Fresno WOC Sunday

We went to the Juvenile facility again. I was able to see Jon Kregel - he played soccer with Pele, of all people. He had a really good message and was able to show the kids how success doesn't mean you've made it. I realize this is a very dry way to put it...

Next was Don Simpson. Don's claim to fame is that he spent seventeen years, nine months in Kansas penitentuaries for killing three people. That's it. No Super Bowl ring, no rags to riches. Just rags.

Now, to be fair to Don, he's built like Herschel Walker. It's obvious from his build and demeanor that he could have gone far in pro sports. As a matter of fact, he currently is a strength trainer for some semi-pro teams. When he walks into the room, everyone notices him. But, as he so eloquently said, he was stuck on stupid.

When he spoke to the large group - about 200 kids - he made a good impression. He does a good job of scaring and cajoling the kids - he's a 52 year old grandfather with six kids of his own, so he knows those ropes also.

However, he really came through when I saw him in a small group of about ten kids. We were in the lockdown unit and he spoke in a small room with the kids, guards, and WOC teammates sitting around him. He is much more impressive and intimidating up close. He spoke of hitting sixty-four people with an iron bar and how four of them still haven't woken up. He said he did this because he didn't want to take the time to argue with them.

He also called a kid out that was, in his opinion, showing some attitude. He's not afraid to tell them exactly what he thinks about where they're going and why they shouldn't go. I think his best line was, "I've been down the road you're headed and believe me, you don't want to go there."

Our next stop was solitary confinement. Don spoke to about six kids who were confined to their cells, only three of which could even open the food slot to listen. The rest had to listen from behind a completely sealed off door - no bars or mesh, just a small window.

It was truly amazing to see this huge man filled with the love of God and having compassion on these children. At the end of his session, as the guards were telling us we had to leave, he lead three of them to faith in Christ. Praise God! What else can I say?

I thank God that I am able to go on these weekends and that he is using me for his kingdom.

Fresno WOC Saturday

Today, I went to Chowchilla, the largest women's unit in America. To say it was an eye-opening experience would be an understatement. I had been in one women's unit before, the Henley unit in South Texas, and it wasn't anything like this one.

Alan Orr and I arrived at the unit at 8:30 am and went to the Visitor's Center. There were about forty people there, waiting to get in to see a relative. Forty people for a prison population of almost 3700...do the math. We stood around and waited for Kevin K (I can't spell his last name), the Public Information Officer (PIO). He was going to be my minder for the day. He was a very nice guy, but still made it clear that I wasn't to go anywhere without him.

While we waited, I had to inventory my bag and go over it with an officer. No big deal.

We had to wait a while for Kevin, but he showed up around 9 and we made our way into the yard. It would probably be more accurate to call it the field. I don't know, but it was much larger than any yard I've ever seen. There was a cement walking track around the outside and a lot of grass in the middle. The stage was set up on the back of a big flatbed truck. I set up the camera on the truck and left it on for a shot that would show all the inmates walking in. Woo. Hoo.

Just watching the inmates walk in was an experience. They all walked in in an orderly fashion and sat down - most of them - but then started moving around. Most of them would stay in one place, apparently to save a spot, but there didn't appear to be a rule about moving around. I'm not saying there should be, it was just different. Also, they could smoke. Personally, I could care less if inmates are allowed to smoke or not, but after coming from the Texas prison system, it was weird to see that. Kevin told me that after 7/1, no tobacco would be allowed on the grounds - even from staff.

I could feel and see the spritual oppression over the whole place. Many of the women were tattooed extensively. Most of the tattoos were gang tattoos or some kind of possessive marking. By this I mean that they had, apparently, been marked by someone else. There were a few women that I had to double and triple check to see if they were, indeed, women. I have seen some butch women before, but the ones I saw there really were under demonic influence. Say what you will, but my heart broke for them in their bondage and the way they have been deceived.

We filmed Rick Cruz and Sandy Fatow. He is a hispanic performer (most excellent) and she has a rag/drugs to riches, fell and found Jesus story. There is no way I could do her story justice, you have to hear it for yourself.

More later.

Fresno WOC

I'm in Fresno, CA with Champions For Life (CFL), a Bill Glass ministry that does evangelism in the nation's prisons. Even though I have no more experience that anyone else with a video camera, I was asked to come here to help film in some of the surrounding prisons.

Yesterday, we did some pretty boring video of a meeting between the CFL coordinators and the wardens and staff of Chowchilla Women's facility - it's billed as the largest women's prison in the world.

Last night, I filmed the freshman training. There were about 300 people in an EV Free church here in Fresno. It went fairly well and I got some good 'before' interviews with from a group of college kids at the training. Tonight, I'll get the 'after' interviews. These are fun because you can see the changes in their attitudes and their excitement from the day in prison. They are with the Joshua Wilderness Institute and seem like a great bunch.

Today, I will be filming in the juvenile facility. Bill Glass will be doing his Blessing speech to a bunch of kids without fathers. The Blessing talks about how we need to be blessed by our fathers and how we have a heavenly father who wants to bless us.

Please pray for my family as they usually come under spiritual attack whenever we go on a prison visit. Pray for me also, as I go into the stronghold of the enemy.

New Blog

This is my new blog.

My old one is at marklindberg.blogspot.com. It has been put to another use...notes on my brother, Tim.