We got in from Lubbock at 1:30 am Monday morning! I sent out a video blog regarding my experiences at the schools on Friday and many of you have responded by saying you liked getting information through video. We will continue to utilize this format but not exclusively.
Regarding the schools, my experiences were revolting! I was unable to share much of what I experienced due to the limited amount of time the video format affords. The first school I addressed has endured 3 suicides this year alone. I met a sophomore student at this campus whose sister shot herself in the head.
Regrettably, she was the one who found her sister's body crumpled in a pool of blood. I cannot fathom the unforgettable images she will never be able to forget.
I met a 7th grader who was pregnant, an eighth grader reeling from the guilt of multiple sex partners, teenage boys who regularly smoked dope with parents, countless "cutters", date rape victims, a gang banger who got saved and promised to leave his gang, and a plethora of other aimless, hopeless, and confused teens.
Saturday night I spoke to about 650 men from the hunting community. There were exactly 90 adult men who prayed to receive Christ. It is remarkable to see that many men accept Christ, because they are "typically" the hardest segment of the population to reach. I have never seen that kind of response among men except one other time when we had 96! When you reach the man, you reach the family. The thought of such a bounty of families, forever changed, pulls my trigger.
Sunday morning services were a lightning bolt. Right off the jump we had about 60 walk the aisle to commit to Jesus. Most of the decisions were adults!
That evening we gave away two used cars and had 128 decisions for Christ of which 86 were students accepting Christ as Savior. Including all services, there were 342 people who made a public commitment. The church staff said they had never experienced anything like it!
On our way home I felt led to stop by a jail in a small town of about 500 people. The town is Dickens, and if you blink once, you will miss it. The jail intrigued me every time I drove by because it looked like something out of place and time. It's over 100 years old and made of stone- like something from "Lonesome Dove". It was about 11:30, and I made a illegal U-turn and walked in the door and asked the jailer to give me a tour. Eugene and Anthonie thought I was crazy! Remarkably, it was a woman who unexpectedly had driven into Lubbock the day before to attend our event. She heard about it on the radio and brought her kids in for something to do. What are the odds? She was electric and gave us the full tour. I got to speak to the 4 inmates who were incarcerated, and I held their hands through the bars and talked with them about Jesus and forgiveness.
The youngest inmate was 19 and was just given a 30 year sentence. Another guy had burned down the local Baptist Church. He decided that his carpentry skills could be put to use if a new building was needed. Obviously it was a tainted reason, but an unbeliever's mind can conjure up some deranged ideas. I found him remorseful and regretful, and they were all glad to see us and receptive to what we had to say. I felt compassion, love, and sorrow for them all until I found out [after we went downstairs] that the 19 year old had raped 2 little girls. I then felt HATE towards him! I laid in bed until 4 wondering how God could love so unconditionally. I still am perplexed how he can love so completely.
God reminded me that He loved that guy every bit as much as me. I no longer feel hate but pity. The jailer said that he had been sexually abused as a child.
What kind of man would I be if God's grace had not been heaped upon me?
The jail was a great unexpected experience and taught me much. I had no idea that what I thought was a spontaneous U-turn was actually a divine appointment. I'm glad I went, and it seemed the prisoners were as well.
Arrested By Jesus, Jay