We had a wonderful meal at Dwight and Marvanne and their family and then we headed out to visit a few kids at the Detention Center. We visited with 6 young men and they were very positive visits. Sometimes we go away from the Center and just shake our heads - what a mess a person can make of their lives....... Well their lives are still a mess but these guys gave us hope. One that we hadn't visited with for a long time- James- had lost his Bible (he had prayed to receive Christ on July 14 when Bruce and Glenda were here with us).... so we gave him a new Bible and pointed out a couple of passages - showing him how the Bible can teach us how to live.....Colossians 3:8 and Titus 3:1,2. He says - they really say that ??? --- yes - so we showed him the same passage out of a couple of different versions. :) He asked how long Gary and I were married....almost 44 years...."for real?!". :)
(names of these young men have been changed to protect them)
Troy came in next ---- we had gotten to know Troy since before he prayed to receive Christ May 2, 2010. Sometimes he would come in to visit so down in the dumps that we would finally ask him if he just wanted to go back to his pod - "yes". Other times -- he was seeing "spirits" (little flames of fire - and we DO believe him) - "scared the begeebeeies out of me"...other times he talked about fighting people with baseball bats :( told him he could kill someone doing that..... Today was wonderful. He came in with a little New Testament in his pocket (one that we had given someone else and he found it in the back). "Want to show you something"..... he had found that the Lord's prayer was in Luke AND in Matthew. So we talked about how the Gospels have the same story but in different form. He then (and this is the best part) asked us to give him a passage to read. So I told him to read the book of Colossians (4 pages) and Gary told him to read James, and then we gave him about 6 different verses to look up....writing these down in the back of his little Bible - so he wouldn't lose them. He told us about working for a rancher for about a month this fall and "loving it". Said he was quitting the gang because all it did was get him into trouble and break him away from his family. He also talked about getting his tatoo's removed-- gang symbols. Could bring dire consequences from gang members - but we'll pray for him. He will be turning 18 on May 26, 2012 and has a long way to go to finish high school but says "I can do it!". It was an amazing visit - We gave God the praise with Troy in our prayer at the end of his visit.
And then - you gotta love Lyle :) :) He is such a talker -- and always a big smile on his face. He and his brother are hoping to get out in the custody of their Auntie. So we talked about showing her respect and obeying her when she told them to do something. "oh yeah - he says - I'm more scared of her than I am my dad or mom. :) I don't know why but I am".
Two of them -- only 16 - but with children -- and the mothers are giving them grief....like moving away and taking the baby with them. This upsets these boys but what can they do......so we try to talk with them about these situations .... And so when those questions come up like "how long you guys been married??".... We try to talk about maturing....and not making babies but waiting ---- Not what we like to talk about - but we try........ We are NOT Counselors and to come down on them hard isn't going to make them change.
With some guards - when it's 4:00 visitation time is done and we are sent on our way. But today - the guards saw that we had 2 more boys on our list. One was eating but would be done in 10 minutes or so - "would we wait"....SURE. And then - one more --- he was one the phone -did we want to wait. "Well - he has never said yes to come to visit with us - does he want to". "I'll go see". So back down the hall way. ........ "No.". Decided it was good exercise for the guard - he's a little heavy. :) So we left the Center today at 5:00.....smiling and lifted up.
Now we are having a cup of hot coffee --- it is COLD out - but no snow.
Gary heads for north of Pierre tomorrow with neighbor Don --- a trailer to be looked at - and hopefully copied. So Gary can be busy this winter.
That's all for now.
May God bless each and every one of you for the prayers you lift on the behalf of these young people and us. Thank You!!
Gary and Barb
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