HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM ELKTON!!

It's been an exciting week here at Camp Elkton.  There are so many things going on as we get ready for the Thanksgiving week.  I'm looking forward to having a day off so I can get caught up on letter reading and my new book I got called “Strange Fire” from John Macarthur.

The week started out off with “Mass Confusion” at the Catholic service.  You see, Chaplain Kulp who is Baptist and normally leads the Sunday service is on Maternity leave for a while why he helps his wife with the new born twins.  I'm sure she appreciates this as they have a pretty full quiver now with 8 arrows taking up a lot of space.  While he is out taking care of his family, Chaplain Johnson is filling in on Sunday for him.  Johnson is teaching and promoting his doctrine, which is very different than what most of us Bible-believing people have come to learn from the simple truths held inside the 66 books of the Bible.    The name for this doctrine is called "Oneness" as it opposes the Trinitarian belief that is taught in the Bible.  He holds a Thursday night study that he has coined as "Advanced Bible Study".  Many of us call it "Advanced Heresy" but we still go to listen and find out what he is teaching.  Lately, he has been teaching that the Bible, as we know it, is not trust-worthy as it has been tampered with by man.  There are some verses that were added and wrongly translated.  He is teaching that we must have the Spirit in us to know which part of the Bible is true.  Sadly many people follow his teaching.  I ruffled many of their feathers last Thursday when I raised my hand and asked if his church had a "special Bible" with any of these corrections already written in it so we could know what is true and not true.  His One-ites were upset by my question and started making comments that we should attend our own service.  I was getting tired of listening to him attack the authority of the Bible, which is the foundation of my faith. I'm not proud of how I dropped that sarcasm-loaded bomb in the room.  It was not done out of a spirit of love. After all, Jesus teaches us to Love one another even when it hurts.  I had to spend some time reading 1 Corinthians 13 a few times this week and meditate on what it is to love.  I miss my challenge coins.

Because Chaplain heresy is teaching on Sunday while Chaplain Kulp is on maternity leave, I decided it would be better for me to attend the Catholic Mass with Father Bernie.  I didn't think I would like it at first but I am beginning to understand the liturgy of the service.  We have a little book called the missalette ( I call it the Holy Hand grenade) which is a mini version of the Holy Missal the Father uses for the service.  This contains the readings, responses and the hymns that are prescribed for that day of the year.  They really plan ahead in the Catholic church.  The problem with this book is it is had several parts of the service spread throughout the entire book.  I took this back to my house and put post it notes in the sections I thought we needed to use so I would be ready at the next the service.  As it turns out, I was lost again.  I sat there in the service flipping from one yellow post it note to the next and not keeping up with the Father.  So I sat down with Paul my Italian Catholic friend who walked me through the Holy Hand Grenade.  He revealed to me that the Father does not always follow this  order and sometimes we simply had to guess. It will take awhile for me to be a good Catholic.

It's been unusually hectic at the Suds & Duds Laundry department the past few weeks.  We have six guys on our team and three of them have been replaced.  It's like starting over with a whole new team now.  The first to leave was our tailor.  Garza is a great tailor and did some amazing work here.  He was transferred to a prison closer to his home in Texas this fall.  I was appointed to be his replacement.  This made perfect sense since I had absolutely no experience using a sewing machine or performing repairs on clothing.  Fortunately, I had some time to work closely with Garza who is an excellent teacher.  He is patient and forces you to think through the steps carefully.  I have a long way to go to be as good as him but he has given me the tools I need to become a good tailor.  In the time I worked with him, we became good friends.  He taught me allot and not just about sewing. My boss jokes around with us and he would come out of his office asking me why it takes so long to finish a job.  He announced to everyone that he is having second thoughts about hiring an old white man to be tailor.  He insists his best tailors are Hispanics as they are the most creative.  I hope to prove him wrong so I take this as a challenge. 

We hired a quiet young man to replace my old duties of blanket folding and cleaning.  It took about twenty minutes to get him trained in on the duties.  He was blending with the team well until he was hauled off to the hole during a visit with his wife one Sunday.  It turns out he was struggling to cope with his ten year sentence and she was bringing in some prescription drugs for him on her visits.  The guards caught on to him and caught them both.  It is sad to see them make such an egregious mistake like this as it will make his life even more difficult.  He will likely lose his "good Time" credit and will definitely lose visitation rights for at least a year.  His wife could face formal charges and likely lose her nursing job.  The kids will suffer the most as they risk losing both parents when they need them the most.  How tragic!

