Peace Officers for Christ International Peacemakers Journal - Fall 2001

Eternity and the enemy, they are both closer than we want to admit. September 11th was an illustration...an inconceivable, sadistic, non-stop, repeated, slow motion illustration. Now, with those vivid images loitering, the smoke and rubble begin to clear. As they clear, we struggle to place recovered fragments of "normal" back into our daily routine. But, among the remnants of "normal" I find subtle reminders that eternity, and the enemy, has always been close at hand. Even before that Tuesday there were casualties falling, falling very near, falling very suddenly, and falling very frequently. They are the casualties of terminal tumors and disease, suicides, affairs [both internal and extramarital], and families that have exploded and imploded. The war didn't begin on 9/11/01. It started some time ago. It didn't begin in a crowded metropolis, but in a serene garden. It has been the essence of protracted and oblique, and the enemy is both powerful and evasive. He didn't declare war on September 11, he simply escalated the battle.

But, from the midst of the battle, you have received these letters of encouragement from the front lines, from the soldiers standing fast. You're about to hear from beat cops, detectives, sergeants, lieutenants, a chief, chaplains, and even a cop's kid. If you will take the time, you will be - called, invited, exhorted, admonished, persuaded, begged, animated, consoled, and encouraged. I know because I got to read them first...

By the way, as you read this understand that you're holding a loaf of bread baked from the widow's oil [1 Kings 17:13-16]. There are no publishing funds available as I write. But, to God be the glory, whether you ever read this or not.

By HIS grace,
Rob DePartee - Editor

"I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. " 1 Corinthians 1:4-9

DUTY

This was an e-mail sent to LETN Calibre Press Newline…
Officer Paul Branaman, of the Havelock (NC) Police Dept, relayed this touching story about the heroic actions of police officers, one in particular in New York City following the attack:

"I'm a school resource officer. In over 20 years, I've done lots of things in law enforcement, but today was by far the most rewarding. "I have good kids in my school -not many problems at all. But over the past few days I've been amazed at how many of them have come up to me and just said, thank you for being a police officer. Many of them can't imagine the day-by-day sacrifices that the men and women of public service perform across this country.

"But today most of them were watching the news in school. A camera crew was following a family around the streets of NYC looking for their father who worked in the World Trade Center. Then they happened upon a lone police officer guarding a side street. The officer kindly informed them that they could not pass. They explained to him that their father/husband was trapped in the Trade Center. It was only then that the officer replied, 'My wife is in there too.' "

"My students learned a lot about duty, service and sacrifice by one cop just doing his duty."

WHEN VICTORY COMES

In times of strife like these Dear God, we pray to Thee To comfort the broken heart And grant us solace we might see

And for those in harm's way We on our knees do pray Keep them safe and close to Thee Stay with them each passing day

And though our towers, they may fall We call on God our Strength We will rebuild them, each and all No matter the battles, No matter the length

God, Strike down the forces of terror And slay the evil one Grant us the will to persevere 'Til all the battles are won

Then at last when victory comes Let us call out to Thee Thanking You for Your love and grace And the blessings of liberty

Bud Kelley - Riverside, CA PD Retired
I wrote this with hopes it will encourage prayer and uplift spirits for our country

This is dedicated to the men and women of law enforcement who responded to the World Trade Center on September 11,2001. There are 65 names listed below. Eight are confirmed deceased and 57 are reported missing. We honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

A CHAPLAIN'S PRAYER FROM GROUND ZERO

The call took place on Thursday morning, September 13th. The Port Authority in New Jersey requested my services as a Sheriff Chaplain. Also, because of my training in Critical Incident Stress Management I was called to be a part of a team that would help to debrief many of the police officers returning from Ground Zero. Initially, an overwhelming feeling went through my own heart and mind. So many questions of doubt, was I prepared to meet such a need? No, not in myself, only through the power of the Holy Spirit could I approach such overwhelming sadness and loss.

The flight to Newark, New Jersey, was an anxious time. I prayed God would prepare me for this tragedy and equip me in all I would face. I tried to imagine what the scenes would be like but there was no point of reference of familiarity to mentally prepare me for what I was about to see and witness. I had resolved no matter what it would be like it would be only through the grace and mercy of God's love I would be able to reach out to the broken-hearted.

