young man,
but I was helpless.
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I was actually more free
in a maximum security prison
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behind a 30-foot wall.
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I was more free in there
than I was out in society.
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You know, because you get out,
you have all these problems,
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you have all the
responsibilities,
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and all this
stuff and, you know,
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you're trying to keep
up, and do what's right,
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and then you face
that friction in our lives
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that pull for right,
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and then that
gravitation for wrong
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so you're facing that,
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and so all that
drama and turmoil
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is going on in your life
and I wanted help, Jason.
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I wanted help.
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I would call the
emergency room at midnight,
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1, 2 o'clock in the morning.
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I said, "Do you just die
when you quit doing these?"
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I called them, I
said, "Do you just die
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when you quit doing
these massive amounts of drugs?
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You know, and you
wait for the doctor
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to get on the phone and
then you just get paranoid,
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you hang up, and you drive
off into the night, you know.
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So there was no
one I could talk to.
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I thought I was the only
one that wanted internal change.
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I never knew anybody that had
ever been to treatment before.
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I never knew anybody that
want to quit using drugs before,
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and I just thought like
I was never heard the words
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Narcotics Anonymous before.
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And one day, I
pulled into this place,
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treatment, counseling place.
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I just pulled in 2
o'clock in the afternoon
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and I pulled in, I walked in,
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and the lady
slid the window back
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and said, "Can I help you, sir?"
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And I said, "Yeah,
I'm really, really sick.
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I need to talk to somebody."
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She said, "Well, we
charge $75 an hour."
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I said, "I don't have $75."
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And she said, "Well, we
take Visa or MasterCard,
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if that will help you."
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I said, "Ma'am, I'm thousands
of dollars in debt right now,"
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and I said, "I need help."
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And they said, "Oh!
You're one of those folks.
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We'll base it off
your wife's income,
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fill out all this paperwork,
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you know, you're the
poor folk, you know."
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And so I'm not
good at paperwork,
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I can't read
and spell very good,
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and so I just, I walked out.
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And so, I just felt
there was no hope for my life.
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So that's kind of
where I was at 35 years old.
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Wow!
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So you felt hopeless
at that point in time,
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and you went
somewhere where you thought
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that you would
be able to get help,
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but essentially, they
kind of turned you away
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or discouraged you by...
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The system's broke. Yeah.
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They can't just sit down
and come and sit down with you
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and talk with you
without all the HIPAA laws
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and all the insurance laws,
and they've got to get paid,
00:07:21.94\00:07:23.81
and so it's not
really their fault,
00:07:23.84\00:07:25.37
the system is
broken to help people,
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you know, the prison system.
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You know, you can spend 1
year or 50 years in prison.
00:07:28.74\00:07:32.68
And when you get out, man,
they give you a credit card
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with $50 on it, and that's it.
00:07:35.28\00:07:38.02
And you're supposed to
report to your parole agent
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within two or three days,
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you're supposed
to buy your meals,
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you're supposed to
find all this stuff.
00:07:42.72\00:07:44.06
And so you've been in prison
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for 2, 5, 6, 10,
20, 30, 40 years,
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and they give you 50 bucks.
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Yeah, where
you're supposed to live?
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How are you
supposed to get there?
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What are you supposed to
do, you know, when you get out?
00:07:50.93\00:07:53.10
I think, it's so
important that there needs to be
00:07:53.13\00:07:55.94
more reintegration programs,
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so that when
inmates get out of prison,
00:07:59.57\00:08:02.04
they can become
productive citizens of society
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and make a smoother transition.
00:08:04.55\00:08:06.25
That's the importance.
00:08:06.28\00:08:07.65
That sets the
foundation, the stage,
00:08:07.68\00:08:09.48
if you will, for
prison ministries.
00:08:09.52\00:08:11.95
Because Jesus, being the center,
00:08:11.99\00:08:14.09
focal point of an
individual's life,
00:08:14.12\00:08:17.19
He says, "Seek ye
first the kingdom of God
00:08:17.26\00:08:19.93
and His righteousness
00:08:19.96\00:08:22.06
and all these other
things will be added unto you."
00:08:22.10\00:08:24.27
He careth for the sparrow,
He careth for the individual
00:08:24.30\00:08:27.84
that He allowed His
son Jesus to die for.
00:08:27.87\00:08:29.94
So that sets the
foundation. System's broken.
00:08:30.01\00:08:32.74
When I got out of
prison many years ago,
00:08:32.77\00:08:34.48
they gave me 75 bucks.
00:08:34.51\00:08:36.34
So it went down, you
know, the money they gave...
00:08:36.38\00:08:39.48
Meanwhile the cost of
everything is going up.
00:08:39.51\00:08:42.05
Absolutely right.
00:08:42.08\00:08:43.42
And they're giving less
than what they used to give.
00:08:43.49\00:08:45.55
Absolutely. And we
can't focus on that.
00:08:45.59\00:08:48.02
The power of the
gospel is still relevant,
00:08:48.06\00:08:49.96
it's alive and
well, God is the same
00:08:50.03\00:08:51.89
yesterday, today, and forever.
00:08:51.93\00:08:54.30
And so, to connect them
with a relationship with Jesus,
00:08:54.36\00:08:59.70
that's the fundamentals
of Christmas Behind Bars.
00:08:59.73\00:09:02.97
I talked to Amanda Dave
which society would call
00:09:03.00\00:09:05.24
three-time loser,
talked to him on the phone,
00:09:05.27\00:09:07.98
just got out of
prison not too long ago,
00:09:08.01\00:09:09.64
spent six years on
his third bid in prison.
00:09:09.68\00:09:12.71
He said, "Don't ever
give up giving Bibles."
00:09:12.75\00:09:17.72
That's how he
come to know Jesus,
00:09:17.75\00:09:19.09
put in a cell, first
time going to prison,
00:09:19.12\00:09:21.09
a Bible was there,
00:09:21.12\00:09:22.46
he begin to read it out
of nothing else to read,
00:09:22.49\00:09:24.56
and he begin to
know who Christ was.
00:09:24.59\00:09:26.53
So the importance of
that time in their life
00:09:26.56\00:09:28.80
is just unbelievable, we
can't put a value on that.
00:09:28.83\00:09:33.77
You've been with
us to deliver packages
00:09:33.84\00:09:36.17
in different
states, in different places,
00:09:36.20\00:09:38.14
and maybe you could share
00:09:38.17\00:09:39.91
from a viewer
that might be watching,
00:09:39.94\00:09:41.44
maybe you could
share the value of going in
00:09:41.48\00:09:44.81
at a time like this in
their lives to share hope.
00:09:44.85\00:09:46.75
What do you...?
00:09:46.82\00:09:48.15
Yeah, I mean, it's
absolutely an amazing experience
00:09:48.18\00:09:51.32
because when you enter
into the prison and the facility
00:09:51.35\00:09:55.72
and you start
talking to these inmates
00:09:55.76\00:09:57.36
and you go and they
know that you're there
00:09:57.43\00:09:59.89
because you care,
you're volunteering,
00:09:59.93\00:10:01.93
you're not
getting paid to be there,
00:10:01.96\00:10:03.57
you know what I mean.
00:10:03.63\00:10:04.97
So it's, we're out of there...
We're there because we care.
00:10:05.00\00:10:08.47
And so we're not
taking anything from them,
00:10:08.50\00:10:11.64
but we're giving things to
them and pouring into them.
00:10:11.67\00:10:14.38
So those bags have all kinds
of delicious snacks in there,
00:10:14.41\00:10:18.65
it's got spiritual food,
and it comes with an envelope
00:10:18.68\00:10:22.52
from Christmas Behind Bars
00:10:22.55\00:10:24.69
that has a bunch of
different ministry material
00:10:24.72\00:10:27.92
that they can put
in that one envelope.
00:10:27.96\00:10:30.53
And I remember you saying,
"So you guys can use only one,
00:10:30.59\00:10:33.56
you only have to use one stamp."
00:10:33.60\00:10:36.00
And you mail it back
to Christmas Behind Bars,
00:10:36.03\00:10:39.03
and what you do at
Christmas Behind Bars
00:10:39.07\00:10:41.94
is send that out to
the different ministries
00:10:41.97\00:10:44.17
and then their families can have
00:10:44.24\00:10:45.77
Bible studies, correct?
00:10:45.81\00:10:47.14
Right, yeah.
00:10:47.21\00:10:48.54
So going in there, you
know, you talk to these guys
00:10:48.58\00:10:50.58
that have been
shunned by society,
00:10:50.61\00:10:52.78
have been
shunned by their friends
00:10:52.81\00:10:54.55
and their families,
00:10:54.58\00:10:55.98
and sometimes you see
tears coming down their faces
00:10:56.02\00:10:59.42
because they're
hungry for the Lord.
00:10:59.45\00:11:01.46
You know, you see
some of them in there
00:11:01.49\00:11:03.53
that are hungrier
00:11:03.56\00:11:05.73
than we see people that
are out here in society.
00:11:05.76\00:11:09.10
So for me, I
absolutely love prison ministry.
00:11:09.13\00:11:13.50
I was facing a potential
sentence of 15 years that,
00:11:13.54\00:11:18.61
by God's grace, I was able
to get first offenders deferred
00:11:18.64\00:11:21.88
and go a different
route and, you know,
00:11:21.91\00:11:24.45
probation and all of that stuff.
00:11:24.48\00:11:26.82
So I didn't have
to face that 15 years,
00:11:26.88\00:11:28.85
but the only thing
that separates us from them
00:11:28.88\00:11:32.85
is a choice.
00:11:32.89\00:11:34.26
And that's what is so
important for people to realize.
00:11:34.29\00:11:37.83
Now I feel like I'm the
one getting interviewed,
00:11:37.86\00:11:40.00
but that's so
important for people to realize
00:11:40.06\00:11:43.06
that the only thing
that separates us from them
00:11:43.10\00:11:45.47
is a choice,
00:11:45.50\00:11:46.87
and they're going to get
out one day, some of them.
00:11:46.90\00:11:49.14
Would you rather
than have crime or Christ?
00:11:49.17\00:11:52.87
Amen. That's for sure.
00:11:52.91\00:11:55.64
You know, at this
time in their life
00:11:55.68\00:11:57.28
when they get out
all the responsibilities
00:11:57.31\00:11:59.51
of life inundates
them, job, car, wife,
00:11:59.55\00:12:02.55
children, clothes, rent,
you know, all these things,
00:12:02.58\00:12:05.69
they almost overwhelm a
person, and when they get out,
00:12:05.72\00:12:08.32
you know, maybe they
want more food stamps,
00:12:08.36\00:12:09.79
better car, better life,
you know, money just to get by,
00:12:09.82\00:12:13.50
but at this time that
they're in this place,
00:12:13.53\00:12:17.33
it's a quiet time in their life
00:12:17.37\00:12:18.80
to where you can
reach them for Christ.
00:12:18.83\00:12:21.60
And there's a lot of
people I have talked to,
00:12:21.64\00:12:22.97
Jason, that says,
00:12:23.00\00:12:24.34
"Well, our church
has a prison ministry,
00:12:24.37\00:12:25.91
or we do prison ministry,
or we got this going on,"
00:12:25.94\00:12:28.91
and that's
wonderful, but how many people
00:12:28.94\00:12:31.81
do you have coming out of
that prison to your service?
00:12:31.85\00:12:35.02
They might say
10, they might say 20,
00:12:35.05\00:12:36.69
they might say 30,
00:12:36.75\00:12:38.09
they might have 50
inmates come out every week
00:12:38.12\00:12:39.92
to their service
and that's wonderful,
00:12:39.95\00:12:42.66
but with Christmas Behind Bars,
00:12:42.69\00:12:44.19
there's something
different than that.
00:12:44.23\00:12:47.96
Would you share
with us what that is?
00:12:48.00\00:12:50.33
The difference between 20 to 30?
00:12:50.40\00:12:54.67
Well, we get like whole prisons,
00:12:54.70\00:12:57.54
the whole prison...
00:12:57.57\00:12:59.01
Everybody?
00:12:59.04\00:13:00.48
Everybody that can
come out comes out.
00:13:00.51\00:13:02.91
Now, what about the
people that aren't Christians?
00:13:02.94\00:13:05.45
A lot of them still come out.
