Blessings from God!!

Written from FCI Terre Haute on 11/22/12

It is Thanksgiving today and it seems to me that I need to share my gratitude to God for the blessings He has given me.

I have been delivered to a very dismal place.  The conditions here are horrible.  This is a transfer hub, so the length of my stay should be short, except that my travel fell on a holiday weekend.  This hub is in a minimum security prison and this area we are housed in is considered the "hole".  Many cells are occupied by members of the prison who are receiving disciplinary action.

We (my cell-y and I) are on 24 hour lock-down.  The cells in our hallway host all sorts of interesting men.  Shouting, loud talking and door-banging are sounds around us.  The talk is foul and in a variety of languages that last long into the night or morning (it is hard to tell without a clock)!

We have been here for 6 nights and we are hopeful that we only have 4 nights left, if the Lord is willing.  If our estimates are correct, we hope to be taken to the local airport where we will board the private fleet of "ConAir"!!

Surviving this week forced us both to focus on the positive things and giving thanks to God for the blessings we have, in this unsavory place.  So I thought I would make a list of some of these blessings, as it suggests in the old hymn, "Count Your Many Blessings..."  We, as Christ-Followers, need to do this so we don't lose site of what God does for us.  When we see these blessings listed, we can turn them into praise to God.

So here is my list of how God has blessed me this past week:

• He gave me courage in a very fearful chapter in my life.
• He matched me with a good cell-y.
• He influenced the guard to change our cell to a "less" dirty cell.
• He gave me great patience to endure long days of boredom.
• He influenced the orderly to give us King James Bibles off the book cart, even though we were restricted from having books.
• He arranged for our late night "Talk Show Host" to be shipped out so we could get some sleep  :-)
• He made sure my money transferred from the county jail so I could purchase some survival items.
• He arranged for our commissary order to arrive before Thanksgiving!  Our order consisted of:
• Pen
• Paper
• Envelopes
• Stamps
• Bar of soap (nope not soap on a rope!!)
• Flavored tooth paste
• Deodorant -- doubles as air freshener
• 2 FM radios
• batteries for the radios
• We share these items to save money.  It was like CHRISTMAS when they arrived!!!
• He has given us some cloudy days so our cell stays cooler (only mid-80's)
• He is healing my burn wound in spite of the unsanitary conditions here.
• He had me remove the pornography that was glued to the bottom of the upper bunk bed and let me replace it with Scripture!
• He used the gang-banger, in the cell next door, to silence the entire block who decided to start a "barn-yard choir" -- you feel me????
• He blessed me with local Christian Radio Stations that play Praise Music!!  It has been three weeks since I heard this much PRAISE!  I sit in my bunk and raise my arms to Heaven and just mouth the words of the songs.  I long to be able to praise God in a group setting.  I MISS MY CHURCH!!!!
• He blessed me with a thanksgiving dinner - but it wasn't as good as what my family makes.  None the less, I had a good meal when others can't afford any food.
• He blessed me with a family who carried on a family tradition in my absence by celebrating Thanksgiving in Maplewood, MN.  I was there in spirit - rearranging the home decorations!!  :-) 
• He blessed me with good conversations with my cell-y that really help me to pass the time.
• He blessed me with a clock on the radio so I can get a sense of time, other than sunrise and sunset.
• He blessed me with a new understanding of what it is like to lose all privileges and freedom.   This is helping me to see how much more I have Freedom in Jesus Christ!  They will NEVER be able to take this away from me!!
• He is showing me how to find hope in Jesus when my surroundings seem hopeless.
• He is showing me how to be Joy-filled!
• He has blessed me with His presence even here in prison.
• He has blessed me with a beautiful wife who emulates the Grace of Jesus.  She is strong and courageous in obedience to God's Word.   Her faith is so strong and comforts our family during this difficult time.

My list could go on much longer...I have time to write....but, you may not have time to read it all.

