A Baptism of Buckets and Coke

Ministry has many different faces. Sometimes it looks like the last blog post I posted with God setting people free. Sometimes it looks like sharing testimonies of what God is doing in our lives and laying hands and praying for those present. And then there are other times when its completely different, and ministry looks like twirling kids around and playing futbol. 

This blog is actually about the same day as the last one I posted. Its kind of hard to keep track of days. Honestly I dont remember what day that was. But after we were done ministering to the prisoners, they invited us to come play futbol with them in the prison yard. Imagine an enclosure about the size of a tennis court with razor wire lining the edges and a massive water tower looming over it. Oh and the random ditch on the other side that we kept tripping and falling into. It was a new experience for sure. One that ended with Benny sending the ball sky high and it got caught on the razor wire and popped. Oh the places youll go and the things youll see.. 

After the game, my buddy Mark from the prison invited whoever wanted to to wash off. We were all drenched in sweat and literally looked as if we had dipped in a swimming pool. He directed us to the corner of the prison yard, where there was an alcove built into the wall and a barrel of water with a sawed off vegetable oil jar turned makeshift shower.

That was the best shower I hasd ever had, my first prison baptism. Sometimes ministry looks like that. Just playing some futbol with the guys, showing them that were not coming here with the attitude that we are somhow superior, but that were here to come alongside them, and to bring the presence of God everywhere we go. I think this is a beautiful example of the famous saying of St. Francis (I think its saint Francis, either him or Thomas Aquinas forgive me if Im wrong) To preach alwyas and when necessary use words. 

This for me ties into 1 Cor 4:20, that the Kingdom of heaven is not a matter of words but of power. 

One more unrelated story that happened that night, just to let you in on some of my day to day life, and my crazy hobo self.. So that night, I really wanted a coke, but we were in for the night and there was no way to get one. I dont think I prayed about it, just thought it, and for some reason God decided to bless me. I was walking back to my room and I see a coke bottle sticking out of the trash can. I thought to myself theres no way. I pulled it out and it was only half full! So the Lord blessed me with a coke, my second baptism of the day, in cocacola. 

What a day. My first bucket shower ever, and my first time drinking a coke out of the trash. All in all a great day.