The first day we were escorted to Ground Zero to a gymnasium about 4 blocks outside of the perimeter. This gym was a place that Port Authority Police Officers were sent when they came off of the dig. Even at a distance of 4 blocks the stench of death was evident. Many of the police officers struggled with survivor's remorse as they spoke of their missing comrade's. Many men experienced guilt returning from Ground Zero to go home to their families.

God was faithful to keep me steady working 16 hours a day serving according to His divine will. It was through many divine appointments I had the honor to meet and pray with such incredible heroes. The heroes whom I will never forget - those fellow police officers who as they lifted flag-covered bodies of their fallen comrades from the debris and stood at attention with tears falling from their tired eyes saluting their heroes. These heroes who willingly put their lives on the line, not asking for anything in return, and as so many were running out to safety, they courageously went into the buildings to rescue.

It has been through this experience God has revealed to me His awesome love. God's faithfulness to bring goodness out of such atrocities is beyond my comprehension. But, I have witnessed hardened hearts awaken to His forgiveness and love. I have heard through the tearful words of toughen police officers the need to understand a God of love. God has broken down walls in hearts and softened them to His touch. We may never fully understand the 'why' of this situation but I do understand God will never forsake those who call upon His name.

My heart continues to be burdened for those who are working in the midst of the chaos at Ground Zero. I know your days turn into weeks and, now, even to months. It seems the pain is unbearable. I want you to know that the evil and hatred that caused these men to fly the planes into these buildings can be overcome by the love our Heavenly Father offers to us. The bible tells us "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" Psalm 46:1. God understands the pain of loss because when His only Son, Jesus Christ, was placed upon a rugged cross to bear the sin of the world, He died. God understands loss and wants to be a refuge to all who are suffering, and strength for our lives. His promise to us is He is present during our most troubled times. I believe you who are working in the aftermath of this attack are in those darkest hours. My prayer is that the awesome love of God would embrace you and the power of the resurrected Christ would fill you with His peace as you labor through each day.

In HIS Love,
Chaplain Gary Malkus
San Bernardino County Sheriff Department, CA

THE ABC's of Salvation

Knowing your sins are forgiven and you are ready for heaven is as simple as following these steps:

Admit you have sinned.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

Believe in Jesus.
"For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Confess and leave your sin.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

If you would like someone to pray for you concerning your decision to follow Jesus Christ, please contact Peace Officers for Christ International - (714) 426-7632 or email us at info@pofci.org

FEEDBACK

Friends in Christ:
First of all thank you for the important ministry that you all are doing from the West Coast. Even all the way across the country in Ohio we enjoy getting the Peacemakers Journal and reading information about our brothers & sisters in law enforcement doing the work of Christ. I wanted to share with you a press release (attached), which came out last week and ask you to pray with me for knowledge and wisdom as I fulfill my term. Keep up the great work.
Your brother in Christ,
Sgt. Craig Hungler
Dublin Ohio Division of Police

Dear Brothers and Sisters at Peacemakers Journal:
I hope and pray that all the Christian Police Organizations will draw closer together in the Lord. It is a shame that minor differences between some organizations became a stumbling block in the past. The mission field is tremendous! Your Peacemakers Journal is excellent. Keep up the good work!
Lieutenant Bill Zazeckie
Vice President, Police Officers For Christ
New York City Police Department

...Thank you! It turned out to be a truly wonderful weekend, and we plan to attend again next year!
Thank you again, and God Bless you.
Your friend in Christ,
Robert J.Kellum
(Rialto.CA PD)
Editor's note: Robert and his wife Denise were among the seventy people who attended the Annual POFCI Conference in July of 2001

I would like to thank God and all of you, who have made the comeback of the Peacemakers Journal possible. This publication came at a time in my life when I am sure I needed it the most... When I read the story on page 3, A New Creation, I felt I was reading the story of the man I love, and I did not feel so "unusual" and as I read on I saw the topics of sin; again I realized what I cannot speak about to others may be may not be so unusual... Thank you all for taking the time to share what was in your soul and thank you to the Officer who realized that I needed to read this publication so much. I do not feel I am at liberty to state who I am or who I am speaking about, as he may not wish to have his "star" tarnished. But I ask each of you in the Ministry to continue to give others this publication, as often as possible... Although, I knew God was always with me, only once did I try to share my experiences with another Officer and received a very cold shoulder, which taught to keep my mouth shut about my love's problems. Thank you. Thank you.
God Bless
Editor's note: Peacemakers Journal is free because cold shoulders are very expensive.

