An Equal Opportunity Place

This week we had another Poetry Reading Night in our library (see my blog from 2/11/11).  The 3rd issue of The Mission Gazette, our in-house campus newspaper (see 9/3/09 and 3/8/12 blogs), also came out this week Both are run by men in our Program.

The band and choir for our annual Graduation Banquet at Martin’s West are composed of our guys.  We are having weekly practices and one day the guitar player was out.  Guys started yelling at Chip, telling him to go up on stage and fill in.  He has not practiced with the band at all, but came up out of the audience and skillfully played rhythm guitar for every song.  We didn’t miss a beat. 

Artwork created by men in the program hangs all over the campus (see 7/23/10 blog).  In fact, just a few weeks ago, one of our community partner organizations purchased some of our artwork.  Every year they give it away as awards for people they want to honor.

And, now, softball starts in 2 weeks.  Last year we were league champions (see 9/16/11 blog).  This is a place full of incredibly talented people.  It’s also a great place to work.

One Man at a Time,
Pastor Gary Byers
Spiritual Life Director

PS  Here is a poem from one of the guys

U-TURN

Hey!  You ever heard of the H.U.M?
It’s where the spiritually broken and morally sick addict can come.
We come here so weak we need the aid of this ‘crutch’
Until we are introduced to our God and His Loving Touch.
That pitiful crutch is known as ADDICTION
That has caused us such pain, lost and dereliction.
Yes, when it seemed that there was nowhere else to turn
The H.U.M. took us in and quieted our concerns.
The caring staff told us: “You can succeed
If you merely surrender and become God’s ‘SEED’”.
Instead of using slang, talking nonsense with curses
We now quote the bible and its lovely verses.
So though out the H.U.M. you’ll hear verses quoted
And witness God’s Word being everywhere toted.
Now everyone who knows us is just so amazed
Of our magnificent conversion – in just 45 days!
We are learning of Jesus and His loving Spirit
To bless It, respect It, honor and fear It.
We recognize we have committed sin after sin
But aren’t we so blessed we can try it again?
I speak for the H.U.M. when I say that we’ve learned
That God has destroyed the “One Way” and He allows a “U-Turn.”
 
Manuel (Graduation Class of 2012)