שלום חברים
Shalom Dear Friends,
Our next two newsletters will be a little different. I am writing this August 2013 newsletter during the first half of July. The reason: I will be spending the second half of July in Upper New York State teaching at Ariel Ministries Camp Shoshanah. Then, in August, Susan and I will be enjoying two weeks of vacation time with family in the great Northwest. The result is the fact that I need to get ahead of the curve and get the summer newsletters underway. The Lord has provided me with a couple of good substitute writers. The first is my guest writer for August, Mr. Adrian Torres.
Adrian with Bob and Susan
Susan and I have known Adrian for approximately 15 years, first through letters and then, for 13 years, in person. Adrian is doing time in the State of California prison system. Adrian is a Christian and is “redeeming the time.” He has worked as a Chaplain’s Assistant and even was a co-founder of a prison church, serving the Lord as the Teaching Elder for both English speaking and Spanish speaking inmate congregations. He has led numerous inmates to a genuine faith in Yeshua and has baptized many as well. We are very proud of him as he serves the Lord in a very difficult environment. Adrian is also a talented writer. His mentor started an Internet website on his behalf, for which Adrian writes devotional pages. We are currently attempting to put Adrian’s devotional writings into a book. Please take a few minutes and look at his website. Click on “Adrian’s Blog.”
For this newsletter, I have chosen to share one of his Blogs with you. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into the life of an incarcerated Christian.
“This prison should be torn down,” expressed brother Javier in a semi-angry voice. “The kitchens are rat infested. The cells stink like rust. The water is a shade of brown and tastes like urine. Most of the staff is rude. This place is a class A dump!”
I couldn’t blame him. Technically, he was right. This prison is an older prison and older prisons tend to have a long list of inhumane, sub-par problems. Compared to other prisons, this place can be considered a dump. No argument there. However, the day Javier expressed his gripe to me, Father had taught me a lesson in the morning that now could be shared with Javier.
As I do most mornings, I read my Bible and meditate on what I’ve read. On this particular morning, I felt a strong desire to read the whole letter to the Ephesians. So I did. Once done, I sat in the quiet, still of the new morning, digesting all six chapters of what I had just read.
My mind raced back and forth from nugget of truth to nugget of truth found in this awesome letter to the Ephesians. However, my heart was not fully at peace. There had to be something important God wanted me to see that I had not yet grasped. So I turned my handy book light back on and started to reread Ephesians.
Three verses in, the answer hit me right between the eyes. I noticed that even though Paul was in prison – in a dump of a prison – I could not tell or feel any ungrateful or negative attitude coming from him. He had all the right to complain about the unfair treatment he had received, and about the true dump he was in. Yet he chose to set his hope, sights, and trust in heavenly things. His circumstances would not snuff out his joy in the Lord.
That morning, I decided to write down a list of the beautiful things this prison held. This same list I pulled out from my Bible and showed Javier. “This list that I hold in my hands,” I explained to Javier, “is a list showing me why this prison is better than Beverly Hills 90210.”
He thought I was joking, until I started reading it off:
- I live in a gated community.
- Free weekly laundry services.
- Three square meals a day, rain or shine.
- Private cooks and chefs.
- Twenty-four hour guards, seven days a week – A+ security.
- Private fitness area.
- Private medical care 24/7.
- Rent free room and board, utilities included.
- Million dollar views of the Chino Hill mountains.
- First class union hired maintenance workers (i.e. highly paid handymen).
After reading off my list, I reminded Javier that if we dwell in the heavenlies, even in a dump of a prison like this, we can escape our circumstances and focus on the blessings that surround us. Paul set a great example for us through his letter to the Ephesians. Paul chose to see the blessings and not the ugly. “We, too,” I advised Javier, “must choose to see the blessings and not the ugly.”
Javier understood and decided to make a “Better than 90210” list for himself, too. He said he would pull it out in times of “ugly.”
Are you going through some “ugly” today? If you are, maybe making a list of all your blessings will help you. If you need inspiration, read the letter to the Ephesians. You will be surprised that he was even in prison. Yeah, it’s that good.
From my private suite –
Adrian J. Torres
Don’t be fooled. The California Prison System is not a pretty place to live, whether that prison be modern or antiquated. Susan and I try to visit Adrian once a month. We have done prison ministry together. We go inside. We know what “ugly” means, and the inside of a prison is “ugly” to the max. Please pray for Adrian. He gets discouraged at times. He needs the support of Christian brothers and sisters. Susan and I are very sure that when he is released, God has a great ministry in store for him. Not only that, he reaches out with the Gospel to the Jewish prisoners as well. Please pray for that aspect of his ministry. He is our unofficial evangelist behind bars.
Thanks for your partnership reaching the Jewish community with the Good News of Jesus the Messiah, even in prison.
Bob