We picked up another man to replace him.  He is from the Dominican Republic and is not as quiet as the first.  He too is a good man and he brings his Spanish to help translate for my Colombian friend who speaks broken English.  He has been looking over my shoulder as I work the machine so I need to ready in case he wants to move in on my position.

Our youngest employee who ran the dryer department at the Suds & Duds has not been happy for some time.  He likes do everything his way and does not like to work with the team.  This has caused many frustrating arguments and often he will end up pouting as he would crouch down in the fetal position in front of the dryer wall.  He left many of us wondering what his mental state is but it is quiet clear to me.  He has been partaking in the wiccan beliefs and has been reading more books about Satan.  He is clearly tormented by the demon inside him.

He resigned his position this week and even tried to get his friends employed to replace him.  Our boss was wise enough to see through this and asked us to find someone to replace him.  We found another old white man to replace him so no I have some solidarity in the department.  Now we can focus on rebuilding the community of the laundry department.

We had our first winter storm hit us this week.  The CNN scroll bar announced it was officially a Nor'easter.  I realize we are not near the coast but my thoughts went right to the song by Gordon Lightfoot about the Legend of the Edmond Fitzgerald.  The gales of November came late this year but we are safe on dry land here at Camp Elkton.  The snow started falling Tuesday afternoon and continued into the next day. 

It was a pretty snow, gently falling as it glistened in the brightness of the yard lights.  The accumulated snow made it very quiet as it absorbed the sounds.  With the arc of the lights illuminating the snow as it fell made me feel as though I was inside a snow globe that was shaken up by some curious giant.  The snow settled on the chain link fence. Snowflakes stacked on top of them selves as they filled up the squares of the chain link.  I took a walk along the nature trail and look outside the fence to see the snow piling on the branches of the leafless trees along the ridgeline of the valley.  There were no deer out in the meadow where they usually come out to graze and frolic.  Perhaps they were not ready for the snow.  Or maybe they stayed at home where it was warm and dry. Probably watching America's Funniest home videos while the storm alerts scrolled on the bottom of the screen.  Most people do not realize that deer are a pretty good study of human behavior.  They get this from watching television.  The older deer tune into the hunting shows and love watching the commercials for all the latest gadgets hunters use when they go hunting for deer.  This is what makes the deer so wise.  But I am sure the deer here on Elkton Mountain were simply hanging out down in the lower part of the valley near Beaver Creek.  It is a good time to hang out in the quiet part of the valley.  I finished my walk around the never-ending nature trail and headed in for the night.  It is nice to have winter but I will be happy when springtime comes around.

This is a very pretty Thanksgiving here on the mountain. The snow stopped falling and the grass is all covered up outside my window.  The snow is sparkling as the sun reflects of the flakes.  It is cold outside but it is a good cold; the kind of cold that makes it nice to come in warm up inside with a cup of apple cider and some warm popcorn.  Well, It may be a while before I have the cider and popcorn but I am warm.  It is a good time to think about all the blessings that God has given my family and me.  Blessings that fall like the snow and collect in the crevices of our lives.  The accumulation of the blessings form the landscape of our lives.  A landscape created by God if we let him.  Sometimes God needs to shake up our world so we can see where the blessings fall and cover up the broken mess in our lives.

Today we had our big turkey dinner at the Dirty Spoon Dinner at the Valley Ridge Mall.  The kitchen staff has been roasting full turkeys all week long because the ovens can only hold so many birds at a time.  When they are done roasting the crew carved them and shredded them into pans for reheating today.  Yesterday, I asked one the kitchen staff who ate with us at short line how many of the birds have flown the coup already.  I guess it was not really flying but more of act of smuggling.  He said they were missing seven of them already.  Many of these birds found their way in to plastic bags and then into the pants and jackets of kitchen workers all the way back to the unit for distribution at the local food mart.  We wonder how many of them made out of camp in the trunks of cars as they made their escape.  This we will never know for sure.  But I am sure that our government factors in these losses into the order process.  We did not run out of turkey today at all.  I could not finish what I had on my tray.  We had so much food I had to lay down to let it settle for a while.  The meal was even better than the Thanksgiving food I had in the hole at Terra Haute last year.  So once again I am thankful for what I have.