It is my prayer that you had a great Thanksgiving.  Although I would rather have been with my family, I still had a good Thanksgiving.  I am thankful for what God has done and continues to do for me.  He is a great and powerful God who cares enough to bless me.  Because of who He is and not just what He does for me, I will Praise Him...even in the storm!!

Psalm 67: 1-7

McFreedom is "McThankful"

Guardians of the Light

It is no surprise when you hear me talk about jail as being a "dark and miserable place".  Jail is not intended to be fun or a relaxing place like a retreat center.  After all, this is a place to punish those who commit crimes.  The problem is that when you put enough criminals in one place who are unrepentant of their crimes, you have an environment that is oppressively dark.

As Christ-followers, we are called to be the light in a dark world,  "...live clean innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people".  Philippians 2:15.  You don't have to be in a jail to see this darkness, but it is certainly magnified here.

The guards who work in jail see the darkness every time they come to work.  Fortunately they can go home at the end of their shift and get away from this darkness.  It is amazing to me that guards are not too jaded by their environment.  Over all, the guards are very professional.  Many will interact with inmates as they make their rounds and engage in pleasant, yet brief, conversations.  Others simply respond in curt, but informative responses.  Mostly they are kind to an inmate, if they are treated with respect.  This is a very basic and simple rule that many people have not figured out.

One morning, I woke up after my breakfast nap.  The pod was quiet so I decided to make some "espresso" and read my Bible out in the great room.  I was reading the devotional from "Our Daily Bread".  The topic was on Matthew 14:27 where the disciples were caught in a storm and how they were so afraid.  As I was reading this passage, the front door of our pod opened and a guard entered to perform his routine security check.  After he completed his rounds, he stopped by my table and asked what I was reading?  I shared the theme and he challenged me with more engaging questions.  It was clear that he was a knowledgeble Christ-follower and he left me with new encouragement!  I would have loved to talk more with him, but he had a job to do.  For a brief moment the room was much brighter.  I was not the only light in the room, there were two lights.

My spirit is lifted when I see this guard on duty.  Although we cannot have conversations, we smile and nod, knowing we are both Christ-followers.  Sometimes that is all that is needed to make my day just a little brighter.

Since then, this guard has been my escort to the nurse for my bandage changes and to my Bible study.  We have brief conversations as we walk the concrete corridors.

The other day I was in a waiting room to have my bandage changed along with 9 other men who needed some medical attention.  As we waited, guys would strike up conversations to make the time pass.  Most of the stories were about their past crimes, which quickly turn into an "I can top that" story. I thought about telling them that I burned my arm in a Meth Lab explosion, but I quickly came to my senses and just listened to every one else.  Just as we were all laughing at some of the bazaar stories, the door opened and the Christian guard scanned the room until he made eye contact with me.  He interrupted the tough guy story and said to me, "Mr Erbst, are you planning to attend Bible Study today?"   You could feel the awkwardness in the room as he asked the question.  I quickly replied, "I do, if they don't mind waiting for me!!"  He said he would see what he could do, and he left the room.  I expected some teasing or joking from the others, but there was none.  They just went back to talking about past conquests and crimes.  I am not ashamed of my FAITH!!!

After I had my bandage changed, the guard took me over to the Bible Study when most other guards would have likely made me miss the study.  This is significant because Bible Studies, Visitations, church meetings and such are considered 'low priority'.  If a medical appointment conflicts with these, they simply cancel them.  By no means do they go out of their way to accommodate both.  But he did for me!!

He also knew the chaplain quite well.  It was later that I learned that this guard was a Pastor before becoming a guard!  Today I am a prisoner in his custody and he is in authority over me.  I do not receive any priviledge because of our bond in Christ.  He has a job to do and I have rules to obey.  However, we both have the light of Jesus in us.  When we are together, that light is brighter as we talk about our God.

We are on opposite sides of the locked doors, yet we are both Guardians of the Light for the sake of Christ Jesus!!!  Praise God.  - McFreedom

This is NOT a Party

"The Warden threw a party in the county jail..."  Elvis Presley

I thought today would be a good time to try and explain what life is like in a county jail.  This is not going to be too exciting, but if is the only way I can give you a glimpse of what I see here.

