I want to go back to prison!!

Did that title spark your interest or what?!?! :)

So... yesterday we had the incredible blessing of going into Sheridan Prison about an hour and a half south of Chicago to share our love for Christ with the men at this facility!!!

OH MY WORD!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE NEVER BEEN A PART OF SOMETHING SOOOOO GOD AND SOOOO POWERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!

We began the day by getting a little bit of training on the materials we would be using to share the Gospel. Then we started our day! There were two performers, one lady who does mad crazy tricks with basketballs and an NFL player who can do crazy strength tricks and has an incredible story. Both of these individuals were amazing and accomplished the task of getting the men's attention and placing that attention on hearing the Gospel.

That's when God gave us an incredible gift!!!!! Each of us (on our team, staff and students) was able to huddle up with a group of about 10 of the men (inmates) in this prison and share our love and passion for God and His Good News!! WOW!!!!!!!!! That's all I know to say!! They were sooooo hungry for what God was sharing through us!! I don't know if I've ever been in a situation or ever will be again where the people I am blessed to talk with are sooooo hungry for the Message!!! THEY WERE SOOO HUNGRY!!!!!!!

So, God lead through me a group of 10 men in the morning and then we did the entire program again in the afternoon and He led another group of 10 men in the afternoon and let me be a part of it!!!!!

Oh, the stories I was blessed and trusted to hear!!! And how these men just wanted to be heard!! If you're interested in hearing more at some point, ask me about David and Randy, two of the men I had long, deep conversations with that brought tears to my eyes and made my heart ache and rejoice with what they've been through and where God is taking them!!!!!!!

HERE'S THE BEST PART -- GOD ALLOWED ME TO BE A PART OF HIM LEADING 5 MEN TO A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sitting at my computer typing this with tears in my eyes and overwhelming joy in my heart that I am going to see these men again in Heaven at our precious Holy Father's throne!!!!!!!!!! PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!

I loved going into the prison yesterday!!!!!!! The Holy Spirit was soooo present, moving, and working through us!!!!!!!! What an overwhelming, unforgettable experience!!!

I was soooo nervous going into that experience yesterday!! A LOT of prayer was covering into that experience!!! And God was soooo faithful!!!!!!!

When asked at the end if I would ever do something like this again, without hesitation, I responded, "I can't wait to do this again!!!!!!!!" And after I said that, I was like, "Did I really just say that?!?!" I DID!!!!! AND I MEANT IT!!!!!!! I can't wait for God to bless me with another experience with His Presence and Power in that environment!

What a challenging, stretching, growing, and encouraging experience!! I told the men I was blessed to converse with them and that I was walking out of that prison sooooo deeply encouraged by each of them!! And they looked at me like I was crazy! But it was true!! I told them that them allowing me to spend time with them, hear their stories, and allow me to share my love for Christ and more importantly Christ's love for each of them - that has to be one of the greatest blessings of my life!!!! And the handshakes and hugs I received at the end of each of group times was amazing - the genuine respect and love established in such a short amount of time!!!!! Crazy!!

What a crazy God we serve!!! Who loves each of us with such a crazy, endless love!!!!!! The more our God deepens my heart and head knowledge with His crazy love and Spirit, the more He fills me with His energy and power to do crazy things to bring Him glory and to share that crazy love with as many people as I can!!!!!!

Amazing day! Amazing God!! Amazing, crazy Love!!!

Much love!!