Prayer Request

Dear Prayer Partners,

I just had Amy and Jan here each day for four days. That's a lot of time but we used it so well. I'm always surprised how time flies when people come. We never really run out of things to talk about. The well of information God gives us in living his life is deep. We can dwell on him for a long time.

One thing that became so amazing to us as we talked is how God has responded to all your prayers to my situation. Of course, Amy is very sensitive for me. When she came here it was a different experience than visiting in Duluth. This is much more like a prison. The generous amount of razor wire in layers and double rows all around the facility is very different. The guards that ride around the compound in pickups with loaded shotguns is different than Duluth. Then as the visitors come in the rules they receive are much more restrictive and the visiting room is a lot less friendly. You are not allowed to walk around, talk to other inmates or their guests, children must stay sitting. If they want to play they can play in a room by themselves, but parents can't be in there with them. It's not a child friendly place. For Amy's tender heart it was hard for her to see me here. She cried both coming and going the first day.

For me visiting is very different also. I am patted down when I come in like at Duluth. When I leave, every time is a complete strip search, completely stripped, bend over and cough, then dress again. If I need to use the bathroom during visiting, to sit down, I must go with the guard, completely undress and use the stool while being watched. Then dress again and continue to visit. It would be nice if we had clothes with just a big Velcro strip down the back we could step in and out of. It's pretty amazing to me how soon these things become normal and I don't think much of it.

What became more evident as we talked is that I'm not even mindful of the hardness of this place. My bed is thin mattress on steel. I'm living on a floor with 200 very sick and dying men. I know this is not a place where children like to see their aging Dad. But the amazing thing is that for me, I don't really live here. I don't live in the reality of it. My reality is that I am the Lord's, he is caring for me and he is meeting all my needs. I don't see that there is anything I need that I don't have. I have a hard time sleeping and many nights I don't fall asleep until 5:00 AM. For my family that is terrible to think about. For me, I have found that it is not terrible to lie there all night. I lie there and am so mindful that my body has no pain. Even the hard bed does not give me pain. I can not tell I have cancer. I really praise the Lord hour by hour for his goodness, and I don't have to think hard about his goodness because it's all around me. I really do have true joy. This is not an exercise in the power of positive thinking. I think of that often. I loved positive thinking books, I read Norman Vincent Peal, Earl Nightingale, (brain cramp) the guy from Dallas Texas who just died. I love those ideas, but what I'm experiencing is way beyond what I or man can produce. It's the Holy Spirit dwelling in me, lifting me up. I am living in a different realm than my circumstances.

As Amy was talking about this we ended up praying and thanking God for it. As Amy was praying I thought of the book "The Heavenly Man". It's a true story of a man who was in prisons in China for many years just for being a Christian. He was tortured, tied and forced to sleep outside naked where his wife could come to the fence and see him, but couldn't get to him to bring him anything or comfort him. I certainly am not in any condition like him, but I think I have a shadow of it to see how God provides. God really does meet our needs. I think of all the apostles dying as martyrs. How did they do it? All the same way.

I have thought of this many times. I want to do prison well, to do it for the glory of God. Not to show what a great guy I am , but to show what a great God we serve and there is nothing that he can not do. We often only think in terms of circumstances. God is way beyond circumstances. He does not need circumstance to change in order to bring comfort to his people. The truth of that is way beyond our understanding. His grace for that is much more for the person (me) than for those who watch (family and friends). So, as you so faithfully pray for me, be sure to pray for my family as well. I know it is very hard for them. My desire is that all Christians, all who read my email's and pray, may be not only encouraged but strengthened in their faith so that as governments grow, laws increase, powers shift, the world changes, and we all have  children and grandchildren and are concerned about the world they will live in, we can prepare them by strengthening their faith and trust in God that he will use all things for his glory. He will always give his saints all they will ever need to endure which means not only to survive but to have joy and peace. That's what we have here. We have joy and peace.

I see how you pray so faithfully and God is answering every prayer. The chemo hasn't been bad, I am not sick. I have rash, little pimples in my mouth and tongue, everything tastes bitter and I itch, but that's nothing. The pills are working. I have rash all over my body like chicken pox. The doctor said if that happens, that's good news and we want that to happen. Well, it's happening, praise God. I also feel so good. Even the pain that I had that got me to the doctor originally so they found the cancer and now that pain is completely gone. I don't know if the pain had anything to do with the cancer at all. It seems that God just put it there to get me to the doctor. Isn't that amazing?  Also, we have been approved for full medical coverage at the VA hospital. So when I get home that will all be taken care of at the VA.

So, considering the success we are having with prayers, this is our request. Pray for my early release. I am told it is still here in the Medical Center. It needed to  go to the committee and then to the warden for approval. He said he can't tell me when it leave the committee, but he can tell me when the warden approves or disapproves it. It then goes to Washington to the legal department. From there to the prosecutor inMinneapolis and then the judge. All they have to do is look at it and approve or disapprove it. I am told the BOP never goes against the judge.

The prosecutor sure didn't like me. He lied about me being a flight risk three time because of my airplane going in and out of Canada. After I proved I didn't own it, he still repeated it to two different judges afterward. He was persistent in locking me up. Pray that he will have a change of heart. The judge is Justice Ann Montgomery. She has all the power in her hands. She can over rule the prosecutor and has on several occasions. Not that she's easy. She had some pretty harsh things to say about me at sentencing. There is reason to be in much prayer at this time. It's not a finished deal. Please pray.

In Christ,
Bob