Friday, August 26, 2011

In Prison south of Houston

(I had decided to not advertise the fact that no one was home on the internet so didn't post this earlier)
8/19/11 Friday
We’re in Angleton Texas this morning. Cherie and I are preparing to go into a prison here, where we will help conduct a marriage seminar with inmates, and their wives. The wives will be provided hotel rooms and food for this three day event, and will be allowed to enter the prison, where they can sit with their husbands for this. I was able to observe this program a couple of weeks ago and agreed to accept a paid position with the organization doing it. Cherie will be observing and we look forward to being able to work together, serving the Lord. It’s not a “Christian” program per se, as it is funded through a federal grant, but when all is done we can discuss things of the Lord with them privately on the last day.

Angleton is just a few miles from the Gulf of Mexico, and you can feel the humidity. I mean you can “Feel” it on your skin and as you breath the air. Dramatically different from the West Texas desert we have become used to, but still very familiar to us because Toledo, Ohio, is in what was called “The Great Black Swamp”. It is forecasted to hit 103 degrees today, so that heat with this humidity will be rough. I hope the area in prison we are to conduct this seminar is air conditioned. If not we will be drenched in sweat within seconds.

Amy, if you read this, we will see if we can meet with you on the way back to pick up that air conditioner. I have your phone number somewhere in the emails or messages, but we left our address book home, so send me an email or private message on FB to give me the number. No promises as we are at the mercy of the director, who provided a ride for us. Besides, we are not sure if there is room in his vehicle. There is some room, it depends on how big the air conditioner is.

We had thought this seminar wasn’t till next week and I was out working on the farm when Ron called saying “I’m running a little late”. “Oh? Am I going somewhere?” I responded. Ron said “I hope so” and explained the seminar was this weekend. I immediately dropped what I was doing and ran to the house to let Cherie know, as she was just getting ready to head to the Laundromat. From that moment on it was panic mode. Cherie searched for clean clothes and we rushed to get bags packed, food out for the dogs and cats, and prepare.

This laptop caught another bug. The spyware hasn’t found it, but there is something wrong for sure. It refused to perform the restore function for one thing, and stuff is missing or moved around. I hope I don’t lose another hard drive. Already have to start the book over because all that was lost the last time it crashed, along with forty or fifty bible studies I had done. Can’t wait for that time we can afford to get another laptop, hopefully a Mac as they have less problems with this kind of thing.

This will be a slow day, as we must wait for the wives to arrive and the only thing scheduled is to take them out to dinner this evening. Tomorrow is when the real work begins. Perhaps I’ll get some writing done, or at least some research, today. I went out and prayed as I walked around the parking lot. I’m so used to doing this on the farm, and greatly enjoy that time with the Lord I have as I walk about pulling weeds or checking irrigation. As I wandered in the parking lot of this hotel praying I wondered what someone would think if they saw me apparently talking to myself or muttering. Oh well, there are plenty who think I’m a little crazy as it is anyway.

So that’s it for now.

2 comments:

Amy E said...

Oh man! Bob, I didn't see this until just now! I have a friend in Midland, if I had known she was going down this weekend, I would have sent the AC with her. I don't know if you remember her, but she was with me before when we visited a couple of years ago. I know it is too late for the AC, it's getting cooler, but you'll have it for next year. So sorry about the delay! Hoping to plan a trip with my friend Lorie to travel with me...trying to make it happen before Christmas for sure, we'll see how it goes...building this house is eating up all my funds!

Bob Westbrook said...

Not to worry Amy. We forgot to take our address book with us so had no way to contact you while on the road. Focus on your house, we are fine.