Here in Portage, they use a pod system to house the general population.  These are shaped in a circular format.  At the center of the pod is an elevated control center secured behind glass windows.  There are large flat screen monitors used to monitor the cameras stationed around the floor.  There is a guard stationed inside who monitors all the activity.  He also opens and closes the steel doors that secure the pods.

There is a hallway around the tower and on the other side are three pods:  A, B and C.  This hallway is dimly lit to maximize the one-way glass.  Every time I leave to see the nurse, go to Bible study, Visitation, etc., I pass through this secure area.  From here I can see clearly into the other pods, but they cannot see me.  They usually can hear that someone is out there.  They like to put their faces to the glass in an attempt to see through the one-way glass the wrong way.

The pods are small communities of prisoners.  There is a sliding steel door with a glass window and a rectangular opening below; much like a mail slot, only this one has a steel flap that locks from the outside.  This opening is how we receive our meal trays and medications.  We never get to see who is on the other side.

The pod is two stories high.  The walls are made of cinder blocks and the floor is bare concrete.  The pod is a trainee shape with the widest point on the rear wall.  There are four cells on each floor and a set of steps lead up to the top.  There is a 27-inch flat screen television mounted fifteen feet up on the wall. The channels are limited to local free broadcasts.  This is how most guys spend their time.  The sound is usually set to LOUD and it bounces off the walls making it difficult to have a conversation or even read.

In the center of the pod there are three square, stainless steel tables for dining, game playing, etc.   What is missing here are chairs with back rests.  We often sit on the floor so we can lean on the wall.  Also, in the center area is a single shower enclosed by concrete blocks.  There is a vinyl curtain for privacy.  However, they have clear glass blocks on the side that the guards can view.  They do have a modesty block so the guards only view your feet and chest area.  There is an unwritten rule that states we cannot sing in the shower so I sing in my mind.

My cell is the first on the lower block under the stairway.  There are two frequently-used phones just outside my door.  It is difficult to hear conversations because of the television and other conversations but somehow we manage.

There is an automated steel sliding door to my cell that I cannot control.  It stays open during the day except for periods of lock down.  We are locked in starting 10 p.m.  The doors open at 4:30 a.m. for breakfast.  Every time I hear the door move I cringe as it is a stark reminder of where I am.

There isn't much for furniture in my room.  What I do have is bolted to the concrete.  There is plenty of space in my room, but I don't need much.  There is a single bunk with the standard blue mattress pad.  One end of the plastic mattress has a built-in pillow.  It is not a Sleep Number mattress, but if it were, my number would be set at 95!!!  We are issued two very thin sheets and a thin wool blanket.  None of them are long enough to cover my feet.  It is nearly impossible to keep the sheets on the mattress, even after tying knots in the corners.  I use one sheet to make a pillow.  I put my clean laundry in the center of the sheet and fold it up to make a nice pillow.  This has been working quite well for me considering I am used to sleeping with three feather pillows.  I just don't need all that luxury any more.

I have a very efficient bathroom just inches from my head.  This could prove to be handy if I feel the need to be sick.  There is a sink with hot and cold water.  If you let the hot water run long enough, you can have some warm coffee.  The built-in toilet is located just below the sink  They are powerful flushers so you need to hold on tight to the sink every time you flush!  With the rush of cold water, the stainless steel seat gets very cold.  You need to be sure the seat is dry before you sit or you risk having your cheeks frozen to the seat.

There is a small, steel, square table bolted to the wall along with a bench.  You need to hug the wall to get both cheeks on the bench.  To the left of the table is a shelf that has some hooks.  I guess you could say this is my 'closet'.  Further to the left is a stainless steel mirror that is scratched up.  I find it strange they mounted the mirror on the opposite wall as the sink.  This is certainly not efficient but then I'm not in much of a hurry.

