We believe we are seeing some powerful breakthroughs. After jail ministry today I stopped by to see Ricky. Ricky is the ex gang leader and starter of the Juggalos who made a decision for Christ about 4 months ago. Ricky is still free of meth and going forward with God, reading the Bible and reaching out. He told me that 3 of the top meth dealers in Pine Ridge were caught and arrested in the last 2 weeks or so. He told me it’s actually getting hard to find drugs in Pine Ridge, and he sees God is moving.
Jay has steeped himself in heavy with the satanic religion of the Mexican drug cartel, Santa Muerte.
One of those lives God is moving in is his brother Jay. Jay founded one of the largest gangs in Pine Ridge with Ricky. Jay has steeped himself in heavy with the satanic religion of the Mexican drug cartel, Santa Muerte. He has performed animal sacrifice and has been involved in all kinds of violence and wickedness. Because of Ricky's witness, Jay has been slowly listening though he still has even pointed a gun at Ricky recently in anger and suspicion.
Jay didn’t believe Ricky that I was not a Fed agent, and kept saying he wanted to meet me to see if it was true, that I wasn't with the Feds.
Today people who were connected to the gangs saw me talking with Ricky (one took a picture) and someone must have notified Jay cause he came screeching up in his low rider. I could sense hostility at first, then a tremendous amount of love filled my heart and grace covered me. Jay went from suspicion to openness. I was able to talk freely with him, and even give him a hug in the end. It was interesting as I was talking with him how many people drove by and another drug dealer came by, I guess perceiving if I was OK with Jay, then they could also come by. I gave Ricky and Jay a Transformations video (the first on Cali), and they said they were going to watch it.
Ricky told me that Jay, for whatever reason, recently saw a road side sale, stopped and found a wooden cross. He bought it, brought it to Ricky and said, “This reminded me of you.” Ricky asked him how it was possible for him to bring that cross in his truck with two inverted crosses on the back of his truck window. This actually convicted Jay, who went back later and tried to scrape off the inverted crosses. When he could not, he took a bat or bar and smashed his back window and replaced it with another window! And he's not even a believer yet! Praise God for a zeal like that that is more than you see among many believers!
Ricky, this former drug dealer and gang leader, now has given out some Bible's to those who have heard of his decision and his getting free of meth. It’s actually opening doors for him to share with youth to turn away from meth and for him to present his testimony. This is real and powerful. Imagine what God can do through these two brothers for the glory of God.
Would you say a prayer for Ricky and Jay? That Ricky would remain strong and grow more and more in his walk with the Lord and that Jay would repent of his sin and turn to Jesus with all his heart. There are so many youth and young and old who know of these two, they already can't believe what has happened to Ricky, and the impact it's having. I don’t have space to write all the other testimonies that I learned of what God is doing in and through Ricky at this time. I plan to follow up with him next week.
Credit: Wade Kate