We had some mini pies served for desert.  There were pumpkin and pecan pies in tiny little tin pans.  I was blessed to have these pies for last week as our boss able to procure a couple of cases for the suds & duds team to enjoy.  It is nice to have a boss who watches out for us and makes our stay here more pleasant.  I have a few pies left in my locker and they are calling my name.  Restraint. I must show restraint.  I hope to make them last through the weekend or at least until Friday.  They are delicious but certainly not as good as those my wife makes for me.

So I hope you take time to reflect on the blessings that you have accumulated in your life this year.  Sometimes we don't realize that we had so many because we get so wrapped up in the busy details of our lives.  We need to stop to and talk through all the things God has blessed us with. Yes even some things that don't seem like blessings at the time.  So as you sit around the table with family and friends  or perhaps by now you are scrounging for left over's while you mourn the loss of the Packer game, revel in the companionship of family and friends.  Even you don't always agree in everything you are still family and friends.  Life is so short. It is our relationships that matter more than jobs and toys.  Encourage each other with kind words filled with gratitude.  Share how God has been working in your life even if you have had a rough year.  Speak of the Mercy He has shown you and the Grace which he has poured out on you because of what Jesus did on the cross for us all!  This is not cheap Grace!  It is not our Grace so don't hoard it.  Give it back to those who are in your life!

That's the latest news from Camp Elkton here on the mountain.  We are doing well here and God is blessing us.  You can sleep well tonight knowing the guards are earning double time with their feet up on the desk.  They will not let us out and they will use all their fingers as they count us through the night.

God Bless you all

McFreedom

"ESCAPE-PROOF REALITY"

It's Saturday night and I feel compelled to write an update, which is long overdue.

After dinner, I watched the sky, with its amazing color show.  A large patch of clouds with a wavy appearance, much like the wind carves waves in the sand.  The clouds were a brilliant burnt orange against the turquoise sky.  The trees on the West side have dropped most of their leaves.  The trees stood as silhouettes against the harvest sunset skyline.  The strong afternoon wind has slowed to a barely noticeable breeze, giving the orange windsocks a rest for the night.

One of my homeboys came outside and we walked along the never ending nature trail.  He has been reading the "Pure" book I gave him and he had a few questions that we discussed.  I shared with him how we can remove the power sin has over us when we confess it to each other.  I told him about the freedom I found from my sin when I shared with 18 men in the loft at Valleybrook Church two years ago.

He's not ready for that step, but he is not giving up.  We finished our talk and he joined his bocci partner on the court as I headed back to my cube for an evening of writing and listening to the "Prairie Home Companion" show.  I find this to be one way to stay connected to home.

Tonight's show was broadcast live in Bemidji, MN.  They had a couple of local deer hunters on stage talking about the day's hunt.  I thought about my home boys back in "Tinysota", wondering if they had any success this opening weekend.  I have always enjoyed hunting with them, even though it is expensive to purchase an out-of-state license.  Those trips are over for me know, but I will always have the memories from our adventures at Deer Camp.

The show continued with the classic introduction "Well, it's been a quiet week in Lake Woebegone…"
My favorite part as Garrison tells the attest news in this mythical town.  Just as he started the story, my friend stopped by to talk.  This friend came to me earlier this week asking me and another Brother in Christ to check up on him as he was feeling very depressed.  The government had seized all of his bank accounts to collect his penalty.  The problem was, they could not locate one of his accounts, which sent him into a panic as it was all he had.  We prayed about it on the cold, aluminum soccer bench and encouraged him with a few verses of scripture.