00:13:05.48\00:13:06.85
What about the Muslim people?
A lot of them still come out.
00:13:06.92\00:13:10.12
And see the thing
is, it's like, you know,
00:13:10.19\00:13:12.29
some of them may be
there to collect the bags.
00:13:12.32\00:13:15.79
That's okay.
00:13:15.82\00:13:17.16
They're hearing the message,
00:13:17.23\00:13:19.03
and then they're
getting the bags,
00:13:19.06\00:13:20.40
and then, you know...
00:13:20.43\00:13:21.73
And you never know
how God is gonna use
00:13:21.76\00:13:23.53
what is said in there
00:13:23.57\00:13:24.90
and the music
that's provided as well
00:13:24.93\00:13:27.30
to reach and to
touch their lives.
00:13:27.34\00:13:30.77
So they see
practical Christianity,
00:13:30.81\00:13:33.74
and that's again
one of the great things
00:13:33.78\00:13:36.48
about Christmas Behind Bars.
00:13:36.51\00:13:38.51
Now, Christmas Behind Bars
is not a seasonal ministry.
00:13:38.55\00:13:41.82
It started
probably 21, 22 years ago.
00:13:41.85\00:13:45.79
Sick and ready to
die, Jason, I asked my wife
00:13:45.82\00:13:50.19
to take me to treatment.
00:13:50.23\00:13:51.76
I said, "Baby," I said,
00:13:51.79\00:13:53.13
"Would you take me to treatment?
00:13:53.16\00:13:54.46
I heard about this
place, Charter Beacon Hospital."
00:13:54.50\00:13:56.33
I said, "Would you
take me to treatment?"
00:13:56.36\00:13:57.70
You know, we drove around.
00:13:57.73\00:13:59.07
She drove, I rode, and I
said, "Just keep driving."
00:13:59.10\00:14:00.97
I kept getting higher
and higher and higher.
00:14:01.00\00:14:02.47
Finally, she
made it to the place.
00:14:02.50\00:14:03.84
And finally, in the parking lot,
00:14:03.91\00:14:05.24
I threw my drugs
in the parking lot,
00:14:05.27\00:14:07.11
in the trees, and I
walked into treatment.
00:14:07.18\00:14:12.68
And you know, in treatment,
again comes the methadone,
00:14:12.71\00:14:17.72
the Antabuse, the
other drugs or whatever,
00:14:17.75\00:14:20.16
so you got college-educated
doctors telling me once again,
00:14:20.19\00:14:24.43
as they told me as a
child that I have to be
00:14:24.46\00:14:27.00
on this medication all my life,
00:14:27.03\00:14:28.50
because I was a
dysfunctional child,
00:14:28.53\00:14:30.77
and they told my
mom I'd have to be
00:14:30.83\00:14:32.17
on medication all my life.
00:14:32.20\00:14:34.00
And so I heard this
again, and 35 years of failure,
00:14:34.04\00:14:36.37
and prison
hadn't changed my life,
00:14:36.40\00:14:37.84
and taking Thorazine in
prison didn't make you happy
00:14:37.87\00:14:39.84
being in prison, you
know, you're still there,
00:14:39.87\00:14:41.61
and so I went to
treatment 21, 22 years ago,
00:14:41.64\00:14:47.08
sick and ready to die,
00:14:47.12\00:14:48.45
I was either
gonna go back to prison,
00:14:48.48\00:14:49.82
commit suicide,
or I was gonna die.
00:14:49.85\00:14:52.25
And there I was in
the valley of decision.
00:14:52.29\00:14:54.89
Do I want change or
do I not want change?
00:14:54.92\00:14:57.59
Oh, I want change. Do
I want to try or not try?
00:14:57.63\00:15:00.23
Oh, I want to try, but
I've tried for 35 years,
00:15:00.26\00:15:02.46
but I've failed.
00:15:02.50\00:15:03.87
In prison, I tried
to get my GD, I failed.
00:15:03.90\00:15:05.57
So all my life, I
failed. And so there I was.
00:15:05.60\00:15:11.34
And there was a pastor,
a preacher that came in.
00:15:11.37\00:15:15.88
Actually, I was really defiant
because he was talking about,
00:15:15.91\00:15:18.15
he said, "Well,
you're in treatment,
00:15:18.18\00:15:19.51
you have to wear a gown
00:15:19.55\00:15:20.92
and slippers for the
first week or ten days
00:15:20.95\00:15:22.42
and then you got to earn
those privileges or whatever."
00:15:22.45\00:15:24.19
So I already went in my room
00:15:24.22\00:15:25.55
and put on all my
socks and extra T-shirts.
00:15:25.59\00:15:27.26
I said, "You're
not taking my clothes."
00:15:27.29\00:15:28.62
I was in my room
with my bed pushed up
00:15:28.66\00:15:30.26
against the door,
00:15:30.33\00:15:31.66
and there was a
knock on my door,
00:15:31.69\00:15:33.03
and it was a pastor,
00:15:33.06\00:15:34.36
and he come in to
have prayer with me.
00:15:34.40\00:15:35.73
And you know, out of
respect, I just let him talk.
00:15:35.76\00:15:39.27
And he said he had
never been in prison,
00:15:39.30\00:15:41.14
and he said,
"I'm going to tell you
00:15:41.17\00:15:42.50
something I've never
told anybody else before."
00:15:42.54\00:15:44.37
He said, "When my
momma died," he said,
00:15:44.41\00:15:45.74
"I got addicted to cough syrup."
00:15:45.77\00:15:48.21
And I'm thinking, "Oh,
man, you don't understand
00:15:48.24\00:15:49.81
what's going on in my life.
00:15:49.84\00:15:51.18
You're talking cough syrup.
00:15:51.21\00:15:52.55
I mean little cough syrup,
I mean, how awesome is that?
00:15:52.58\00:15:54.38
I mean, that's not
much, it's okay, you know."
00:15:54.42\00:15:56.58
But he shared with
me that Jesus helped him
00:15:56.65\00:15:58.92
with that problem, and he left.
00:15:58.95\00:16:02.29
And so somehow in my mind,
I thought, "Jesus helped him,
00:16:02.32\00:16:06.93
somehow He could maybe help me,"
00:16:06.96\00:16:09.50
and it was through
a magnificent sunset
00:16:09.53\00:16:11.17
that I'd seen, it
was a Friday evening,
00:16:11.20\00:16:13.27
and as I looked at the sunset
00:16:13.34\00:16:14.67
in the western sky,
that thought came to me
00:16:14.70\00:16:17.34
that there's no two snowflakes
ever created the same,
00:16:17.41\00:16:19.44
I heard that in third grade.
00:16:19.47\00:16:21.01
I've never been in a
school with a microscope,
00:16:21.04\00:16:22.64
I've never seen it for myself,
but the thought came to me.
00:16:22.68\00:16:25.05
And I said, "Man,
if God can paint that
00:16:25.08\00:16:27.35
to be gone in a moment of time,
00:16:27.42\00:16:28.75
maybe never
sunset to ever the same,"
00:16:28.78\00:16:30.69
I said,
"somehow he can help me."
00:16:30.72\00:16:32.05
And I kneeled down
in that hospital room
00:16:32.09\00:16:33.59
with my bed pushed
up against the door
00:16:33.66\00:16:34.99
and I said, "Dear
Jesus, please help me.
00:16:35.02\00:16:36.49
I want to quit, but I can't."
00:16:36.52\00:16:38.09
So that's the
power of the gospel.
00:16:38.13\00:16:40.10
And if these men and
women that are incarcerated
00:16:40.13\00:16:42.00
would just
understand that through the love
00:16:42.03\00:16:44.33
that we go and
share, would understand
00:16:44.37\00:16:47.24
and they'd be
willing to try one more time.
00:16:47.30\00:16:50.37
Connect with Christ,
then as they transit,
00:16:50.41\00:16:53.38
as they read and
study, do the Bible studies,
00:16:53.44\00:16:55.41
read the books and
transition out into society
00:16:55.44\00:16:57.98
He's the one
that gets the props,
00:16:58.01\00:16:59.88
He's the healer,
He's the one that repair,
00:16:59.91\00:17:01.95
He's the one that
gets the honor and glory.
00:17:01.98\00:17:04.32
It's not Christmas Behind Bars,
00:17:04.35\00:17:05.99
but somehow, it had
to have a beginning.
00:17:06.02\00:17:09.46
That was a Friday evening,
00:17:09.49\00:17:11.83
and they released
me from the hospital,
00:17:11.86\00:17:13.33
I was only there
for two or three days,
00:17:13.36\00:17:14.73
I don't remember.
00:17:14.76\00:17:16.13
And I told my
wife the next morning,
00:17:16.16\00:17:18.13
I said, "I'm
going to go to church."
00:17:18.17\00:17:20.34
We are going to a Sunday church.
00:17:20.37\00:17:21.84
I said, "Look,
you go to your church,
00:17:21.87\00:17:23.71
I'm going to go to my church
00:17:23.74\00:17:25.07
because my parents had
been Seventh-day Adventists.
00:17:25.11\00:17:27.11
And we went to
that pastor's church
00:17:27.18\00:17:28.84
who'd come to
have prayer with me.
00:17:28.88\00:17:30.55
And it was probably
six, eight months later
00:17:30.58\00:17:33.92
that his wife had the idea
00:17:33.95\00:17:35.28
of making some little packages
for folk down the county jail.
00:17:35.32\00:17:37.92
It wasn't my
idea, but I remember
00:17:37.95\00:17:40.16
the experience
of the county jail,
00:17:40.19\00:17:41.52
I remember the
experience in prison.
00:17:41.56\00:17:43.63
And I said, "Those people would
really, really appreciate it."
00:17:43.66\00:17:46.16
So that's how
the ministry started.
00:17:46.19\00:17:47.60
Okay, so tell us about the bags
00:17:47.66\00:17:50.53
and how they
started to grow in size.
00:17:50.57\00:17:53.07
Oh, yeah. Yeah,
break that story down.
00:17:53.10\00:17:55.17
All right, first
of all, I want to say
00:17:55.20\00:17:56.60
before the bags ever started,
I had about three months clean,
00:17:56.67\00:18:00.24
and I prayed and
asked God for a job.
00:18:00.31\00:18:02.41
I tried to go
back to the factory
00:18:02.44\00:18:03.78
where I worked,
00:18:03.81\00:18:05.25
and they wouldn't
allow me to come back
00:18:05.28\00:18:07.08
if I couldn't do my normal job.
00:18:07.15\00:18:08.48
Well, with the
drugs, the alcohol
00:18:08.52\00:18:09.85
and all the atmosphere
in the factory, I resigned.
00:18:09.88\00:18:12.52
And so I prayed and
I asked God for a job.
00:18:12.55\00:18:14.79
So Lord blessed me with a
job, and I was selling groceries
00:18:14.82\00:18:17.39
door to door to
the Amish people.
00:18:17.46\00:18:18.99
And so I had...
00:18:19.03\00:18:20.36
I was selling
potatoes, and apples,
00:18:20.43\00:18:21.73
and orange
candies, snacks, chips.
00:18:21.76\00:18:23.10
So when the pastor's wife
down at the church said about
00:18:23.13\00:18:25.70
making packages, I'm like,
00:18:25.73\00:18:27.14
"Man, I already got all these
snacks and crackers and chips,"
00:18:27.17\00:18:29.30
I said, "That would
be great, you know."
00:18:29.34\00:18:31.01
And so we took
a lunch size sack,
00:18:31.04\00:18:32.71
a small sack and
we put apple in there,
00:18:32.74\00:18:34.44
some granola bar, some
chips in there, little sack,
00:18:34.48\00:18:37.15
and we took it
down the county jail.
00:18:37.18\00:18:38.95
And at the county jail, Jason,
we couldn't talk like this,
00:18:38.98\00:18:42.85
there was no phone, you
know, and so it was a steel door
00:18:42.88\00:18:46.35
with no glass, and
they open the food slot.
00:18:46.39\00:18:48.59
A food slot is where
they pass the trays in, small.
00:18:48.62\00:18:51.66
And I didn't even....