On the North side of my cell there is a vent for the furnace that blows directly on my feet while I am sleeping.  The airflow is not gentle, like those in our homes.  It blows with hurricane force and it never takes a break.  My pod-mates showed me how to diffuse the wind with the help of some plastic spoons and a towel.

My favorite part of this cell is the 5-inch by 48-inch window.  I have a clear view of a flat roof and the ten-bay maintenance garage.  Next tot he garage is an impound lot where they have some badly-damaged cars from accidents.  Looking at the destruction, I can't imagine that there were any survivors. There is a large patch of woods beyond the barbed wire fence.  Every now and then I can see a freight train rolling through it.  I try to imagine the destination of the train so I can go along with it in my mind.

What I like the most about my window is watching the clouds to the North as they float by.  I wonder if those same clouds passed over Marshfield and if my wife saw them before I did?  I'll keep watching them in hopes that we saw the same cloud.

My room is bright with two fluorescent lights.  These are left on during the day.  At night they turn the off, but then they turn on a night light which is as bright as a 60-watt bulb.  This makes it hard to sleep, but it gives me the ability to read when I can't sleep.  I have learned to cover my eyes with a t-shirt so I can sleep.  I'm sure there has been many government studies that show that sleep deprivation improves the rehabilitation of prisoners!!

I'm sure it is no surprise to most of you that the food in jail lacks flavor and warmth.  They do not use any salt or much of any spice.  There was an exception to this the other night, they served a pepper steak that was tasty.  Others complained that it was too strong.  I, on the other hand, loved it!

Mealtimes here are very routine.  They announce the meal over a loud speaker and we line up at the door like milk cows heading to the barn.  They open up the feed bin on the door and slide our trays through one at a time.  They must think we are animals in a zoo.

They serve a lot of carbohydrates and soy based products.  I often look for items to give away or swap. Believe it or not, I try and stick to veggies and fruit, over bread and potatoes.  I look forward to a day when I have to wait for my food to cool off before I can eat it!  There is a federal inmate here waiting for a hearing.  He served his federal time at MCC which is near Soldier's Field in Chicago.  He tells me the food is much better and even warmer.  This gives me something to look forward to!

Our meals are served at very unusual times.
Breakfast  - 4:45 a.m.   (Really??)
Lunch  -- 11:30 a.m.
Dinner  -- 5:00 p.m.
Evening Popcorn -- Sorry, this was a dream!!!!

I was quite excited to learn that they have Bible Study on Wednesday and church on Saturday.  I signed up for both.  The Wednesday Study was attended by myself and one other guy.  The Chaplain is an elderly man from Portage and seemed surprised that I had my own Bible.  We had a good study and I look forward to the next one.

Saturday I was the only one in my pod to attend the church service but there were 5 other guys from neighboring pods.  The pastor is an ex-con himself and did a great job!  He had a CD player and played a couple of Chris Tomlin songs for worship.  He had the lyrics printed for us, but most whispered the words except for me.  The Pastor led us into a discussion of who Jesus is, and it became clear to me that many of these guys who are half my age were raised in a Christian family but chose no to follow God.  It was Ministry in Action!  Just hearing music out loud was so refreshing to my soul!  Singing praise to God was like a rain storm in the desert!  I wish it were live music and my family was singing and playing.

We also were given some recreation time on Saturday.  They have a full gymnasium on another floor.  There were four from my pod that elected to go.  We are the oldest in our pod.  The guards opened up another pod to join us.  There were 7 or 8 younger guys that wanted to go.  You could see the dread in the faces of our guys and the guard quickly came to his senses.  He let the "old men" go first so we could break in the nets.  We all were relieved by the guard's wisdom.  This saved us all from great embarrassment.  We played a rather passive game of H.O.R.S.E.  I was the second man out.  It was a nice opportunity to get out of the pod and stretch our legs.