Thank you for the Peacemakers Journal…Hey guess what? Today 9-14-01 atapprox.1: 30 p.m. I gave my life to Jesus. I got saved and dunked in ice-cold water. ...I loved it!!!! Thank you so much for everything...I'm born again today.
love,
[name with held pending permission, Editor]

CHAPLAIN'S CORNER
Why I Am A Police Chaplain
By Pastor Rick Yeomans
Director of Chaplaincy, POFCI

In 1966 I was living with my family in a small seaside village, the oldest of three children, of a mixed I marriage. My stepfather was a Police Officer during the summer months, when the town hired additional officers to handle the swelling population of city folks who came out to their summer vacation homes. I was a proud ten year old, my dad drove the patrol jeep and wore a badge. I have fond memories of him driving proudly in the 4th of July parade in his black & white with the sirens wailing. Of course I had to point out my dad to all of my buddies, "That's my dad!"

I quickly began to understand the police culture when many fellow officers would drop by for a cold beer on their days off, and share stories about the job. I learned that people in our community had many a skeleton in their closets, and that cops had the privilege of dealing with such " hush-hush" issues. In those days officers would relieve job related stress after work over a bottle of Wild Turkey, and a trip to the city landfill to shoot rats. Perhaps they received the most "care" from the camaraderie they felt from just wearing the badge and sharing together what it really meant by being a cop.

During one of our usual busy summers, my dad was working beach patrol. His beat was a long, narrow, fifteen-mile strip of real estate that encompassed bars, dance clubs, and million dollar, luxury, beach homes. Most of the time his main responsibility was writing parking tickets, or supervising the tow truck driver as he took away some unlucky fellow's European toy. But, one afternoon my father received a call to assist on a medical aid. He turned on his lights and sirens and headed through the maze of parked cars that lined the two-lane roadway. As he engaged the four-wheel drive and crested the dunes, he could see a large crowd of sunbathers encircling the victim.

My dad pushed his way through the distraught spectators, declaring his presence as a police officer. As he looked down, he saw that the victim was a small, eight year old girl...the same age of his own stepdaughter. Her features were the same as his own daughter, including the same curly, strawberry blonde hair. He knelt down to roll the small child over, to begin CPR. As the young body settled on her back, my father looked in horror. Was she his own daughter? It couldn't be! Wouldn't his wife have called him and told him that our family was spending the day at the beach? But this child looked exactly like his daughter, my sister Shari! He stood back, feeling out of breath, feeling his heart beating out of control, as if it was coming out of his throat. He was paralyzed with the terror. Two additional officers arrived and immediately started CPR, and moments later paramedics transported the child to the local regional trauma center.

I never heard how the other cops evaluated his performance, not responding to the child's need for medical aid. I never heard about how much my father began to medicate himself by drinking too much. (The reason he was asked to resign sometime later) But, many years later, I did hear about his horrible experience in the Korean War. As an eighteen-year-old young man, he saw most of his buddies killed in an ambush, while he was shot and bayoneted. I also learned that when he was sixteen, his own father died tragically. Through out my early teenage years I saw my dad drinking more and more. He seemed to loose himself in his work and he often isolated himself from the rest of the family. Staying out with The Boys" or fishing throughout the evening, often alone. After a couple years of this my morn and dad determined that it would be best that they separate and divorce. After the separation dad's drinking worsened. He decided to move back to his hometown and left my morn with three kids on her own. Things would get much worse before they would get better.

During those turbulent years I saw our family implode, my morn & dad divorce, experienced the effects of drugs and alcohol in our family, and had finally left the state in search of greener pastures. Just prior to my twentieth birthday I had committed my life to my Lord and Savor Jesus Christ. I eventually entered the ministry as a youth pastor, hoping to help other hurting kids with the good news of Jesus' Gospel.

Twenty years later I was invited to a ministry luncheon in San Clemente, California, to hear about the ministry of Law Enforcement Chaplains. At the luncheon that summer day I heard story after story about how God's hand was intervening in the lives of police officers and citizens through the ministry of the chaplain. I found it very interesting to hear how similar many of these California cops were to my own father and his past colleagues. The stresses hadn't changed and their way of dealing with them hadn't either. At that lunch I heard about the effects of post traumatic stress on police, emergency, and rescue workers. I heard that in the old days it was known as" battle fatigue" or "shell shock". I heard about how officers who had experienced such traumatic events often resorted to self-medication or isolation. It sounded much like my own father's struggles. These chaplains also shared the encouraging news of how many, if not most, officers were helped and often returned to a healthy state of mind, through critical incident stress debriefing. Now, was I impressed! At the end of the luncheon I signed up to become a chaplain.

