Even a slow week goes by fast

Somewhere around the middle of this week, I was thinking, "Wow, this week has been so much less eventful and hectic than last week -- I'm only a little behind on the myriad tasks I lined up at the start of the week." Now, looking back from the end of the week (with altogether too much of that list remaining undone), I'm realizing the week hasn't exactly been uneventful. In fact, it's been downright normal (which translates as "Insane!" to most, I suspect). I won't try to pack it all into one post; I like to keep posts to under 400 pages, a trait my seminary professors probably wish I'd developed in time for those gargantuan research papers. Here's a few quick updates on what's going on in the ministry here, though.

I don't believe in jinxes, crossing fingers, knocking on wood, and so on. Um, would someone else mind crossing their fingers, toes, pigtails, and whatever else is handy, oh, and banging on whatever wooden objects come to hand? At the moment, it looks like both of our buses should roll tomorrow -- the scary tires on the old one have been replaced, the gizmo on the filter of the new one has been replaced, and even the brake valve on that one is done. This is a good thing, since tomorrow is "picture day," (maybe more details on that after the event?) and that usually brings a whole slew of children, I'm told.

Last Friday on jail ministry, I gave a man a tract and went through the gospel with him. He seemed receptive, but didn't make a decision at that point. When I came back this week, he was still there, and said he had prayed, asking God to forgive him of his sins. Hallelujah! This week, I went through the gospel with a young man (probably older teen), who also seemed very receptive, even moved. But he decided not to receive it while I was there, in spite of the encouragement of his roommate. Those of you who pray, ask God to bring this work to fruition in his heart. Oh, and we're happy on behalf of one of the men we've been working with for about 10 months -- he was finally released, given probation and a suspended sentence. Over those months, he has been tremendously consistent in everything I can see, a genuine believer who is growing in the Lord. We'll have to see if he makes it stick now that he's out. I don't think that what he had was jailhouse religion -- but a lot of men who mean well when they get out slip away once they're back in their old neighborhood, with the same family and friends, habits and influences that helped bring them down in the first place.