I could tell he was doing better tonight, as he appeared to be confident and smiling as he waited for me to remove my headphones to talk.  He had taken our advice from the other day and called his Power of Attorney representative, who confirmed his account was intact.  The government was not able to find the account because they had not provided the correct information.  He was clearly relieved at the good news, and wanted to share his answered prayer with me.  After he left, I put on my headphones in time to hear Garrison say, "And that's the news from Lake Woebegon!…"   Oh well, it was worth it to hear my friend happy again!  The show wrapped up with an interview with Paul Bunyon.  Paul shared how he was kicked out of the Lutheran Church because he was "too big" for his britches.  So he joined the Unitarian Church, who though he was God.  I enjoyed a good laugh.  I will have to share this with my Lutheran friends tomorrow when we attend the Catholic Mass together!!!  I probably need to explain that last sentence, but you will have to wait for the NEXT post!!

I went to refill my water bottle at the ice room down the hall.  This would only take three minutes to complete, unless…

Yes, I was stopped by another Christian Brother along the way!  I call him, Angry Tom (name has been changed to protect the … innocent … or guilty), since he has a problem with - you guessed it - ANGER!  A few weeks ago, Tom stopped to talk to me as I watched some guys playing softball.  I have learned to be very careful not to talk about things that get Tom fired up.  Things like his anger problem and military service.  Of course, he brought up the military in our conversation.  I could see him change from pleasant to angry right before my eyes.  The veins in his neck appeared, his body stiffened and his neck stretched like a turtle poking his head out of his shell.  His neck stretched even farther and he positioned himself closer to my face.  His tone was sharp and he splattered his spittle as he spoke.  He asked me why I didn't serve in the military?  There is no possible answer I could give him that would satisfy him so I kindly replied to him that I did not want to talk about this with him.  This did NOT please him at all, so I braced myself for what was next.  He glared at me and then shouted in my face that I was a "coward" for not serving my country.  I did not respond by quietly prayed for him.  He repeated his accusation as though I did not hear him the first time.  He walked away in a huff, but returned to use some more obscenities, as he impugned my character at the softball field.  This was not the first time he has done this to me and others.  Sadly, he has been defined by his outbursts of anger and pride.  I forgave him in my heart, but he would not speak to me for weeks.  I made a point to say "Hello" to him when we passed in the hallway.  One day I shared in the chapel about what God was doing in my life.  I looked at Tom and he was staring at the floor to avoid me.  Pride!!  The other day, I passed by Tom as he sat on a bench in the recreation yard.  I almost tripped when I heard him say, "Hello" to me.  I replied pleasantly.  Each time we passed, he was becoming more open and even began to hold conversations.  I keep a tight boundary around our meetings as I don't have much confidence in him.

So getting back to my water bottle refill…

I ran into Tom and he wanted to talk.  So much for a three-minute-trip.  He had to tell me that some one retaliated against him.  Earlier he had an argument with someone else who was not happy with his hygiene.  I overhear that fight.  What makes me sad is that he is very vocal about being a Christian, as he quotes Bible verses in his conversations.  His pride and subsequent haughty attitude takes away the meaning of these verses.  It simply reflects poorly on the cause of Christ.  I finally escaped the conversation with Tom to catch the end of the show, but I was too late.  The show was over.

The next show on public radio is called "Mountain Stage".  They feature different musical guests with a folk and acoustic theme.  They travel around the country and this show was recorded at the Folk School in Grand Marais, MN.  I was instantly transported to a place I know and love.  I could picture the harbor and the Big Blue Lake in the background.  The big hill behind me is the entrance to the Gunflint Trail, which leads to the place where I proposed to my beautiful bride!  I had escaped my cube and landed in a great place on a warm sunny day with the cool lake breeze blowing inland.

I decided to make a sandwich, since the chicken and tofu dinner was not very filling.  I was told the tofu was added because the inmates who work in the kitchen have stolen so much chicken, they didn't have enough for dinner!  This has been happening quite often.  I picked out two slices of bread that weren't all that moldy yet and placed them on my locker top.  I opened a package of single-serve spam and squeezed it on to one of the slices of bread.  I bought a bottle of olive oil at the Commissary, so I thought I would use it on my sandwich instead of the Mayo packets I would normally use.  I grabbed some tortilla chips, my sandwich, and lounged on my bunk.  But really, I sat in a lounge chair in Grand Marais, listening to the show.   My imagination transported me there for a short time.  I wish my imagination could have changed the flavor of my Spam sandwich to more of a steak sandwich!!!  By the way, olive oil and spam do NOT compliment each other well…just in case you planned to rush out and pick some up at the store.