00:18:51.69\00:18:53.03
They'd drop the food slot
00:18:53.06\00:18:54.36
and there'd be 20,
30 people behind there,
00:18:54.40\00:18:56.97
and they just
throw in 20, 30 packages.
00:18:57.03\00:18:58.77
The volunteers will
stand there just pass them in,
00:18:58.80\00:19:00.57
you couldn't see.
00:19:00.60\00:19:01.94
And I was on my knees
at the next food slot,
00:19:01.97\00:19:03.34
and I'd tell
them, "Come here, man,
00:19:03.37\00:19:04.74
I want to tell you about
Jesus, I want to tell you that
00:19:04.77\00:19:06.57
when you're
clean, I want to tell you
00:19:06.61\00:19:07.94
there's hope for your life,
00:19:07.98\00:19:09.31
I want to tell you we love you."
00:19:09.34\00:19:10.68
And as these
people would come down,
00:19:10.71\00:19:12.05
then I'd get up off my knees
and goes to the next food slot,
00:19:12.08\00:19:13.75
I'm on my knees
at the food slot,
00:19:13.78\00:19:15.48
little food slot.
00:19:15.52\00:19:16.85
I'm on my knees, I thought,
00:19:16.92\00:19:18.25
"Man, if you make them
packages a little bit bigger
00:19:18.29\00:19:20.59
and they don't fit
through that food slot,
00:19:20.62\00:19:22.89
I'll bet they'll open the door."
00:19:22.92\00:19:24.86
So I didn't tell my
wife, I didn't tell the pastor,
00:19:24.89\00:19:26.73
I didn't tell the
church, I didn't tell nobody.
00:19:26.76\00:19:28.10
The next year we
got the bigger bag,
00:19:28.13\00:19:30.27
filled it full, and
went down the county jail,
00:19:30.30\00:19:33.07
and I would just wait and
see what they were going to do.
00:19:33.10\00:19:35.17
And so they
dropped the food slot,
00:19:35.20\00:19:37.34
bag wouldn't fit through there.
00:19:37.41\00:19:39.41
They said, "I guess,
we'll have to open the door."
00:19:39.44\00:19:41.61
And so now, I got to see
the individual behind the door,
00:19:41.64\00:19:44.25
there's bars still
but I got to talk to him
00:19:44.28\00:19:46.65
and encourage him.
00:19:46.72\00:19:48.22
And then the chaplain told me,
00:19:48.25\00:19:49.58
he said, "You got to
keep them small enough.
00:19:49.62\00:19:50.99
They'll fit through
this place in the catwalk."
00:19:51.02\00:19:52.52
He said, "Do you hear
me?" I said, "Yes sir."
00:19:52.55\00:19:54.66
I said, "I hear you."
00:19:54.69\00:19:56.02
And the next year, we
come with a bigger bag,
00:19:56.06\00:19:58.19
I figured it
open the steel door,
00:19:58.23\00:20:00.13
and then they open the
bars, and then that started
00:20:00.20\00:20:02.16
the first 5, 10, 15 minutes
00:20:02.20\00:20:04.13
we had in the pod
to sing a few songs
00:20:04.17\00:20:07.20
and tell them there was hope
for their life through Christ.
00:20:07.24\00:20:09.14
So that's kind of
how it started so.
00:20:09.17\00:20:11.24
Well, I know they were happy
to get those bigger bags too.
00:20:11.27\00:20:14.28
I know they're happy about that.
00:20:14.31\00:20:16.01
That's such a blessing.
00:20:16.04\00:20:17.65
And you know what,
we actually have a clip
00:20:17.68\00:20:21.35
of you interacting with inmates,
00:20:21.38\00:20:23.49
and packing bags, and
things of that nature,
00:20:23.55\00:20:26.76
and I'd like for us
to take a look at that.
00:20:26.82\00:20:28.76
Let me tell you about that clip.
00:20:28.79\00:20:30.49
The
superintendent of that prison
00:20:30.53\00:20:31.99
that we're going
to see just now said,
00:20:32.03\00:20:33.66
"If you ever need
anything, let me know."
00:20:33.70\00:20:36.60
And so we needed
some bags packed,
00:20:36.63\00:20:38.67
and I called him up,
00:20:38.70\00:20:40.07
and we took all the
product to the prison,
00:20:40.10\00:20:42.10
and it's absolutely
amazing how God uses people
00:20:42.14\00:20:44.41
in high positions to
allow the work to go forward.
00:20:44.44\00:20:47.01
And you're
actually short Bibles,
00:20:47.04\00:20:48.78
there was
something there, right?
00:20:48.81\00:20:50.18
Yes. Okay.
00:20:50.21\00:20:51.55
So we're going to
talk about your needs too
00:20:51.58\00:20:53.48
after we see this clip.
00:20:53.55\00:20:55.15
All right, let's
go to that. All right.
00:20:55.18\00:20:56.92
Today, we're at the
00:20:59.75\00:21:01.16
Correctional Industrial Facility
00:21:01.19\00:21:02.52
in Central Indiana.
00:21:02.56\00:21:03.93
We have a great
group of guys here.
00:21:03.96\00:21:05.29
This is phenomenal,
because these guys here today
00:21:05.33\00:21:07.50
are actually putting together
2,500 gift packages for inmates
00:21:07.60\00:21:11.20
in another prison
in a far away place.
00:21:11.23\00:21:13.60
In the journey of a life
00:21:16.50\00:21:19.81
There are winding roads
00:21:19.84\00:21:25.01
Mountains high
00:21:25.05\00:21:28.92
Valleys low
00:21:28.95\00:21:33.72
Though the road
ahead may be unknown
00:21:33.76\00:21:39.89
I'm still focus on the prize
00:21:41.13\00:21:44.63
That's worth pressing for
00:21:44.67\00:21:51.27
This is an amazing day.
00:21:51.31\00:21:53.07
Christmas Behind Bars has
been putting packages together
00:21:53.11\00:21:55.38
for over 20 years
00:21:55.41\00:21:56.78
and bringing hope
to the incarcerated
00:21:56.81\00:21:58.41
across the
country through your help
00:21:58.45\00:22:00.32
and your sponsorship.
00:22:00.35\00:22:01.68
But today, these gentlemen
00:22:01.72\00:22:04.82
are in prison
putting packages together
00:22:04.85\00:22:08.02
for inmates in another prison.
00:22:08.06\00:22:09.72
How cool is that! God
is absolutely amazing.
00:22:09.76\00:22:12.99
It might be turmoil
across the country in this world
00:22:13.03\00:22:15.50
in which we live,
00:22:15.53\00:22:16.87
but God is
using your sponsorship
00:22:16.93\00:22:19.57
through items like this
00:22:19.60\00:22:21.40
to bring hope to
prisoners across the country.
00:22:21.44\00:22:24.17
You know, the way you
preach the gospel to people,
00:22:26.94\00:22:31.15
it's just so touching, you know.
00:22:31.18\00:22:32.95
That's when, after
you came, I was baptized
00:22:32.98\00:22:36.12
for the first time in
my life at 32 years old.
00:22:36.15\00:22:39.69
Oh, I didn't know that. Yeah.
00:22:39.72\00:22:41.06
And you know, from
there, you know, I did my time,
00:22:41.09\00:22:44.43
and I kept
meeting you every year
00:22:44.46\00:22:46.43
and things that you do,
00:22:46.46\00:22:47.76
and it's just so
powerful and so moving.
00:22:47.83\00:22:49.40
I want to continue doing this.
00:22:49.43\00:22:52.70
What kind of time
did you bring to prison?
00:22:52.73\00:22:54.24
I got 121 years.
00:22:54.27\00:22:56.17
Hundred and twenty one
years, that's a lot of time.
00:22:56.20\00:22:58.34
You must not been
walking the right road.
00:22:58.37\00:23:00.78
I wasn't.
00:23:00.81\00:23:02.14
And I want to ask
you about the Bibles.
00:23:02.18\00:23:03.65
Can you tell me the value
of an inmate receiving a Bible?
00:23:03.68\00:23:06.72
Well, I mean,
just receiving a Bible
00:23:06.75\00:23:09.18
give you a whole new insight
and motivation in life now.
00:23:09.22\00:23:13.22
And you committed
your life to Christ?
00:23:13.25\00:23:14.59
Yes, I have. Yeah.
00:23:14.62\00:23:15.96
You've been
wanting to study Bible
00:23:15.99\00:23:17.33
for a long time,
haven't you? Yes.
00:23:17.36\00:23:18.69
But you don't have one? No.
00:23:18.73\00:23:20.10
But today, by God's
grace, I'm going to give you
00:23:20.13\00:23:22.03
a study Bible
that's been given to us,
00:23:22.06\00:23:24.70
and I just pray
that you'll utilize this
00:23:24.73\00:23:26.60
and read this.
00:23:26.63\00:23:27.97
Thank you.
00:23:28.00\00:23:29.34
My desire passionately
00:23:29.37\00:23:34.38
Is to be what
you called me to be
00:23:36.64\00:23:43.22
And that's what I'll be
00:23:43.25\00:23:49.62
Oh, Lord, any man be in Christ
00:23:49.66\00:23:54.56
He is a new creature
00:23:54.56\00:23:57.10
Old things are passed away
00:23:57.13\00:23:59.83
All things become new
00:23:59.87\00:24:02.47
Oh, Lord, I'll
say yes to Your Word
00:24:02.50\00:24:07.08
Only Your Word is true, Lord
00:24:07.11\00:24:13.08
Thank you very much.
00:24:13.11\00:24:14.88
And it really
means a lot for everybody
00:24:16.22\00:24:20.09
to come together as one whole,
00:24:20.16\00:24:23.22
we'll do what we do
here and do that Brother Vega
00:24:23.26\00:24:25.79
gets it done, and the sponsors,
00:24:25.83\00:24:27.96
you don't even have a clue
how much we appreciate this.
00:24:28.00\00:24:30.63
So when you start to talk
about Christmas Behind Bars
00:24:33.30\00:24:36.30
and giving these packages
00:24:36.34\00:24:39.64
to the prisoners in a dark place
00:24:39.67\00:24:42.28
and it reminded me of a
story I've read one time,
00:24:42.31\00:24:45.35
where these scientists
want to test these animals
00:24:45.38\00:24:48.35
under different
difficult circumstances.
00:24:48.38\00:24:50.45
So they took these rats
and put them in glass jars,
00:24:50.49\00:24:54.46
water them and put them
in a room of total darkness
00:24:54.49\00:24:56.56
to see how long they had
swim before they gave up,
00:24:56.59\00:24:58.83
allowed themselves to drown.
00:24:58.86\00:25:00.53
They only lasted
for three minutes,
00:25:00.56\00:25:02.70
so they changed the scenario
by shining a ray of light
00:25:02.73\00:25:07.44
in those glass jars to
see how long they swim,
00:25:07.47\00:25:09.94
and they swam for 36 hours.
00:25:10.01\00:25:13.04
That's 700 times longer
than the ones in total darkness.
00:25:13.07\00:25:16.44
And what made a difference
between the two groups?
00:25:16.48\00:25:19.78
The light and dark.
One was in total darkness.
00:25:19.81\00:25:22.02
Yeah. Right. Three minutes.
00:25:22.05\00:25:24.09
They shown a ray of
light and they lasted...
00:25:24.12\00:25:26.09
For 36 hours.
00:25:26.12\00:25:27.46
Thirty six hours. Yes.
00:25:27.49\00:25:28.82
How would you say
that Christmas Behind Bars
00:25:28.86\00:25:30.26
was able to bring light
00:25:30.33\00:25:31.89
and hope into people's
lives that are incarcerated?
00:25:31.93\00:25:35.53
Well, God is light,
and He shines that light,
00:25:35.56\00:25:39.40
and you brought
that light into us
00:25:39.43\00:25:41.27
to help us keep swimming,
not allowing us to drown,
00:25:41.30\00:25:44.31
and that's the
fabulous thing about
00:25:44.34\00:25:46.27
the Christmas Behind
Bars that shine that light
00:25:46.31\00:25:48.54
into our hearts
to allow us know,
00:25:48.58\00:25:50.45
"Hey, it's going to be okay,
00:25:50.51\00:25:51.85
keep on swimming,
you're gonna make it."
