DALLAS, TX – ‘WEEKEND OF CHAMPIONS’
A two hour flight became a 10
hour ordeal and traveling became a nightmare as freezing rain, wind and
cold hammered the Dallas area. It was snowing when I arrived. Our 622
teammates ‘sucked it up’ to show up for a ‘Weekend of Champions’ in 13
area prisons. My roommate for the weekend was another ex-con who is still
counting the days since his release from prison some “20 months ago”. He
told me, “I was about ready to shoot up some heroin with my cellmate when
I looked in the mirror and heard ‘Are you going to be this way
the rest of your life?’ I fell to my knees and cried out to God. He
saved me and delivered me from drugs! I still struggled with smoking
until one day a brother in the Lord, a big black guy, came to my cell and
asked if he could pray for me to be delivered from cigarettes. I haven’t
smoked since! My ex-wife & I, (she had divorced me while I was in prison), were recently
remarried and God is restoring our family.”
90% of Christians have never
led anyone to Christ, but that pattern was broken on the weekend as many
of our teammates led someone to Christ for the first time in their lives.
Over the weekend we ministered to 10,658 inmates and saw a total of
2,847 Decisions
for Christ!
Wherever I minister in prisons
I try to cover my expenses by preaching in a local church. This time I
called local pastors, but all had other things scheduled. However, one
pastor hooked me up to preach at a church in Abilene (about 2 ½ hours
away). The Abilene pastor picked me up in Dallas and I preached Sunday AM
and PM at his church. It was great to meet him and his family and the
congregation. We had several visitors and many responded to the altar
calls. A number were interested in joining us for a weekend of prison
ministry in Austin in January of ’07. Several asked me to write their
loved ones in prison, or those recently released. I had a great time, and
God took care of my expenses.
KINGMAN, AZ – STATE PRISON
“.. Many souls in the valley of decision..” The Spirit of
God is touching men and changing lives in this place! I was invited by
Chaplain Adorno to speak to some of the 1,400 inmates in this prison.
Participation was great and I preached to over 100 men on Saturday night
and preached 3 services on Sunday. Many men responded to the altar calls.
This prison experienced a
breakthrough some months ago when they celebrated the ‘National Day of
Prayer’. Seven hundred men showed up on the yard to take part. The
warden liked it so much that she authorized another event that took place
several months later. This time over 1,000 men assembled on the yards and
the chaplain was given the
‘gun tower’ (that overlooks all the yards) as a ‘pulpit’!
I counted it a privilege to be
allowed to minister and follow up on what God has begun here. The
chaplain is following up on men who are being released and reported that
many are continuing their walk with God.
LETTERS
“Free Indeed Ministries,
Please find my tithe enclosed according to God’s Word.”
Inmate, AZ
“Dear Pastor Rice, (I’m not a
pastor) I received your letter and the book you sent me, thank you very
much. I’m doing good, I signed up for church and am attending services.
I have had some set-backs but
will not give up trying. I am grateful that God allowed me to be here in
prison. I was playing a dangerous game. Drugs and the lifestyle were
killing me. I hope and pray for you that God opens doors for you to
change people’s lives. I ask you to lift me and my mother and brother up
in prayer to serve the one and only true God.”
Inmate, AZ
“Dear Brother Dennis Rice,.. I
want to thank you for taking the time for coming and speaking to us about
your testimony and how our Lord has transformed your life. Glory to
Jesus!”
Inmate, AZ
“Mr. Dennis Rice,.. I’m not
sure if you will remember me. I met you during a Bill Glass ‘Weekend of
Champions’ at the Holliday unit in Huntsville, Texas. When some of the
other prisoners told me who you were, I had to come over and talk with
you. I really couldn’t believe how a person like you could change your
life around from believing in Manson to being a follower of Christ. .. I
need someone positive to help me.”
Inmate, Texas
“Brother Dennis, I remember
you from when you came to Donovan Corr. Facility in San Diego. Now I am
up here in CMC-East and I have met an old acquaintance of yours. His name
is Bruce Davis. He is a great influence to me as you are. I fellowship
with him regularly and I see the love in his heart for God. He mentioned
your name to me and I told him I had met you in S.D.. I continue to pray
for you and your ministry and hope that maybe some day you may be able to
come here to CMC and preach or give a seminar. May you continue to
encourage others as you have me. Thank you for the love you have for me
and especially for showing me that God still has plans for my life.”
Inmate, CA
Thanks to you for your prayers
and support. We couldn’t do it without you.
