Today has been just as exceptional as the day before. Today was a bit more spiritual for many of us including me. Code for this may be one of the more deep emails you get today. :)Thank you all for taking the time to read.
Today was a perfect day it was like low 80s sunny and beautiful. We visited the house again this morning and got everything finished up and painted. One of our group went on a prayer walk which is basically walking around and meeting people. I have found that I really enjoy meeting the people and learning about their families and just talking to them about my family. I just love seeing all the little kids and playing with them.
In the afternoon we went to a prison. Not a dunguen like you are imagining in your head, except for those of you that actually spent time in a mexican prison I will try and explain. First I want to try and explain my feelings and what I experienced upon entering. We were driving to the prison and I kept telling myself this was going to be fine and trying to be tough. As we got out of town an enormous prison started to rise on the horizon it was like Huntsville it looked like a fortress and it really started freaking me out; then we drove past that one and one to the prison we were to visit. It had probably 50 foot walls and guys with uzis out front and four guard posts on each corner of its four walls. Probably 300 yards square. The guards were on the outside and this prison was definetly run from the inside. We were allowed in and went straight to the church inside. The pastor and everyone inside the church were inmates. The pastor had been in prison for 18 years and was hoping to get out in a year or two. There are 2000 inmates and the church has about 70 members. We were there for church and at 2:30 we started having church complete with band of 3 inmates. All the music was in Spanish which worked great for me because these guys (all men). Loved to clap and man they did not stop for what I think was like 6 songs but to be honest sound like the same song. The spanish singing was good for me because I seem to not only be unable to walk and chew gum at the same time but I cannot clap and sing at the same time; just don’t have it. These guys were into the music and I really enjoyed this worship but the two guys doing our worship music in the AM and PM they are great. Next a Pastor from the US gave a sermon that was translated for us. The sermon was on judgment and how wrong it is to judge others and how we should view all people through God’s eyes. How not to think that because we are believers that we are in some way better than those that have not found Jesus. I found myself thinking man these guys need to hear this in this place. Then I started to realize there must be some reason I am hearing this. I mean I am in church in prison in mexico. I really started to try and figure out what and why I was there for this sermon at this time. 3 of the guys on my team got up and gave their testimony to the service. They got up and discussed their sins and how they found the Lord. Just an amazing thing to see because it is as scary as you are thinking. How can I get up in front of murders and thieves in prison and talk about sins that may seem silly to them. The truth and I think my friends found this like me that no sin is different than another. I have learned a lot on this trip but at about 4 today this really hit home. And I think it was for one thing only. It was to later help me witness the testimony of Z who is a admitted felon, drug addict, dealer and was at one time head of a gang called the mexicans in a Houston prison. He has found Jesus and has dedicated his life to helping the kids just like him in the youth detention center here in Matamoras. A few of us just started talking about the day in the dorm off to the side and it turned into this amazing moment that convicted many of us including me to help do what we can. we all were just blown away by what he has seen and the person he has become since getting out of prison. I really cannot do this justice in an email but I wanted to share with you all because it was important to me and I think I will remember it forever.
Please pray for Z and that he is able to reach the young men of Matamoras. Thank you
It is getting late again and we get up around 6:30 each morning so goodnight. I am looking forward to see you all soon.
Jimmy
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