00:25:51.88\00:25:54.55
I've been receiving packages
00:25:54.58\00:25:55.92
since my time
in the Lowell batch
00:25:55.95\00:25:57.29
which would been
about 2003, 2004 timeframe.
00:25:57.35\00:25:59.35
So quite a few years,
00:25:59.39\00:26:00.79
you had been receiving packages.
00:26:00.82\00:26:02.16
What would you say to
our sponsors literally
00:26:02.19\00:26:03.59
around the
world that have helped
00:26:03.66\00:26:05.06
make this program possible
00:26:05.09\00:26:06.43
through both the materials
and the tangible blessings?
00:26:06.46\00:26:08.73
Your generosity
has helped to reach
00:26:08.76\00:26:11.60
thousands of incarcerated people
00:26:11.63\00:26:13.10
who may not have heard the Word,
00:26:13.13\00:26:14.47
may not know
what the Word's about
00:26:14.50\00:26:15.84
and gives us hope.
00:26:15.87\00:26:17.21
And let me tell you,
00:26:17.24\00:26:18.57
I'm a person who
doesn't get visits
00:26:18.61\00:26:19.94
and very little
visitation with my family.
00:26:19.97\00:26:21.88
So anything that shows
people care means a lot.
00:26:21.91\00:26:25.15
It means a lot.
00:26:25.18\00:26:26.51
I want to thank
everybody who's donated
00:26:26.55\00:26:29.72
and helped out
with this whole project.
00:26:29.75\00:26:31.35
I think it's been a
blessing towards everybody.
00:26:31.39\00:26:33.25
So I just thank you
00:26:33.29\00:26:34.62
for doing everything
possible that you can.
00:26:34.66\00:26:36.49
All my life I have
been called unworthy
00:26:38.46\00:26:44.97
Named by the voice
of my shame and regret
00:26:49.37\00:26:56.34
But when I hear You whisper
00:26:59.55\00:27:02.75
"Child lift up your head"
00:27:02.78\00:27:05.69
I remember oh God
00:27:05.72\00:27:08.26
You're not done with me yet
00:27:08.29\00:27:14.10
I am redeemed
00:27:14.13\00:27:16.87
You set me free
00:27:19.73\00:27:25.44
So I'll shake off
theses heavy chains
00:27:25.47\00:27:28.98
And wipe away every stain
00:27:29.01\00:27:31.58
Now I'm not who I
used to be I've been
00:27:31.61\00:27:38.52
I don't have to be
that old man inside of me
00:27:38.55\00:27:42.66
'Cause his day is
long dead and gone
00:27:42.69\00:27:47.40
Because I've got a new name
00:27:47.50\00:27:50.77
A new life I'm not the same
00:27:50.83\00:27:53.44
And a hope that
will carry me home
00:27:53.50\00:27:59.81
I'm an inmate here at CIF.
00:28:02.54\00:28:04.95
What Christmas
Behind Bars means to us,
00:28:04.98\00:28:07.85
I can't really
convey or communicate
00:28:07.88\00:28:10.05
what it means to the inmates.
00:28:10.12\00:28:11.65
Ever since I've been
locked up for about seven years,
00:28:11.69\00:28:14.56
every year, it makes
such an impact on everybody
00:28:14.59\00:28:17.59
they anticipate
to this ministry,
00:28:17.66\00:28:20.33
the food, the
preaching, the message,
00:28:20.36\00:28:24.50
the spirit of friendliness,
00:28:24.53\00:28:26.74
in giving that they convey,
I'm with an American Legion,
00:28:26.77\00:28:30.01
we donated $1500
last year to Mr. Vega.
00:28:30.04\00:28:33.58
We're glad that that
money is able to translate
00:28:33.61\00:28:36.61
to some bags for women's prison,
00:28:36.64\00:28:39.18
we were informed so.
00:28:39.21\00:28:41.08
We're really
lucky and fortunate,
00:28:41.12\00:28:42.72
we thank you guys
in every possible way.
00:28:42.75\00:28:46.29
We're thankful and
we're grateful every day
00:28:46.32\00:28:48.52
and every time of the
year that this comes to us.
00:28:48.56\00:28:52.39
You now have been
able to see the value
00:28:52.43\00:28:54.30
of how God is working
00:28:54.30\00:28:55.63
in the midst of this
world in which we live.
00:28:55.66\00:28:57.90
The Lord is using
those that are incarcerated
00:28:57.93\00:29:00.47
to put packages together
00:29:00.50\00:29:01.87
and bring hope to another prison
00:29:01.90\00:29:03.37
in a faraway place,
and we're asking you today
00:29:03.44\00:29:06.37
to continue to
sponsor this ministry,
00:29:06.41\00:29:08.71
Christmas
Behind Bars free indeed
00:29:08.74\00:29:10.88
with your financial sponsorship,
00:29:10.91\00:29:13.15
your love and your prayers,
we wish you God's blessings.
00:29:13.18\00:29:16.45
Thank God, redeemed
00:29:22.16\00:29:26.09
That was a very touching clip.
00:29:37.11\00:29:39.17
Now, you have a
scripture that you want to share
00:29:39.21\00:29:42.01
that kind of states
00:29:42.04\00:29:43.38
why this type of
work is so important.
00:29:43.45\00:29:46.35
So important.
00:29:46.38\00:29:48.08
You know, it
says in Matthew 25:40,
00:29:48.12\00:29:52.29
"And the King,"
who is that? Jesus.
00:29:52.32\00:29:55.16
Jesus, red letters in my Bible,
"And the King shall answer
00:29:55.19\00:29:58.36
and say unto them,
"Verily I say unto you,
00:29:58.39\00:30:01.70
inasmuch you have done
it unto one of the least
00:30:01.73\00:30:06.90
of these my brethren,
you have done it unto me."
00:30:06.94\00:30:11.71
And that's... And
he's talking about,
00:30:11.74\00:30:13.64
you know, this
is the end of time
00:30:13.68\00:30:15.21
when Jesus comes
back, Matthew 25:31,
00:30:15.24\00:30:17.65
"When the Son of man
shall come in His glory,
00:30:17.68\00:30:19.38
and all the
holy angels with Him,
00:30:19.41\00:30:21.18
then shall He sit upon
the throne of His glory:
00:30:21.22\00:30:24.15
and before Him shall
be gathered all nations,
00:30:24.19\00:30:26.42
and He shall
separate them one from another
00:30:26.45\00:30:28.86
as a shepherd divideth
His sheep from the goats."
00:30:28.89\00:30:31.36
So there's two groups of
people when Jesus comes back.
00:30:31.39\00:30:34.13
How many groups of
people are there now?
00:30:34.20\00:30:36.53
Two. Two.
00:30:36.60\00:30:38.30
So whether there is not
the incarcerated and the free,
00:30:38.33\00:30:41.20
but you can be free even though
you're incarcerated with Jesus,
00:30:41.24\00:30:44.61
and that's the platform
that we have to share hope
00:30:44.64\00:30:47.61
with these people
that are behind bars.
00:30:47.64\00:30:49.71
Because they
want internal change,
00:30:49.74\00:30:51.65
not one of them
signed up to go to prison.
00:30:51.68\00:30:54.38
Their best efforts
have got them to prison.
00:30:54.42\00:30:57.02
And the beauty of a
relationship with Christ
00:30:57.05\00:30:59.05
is the Christian
people at this time said,
00:30:59.09\00:31:01.99
"When saw thee we sick,
00:31:02.02\00:31:03.63
or in prison,
and came unto thee?"
00:31:03.66\00:31:06.06
And then Jesus
answered and He lays it out,
00:31:06.09\00:31:08.26
"As you have done it unto
one of the least of these,
00:31:08.30\00:31:10.83
my brethren, you
have done it unto me."
00:31:10.87\00:31:13.13
And so that's
the gospel message.
00:31:13.17\00:31:14.87
It's not just on
Sabbath morning in church,
00:31:14.90\00:31:17.91
it's not just
Wednesday night Bible study,
00:31:17.94\00:31:19.71
but it's actively
in our daily lives,
00:31:19.74\00:31:22.11
how we unwrap the
gospel to the taxi cab driver,
00:31:22.14\00:31:25.11
to the airline stewardess.
00:31:25.15\00:31:26.48
So everyone has a mission field,
00:31:26.51\00:31:28.05
it might not be
prisonministries for everybody
00:31:28.08\00:31:31.02
but for you and I
and many, many people,
00:31:31.05\00:31:33.32
we have a special
heart for those people.
00:31:33.36\00:31:34.99
Amen? Absolutely, amen, amen.
00:31:35.02\00:31:37.83
Yeah, you know,
there's some people
00:31:37.86\00:31:39.26
that are free that are
walking around in society
00:31:39.29\00:31:42.70
that aren't free,
they're held captive
00:31:42.73\00:31:46.97
but Jesus wants
to set them free.
00:31:47.00\00:31:49.84
And so that
video was so touching,
00:31:49.87\00:31:52.87
and while that
clip was going on,
00:31:52.91\00:31:55.31
you told me about
a gentleman that...
00:31:55.34\00:31:58.28
You told me about a gentleman
00:31:59.65\00:32:01.05
who had experienced forgiveness,
00:32:01.08\00:32:02.65
talk about that?
00:32:02.68\00:32:04.19
You know, there's a
man, a good friend of mine,
00:32:04.22\00:32:06.39
he's in prison now
for many, many years.
00:32:06.42\00:32:08.86
And he was
molested as a young child,
00:32:08.89\00:32:12.29
riding the school bus,
00:32:12.33\00:32:13.90
riding the church bus to church.
00:32:13.93\00:32:16.10
So he'd been molested,
and he had all this anger
00:32:16.13\00:32:18.03
and animosity build up in him.
00:32:18.07\00:32:19.40
And for some reason, I
don't know the circumstances,
00:32:19.43\00:32:21.34
but he shot a
Christian in the head.
00:32:21.37\00:32:24.54
And you know,
Jason, in the courtroom,
00:32:24.57\00:32:26.24
the Christian
said, "I forgive you."
00:32:26.27\00:32:30.25
So the Christian
survived being shot in the head.
00:32:30.31\00:32:33.38
Yes. And forgave
the one who shot.
00:32:33.42\00:32:35.92
In the courtroom, he
said, "I forgive you."
00:32:35.95\00:32:38.32
And that started the conversion
experience for him that
00:32:38.35\00:32:41.79
if this man that I had
done, tried to kill, shot,
00:32:41.82\00:32:44.66
whatever, could forgive
me, somehow there must be
00:32:44.69\00:32:48.06
something to the Christianity,
you know, dialogue or theme,
00:32:48.10\00:32:53.30
so that's amazing for sure. Wow!
00:32:53.37\00:32:55.40
And roughly, how many
prisons have you been to?
00:32:55.44\00:32:58.31
You know, we don't keep
track. We don't have any idea.
00:32:58.34\00:33:01.58
I know we've been as far
north this year, brand new,
00:33:01.61\00:33:04.88
new facility, North
Dakota, South Dakota.
00:33:04.91\00:33:08.28
We've been as far as
Minnesota prior to that,
00:33:08.32\00:33:10.79
as far as Northwest,
as far we've been to Ohio,
00:33:10.82\00:33:14.59
as far as Northeast
Ohio, State of Virginia,
00:33:14.62\00:33:17.13
South Carolina, North Carolina,
as far as Southeast Florida.
00:33:17.16\00:33:20.20
Did you go with us to Florida?
00:33:20.23\00:33:21.53
Yes, I was with
you in Florida, yes.
00:33:21.56\00:33:23.20
Tell us what it means for you
00:33:23.23\00:33:25.07
to take time off of
work to travel, to come,
00:33:25.10\00:33:28.54
and drive many hours to a place.
00:33:28.57\00:33:31.04
I mean, why would you do that?
00:33:31.07\00:33:32.94
I mean, what does it mean to you
00:33:32.97\00:33:34.31
and how would you encourage
other people to do that?
00:33:34.34\00:33:36.08
Well, I mean, I've
seen what God has done
00:33:36.11\00:33:38.38
in my own life.
00:33:38.41\00:33:39.75
I've seen how many
times God has forgiven me
00:33:39.78\00:33:41.88
for ridiculous things
that I've done in my past
00:33:41.92\00:33:45.15
and, you know, how He
continues to forgive me
00:33:45.19\00:33:48.86
for things and
lead, guide and direct.