Early Monday morning, just after breakfast, we were given an opportunity to visit the "Brooks Memorial Library" down the hall.  (That is the name I gave the library as it made me think of the library from the movie 'Shawshank Redemption")  We were given 15 minutes to pick out 3 books each.  I found the "religious' section and found a few that looked interesting.

• Joyce Meyer's  - Battlefield of the Mind"
• "Faith Despite the KGB - Stories of Christians in Prison"
• "Tested by Fire"  - Story of a burn victim

My goal was to give you a snapshot of life in a county jail.  As you have read, there is not much for excitement here.  The routines repeat every day.  Boredom is the enemy here.  Everyone has to find their weapon in this battle.  For me, I have an arsenal to choose from:  Reading books, reading the Bible, Bible verse memorization, prayer, writing letters, talking to my pod-mates, etc.

Writing letters has been good for me.  They only allow us to have pencils, so I make several trips a day to the pencil sharpener.  My pencil is down to a 2" stub until I get my new one tomorrow.

I will end this with a final thought.  As bleak as I may make this sound, you need to know that it is not that bad here.  Don't take this the wrong way:  I really don't want to be here and I really miss my family!  But you need to know that God has really been blessing me here.  He has surrounded me with some very nice people.  I have plenty of food no matter how it tastes.  Did the Israelites enjoy the manna???  I have more than enough!

There are Christians in prisons just for believing in Christ!  Their conditions are far worse than mine.

There are homeless people in our area that have less than I do here in jail.

I have nothing to complain about.  My God has supplied all my needs and more.  I praise God for everything He has provided me!

I want to thank you for your prayers and letters.  These bring me great encouragement!  My pod mates are very jealous of me at 'mail call'.  This makes me sad for them.

May God grant you a spirit of peace in your hearts that can only come from God!!   - McFreedom

1 Corinthians 13:7

The Mission Trip Begins!

Joshua 1:9  "This is my command -- Be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the Lord your God is with you where ever you go."

It has been just over a week since I heard the judge pound the gavel pronouncing my sentence.  It was a very difficult court appearance, as they wanted to make sure they could fill me full of shame for what I had done.  My attorney warned me that the sentencing would be the worst part.  Now I understand why.  I am grateful for all the people who sacrificed their tie to be there with me.  It meant so much to me that you were there to be with my family.  I am glad that this part is over so I can move on to doing my time and beginning my "missions trip" as a free man with no shame.

I have sat through many church services where a missionary stands up and tells their story.  They show pictures of the airplane they boarded, or perhaps they showed a "loaded" U-haul trailer behind a sagging station wagon (pre- mini-van days).  Everyone hugs each other and waves good bye.  It is my guess they are feeling apprehension, excitement and sadness for leaving behind family and friends.  Either way, they are off on a new adventure to serve God in a place far away from home.

My missions trip started out much different than this usual picture.  I did not feel excited, but rather, fear and apprehension.  My hugs were done before the hearing started.  I even received a "Commissioning", where everyone laid hands on me in prayer.  There is nothing more encouraging than this!  I was at my weakest point and these Brothers and Sisters in Christ were there to pray for me while I faced my judgement from the courts.

Promptly after the hearing, I was met by two U.S. Marshals who escorted me off to another room where I was prepared for transport.  There were no planes or U-hauls...just a window-less cargo van with fiberglass seats.  I had no idea where I was going.  It was a mystery ride that came to an end at Sauk County Jail in Baraboo.  I had to ask where I was, because there was no "welcome banner" waiting for me.

I would imagine that most missionaries are provided with some training before they go off to serve.  They probably study the culture, learn about the economy, local customs and take language courses before they begin the trip.  I tried to do this but everything I learned could not have prepared me for this experience.  This is something you have to learn as you go, but you must learn quickly!  First I needed to be "de-programmed" of Freedom.  Spending 24 hours in a 6 x 10 foot room with nothing but a Bible, blanket, camera and flickering fluorescent light that never goes dark, is a good way to begin.