I have had the great privilege of serving as a police chaplain now for ten years. As Sr. Chaplain, I am currently helping our department expand its Chaplain Corp from eight chaplains to a projected one hundred in the next three years. I am also privileged to serve a number of other departments and agencies, develop programs, and minister to officers, agents, and fire rescue personal! It was all due to the Lord's foresight, when a ten-year-old boy saw his dad struggling with the effects PTSD, and with no one to talk to or help him work through his troubles.

If YOU are such an officer, I want you to know there are those who can help! Call a chaplain!

Rick Yeomans serves as Sr. Chaplain over the Orange County (California) Sheriff's Department, he also serves with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, and Firearms, as well as the Police Officers and Firefighters Fellowship, Southern California Chaplains Association, and Red Cross-Spiritual Care Team for Aviation Incident Response. Rick lives in Southern California with his wife, of 23 years, Susan, son Nathan, and daughter Autumn.

THE HONOR GRADUATE

by Mike Raneses

In 1966, when Gene saw a billboard reading, "Be a Deputy Sheriff -Call MA 6-9511", the LASD was not nearly the size it is today, but still was a large and respected agency. Gene, 20 years old at the time, was working as a telephone installer -a good job, but not what he wanted as a career. Gene called MA 6-9511 and, several months later, found himself with shaved head and starched khakis standing in formation on the first day of the sixteen- week Los Angeles County Sheriff's Academy in East L.A. The academy consisted of long days packed with rigorous academics, firearms practice, and physical training, including 10-mile
runs through the streets of East L.A. Seasoned deputies, serving as drill instructors, yelled demeaning comments at every flaw that could be detected in the trainees' actions and appearance. One of the DI's had a favorite way for expressing his disdain for any trainee with a perceived character flaw: "You Lame!"

Competition between trainees also added to the stress level of the academy. Since the LASD is responsible for staffing the jails of Los Angeles County, the first assignment for virtually all new deputies is a stint of several years working in the jail system -not the assignment of choice for most deputies. The academy trainees had heroic visions of being out on a field assignment in a shiny black and white patrol car fighting crime, but hired on knowing they would first have to endure the jail unless they were designated the academy "Honor Graduate."

Gene had recently completed the US Army Officer Candidate School and graduated as an infantry officer with the California Army National Guard. He was used to the military-style discipline of the LASD academy and also fared well in academics. Gene gave little thought to becoming the Honor Graduate: he was just trying to survive the academy, graduate, and get on with his career. You can imagine his surprise when, the day before graduation, it was announced that he had been selected for that award. He would bypass working in the jail system and begin his career as a patrol deputy at the Firestone Sheriff's station. Gene was filled with pride on graduation day when his wife pinned his bright gold LASD badge on his chest and Sheriff Peter Pitchess presented him with a specially engraved off-duty revolver in recognition of his selection as Honor Graduate.

Firestone Sheriff's Station was in the south-central sector of Los Angeles County, the area that was the scene of the first Watts riots not many years before. Although Gene was raised in Echo Park, not a particularly affluent area of Los Angeles, he was awed by the crime, violence and poverty he encountered in south central. With the combination of good field training officers and a will to succeed, Gene completed the field-training program and began working with a variety of partners.

One evening Gene and his partner received a call regarding a disturbance in the City of Cudahy. They investigated the incident and arrested a male in his mid-twenties. While walking the suspect back to their patrol car, the suspect began to verbally abuse Gene's partner, calling him "Pig." His partner did not appreciate the suspect's comments. He withdrew his Kel-Light, similar to the Mag-Light in use today, and struck the handcuffed suspect with it in an attempt to silence his verbal barrage. Gene and his partner returned to the station, booked the suspect, and ended their shift.

Gene was scheduled to be off the next day, but received a call from his watch commander to report immediately to the station. Although the watch commander didn't say so, Gene knew in his gut what had happened. The suspect from the night before had filed an excessive force complaint. The drive to the station was filled with anxiety and dread. If asked about the use of force, how would he respond? Gene was still on probation, and knew he could be dismissed for any reason.
Gene was called into the watch commander's office and was introduced to an investigator from the Administrative Services Bureau, LASD's internal affairs unit. "Did you use any force against the suspect other than the force necessary to make the arrest?" "No", Gene answered. "Did your partner use any force against the suspect other than the force necessary to make the arrest?" "No", Gene answered again.