00:33:48.89\00:33:51.19
And so with him
pouring that love into me,
00:33:51.23\00:33:54.13
I can't help but
want to share that love
00:33:54.20\00:33:56.60
with everyone that I
come in contact with.
00:33:56.63\00:33:58.53
And the people
that are behind bars
00:33:58.57\00:34:00.44
are still human
beings even though media
00:34:00.47\00:34:04.04
and all of that
other stuff tries to paint
00:34:04.11\00:34:07.08
a picture of them as animals,
00:34:07.11\00:34:10.25
but they're human
beings, and Christ died for them
00:34:10.28\00:34:13.05
just like He died for
me, you know, John 3:16,
00:34:13.08\00:34:16.89
"For God so loved the world
00:34:16.92\00:34:18.25
that He gave His
only begotten Son
00:34:18.29\00:34:19.62
that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish
00:34:19.65\00:34:22.16
but have everlasting life."
00:34:22.19\00:34:23.83
So for me, it's
important that I let them know
00:34:23.86\00:34:29.70
that they're not forgotten,
00:34:29.73\00:34:31.07
that they're still
loved and not forgotten.
00:34:31.10\00:34:33.30
And we're not
neglecting the fact
00:34:33.34\00:34:34.84
that they have
done terrible things,
00:34:34.87\00:34:36.97
and perhaps killed
someone's family member
00:34:37.01\00:34:39.37
or what a drunk driver.
00:34:39.41\00:34:40.84
So these are terrible things.
00:34:40.88\00:34:42.68
But without forgiveness,
we ourselves are not going
00:34:42.71\00:34:45.41
to enter into the
kingdom of heaven.
00:34:45.45\00:34:46.78
So there has to be
forgiveness on both sides
00:34:46.82\00:34:48.68
and then growth from there.
00:34:48.72\00:34:50.95
What was your experience?
00:34:50.99\00:34:52.32
I mean, when they allow
you to come into prison,
00:34:52.35\00:34:54.12
you have to do a
background check,
00:34:54.16\00:34:55.49
and then show your ID,
00:34:55.52\00:34:56.89
and then they give
you a visitor's badge,
00:34:56.93\00:34:58.26
then they release
you back into the prison.
00:34:58.29\00:35:00.73
And I remember, one time,
00:35:00.76\00:35:02.06
we were doing a
program in the chapel.
00:35:02.10\00:35:04.37
And then in order to
get all the bags passed out,
00:35:04.40\00:35:07.44
I asked if you'd come with me,
00:35:07.47\00:35:08.80
so we just walked
through the whole prison.
00:35:08.84\00:35:10.17
I mean, we just walked
through the prison, grab bags,
00:35:10.21\00:35:12.01
and went to different
places, and that's amazing.
00:35:12.04\00:35:14.54
Yeah, it is.
00:35:14.58\00:35:15.91
And it's
interesting to meet and greet,
00:35:15.94\00:35:18.78
you know, meet them, and
hear some of their stories,
00:35:18.81\00:35:21.78
and just see, you can
see in some of their faces
00:35:21.82\00:35:26.02
how remorseful they
are for what they did
00:35:26.05\00:35:28.89
and how they want to have
that relationship with Christ.
00:35:28.92\00:35:32.63
I mean, it's an
amazing experience,
00:35:32.66\00:35:34.83
and that words
can't accurately portray
00:35:34.83\00:35:38.97
just how awesome it is.
00:35:39.00\00:35:40.40
You go in there
to be a blessing,
00:35:40.44\00:35:43.10
and you come out
being more and more blessed
00:35:43.14\00:35:46.01
than when you went in there.
00:35:46.04\00:35:47.54
For sure.
00:35:47.58\00:35:48.91
We've seen growth here at
3ABN in your prison ministry
00:35:48.94\00:35:52.08
that you have here,
we're taking gift packages
00:35:52.11\00:35:54.92
not just going and ministering,
00:35:54.95\00:35:56.28
you have a prison ministry here,
00:35:56.32\00:35:57.65
and we really appreciate that.
00:35:57.69\00:35:59.45
I want our viewers to
know that Christmas Behind Bars
00:35:59.49\00:36:01.56
didn't start as
some big organization,
00:36:01.59\00:36:03.36
it started with one county jail.
00:36:03.39\00:36:05.63
And then on the
way home that night,
00:36:05.66\00:36:09.40
one county jail, one year clean,
00:36:09.43\00:36:10.87
walking with Jesus,
I took my wife's hand
00:36:10.90\00:36:13.20
on the way home
that night, and I said,
00:36:13.23\00:36:14.57
"Baby, you couldn't
give me a brand new Corvette
00:36:14.60\00:36:17.77
which is a 30, $40,000 car.
00:36:17.81\00:36:20.08
You couldn't give
me a brand new Corvette
00:36:20.11\00:36:21.71
for the blessing
that I received tonight."
00:36:21.74\00:36:25.08
And then on the way home,
00:36:25.11\00:36:26.45
then we had some extra packages,
00:36:26.48\00:36:27.82
we stopped by a
jail, they had 100 inmates,
00:36:27.85\00:36:29.68
we only had 50 extra packages.
00:36:29.72\00:36:31.62
We said, "Look, can
we drop these off here
00:36:31.65\00:36:33.66
and then each inmate
could share a package?"
00:36:33.69\00:36:35.66
That was one of the
little ones they said sure.
00:36:35.69\00:36:37.43
So the next year we
did the one jail, the 350,
00:36:37.46\00:36:41.40
then this jail,
and then we added.
00:36:41.43\00:36:42.80
Every year, we've
added three jail, five jail.
00:36:42.83\00:36:45.17
So I can't begin to tell you.
00:36:45.20\00:36:47.44
And it's not
about where we've been,
00:36:47.50\00:36:49.77
it's about where
God wants to lead us
00:36:49.80\00:36:51.61
and continue to
take us into new places.
00:36:51.64\00:36:54.64
And we need help,
Jason. We really do.
00:36:54.68\00:36:56.91
We need help
with devotional books.
00:36:56.95\00:36:58.85
At some point, we've
just been putting a book
00:36:58.88\00:37:00.85
in every other bag.
00:37:00.88\00:37:02.42
And we want every
inmate to receive a book.
00:37:02.45\00:37:05.05
Absolutely.
00:37:05.09\00:37:06.42
The Bibles, you know,
they're asking for Bibles,
00:37:06.45\00:37:08.19
we can't fund the
amount of requests
00:37:08.22\00:37:10.16
we get for study Bibles.
00:37:10.19\00:37:12.33
Even the cheap
Bible's for $3 and 4$ a piece,
00:37:12.36\00:37:15.03
those are still nice to have.
00:37:15.06\00:37:16.40
But for those of
you that, you know,
00:37:16.43\00:37:18.90
you see them 50 years in prison,
00:37:18.93\00:37:20.77
it's nice to get a study Bible,
because they're in the Word,
00:37:20.84\00:37:23.51
and so it's a great need
00:37:23.54\00:37:26.14
that we have as far as
for devotional material,
00:37:26.17\00:37:28.34
Bibles.
00:37:28.38\00:37:30.35
People at home, church schools,
00:37:30.38\00:37:31.98
churches could make
thinking of U cards.
00:37:32.01\00:37:34.65
A card is
actually, I tell people,
00:37:34.68\00:37:36.89
is worth its weight in gold.
00:37:36.92\00:37:38.52
So if a card weighs one ounce,
00:37:38.55\00:37:39.89
it's worth its
weight in gold in one ounce.
00:37:39.92\00:37:41.56
And elaborate on
that, why is that?
00:37:41.59\00:37:43.73
Well, because most
of the people in prison,
00:37:43.76\00:37:45.96
there was a lady in
prison, Indiana Women's Prison.
00:37:45.99\00:37:47.96
She'd been in prison, I
think for 12 or 16 years,
00:37:47.96\00:37:50.37
I forget the number,
and she never got a visit.
00:37:50.43\00:37:53.30
A lot of people when
they go to jail or prison,
00:37:53.34\00:37:55.24
they burned all their bridges,
they stole from their family,
00:37:55.27\00:37:57.84
their family don't want
anything else to do with them.
00:37:57.87\00:37:59.81
And so there they are
alone and that's how we feel
00:37:59.84\00:38:04.18
it's important to direct them
00:38:04.21\00:38:05.55
to Christ at that
time in their life.
00:38:05.58\00:38:08.48
So they don't get their
name called to mail call,
00:38:08.52\00:38:10.32
they don't have anyone to
call, they don't get visits,
00:38:10.35\00:38:12.55
and so there they are alone,
00:38:12.59\00:38:14.19
and they get a
homemade thinking of U card
00:38:14.22\00:38:15.89
with a Bible scripture
on it, "Keep your chin up,
00:38:15.92\00:38:17.93
there's hope for you life,"
is just absolutely amazing.
00:38:17.96\00:38:21.60
We delivered last year,
00:38:21.63\00:38:23.97
3,300 gift
packages to one prison.
00:38:24.00\00:38:28.00
That's almost a whole
semi trailer full of packages
00:38:28.04\00:38:30.34
for the big prisons.
00:38:30.41\00:38:31.74
So we unloaded and the
inmates helped us unloading,
00:38:31.77\00:38:33.51
we backed the trailer
up, they helped us unload,
00:38:33.58\00:38:35.38
and we're gonna do the program
there in a couple of days.
00:38:35.41\00:38:37.98
But I asked the inmates, I said,
00:38:38.01\00:38:39.35
"Is there anybody here that
would like to share anything?
00:38:39.38\00:38:41.48
It was count time,
we couldn't go anywhere.
00:38:41.52\00:38:43.59
Is there anybody who'd
like to share anything about
00:38:43.62\00:38:45.65
what this
ministry has meant to you?"
00:38:45.69\00:38:47.56
Because we take bags and
then we leave and we don't,
00:38:47.59\00:38:50.99
you know, we don't
get to kick it with them.
00:38:51.03\00:38:52.96
You know, we don't see
them unwrap their packages.
00:38:52.99\00:38:55.36
And an inmates told
me, he said that his job
00:38:55.40\00:38:58.07
in the prison is to watch
when someone commits suicide
00:38:58.10\00:39:01.57
or tries to commit suicide.
00:39:01.60\00:39:02.94
They put them in a cell,
solitary cell by themselves
00:39:02.97\00:39:05.47
so they don't hurt themselves.
00:39:05.51\00:39:06.94
An inmate is assigned to
that cell, 24 hours a day,
00:39:07.01\00:39:10.38
they take shifts
like eight hour shifts.
00:39:10.41\00:39:12.08
So he said my job is
to sit outside the people
00:39:12.11\00:39:14.45
who try to commit
suicide, their cells
00:39:14.48\00:39:17.02
and talk to them
if they want to talk.
00:39:17.05\00:39:19.35
He said that, since we
heard that Christmas Behind Bars
00:39:19.39\00:39:22.86
was coming, he
said there is not been
00:39:22.89\00:39:25.29
one suicide watch
initiated, or not...
00:39:25.33\00:39:28.93
Or only one in
that span of time.
00:39:28.96\00:39:31.37
Wow! And why was that?
00:39:31.40\00:39:33.54
Because everyone
in that whole prison
00:39:33.57\00:39:35.37
had hope looking forward
00:39:35.40\00:39:37.71
to Christmas
Behind Bars was coming,
00:39:37.74\00:39:39.87
so their mind was taken off
00:39:39.91\00:39:41.24
of the cares and
burdens or depression.
00:39:41.28\00:39:43.68
And so that's how we should be
as Christians looking forward,
00:39:43.75\00:39:47.72
we have that hope
that Jesus is coming soon,
00:39:47.75\00:39:50.62
and so we should have that hope,
00:39:50.69\00:39:52.02
and we shouldn't be discouraged,
00:39:52.05\00:39:53.39
and we
shouldn't be down and out.
00:39:53.46\00:39:54.79
We shouldn't be living
out of medication pills,
00:39:54.82\00:39:57.03
bottles to make
it through the day.
00:39:57.06\00:39:59.29
So it should be that
vibrant hope in Jesus.
00:39:59.33\00:40:01.33
And so that's what we
want to share with the inmates.
