|
| |
What is "Open Mike?"
On Saturday night the Candidates are give the opportunity to use the mike to
talk to the whole group. No one is ever required to speak or encouraged to
speak. Team members are told not to offer support to any Candidate who
becomes emotional while speaking. That support needs to come from the
table family. The team will leave the "family" will be there
Monday morning. I've left off names for privacy
 |
Before
Kairos, I tried to read my Bible but it just wasn't real. I prayed that I
could socialize better, and Kairos has shown me that I can be brothers with
men of all races.
|
|
I
have been asking "Is there a God?" This weekend I have found out
there is. I've been jumping, and dancing and happy, only God could do
something like that here.
I have found friends here that I didn't know, and I have learned that I have
friends that I will never meet, who have helped put this together, all those
folks praying for me. (he pointed to the 'prayer chain' that completely
encircled the room.) I'm not good at talking, but I can see this is real,
and I really need my new friends to help me be strong, I've been her 19
years and I never knew… The Lord has made me spit out what I was, I'm
asking you to help me not be like that dog that goes back for it.
|
|
I
know that God is with me, but this is unexplainable. My dad is a minister,
you know that PK kids are the worst, look where I am. All my life I've run
away from God because I didn't want to be a PK kid! I never knew I was
running to people like all these folks, men in color and men in white, that
would show me that God is bigger than my dad. I know it going to be a
struggle, but I now know Someone who can help me and He has sent me a
support group.
|
|
I
always knew there were good people, I just never was able to find a group of
them. I went to chapel, but so many of those dudes are just looking to make
parole, I didn't know how to find people who are real. Now I understand, I
found guys who are bad like me, but who are trying to be better, who are
real, I want to be real, please pray for me, I don't want to be like I was,
I need God. I need you to help pick me up when I fall.
|
|
It's
horrible in here, the tension in here makes us wear masks, we can't show
love in here because love is weakness. You made it so we could take off our
masks, to be real, to show who we are. I thought this was just going to be
one of those 'happy sing' things, well, I've been singing, and I've been
happy, but I haven't been putting on a show. If Love can make me happy in
here, and Love can make me actually sing happy, I guess Love ain't so weak.
I'm going to be telling folks that. People know I ain't weak and I can tell
them Love ain't weak.
|
|
There
is so much on my heart, I believe in God, but I thought this was just dead
time, be like you're dead and get through it. I've been here 16 years and
I've been throwing my life away. I can't be like that any more. I've learned
that I can reach out and help others, I can talk about God and people will
listen, I'm not going to throw away God any more, it's one thing to throw
away my life, but I can't throw God away, I got to share Him. |
|
All
I can say is that this isn't over, they tell me it continues on Monday
nights and I'm going to be there! (he has) I didn't want to come 'cause I
heard people cry here, and no one on this unit was ever going to see me cry!
You can tell the yard I cried, but I won't back down, I going to keep
coming. I been asked for someone to show me Jesus, I figure that was safe
'cause I didn't figure he was real.. I figured I could go on with my old
ways, but Jesus tripped me up, he sent you, and all those folks to pray for
me, and write me letters. I know what Jesus looks like now, I can fight, but
Jesus don't fight fair, he makes you want to stop fighting and give up. I
ain't never been beat before, but this a fight I'm glad to lose.
|
|
I
can say (the last speaker) can fight, you all know he can fight, if you see
him cry you know something big going down. God took my father and I hated
God, I didn't want anything to do with him, I work the hoe line and I liked
'cause I could break rocks, and every rock was someone's head! I broke a lot
of rocks, I spent 33 days in solitary a while ago, and I lost 60 pounds. It
didn't make no difference, I still held and lot of hate. I come here and I
find something real strange, I find that God He didn't take my father, He is
my father, and He loves me. I don't know if I'm ready to stop breaking
rocks, but I do know I got something different inside me, and it don't hurt,
it feels good, and I figure some of you brothers will help me hold on to it.
I don't want to hate anyone anymore.
|
|
I
can't say that I know that God is real in my life, this is all too new, I
mean if a tough guy like him can cry, I guess it's OK for me to cry too, but
even if I don't know if God is real in my life yet, I know that He is real
in your life. That tells me that God is real and it's up to me to make Him
real to me. I'm going to need a lot of help with this, but at least I know
where I can go to get it. The coolest thing I've seen this weekend is they
way people have taken off their masks and pulled in their chests. This is
real different. I can trust some of these guys now.
|
|