After my experimental snack, I went back to writing, so I could finish quickly.  My neighbor stopped over to chat with me for a while.  So much for writing!   It was a nice conversation, but I didn't really want to talk.  I wanted to listen to the music of Grand Marais and write.  I continued our conversation as he is a good neighbor and friend.

After the conversation ended, he left and I quickly put on my headphones and picked up my writing pad.  I didn't get very far when another friend stopped by to chat.  I was ready to give up my attempt to write.  I was also feeling anger welling up in my gut, because of yet another interruption.  But I knew this wasn't right.  After all, I had told him to stop over any time he wanted to talk.  I didn't explain to him that he had to make an appointment with my secretary first…ha ha ha.  I needed to honor my word.  While we talked, a co-worker from the Laundry stopped by to talk, but he could see we were talking about the Bible and he didn't have much interest in that topic.  He gave me a measuring tape and fabric chalk so I could use it for making alterations on inmate clothes.  Oh, by the way, I have a new job!!!  That is another story for when I can find time to write.  Now it's time for the 9:30 p.m. count, which means I'm getting tired and will lose my light soon.

After the count, I made a call home to my bride to learn she is coming down with a cold.  I finished the call when the timer cut us off mid-sentence.  I turned on my book light and started writing.  FINALLY!  Now I can write in peace.  Or so I thought!!  Merle  (Yes, that is a fake name, to protect the GUILTY) stopped by when he saw that I was awake.  Merle is a long-winded, half-hearted Buddhist who is going through "the Program" for sex offenders.  We hadn't talked for some time, but now we were going to catch up.  So we did.  He is a good man who is really working to make changes in his life.  I have tried to talk to him about Jesus, but he doesn't want to hear about Him.  But I still talk about Him in our conversations.  Even if he is not interested in my Faith, I will still be his friend and be there (here) when he wants to talk.

Merle was my last conversation of the day, literally, as it ended at midnight.  I want to finish this post so I decided to stick it out and complete it.  It is now 1:30 a.m.

I shared with you an example of how my days (nights) often become filled with unplanned opportunity.  I often feel like I have not accomplished the things I intended to do.  Things like:  reading my Bible, reading books in my locker, writing letters and cards, preparing for my advanced Heresy Study (oops!  I need to write about that topic too, when I get time!)  It must seem odd to read that an inmate is too busy to get things done.  Believe me when I tell you that it is a strange thing for me to even write it.  I have been feeling guilty about my lack of time to get things done.  I have applied to a local seminary who offers tuition free correspondence courses designed for inmates.  I was worried about keeping up with the homework.  Many inmates here signed up for the program.  One of my friends received a postcard from the school informing him they are postponing the enrollment due to lack of funding.  I was actually relieved to hear that.

I explained this to Jeannie when she came to visit me last weekend.  (No spam was served during her visit!!)  As we talked about it together, I began to realize how much of my time is spent on "relationships".  Could it be that this is what God wants me to do instead of isolating myself into a college level program?  Then Jeannie interrupted me and said something like…"Relationally loving people to Christ-Centered Wholeness?"  To which I replied, "What did you say?"  I heard her say it, but it didn't sink in.  It sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it.  She reminded me that this is the Mission Statement of our home church, Northridge Church, in Marshfield.  My mind started to make the connection.  Is this what being a missionary inside a prison is about?  It seems so simplistic.  Isn't relationship the core of discipleship?  It's not about a program…it's about a lifestyle.  It's more about influence as a result of our intimacy with God.  It's about listening to the Holy Spirit as He guides us, even when His plan does not match the plan I have.

Perhaps the interruptions are worth the time invested.  Perhaps I can pursue some less intensive study to further my knowledge.  Perhaps I can find some balance and maintain flexibility in the open door world.

Please pray for wisdom and guidance as I try to find my position in "ministry" here behind the razor wire.

It's approaching 2:30 a.m. now.  If this were a work night, my alarm would be going off in 30 minutes to start my day in prayer.  I can sleep in tomorrow (today, I guess) but I need to make it to Mass at 8:00 a.m. … or, I may just sleep through it.

P.S.  Remind me to tell you about Hampster Hank from Algoma, when I get the time!!!

Good night from Elkton…..Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

McFreedom out.