00:40:01.36\00:40:03.73
At the same time,
we want to encourage
00:40:03.77\00:40:05.23
those people to be involved
00:40:05.27\00:40:07.24
if they want to help
with Bibles or financially.
00:40:07.30\00:40:10.51
That would be a
wonderful blessing.
00:40:10.57\00:40:11.91
We need a warehouse.
00:40:11.94\00:40:13.27
We're hoping to build a 12,000
square foot warehouse here
00:40:13.31\00:40:16.54
within the next year or
lease some warehouse space.
00:40:16.58\00:40:19.41
So as the ministry
expands, it's no longer a van,
00:40:19.45\00:40:23.49
it's no longer a
van pulling a trailer,
00:40:23.55\00:40:25.32
it's no longer a box truck,
00:40:25.35\00:40:26.92
but we're talking
semis moving down the road,
00:40:26.96\00:40:29.62
and trailers and stuff
like that as we expand.
00:40:29.66\00:40:33.03
Folsom Prison in
California, can you share
00:40:33.06\00:40:35.66
a little bit
about that opportunity
00:40:35.70\00:40:37.13
that looks like we might have?
00:40:37.20\00:40:39.00
Well, I mean, it looks...
00:40:39.03\00:40:40.87
You could probably share
more about it than I could,
00:40:40.90\00:40:43.00
but I know that
there's an invitation
00:40:43.04\00:40:46.44
they want to
start something there.
00:40:46.47\00:40:48.44
I got an email
just the other day
00:40:48.48\00:40:49.98
from someone I don't know,
00:40:50.01\00:40:51.35
somehow they heard of
Christmas Behind Bars,
00:40:51.38\00:40:53.38
and they have an
active prison ministry there,
00:40:53.45\00:40:56.18
and they were
wondering if they could bring
00:40:56.22\00:40:57.55
this program there.
00:40:57.59\00:40:58.92
And I'm like,
absolutely, let's move forward,
00:40:58.95\00:41:00.99
so you have to send a sample bag
00:41:01.02\00:41:03.06
and then talk to the
warden and get approvals, but...
00:41:03.09\00:41:05.43
And is it like that
every prison is different.
00:41:05.46\00:41:08.06
Correct? Okay. Yes, sir.
00:41:08.10\00:41:09.80
So what are some
of the other ways
00:41:09.83\00:41:12.20
that you've made it into
00:41:12.23\00:41:13.60
some other
prisons with this program?
00:41:13.64\00:41:16.37
Well, I'll tell you what.
00:41:16.40\00:41:17.77
I had an idea, a lot of
times the chaplains all had...
00:41:17.81\00:41:21.84
They're really busy, overwork,
00:41:21.88\00:41:23.45
they got death
notices and all kinds...
00:41:23.51\00:41:25.65
So the prison and the
chaplains are overworked,
00:41:25.68\00:41:27.32
a lot of requests.
00:41:27.38\00:41:28.72
And so I had the idea
that somehow if we could
00:41:28.75\00:41:30.95
connect with the wardens,
that if the warden says yes,
00:41:30.99\00:41:34.66
then I'll tell you what,
00:41:34.69\00:41:36.22
everybody else
says yes, you know.
00:41:36.26\00:41:37.83
So it's like they
roll out the red carpet.
00:41:37.86\00:41:39.59
So we put an ad in the ACA,
00:41:39.63\00:41:41.76
American Correctional
Association magazine,
00:41:41.80\00:41:43.80
we put an ad in there.
00:41:43.83\00:41:45.40
And we thought, "Well,
if the warden would read
00:41:45.43\00:41:48.14
that that you got free
gift packages for inmates."
00:41:48.17\00:41:50.24
And so we've gotten calls
from Virginia, South Carolina,
00:41:50.27\00:41:52.77
"Would you come to our prison?"
00:41:52.81\00:41:54.21
First federal prison
in Baltimore Maryland,
00:41:54.24\00:41:57.31
a warden or
superintendent saw it, called.
00:41:57.38\00:41:59.71
And when the warden says yes,
00:41:59.75\00:42:01.32
the doors are open
all the way through.
00:42:01.35\00:42:02.95
So that's amazing.
00:42:02.98\00:42:04.32
And we work together at
the ACA convention in...
00:42:04.35\00:42:07.59
Salt Lake City,
Utah. Salt Lake City, Utah.
00:42:07.66\00:42:10.43
We were there,
Jason, a little booth,
00:42:10.46\00:42:12.23
we're just
trying to meet wardens
00:42:12.26\00:42:13.60
and show a little gift package
of what we do and why we do it,
00:42:13.63\00:42:16.23
and they're scratching
their head, "This is free?"
00:42:16.26\00:42:18.37
And it's like,
"Well, sponsors...
00:42:18.40\00:42:19.80
By faith, we believe
we're gonna make this possible.
00:42:19.83\00:42:22.94
And there was a warden
that come up to our booth
00:42:22.97\00:42:24.54
and he said, "Why
haven't you been to my prison?"
00:42:24.57\00:42:27.44
I said, "Well, sir, I
haven't got an invitation."
00:42:27.48\00:42:29.28
He pulled out his business card,
00:42:29.31\00:42:30.95
and the doors were open.
00:42:30.98\00:42:33.25
Alabama, there's
prison, it's been open through
00:42:33.28\00:42:36.85
meeting wardens
and stuff like that.
00:42:36.89\00:42:38.82
So God is moving in a
great way in this time,
00:42:38.85\00:42:42.26
degraded time that we seem like
we're living with the CNN news
00:42:42.29\00:42:46.29
and all the problems.
00:42:46.33\00:42:47.66
The Lord is
moving in great ways,
00:42:47.66\00:42:49.00
touching the hearts of those
00:42:49.03\00:42:50.40
who are in
charge of these prisons,
00:42:50.43\00:42:51.90
allowing volunteers to
come in and bring hope.
00:42:51.93\00:42:54.47
Yes, amen.
00:42:54.50\00:42:55.84
And there's so much
work still to be done.
00:42:55.87\00:42:58.81
And you need
more people to help.
00:42:58.84\00:43:01.11
Volunteers. Yeah, exactly.
00:43:01.14\00:43:02.48
So if a church
would like to sponsor,
00:43:02.51\00:43:04.38
got an email from
the prison in Illinois,
00:43:04.41\00:43:07.22
not too far from here,
and they wanted to talk
00:43:07.25\00:43:10.89
about prison ministries.
00:43:10.92\00:43:12.25
And actually,
you're going to be going
00:43:12.29\00:43:14.29
and speaking at that church.
00:43:14.32\00:43:15.66
I invited you to come and speak.
00:43:15.69\00:43:17.03
Yeah, I got invited
to preach at that church.
00:43:17.06\00:43:18.39
I'm excited about that too,
00:43:18.43\00:43:20.40
this is going to
be my second sermon.
00:43:20.43\00:43:22.20
Amen.
00:43:22.23\00:43:23.57
I've got one in the
weekend before that.
00:43:23.63\00:43:25.70
So I'm looking forward
00:43:25.73\00:43:27.10
to this prison ministry Sabbath.
00:43:27.14\00:43:28.94
And so that's gonna be exciting
00:43:28.97\00:43:30.31
and Celestine is
going to be singing.
00:43:30.37\00:43:31.71
Oh, good deal.
00:43:31.74\00:43:33.07
She's come on the
road with us a lot,
00:43:33.11\00:43:34.44
she is from 3ABN.
00:43:34.48\00:43:37.31
What would you share
with the parents, Jason,
00:43:37.35\00:43:40.72
that had people in
prison, that have maybe,
00:43:40.78\00:43:44.55
almost watered them
up in almost some way?
00:43:44.59\00:43:46.52
What would you
share with the mother
00:43:46.55\00:43:47.89
that's never seen a
change in her son's life,
00:43:47.92\00:43:49.52
what would you
share with the family?
00:43:49.56\00:43:51.43
Prayer changes things.
00:43:51.46\00:43:53.03
You have to be consistent
with praying and uplifting
00:43:53.06\00:43:57.43
that family member,
and you don't shun them,
00:43:57.50\00:44:00.04
you embrace them,
00:44:00.07\00:44:01.40
you may not like
what they've done.
00:44:01.44\00:44:03.51
You may not
condone their behavior
00:44:03.54\00:44:05.47
but Christ doesn't like
sin, but He loves the sinner.
00:44:05.51\00:44:12.01
And I think it's
important that you embrace
00:44:12.05\00:44:15.88
and support that individual,
00:44:15.92\00:44:17.75
because there's a
desperate cry for help,
00:44:17.79\00:44:19.72
there's something
that's missing there,
00:44:19.75\00:44:21.52
and you have to
figure out what that is.
00:44:21.56\00:44:24.89
I want to hear more
testimonies from inmates
00:44:24.93\00:44:28.26
that you may have met
inside some of these facilities.
00:44:28.30\00:44:32.30
I don't want to
minimize prayer for the family
00:44:32.33\00:44:34.50
but they could pick up a pen
00:44:34.54\00:44:36.17
and write him a
letter today and say,
00:44:36.20\00:44:37.61
Son I still love you, or
daughter I still love you.
00:44:37.64\00:44:39.81
So Mom or Dad, they...
00:44:39.84\00:44:41.18
My mother never
lived long enough
00:44:41.21\00:44:42.54
to see a change in my life,
00:44:42.58\00:44:44.78
even though if I'd
come home late at night,
00:44:44.81\00:44:46.31
she'd be kneeling by her
bed claiming God's promises,
00:44:46.35\00:44:48.68
you know.
00:44:48.72\00:44:50.15
You know, there was
an inmate in Kentucky,
00:44:50.19\00:44:53.05
it was one of the last groups
of the day, and the chaplain...
00:44:53.09\00:44:57.33
The program had already started,
00:44:57.39\00:44:58.83
they'd already open with prayer,
00:44:58.86\00:45:00.26
we ask inmates if they
come up open with prayer.
00:45:00.33\00:45:02.53
And then we share how
God's worked in our lives
00:45:02.56\00:45:04.50
and share Bible scriptures
00:45:04.53\00:45:05.87
whether it's a
story of Jonah or Noah,
00:45:05.90\00:45:08.07
or however that
there is faithful,
00:45:08.10\00:45:09.57
God wants to use people.
00:45:09.60\00:45:10.94
Even though
you're not born a misfit,
00:45:10.97\00:45:12.97
you're born with a sin problem,
00:45:13.01\00:45:14.54
and God wants to use
you wherever you are.
00:45:14.58\00:45:17.55
And this chaplain
come up to me, Jason,
00:45:17.58\00:45:19.21
and he says, "You
have the main Muslim leader
00:45:19.25\00:45:21.98
and this whole
prison is in this service,
00:45:22.02\00:45:24.69
because 99.9% of
the whole prisoners,
00:45:24.72\00:45:27.39
all come out to the services.
00:45:27.46\00:45:28.82
Like you said, some
come just for the bag,
00:45:28.86\00:45:30.76
but they can hear,
there's hope for their life,
00:45:30.83\00:45:32.39
when you look in their eyes
00:45:32.43\00:45:33.80
and shake their hand
and hand in the packet.
00:45:33.83\00:45:35.20
Say, "Bro, we
love you, you know."
00:45:35.23\00:45:38.20
And the chaplain says,
"Hey, the main Muslim leader
00:45:38.23\00:45:40.10
in this whole
prison is in this service,
00:45:40.14\00:45:41.84
and I'm scratching my head.
00:45:41.87\00:45:43.20
I mean, we already
started the program,
00:45:43.24\00:45:44.57
and I said, "Why are
you telling me that?"
00:45:44.61\00:45:46.78
But as I closed the service,
I was impressed to share that,
00:45:46.84\00:45:50.41
before I got out of prison,
00:45:50.45\00:45:52.15
I had some people come up to me,
00:45:52.18\00:45:53.82
and they threatened
me, and they told me
00:45:53.88\00:45:55.38
I had to do such and so,
such and so, such and so.
00:45:55.42\00:45:58.85
And I got beat up
really bad, but the Lord sent
00:45:58.89\00:46:02.62
some gang people who are of
another persuasion or faith,
00:46:02.66\00:46:07.03
I don't know if
they were Muslim or what,
00:46:07.03\00:46:08.66
but they were not Christians.
