Testimony #25

Having been kept out of Calhoun CI for 9 months due to quarantining and other factors, I was thrilled to return last week.

The Knowing Jesus gathering was considerably smaller than before the pandemic.  A few of the men had died from covid and many had transferred out.  Still we had a good turnout given this was the first time after a long hiatus.  Most of the men attending were ones I knew from before and it was a happy reunion.

Gerardo is Mexican.  He is probably in his early 50’s.  His eyes always sparkle with the love of Jesus.  He speaks a little English and is working on his GED.

Gerardo raised his hand to speak, then looking at me with a big grin said in broken English, “I have for you a poem.”  He went on to explain how the day before he heard I was returning.  He wrote a poem to welcome me back.  Here is the second stanza.

We missed Knowing Jesus a lot

This class strengthens our belief,

I know that this is also a fact

That we also miss you brother Steve.

Remember, English is Gerardo’s second language.  He had taken his poetry to the GED instructor to proof it.  It turns out the last word in that third line Gerardo had spelled “fat”.  So the instructor corrected it and that word wasn’t clear due to the scribbles.  When I read the poem out loud to the group I struggled to figure it out and said “fart?.  That doesn’t make sense.”

We all had a big laugh which helped me cover up my being so humbled from being so honored.

The point: the one doing ministry receives so much more than he gives.