From Addicts to Disciples

It’s Wednesday afternoon and the inmates from G-1 Block are gathering for the weekly From Addict to Disciple Group in Lancaster County Prison led by David Hain and myself. The meeting is opened with prayer then there is an opportunity to share prayer requests and praise reports. This gives the guys an opportunity to share what is happening in their lives, their struggles, their victories and concerns for families, court dates, and whatever else is on their mind. Often we play music that draws our hearts to God’s love and grace in our lives.

Then comes the main part of our group session; discussing what God has to say through his word about addiction and how to overcome it. Currently we are working through the Gospel of John, chapter by chapter, so see what Jesus has to say about the subject. After watching the chapter on the Visual Bible DVD, the men share what stood out to them and spoke to their heart. This past week we were discussing in Chapter 14 how Jesus and the Father want to make their home in us. We agreed that if we could live in that reality, our lives would be transformed. After 2 hours, the meeting is ended with prayer. In addition to this group, David holds another men’s group on Friday morning and David and Kathy Paxton hold a group for women on Wednesdays.

Dave and I consider it an opportunity to share our hearts with these men as they are on their journey to freedom. Their honesty, desperation and desire for change is refreshing. Because of the consequences of their addiction, they are forced to look at what has controlled and destroyed their lives. Unlike many of us, they cannot hide who they really are. It is out open for all to see.

Gerald May describes addiction as a state of compulsion, obsession or preoccupation that enslaves a person’s will and desire. Addictions include things such as drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, food, shopping, just to name just a few. We believe that addiction is a spiritual battle. Our particular addiction is medicating a wound or hurt that is in our lives. Instead of looking to God to meet all of our needs, we try to fill the void with other things. Often as a result of these wounds, we end up believing lies about ourselves, God, and life and make bad choices. In the groups and one-on-one sessions, we look to identify these wounds and ask God to bring healing to our hearts. We talk about what it means to be a godly man and how to make godly choices. We also discuss the importance of true fellowship; finding five godly men who will speak honestly and lovingly into their lives.

On Tuesday evenings, two From Addict to Disciple Groups (one for the men and one for the women) are held at the Etsah Ministries offices in Leola, PA. Etsah is an addictions ministry that meets the state’s requirement for drug and alcohol counseling and fulfills the requirements of parole and probation. The goal of this group is to provide folks with an opportunity for fellowship and a safe place to be honest about their journey. Often families of addicts attend to understand what is happening in the lives of their loved ones.

Recently David, the founder and director of Etsah Ministries, had the opportunity to take the From Addict to Disciple Program to South Africa. Over 200 prisons are open and wanting to get involved. For more information: www.etsahministries.org/

Back in the US, Back in the US, Back in the US..A

Just a play on an old song title to see if anyone catches it.

We landed at Dulles Airport a little after 6AM on the 31st of July. Our processing through baggage claim took a while as Isaac's bag is lost and we had to file the claim and fill out the forms. Shawn's parents picked us up and drove us home. SO with a stop off for breakfast we were home before noon. Jetlag and the time difference began to settle in and by suppertime we were ready for bed.

Our last week in South Africa was awesome. The service on Sunday July 26th in Tembisa township was a real blessing to all of us. Pastor Vincent Mathews and his wife Cheryl and 8 of their 10 kids (missionaries from Detroit) minister at Tabernacle COGIC Church. They have a permanent building for offices and Sunday School and a big tent for the sanctuary. It's easy to preach in a setting where everyone is full of life and energy and praisin' Jesus!

That evening we were treated to a variety of Indian food as guest's at the home of a family from Acts Christian Church. It was fabulous and their hospitality was amazing! They gave us generous amounts to take home as leftovers and then made another dish we hadn't tried and delivered it to us on Tuesday!

The last week in Krugersdorp and Leeukop prisons each of the groups were special. Men came forward to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, men shared testimonies of how their lives had changed, new men joined the groups and stated "I had to come and see what was going on when I saw how much these guys had changed!", and one man shared his vision for taking the From Addict to Disciple group approach back into the communities when he gets released! The officials at Krugersdorp have agreed to take some pictures of the group and email them to me.

On Friday the 24th of July, Jordan and Isaac ministered in another preschool in Tembisa township. What a delight for me as their dad to watch them share their love for Jesus, a skit, a song, several stories and a craft with 35 smiling and laughing young children loving every minute of it!

On Monday and Tuesday we checked out two Christian schools in the area and toured their facilities. This was very helpful as we have a real understanding of options for Jordan and Isaac in case we move there.

On Tuesday evening group at Acts Christian Church had a braai (barbecue) where we all got to share Afrikaan boerwors (sausage). One man's mom brought some Indian food and all the guys brought a variety of snacks and beverages. It was a great night of fellowship and ended with sharing of testimonies.

Wednesday evening we had a wonderful meal and family time of fellowhip with Pastor Vincent and Cheryl and their family at their home. It was a fitting ending to our month to spend time with an American missionary family who had lived their for 5 years. We got to ask many of our questions about long term visas, health insurance, etc. as well as compare notes on American sports with a family of Detroit Lions fans!

We have so many people to thank for how they blessed us during our month in Midrand, South Africa. Rod & Sharon, Gerard and Tiana, Pastor Peter, Pastor Vincet & Cheryl, Kyle, Mark, Dhaneshree's family and all of our new friends at Acts Christian Church, Tabernacle COGIC Church, and at the prisons. Also thanks to all of you who have been faithful prayer warriors for us as we have been in South Africa.