00:46:08.70\00:46:10.20
And they stood up for me,
00:46:10.27\00:46:11.60
and they told all
these other people,
00:46:11.63\00:46:12.97
"You all better
leave Vega alone."
00:46:13.00\00:46:14.34
So the Lord sent these people.
00:46:14.37\00:46:16.00
In the last six
months of my time in prison,
00:46:16.04\00:46:18.74
it was nip and tuck, but
the Lord sent these people,
00:46:18.77\00:46:21.71
and I shared that.
00:46:21.74\00:46:23.08
And at the end of that service,
the whole chapel was dismissed.
00:46:23.11\00:46:26.65
It starts at the
back and it's dismissed
00:46:26.72\00:46:28.55
all the way to the
front, and there were two people
00:46:28.58\00:46:31.15
sitting over here
on the left hand side,
00:46:31.19\00:46:32.85
big dudes, they come walking up,
00:46:32.89\00:46:35.46
and the one man
said, "I'd like to know
00:46:35.49\00:46:37.83
if you'd have prayer with me."
00:46:37.86\00:46:39.19
He said, "My mom is
really, really sick."
00:46:39.23\00:46:41.80
I said, "Absolutely," we
went in the back room there
00:46:41.83\00:46:44.23
around the corner, kneel down,
00:46:44.27\00:46:45.60
I had prayer,
the other guy left,
00:46:45.63\00:46:47.00
and the man went,
got his bag at the end,
00:46:47.04\00:46:49.04
and he left the
chapel and that prison.
00:46:49.07\00:46:51.81
And the chaplain
come running up to me
00:46:51.84\00:46:53.17
and he said,
"What did that guy want?
00:46:53.21\00:46:54.54
What did that guy want?"
00:46:54.58\00:46:55.91
I said, "Well,
his momma really sick
00:46:55.94\00:46:57.45
and got cancer and
want to have prayer."
00:46:57.51\00:46:59.51
And he said, "That's the guy."
00:46:59.55\00:47:01.28
He said, "That's the
Muslim guy I've been telling.
00:47:01.32\00:47:02.85
That's the guy, the main..."
00:47:02.88\00:47:04.22
And I'm like, "Why
you tell... he's gone.
00:47:04.25\00:47:06.35
I don't know his name,
I don't know his number."
00:47:06.39\00:47:08.36
And you know what brother,
00:47:08.39\00:47:10.99
the next year,
we went back there.
00:47:11.03\00:47:13.29
And the end of the service...
00:47:13.33\00:47:14.63
I was thinking about the man
00:47:14.66\00:47:16.00
as we're riding up to
the prison that morning
00:47:16.03\00:47:17.37
to go in and check in,
00:47:17.40\00:47:18.73
it was the last
day at the prison,
00:47:18.77\00:47:20.14
and I'm thinking about this man.
00:47:20.17\00:47:21.64
And this man came up
to me at the last service,
00:47:21.67\00:47:23.71
and he said you probably...
00:47:23.74\00:47:25.07
put his hand on
and said, "You probably
00:47:25.11\00:47:26.44
don't remember me but..."
00:47:26.47\00:47:27.81
I said, "How's momma doing?"
00:47:27.84\00:47:29.48
He said "Momma
doing so much better."
00:47:29.51\00:47:31.08
Oh, praise the Lord.
00:47:31.11\00:47:32.55
And then he stood
there for what seemed to be
00:47:32.58\00:47:34.25
five minutes is
probably thirty seconds.
00:47:34.32\00:47:37.39
He said, "I'd like to know
if you'd have prayer with me."
00:47:37.42\00:47:39.39
He said, "I'm thinking
about being a Christian."
00:47:39.42\00:47:42.92
And we went back there in
that same room and kneeled down,
00:47:42.96\00:47:45.13
and I prayed, I
asked him to pray,
00:47:45.16\00:47:46.63
and I got his name, and
we sent him a study Bible.
00:47:46.70\00:47:49.36
And I saw him,
Jason, at the prison
00:47:49.40\00:47:51.57
that we visited in Kentucky.
00:47:51.60\00:47:53.40
You were there. Yes.
00:47:53.44\00:47:54.77
And I saw him there and he said,
00:47:54.80\00:47:56.14
"I still have my Bible."
00:47:56.17\00:47:57.94
He said, "I'm not
where I want to be,"
00:47:57.97\00:48:00.41
but he said, "I'm so
much better than what I was."
00:48:00.44\00:48:02.98
And so one study
Bible put in someone's hands
00:48:03.01\00:48:05.25
and God answering
prayers and moving specifically
00:48:05.28\00:48:08.08
in each one of their
lives, it's not a cookie cutter.
00:48:08.12\00:48:10.82
God works in many different ways
00:48:10.85\00:48:12.29
in these people's
lives, and so it's just
00:48:12.32\00:48:14.32
so worth it is all I can say.
00:48:14.36\00:48:15.79
Absolutely, I remember
when we were in Kentucky,
00:48:15.82\00:48:19.19
we were in the prison there.
00:48:19.23\00:48:20.63
And you were giving
away some study Bibles.
00:48:20.66\00:48:23.16
You gave, I
think, two away that day,
00:48:23.20\00:48:25.33
because I think they volunteered
00:48:25.37\00:48:27.04
or answered the question right.
00:48:27.07\00:48:28.40
Come up and open with prayer,
00:48:28.44\00:48:29.77
I usually try to
give a study Bible.
00:48:29.80\00:48:31.14
Yes.
00:48:31.17\00:48:32.51
And so actually
you gave more away,
00:48:32.54\00:48:33.88
because we went
to another unit too,
00:48:33.91\00:48:35.68
like a whole
another deal for people
00:48:35.71\00:48:37.78
that were going to get out soon,
00:48:37.81\00:48:39.41
and there we got
to interact with them.
00:48:39.45\00:48:41.32
Oh, yeah, minimum. Yes, yes.
00:48:41.35\00:48:43.99
So at this particular facility,
you gave these Bibles away
00:48:44.02\00:48:48.69
and the guy just started crying.
00:48:48.72\00:48:51.76
He just, tears just
started flowing down his face.
00:48:51.79\00:48:55.03
And I mean, to see
somebody so excited to have
00:48:55.06\00:48:58.20
the Word of God in their
hands is absolutely amazing,
00:48:58.23\00:49:02.67
it's a powerful
thing, it's very powerful.
00:49:02.70\00:49:06.01
I'm looking forward to
going back into a prison.
00:49:06.04\00:49:08.98
When I spent one night in jail,
00:49:09.01\00:49:12.18
I got out as like
I'm never going back,
00:49:12.21\00:49:14.65
and I never want
to have doors closed
00:49:14.68\00:49:17.02
behind me unlock
and all that stuff.
00:49:17.05\00:49:20.09
But now partaking
in prison ministry,
00:49:20.12\00:49:23.36
like I've got the bug,
like I want to go into prisons,
00:49:23.39\00:49:27.36
I want to meet these
guys, to talk to these guys,
00:49:27.40\00:49:30.30
and tell them that there's hope.
00:49:30.37\00:49:31.77
Amen. It's exciting.
00:49:31.80\00:49:34.04
I want our
viewers to get involved
00:49:34.07\00:49:37.21
with Christmas Behind Bars.
00:49:37.24\00:49:38.94
I want them to catch the vision,
00:49:38.97\00:49:41.24
and support what you're doing
because it's very important,
00:49:41.28\00:49:44.55
and God has blessed
you to be able to go in
00:49:44.58\00:49:47.32
and share with these people.
00:49:47.35\00:49:49.55
So when people
want to get involved,
00:49:49.58\00:49:52.22
how do they reach out to you?
00:49:52.25\00:49:54.96
They can get us at
christmasbehindbars.org
00:49:54.99\00:49:57.33
is the website and
then at that point,
00:49:57.36\00:49:59.26
they can get our
contact email information,
00:49:59.29\00:50:02.36
our email's actually,
00:50:02.40\00:50:03.73
contact
@christmasbehindbars.org.
00:50:03.77\00:50:05.87
Okay.
00:50:05.90\00:50:07.24
The email's christmasbehindbars.
00:50:07.30\00:50:08.80
You know, it
blows me away, Jason,
00:50:08.84\00:50:10.37
that from getting out of prison
00:50:10.41\00:50:11.84
and taken in
little packages of dope
00:50:11.87\00:50:13.78
for self gain personal interest,
00:50:13.84\00:50:16.11
now to be able to take
in 2,000, 3,000 packages
00:50:16.14\00:50:19.98
for each and every
one to share the gospel.
00:50:20.02\00:50:21.65
So we need help with Bibles,
00:50:21.68\00:50:23.05
we need help
with devotional books,
00:50:23.08\00:50:24.75
we'd like to encourage a church
00:50:24.79\00:50:26.29
or prison ministry
already to encourage them
00:50:26.32\00:50:29.36
to reach out to
their whole network
00:50:29.39\00:50:30.96
of people in that prison.
00:50:30.99\00:50:32.33
So however we can help,
that's what we're here for,
00:50:32.36\00:50:34.63
and we thank you
for your sponsorship
00:50:34.66\00:50:36.46
and for your love
and for your prayers.
00:50:36.50\00:50:37.93
Oh, praise the Lord.
00:50:37.97\00:50:39.30
And also even with
places to stay like
00:50:39.33\00:50:41.84
in terms of hotels and things,
00:50:41.87\00:50:44.04
because, you know, traveling
00:50:44.07\00:50:45.94
and going to
these different cities,
00:50:45.97\00:50:47.74
hotels aren't cheap.
00:50:47.78\00:50:49.24
And so, you know,
you're staying there
00:50:49.28\00:50:51.21
because you're
in the prison like,
00:50:51.25\00:50:53.35
maybe 14 hours or
however many hours,
00:50:53.38\00:50:56.28
and you see a lot of guys.
00:50:56.32\00:50:57.79
So even with hotel
costs and stuff like that,
00:50:57.82\00:51:01.12
if people would donate
towards that effect as well,
00:51:01.16\00:51:04.36
I'm sure that
would be helpful too.
00:51:04.39\00:51:05.99
With Christmas Behind Bars,
00:51:06.03\00:51:07.40
the beauty of
Christmas Behind Bars
00:51:07.40\00:51:08.73
is everything is volunteer.
00:51:08.76\00:51:11.17
We don't get
paid, we don't get pay,
00:51:11.20\00:51:13.17
we don't take a salary
from Christmas Behind Bars,
00:51:13.20\00:51:15.07
it's all volunteer.
00:51:15.10\00:51:16.44
So every dollar that
comes in actually goes right
00:51:16.47\00:51:19.21
to where the
rubber meets the road.
00:51:19.24\00:51:20.78
So a sponsor can feel
good, with some ministries,
00:51:20.84\00:51:23.45
you know, there's been,
00:51:23.51\00:51:24.85
lot goes for
overhead and goes here and...
00:51:24.88\00:51:26.82
It goes right into where
the rubber meets the road
00:51:26.88\00:51:28.75
so that's the beauty
of Christmas behind bars.
00:51:28.78\00:51:30.45
And it's all year
long, it's the gospel.
00:51:30.49\00:51:33.25
It's not Santa Claus,
it's not jingle bells,
00:51:33.32\00:51:35.22
it's the gift of
God's Son Jesus Christ,
00:51:35.26\00:51:38.93
His crucifixion,
His resurrection,
00:51:38.96\00:51:41.10
and His soon return.
00:51:41.13\00:51:43.16
So what do you see next
for Christmas Behind Bars?
00:51:43.20\00:51:47.70
Well, California
is a long way off.
00:51:47.74\00:51:50.04
Okay.
00:51:50.07\00:51:51.41
There's other countries,
Australia has talked about
00:51:51.44\00:51:53.11
possibly doing some
prison ministry work.
00:51:53.14\00:51:55.41
I mean, the
ideas went over there
00:51:55.44\00:51:56.98
and Canada as well.
00:51:57.01\00:51:58.91
And I'm only one
person, but I'll try to help
00:51:58.95\00:52:02.32
however we can to
share that vision.