Now that I was sleep-deprived and learned how to dress like the locals, it was time to enter the general population.  The guards loaded me up with my supplies and walked me to my new community.  My heart was pounding outside of my chest when the heavy sliding door opened.  I saw a group of men all dressed like me.  Their focus changed from watching TV and playing cards to studying ME, the new guy who was being escorted to his new cell.  This was an extremely intimidating feeling for a guy who does not have any street savvy.  This is my first stop on the missions trip.  My "cell-y" was quick to offer support to me by telling me about the rules of the block.  Without his help I would have been lost! He was a wonderful guide.  We had some long conversations after lights-out -- the irony being there is ALWAYS a light left on.

This block had 24 cells and 48 bunks.  It was about half full.  The cells were on two floors with an open walkway or deck that was used for walking.  27 trips = 1 mile.  Below, on the main floor was the other bank of cells.  In the center of this area was a carpeted area with stainless steel picnic tables and some plastic lawn chairs.  There is a 27-inch flat screen mounted high up on the center post, which many inmates "worshipped".  After all, why wouldn't they?  They had a good selection of cable channels.  They called this the "day room", but it was more like a great room.

I decided to go out and mingle.  I started by studying the bulletin board.  It did not take long for guys to start walking up to me and offering advice and pointing out more rules.  I know they were sizing me up, but I was doing the same to them.  The next several days, I had some good conversations.  I heard many stories which I took with a grain of salt.  The vocabulary included a few words that were used as adjectives, nouns, and verbs -- all in one sentence.  I think there was a competition to see how many times you could use these words.  I had to remind myself that it would be a bad idea to laugh at this.  I simply chose not to engage in the competition.

As I studied this community, I wondered what I should be doing?  Do I stand up on the table and start preaching?  Yes, that actually came to mine.  However, I quickly decided that may not be the best approach.  I decided I would continue learning more about my new community.

One morning I heard an announcement over the loud speaker that a Bible Study was about to begin.  I must admit, I hesitated to get up and walk over tot he door, as this would identify me as one of those Bible Thumpers!  I put away that fear and stepped up to join the guys at the door.  We met in a conference room with an elderly gentleman named, Pastor Frank.  It was not a 'deep' study, but it was good to read the Bible and pray together.  The next day, these guys invited me to a daily group devotional.  They meet at the entrance to our cell, since you cannot have "visitors" inside your cell.  These men had a desire to know God more, but they still used strong prison language.  This is so common to them that it is their 'normal'.  The important thing is that they are seeking God.  We also met at the end of the day on the upper deck and thanked God for another day done.  Then we headed to our own cells for lock down.

I am so encouraged to find other Christ-followers.  I am even more encouraged that I am clearly identified with them in the block.  Perhaps this will open more doors for me to talk about Jesus.  I pray that I will have courage and boldness when prompted by the Holy Spirit.

I make sure that I am spending time in prayer too.  This is difficult to do when you can't find a quiet place to be alone.  I am working on my ability to stay in an "attitude of prayer".  Always looking for opportunities to engage conversation.  I make a point to bow my head in prayer at each meal and thank God for the meal and the men around me.

Just as I was getting to know the system and build relationships at Sauk Co., I was moved to a new jail in Portage.  I was frustrated when they woke me up and told me they were moving me, but I am sure God has a plan for me.  The marshals brought a "nicer" van with windows this time!!  As we left the jail, I saw that there was a Dairy Queen right outside our pod!!  (What I would have given for a DQ Burger!!! -- even though I'm lactose intolerant!!!)  And it has only been a week.....

We were delivered to Columbia County Jail.  It seems that this is a "bus stop" for the Federal Transport bus.  I don't know when they will move me next.  It could be this week or two months from now.  I am simply kept in the dark while I wait.

So now, I start over.  This is a smaller pod and we are the older, 'wise' inmates.  The pods on either side of us have younger guys who have more to prove.  Every now and then, we hear the guards rushing over to them and taking someone to the hole.

