By Rob Fogel, Missionary-Athlete
Reporting from the Gateway to Florida Crusade
Saturday morning on this crusade we were operating a split squad: while most of the team went to Florida State Prison to play whiffle ball, I joined a small group that went to Union CI to host a chapel service. This doesn’t happen often, but we had a large team and being able to accommodate an extra invitation appealed to all of us.
Saturdays are always the toughest day to visit a prison because it is also visiting day. Friends and family come from all over just to spend a couple of hours with someone they love who is behind bars. Seeing the visitors lining up early to be admitted inside always impacts me, for both the sacrifice they make to be there and the truth that this is their reality – the inmate’s role in the family is reduced to being an appointment.
While waiting to be processed, my teammates and I witnessed an older woman and a young girl also waiting…but not at all happy about it. A teammate jokingly commented that “they are so unhappy they could be from Jersey.” When their turn came to enter, I overheard the conversation and their surname…Stadt. Then it was our turn and the entire scenario left my mind as we focused on the chapel service to come.
We were delayed yet again after getting through security and spent some time waiting in the visiting room, where I once again saw those two – but this time with a smiles on their faces as they spent time with their guy. I was left with a nice picture in mind when we headed out of the room to be about our Father’s business.
As we approached the chapel, a man welcomed us who I have met at least two other times in past trips, a guy the Saints only know as Walker. When I mentioned I recognized him, he acknowledged that he had seen the Saints team often at another facility and was excited we were willing to do this chapel service.
We were disappointed to find only 4 guys showed up at the chapel, but the Saints Prison Ministry has never worried about how many come to an event – those who do come are obviously who the Lord needs to reach on that day. We also later found out that the service was being simulcast to 230 men waiting on death row!
After we concluded our part of the service, we opened up the floor for any inmate testimony. Walker immediately stepped up and offered a fiery, five-minute testimony to being on fire for the Lord and knowing that Christ died for all of us. He did a fabulous job of giving all the glory to God, despite his circumstances.
After the service, Walker shared that he is being released on July 11 (after 41 years!), and he has multiple ministry partners lined up to help him make a difference for Christ when he gets out. After seeing what he meant to that Chaplain and the men we spoke with, I felt compelled to ask him; “who is going to take your place in the chapel?” His response was priceless… “It’s a new guy from New Jersey that is on fire for the Lord – his name is Stadt.”
And with that statement, my entire day came full circle! Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor!