00:52:02.35\00:52:03.92
You know, if we
need to fly to Canada,
00:52:03.99\00:52:05.52
I'll fly to
Canada how to get there,
00:52:05.55\00:52:06.96
I don't know, how
much airline ticket costs,
00:52:06.99\00:52:08.46
I don't know.
00:52:08.49\00:52:09.82
Most of our stuff
is done in driving
00:52:09.86\00:52:11.19
but Lord can
figure out all that.
00:52:11.23\00:52:12.56
Absolutely, sure, He can.
00:52:12.59\00:52:14.63
What are some of the things
that you share with the inmates
00:52:14.66\00:52:17.67
when you're talking to them,
00:52:17.70\00:52:19.57
when you're
sharing the word with them?
00:52:19.60\00:52:22.07
What are some of the
things that you tell them?
00:52:22.10\00:52:24.67
Will back up to
your other question,
00:52:24.71\00:52:26.34
and your other
question's, what do we see
00:52:26.37\00:52:27.71
for Christmas Behind Bars.
00:52:27.74\00:52:29.11
We want to see growth
that churches can reach out
00:52:29.14\00:52:32.65
to their own county
jail, then maybe one or two.
00:52:32.68\00:52:34.75
So we want to see
growth across the country
00:52:34.78\00:52:37.49
to share a gospel
message with hurting people.
00:52:37.55\00:52:40.72
As far as the...
00:52:40.76\00:52:42.09
What we share
with the inmates...
00:52:42.12\00:52:43.53
It might be a
sex offender prison,
00:52:46.56\00:52:48.46
it might be a group
that's been really got
00:52:48.50\00:52:52.33
a lot of problems in that way.
00:52:52.37\00:52:53.80
We might share the story
of how the woman got caught
00:52:53.87\00:52:56.07
in the very act of adultery.
00:52:56.10\00:52:57.44
And how Jesus had that
00:52:57.47\00:52:58.81
divine
interaction with that woman
00:52:58.84\00:53:00.41
and said,
"Neither do I condemn thee,
00:53:00.48\00:53:03.21
but go and sin no more."
00:53:03.24\00:53:05.01
You know, the story of Jonah,
00:53:05.05\00:53:06.38
you know, how they run from God,
00:53:06.41\00:53:07.78
you know, and
how many of you tried
00:53:07.82\00:53:09.92
to do it your own way,
00:53:09.95\00:53:11.29
many people raise their hand to,
00:53:11.32\00:53:12.65
I say, "How's that
working out for you?"
00:53:12.69\00:53:14.56
"Well, it's not
working out very good."
00:53:14.59\00:53:16.06
So see, brother, all their
life they've tried to change,
00:53:16.09\00:53:19.16
but without Christ
being the focal point,
00:53:19.19\00:53:21.43
the center of
that hub in the wheel,
00:53:21.46\00:53:23.67
without Him being the
center all these other things
00:53:23.73\00:53:26.57
are not gonna work,
it's not gonna work.
00:53:26.60\00:53:30.71
But with Christ
being the center, then yes,
00:53:30.77\00:53:33.64
there's room for counseling,
00:53:33.68\00:53:35.11
and there's room
for these things,
00:53:35.14\00:53:36.48
and there's room
for all these things,
00:53:36.51\00:53:37.85
and there's room...
00:53:37.88\00:53:39.21
But he's got to
be the focal point.
00:53:39.25\00:53:40.62
So if we can just
direct them to Him,
00:53:40.68\00:53:44.25
promising them that
He'll work out magnificent,
00:53:44.29\00:53:47.52
marvelous things in their
life that they never expected.
00:53:47.56\00:53:50.49
He gives peace that
passes understanding.
00:53:50.53\00:53:53.03
He's the bread of
life, He's the living water.
00:53:53.06\00:53:55.76
And they'll
continue to eat and drink
00:53:55.80\00:53:57.60
with Christ
continually being filled.
00:53:57.63\00:54:01.10
And that's what a lot of them
are looking for, is that peace,
00:54:01.14\00:54:04.01
because there's
been an absence of that
00:54:04.04\00:54:06.78
throughout most of
their lives, you know.
00:54:06.81\00:54:09.84
Genuine peace only
comes from the Lord so...
00:54:09.88\00:54:12.08
And they can have
peace in the gang,
00:54:12.11\00:54:13.82
there's gang and
there's violence,
00:54:13.85\00:54:15.18
and there's robbery,
00:54:15.22\00:54:16.55
and there's all
kinds of stuff in prison,
00:54:16.58\00:54:17.92
but they still
can find that peace,
00:54:17.95\00:54:19.52
and that's what
Christmas Behind Bars
00:54:19.55\00:54:21.02
wants to share with them.
00:54:21.06\00:54:22.39
Now it's interesting
too, because I remember
00:54:22.42\00:54:24.43
being in several
of the facilities,
00:54:24.46\00:54:26.56
and you'll hold up
over a roll of toilet paper.
00:54:26.59\00:54:29.50
Now go ahead, yeah, you
got to tell us about it,
00:54:29.53\00:54:32.17
you got to tell us what you say,
00:54:32.20\00:54:34.24
when you're holding up
the roll of toilet paper.
00:54:34.27\00:54:36.67
Well, it's just
something as simple
00:54:36.71\00:54:38.04
as a roll of toilet paper,
00:54:38.07\00:54:39.41
because you've got to use
the things that are in there.
00:54:39.44\00:54:40.78
If you go in the segregation,
that's all they got,
00:54:40.81\00:54:42.14
is a roll of toilet
paper or maybe a garbage can
00:54:42.18\00:54:43.51
or whatever it is.
00:54:43.55\00:54:44.88
So a roll of toilet paper
as I just like to unravel it
00:54:44.91\00:54:46.88
and asked them, I
said, "Hey, what is this?"
00:54:46.92\00:54:48.85
And they said,
"What? Toilet paper."
00:54:48.88\00:54:50.39
Okay, toilet paper.
00:54:50.45\00:54:51.79
I said, "How many of
you choose to use this?"
00:54:51.82\00:54:55.26
You know, and I said,
00:54:55.29\00:54:56.62
"I believe 99.9% of
you choose to use it."
00:54:56.69\00:54:58.56
I said, "Well,
why do you use it,
00:54:58.59\00:54:59.96
you just tear off a
piece," and they say,
00:55:00.06\00:55:01.43
"Well, 'cause it
cleans up messy situations."
00:55:01.46\00:55:03.80
I said,
00:55:03.87\00:55:07.44
"Christ allowed into the heart
00:55:07.47\00:55:11.27
begins to clean
up messy situations.
00:55:11.31\00:55:14.51
And as the heart and
the mind begins to change,
00:55:14.54\00:55:17.25
the external problems
that brought us to prison
00:55:17.28\00:55:20.72
will come into conformity
00:55:20.75\00:55:22.08
with the change
positiveness peer
00:55:22.12\00:55:24.49
that begins to
change in our lives.
00:55:24.52\00:55:26.12
So something as
simple as toilet paper
00:55:26.15\00:55:28.32
begins its analogy, you know,
00:55:28.36\00:55:31.36
we're not there
to preach to them,
00:55:31.39\00:55:32.79
we're not there
to talk down to them,
00:55:32.83\00:55:34.30
we're there to promise them
00:55:34.36\00:55:35.66
that there is
hope for their life.
00:55:35.70\00:55:37.03
Do we have time
to share one more?
00:55:37.07\00:55:38.40
Yeah. We got time.
00:55:38.43\00:55:39.87
You know, if
you take a $20 bill,
00:55:39.90\00:55:41.70
which you are not allowed
to take much money in prison,
00:55:41.74\00:55:43.77
but if you take a $20
bill, $50 bill, $5 bill,
00:55:43.81\00:55:46.51
whatever you need,
00:55:46.54\00:55:47.88
how many of you would like this?
00:55:47.91\00:55:49.24
If I could give
this to you today,
00:55:49.28\00:55:50.61
now green money is worth
a whole lot more in prison
00:55:50.65\00:55:51.98
than is on the
street, because they can trade
00:55:52.01\00:55:53.68
and do all kinds of things.
00:55:53.72\00:55:55.48
How many of you would
like this amount of money?
00:55:55.52\00:55:58.09
And you know, someone
will raise their hands,
00:55:58.12\00:55:59.45
few of them maybe
raise their hands.
00:55:59.49\00:56:00.89
I said, "Man, you all
must be on too much thoughts.
00:56:00.92\00:56:02.32
And if you don't want this..."
00:56:02.36\00:56:03.69
You know, they raise
their hand, they want it.
00:56:03.76\00:56:05.13
But if you take
that $20, $50 bill,
00:56:05.16\00:56:07.03
you wadded it up and
crumpled it up, you say,
00:56:07.13\00:56:09.53
"How many of you still want it?"
00:56:09.56\00:56:11.57
They all do.
00:56:11.60\00:56:12.93
You throw it on the
ground, you spin on it,
00:56:12.97\00:56:14.30
whatever you step on it and say,
00:56:14.34\00:56:15.67
"How many of you still
throw in the garbage can?
00:56:15.70\00:56:17.11
How many of you still want it?"
00:56:17.14\00:56:19.11
They all do. And I say, "Why?"
00:56:19.14\00:56:22.34
Because it's still the same,
still the value is the same.
00:56:22.38\00:56:27.12
Then you flip them
back to Genesis 1:1,
00:56:27.15\00:56:29.45
"In the beginning, God created
the heaven and the earth."
00:56:31.59\00:56:34.29
Genesis 1:26-27
says, "And God said,
00:56:34.32\00:56:37.69
'Let us make humanity,
humanity man in our image.'"
00:56:37.73\00:56:43.53
So your design, your
DNA has been mapped out
00:56:43.57\00:56:46.40
from the beginning of time
00:56:46.43\00:56:50.57
that there is hope for
your life through Christ.
00:56:50.61\00:56:54.24
And so if we can just
connect Him with that,
00:56:54.28\00:56:56.38
that your value
is still the same,
00:56:56.41\00:56:57.95
even though you feel rumpled
00:56:57.98\00:56:59.31
and crumpled you
begin to unfold that,
00:56:59.35\00:57:01.42
even though you may
feel rumpled and crumpled,
00:57:01.45\00:57:03.25
your value is... The same.
00:57:03.28\00:57:05.62
And they all
say, "Still the same."
00:57:05.65\00:57:07.59
So we just want
to encourage them
00:57:07.62\00:57:08.96
to try one more time, Jason.
00:57:08.99\00:57:10.76
Yeah, just one more
time. One more time.
00:57:10.79\00:57:13.09
That is such
a... That's powerful.
00:57:13.13\00:57:15.63
It's powerful and
it's something that
00:57:15.66\00:57:17.47
needs to be said,
needs to be heard.
00:57:17.50\00:57:19.80
And from what I've
seen in those institutions,
00:57:19.83\00:57:23.94
it's been well
received, you know.
00:57:24.01\00:57:26.11
By the inmates.
Amen! Yes, by the inmates.
00:57:26.14\00:57:27.94
And as a result of being there,
00:57:27.98\00:57:30.65
the guards' lives
are touched as well
00:57:30.68\00:57:32.61
because some of
them aren't Christians
00:57:32.65\00:57:34.02
or some of them might
not know about the Lord,
00:57:34.05\00:57:36.35
and they're
listening to what's going on,
00:57:36.38\00:57:38.09
and they see the
difference in the men as well.
00:57:38.12\00:57:40.36
There was a baptism at the
Pendleton Correctional Facility
00:57:40.39\00:57:43.32
and an officer
walked in the back
00:57:43.36\00:57:45.16
to watch the baptisms.
00:57:45.19\00:57:47.40
And he said that,
that inmate encouraged him,
00:57:47.40\00:57:49.43
his wife has left him,
00:57:49.46\00:57:50.83
he's thinking
about giving up on life
00:57:50.87\00:57:52.20
and an inmate had
encouraged him for Christ.
00:57:52.23\00:57:53.80
Well, thank you so much
for being here, and thank you.
00:57:53.84\00:57:58.31
Well, we've reached
the end of another program.
00:57:58.34\00:58:00.81
Thanks for tuning in.
00:58:00.84\00:58:02.18
Join us next time and remember,
00:58:02.21\00:58:03.58
it just wouldn't be
the same without you.
00:58:03.61\00:58:05.78