What Gene did not know at the time he lied to his watch commander and the internal affairs investigator, was that not only had the suspect reported the use of excessive force, but several citizens who had observed the incident had called to report it as well. Gene could easily have been fired for this incident, but instead received a written reprimand and ten days off without pay. His partner received thirty days off without pay.

Why do I know so many of the details of an incident that occurred over 30 years ago? My full name is Michael Eugene Raneses. This "Honor Graduate" brought dishonor to my family, my department, my profession and myself. My poor judgment in ethical decision-making could have easily cost me my job - I was still on probation as a Deputy Sheriff. Had my unethical behavior occurred in today's climate of zero-tolerance for police misconduct, I certainly would have been terminated from the profession I love.

Why would I choose to share with the readers of Peacemakers Journal this incident in my career? If you can be encouraged to reflect on your decision-making process before real-life situations arise, and on the consequences of poor decision-making, perhaps you, your family and department can be spared from the consequences of incidents such as I experienced. It can be argued that the impact and consequences of ethical decision-making may be more critical in the criminal justice profession than in any other. Ethical decision-making is not a simplistic process. One view of ethical decision-making that is offered in our Parole Agent Academy is the "two-fold test of ethics." This view is especially useful in deciding the ethics of "gray areas", decisions with we are faced that are much less clear than the use of excessive force in the incident I described.

The Two-Fold Test of Ethics

The Personal Test:
How does the decision you are about to make "feel" to you? In your heart, in your "gut" if you will, would the decision you are about to make be wrong, or serve to compromise your objectivity in a situation. If so it may very well be unethical.

The Public Test:
"Sunshine" the behavior. If the decision you are about to make, or the activity you are about to engage in became known to your family, friends, your supervisor, or the media, could you reasonably explain and justify the behavior to ~ satisfaction. If not, the behavior may indeed be unethical.

In my mind, the decision I had to make thirty years ago as I sat before my watch commander and Internal Affairs was essentially one of honesty vs. loyalty. Would I be honest and tell the truth, or would I lie out of misguided loyalty to my partner. I made the wrong decision and paid the price but, through the grace of God, was able to recover. Less than three years after the incident I was promoted to Sergeant with the LASD and eventually became an internal affairs investigator for that agency. Today, I count it a privilege to be an ethics and professionalism instructor for my agency.

My partner was not worth lying for (is anyone?). Not long after the excessive force incident, he was driving in his typically irresponsible manner and crashed his patrol car killing his partner, a deputy who was one of my LASD Academy classmates.

In closing, I would like to leave you with a verse of scripture that has guided me in my goal of being a man of integrity in my family, my profession, and my community: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. " Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)

Mike Raneses; Parole Agent III California Department of Corrections, Parole & Community Services Division, internal affairs investigator: CDC Parole Agent Academy Ethics and Professionalism instructor; CDC Management Training Program Ethical Leadership Instructor, Director, Corrections Staff Fellowship, www.CSFInteqrity.org

The Few, The Proud.

I am not a police officer. I am one of the few, the proud. I am the kid of a cop. You can recognize us by the occasional bruise on our foreheads, shaped like the butt of a 9mm, from running to hug dad from the wrong side. Or from our uniformity in walking on our parent's left side, so as to keep his gun hand free. I can pick out the most tactically advantageous table in any restaurant within 5 seconds, and leave the seat with the back to the wall for my father - so he can see all activity in the area. I grew up tormented on Christmas mornings, either waiting for dad to get off of his graveyard shift so we could open presents, or getting up at 4:00am so we could get them all done before he had to leave for his day shift. I could shoot any weapon you handed me by the time I was twelve. Most of the stories I heard as a kid started with "Now what occurred was, I got a call..." My teenage years were spent calculating how many days it would be until our schedules would let us see each other again. My friends know to stop mid-sentence when word of an officer involved shooting comes across the TV or radio. My heart freezes, waiting to hear which department and city, as I desperately try to remember what shift my dad is on, or if this is his day off. Every day I kissed my dad goodbye before work, knowing that it could be the last time I might see him. All that is normal, everyday life for the kid of a cop. I know that it must be hard to be a police officer and a parent. But I know from experience that being a police officer does not mean that your kids have to grow up pining for a "normal" parent, feeling neglected and unloved. I know from the kid side.

