Greetings, July, 2007

As I have mentioned before, I would love to photograph our ministry with these kids in the CMI, I think you would be impressed. BUT it's strictly against policy. In this case, story form will have to do.

I walk up the two flights of steel and cement stairs with each step sounding an echo. At the top I go through the big steel door to my left and continue walking toward the four-bed cell that faces me. It's one of about twenty small cells on either side of the long aisle which holds teenage inmates. I looked at the six boys in the cell who were calling to me. Holding onto the bars of their cell, they looked like monkeys in a cage at the zoo. "Von, you got any chocolates?", several called out. I ignored the question and asked if they had scabies or sores or athletes foot. "I'm up here for medical reasons today", I said. "Hey, von, I got scabies here on my arm", one boy said as he shoved his arm out of the bars. "Look at my sores here, von", another boy replied. A guy on the bottom bunk shoved his foot through the bars and pointed out the fungus between his toes; "Would you put some medicine here?", he asked. Whether it's a bruise, an infected cut or pimples on their faces, the kids want to know if we can help. It's strange how a simple cut on a finger can be so concerning to a tough murderer.

With two bags full of topical medicines, peroxide and a dose of patience, Armando and I go to each cell. As we apply various medicines we talk with the young inmates. Indeed, our medicine comes in the form of tubes but what most of them want is attention.

We make it a fun time, too, as we always do. One teenage boy had his feet hanging out from between the bars. I grabbed one of his legs and started tickling his foot while he laughed uncontrollably. Some of the boys stretched their arms out from behind the bars and asked me to draw cartoons on their wrist with my pen. Ironically, sometimes my cartoon characters are drawn just above four or five scars where the boy has tried to cut his wrists.

These kids love chocolate candy so I carry a bunch of small chocolates in my pockets. As a contest, I placed two small pieces of wrapped chocolate in the center of the cement aisle between the cells. We were wondering how fast and creatively these inmates would get the candy into their cells (we are talking four feet here). The reaction was both fast and creative. These guys are clever when it comes to chocolate! Immediately they grabbed towels and, stretching their arms out with a towel in each hand, they whipped the floor until they'd fished the chocolates to their cells.

One thing's for sure: these little tigers, some not so little, are crying out for attention from someone who cares. Any man will do ... even if he is an old man.

Today Armando and I spent three and a half hours working with more than three hundred young inmates.

Thanks to each of you who make our ministry possible. Continue to keep us in your prayers!

Von, for all of us at Spectrum.