The Christ-followers are few here.  Just me and perhaps my neighbor.  We have had some good conversation over coffee and he loaned me one of his Joyce Meyer books to read.  He has been here for 5 months preparing for a jury trial.  Since he has been here the longest, we call him the "Pod Father".

I also attended the Bible Study here today.  It was just me and a young man from the Huber block.  We met with Chaplin Grahm and talked about the importance of Forgiveness.  We had some good discussion and prayer together.  He read a letter to us from a former inmate who is now in State Prison in Green Bay.  The man has let God change his life while in prison.  He has become and ordained pastor via correspondence courses.  He has four Bible Studies that he leads in his block.  Hearing of this has brought me GREAT inspiration!  I am anxious to see what God has in store for me.  I will need to keep my spiritual ears open so I can hear the Spirit's call.

One idea came to my mind.  Today, I received my first Canteen order:  Long underwear, M & M's, hard candy and of course, COFFEE!!  This is the most popular commodity in here.  Maybe I should open a coffee shop and call it "Jail Bucks"!!!  I'll have to work on that idea a little more.  I'm not sure the warden will like that.

Here is a funny story you might like to read.  I was asked if I play chess.  I responded that I have not played in a long time, so he would have to have extra patience with me.  He agreed so he began to chase my "royalty" right off the board.  (Christmas gift idea for Bryan:  book called "Chess for Inmates")  While he was taking all my "royalty", he asked if he could make a suggestion to me.  I willing accepted and he told me that I was simply "too nice".  He suggested that I be careful not to let others take advantage of me and that I should push back more.  I took this as a compliment and I thanked him for the suggestion.  Moments later, after talking about this, he overheard another inmate who was frustrated.  My chess partner stood up and went nose to nose with a rather heated exchange of those multi-purpose words.  They had quite the intensity and volume.  Eventually, they both realized that nobody was going to win so they backed down and we went back to playing our game.  Perhaps, he was just giving me an example of how I should behave!  That is simply not who I am.  I do not want to be conformed to this world.  I want to be a light in a dark place.  Pray for me that God will grant me wisdom and discernment while I am here.  It seems strange that God would put the least street-savvy person, like me, in a place that requires a degree of street smarts.  This can only mean that His power will be needed so that He will get the GLORY!

I will end this for now.  There will be many more, if the Lord wills.  May the grace of God and His Peace be with you.  Be STRONG and COURAGEOUS for the Lord.  -- McFreedom

His Grace Is Sufficient

The statement in Corinthians 12:9...

 "he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 

... has met me exactly where I have been this week.  There is nothing that prepares you to watch the man you love led out of a courtroom by Federal Marshals to a destination that is unknown, not knowing when you will hear from him again.  My weakness was all-consuming.  Nothing I could do by myself could bring me comfort or peace.  But thankfully, HIS grace IS sufficient for me.  HIS power IS perfect, especially in my weakness.  So let me say..."I am the weakest of all, BUT, my God is worthy of boasting because He has kept me going and, in fact, joyful in spite of the pain of being separated from my dear Bryan.  

I was able to find out at 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 30th, where Bryan is being housed.  He is currently living at the Sauk County Jail in Baraboo, WI.  He is receiving medical care for the burn on his left arm and he is meeting some guys that are in the same situation he is.  He's already attended a Bible Study.  He is not raving about the food, but he's not complaining either.

We don't know how long he'll be at Sauk County Jail, but for now, he is comfortable and in good spirits.  

If anyone would like to write to him, his address is:

Bryan Erbst - 46036
Sauk County Jail
1300 Lange Court
Baraboo, WI 53913

Inmates cannot receive greeting cards, but letters are encouraged.  

Bryan and I are both so grateful for the loving family and friends who have shown unfailing support for us over this past year and a half.  We know there will be plenty of challenges coming but we rest confidently in God's amazing grace.  

I'll try to be more faithful in blogging now that the sentence has been imposed.  Hopefully, Bryan will be feeding me some things to post, as well.

Jeannie