My father found time, no matter how hard. True, we were not the Cleavers. But my dad always made sure that I felt so loved that I could burst. In elementary school, if he worked swings, he would pick me up for lunch two or three times a week so he could hear my stories and see my schoolwork. We would go on father-daughter weekend retreats that I would wildly anticipate for months. In junior high and high school, he would get me out of bed early and take me to breakfast before school to keep up with my life. Do you have any idea how much energy it takes to get a teenage girl out of bed early on a school day? That is a staggering display of perseverance, dedication, and love. My daddy would write little notes and leave them on my dresser for me to wake up to. Ones like "Thank you for still being a virgin." or "I'm proud of who you are." or "Make sure you check under the car at night before you get in. " When I went away to college, I would run to the mailboxes everyday because my dad would send me little letters with not much in them besides "I love you, I'm proud of you, I'm praying for you and that the Lord will give you a non-hairy husband." And a dollar or two would be in the envelope so I could buy myself a candy bar and a coke. Every time. I always knew that if I needed my dad, he would be there in a second. Any play or game I was in that was important to me, I knew he would move the world to be there. And if he couldn't, I knew that he was more disappointed than I was.

In everything he did, he showed me the importance of a relationship with the Lord. He would drag himself to church on Sunday, even if he just worked graves, because it was important to him to be there. I would wake up in the middle of the night and see him reading his Bible at the table after he got home from swings. He prayed for me, and I knew it.

Please parents, kiss, hug, and pray for your children when you come home. There is nothing like waking up with your dad's huge hand on your back and his soft voice praying for you. I promise that if you try and find ways around the crazy shifts you work to love us, counsel us, and teach us, we will grow up all right. It's not impossible. Just ask my daddy.
Rachel Hart

BACK TO GUATEMALA

We had a great summer visiting churches, friends and family in the U.S. The Lord provided a 1991 Mitsubishi Montero, which was a blessing. It was a joy to be able to share the wonderful things the Lord has done through our ministry to police in Latin America. Every time we visit the U.S., thank God for the way He has blessed our country.

When we were in Colorado we stayed with Marlene's mother in Haxtun, a small town in the northeast part of the state. It was wheat harvest time and we rejoiced with the farmers in the way the Lord has blessed the land. The farmers told me that there is a limited time to harvest the wheat before it will go bad. In addition there is the danger that the crop could be ruined by hail or other storms. As I thought about this I realized that the same is true with preaching the gospel around the world. Right now in Guatemala and other countries in Central America it is harvest time. But I feel like a wheat farmer with 10,000 acres of wheat and only one combine. It is an impossible task unless others will help with the harvest.

We desperately need laborers to help us here in Central America. There are so many opportunities among the police. We cannot begin to preach the gospel to all the people we have the opportunity to minister to. We do not have enough time or help. Will you please pray that God would raise up laborers to work among the police here in Central America? Over 2,000 police have made decisions for Christ since we started working among the police in Central America. The harvest is ripe.

We have a S.W.A.T team coming the 20th of this month. Three Christian police officers will be coming to help us with the training. We will be doing our first outreach in El Salvador. We have been asked to train 450 officers at their National Police Academy. The director of the police has given us permission to preach the gospel and hand out Bibles. This is the first time in the history of El Salvador that missionaries have been given the opportunity to minister to a large group of police at the academy. Please pray that the Lord will give us a great harvest of souls. Due to the recent earthquakes in El Salvador many are opening their hearts to the Lord.

After returning from El Salvador we will be training and doing evangelism at the National Police Academy in Guatemala. We will be working with about 1000 officers. Pray that the Lord will grant repentance to them and that many will be saved. God has given us favor with the police in Guatemala. Pray that this door of opportunity will remain open.

A few days ago the Director of the National Police of Guatemala was in our home with his wife and children. He is responsible for leading the 20,000 police in Guatemala. Pray that the Lord will use us to minister to him and that we will have the opportunity to lead him to Christ.

Thank you again for your prayers and financial support. We are only able to continue this ministry because of your faithfulness to the Lord. May God bless you in every way.
The Green Family
Randy
Marlene
Benjamin
Nathaniel
Jonathan
Andrew
Rachel

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE GREENS

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Page last updated 06 May 2002

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