Inmates, Prosthetic Legs, and Stories of Redemption

I got a very special guest multiview who would listen to chauffeur while one of the prison sponsors the show standing with hope and staying with hope is the ministry that Gratian failed exit. This was her vision of creating a mechanism to turn her particular challenges into something that has amazing significance, and she envisioned being able to use prosthetic limbs to help her fellow amputees as a means of of getting them just to literally stand with hope and point them to Christ. That's that's the whole point of what she did after losing both of her own looks and part of that is we have an amazing program that we do is a faith-based program in a prison where inmates work with us.

They volunteer to help us disassemble used prosthetic limbs that come in from all over the country to a prison in Tennessee and these inmates disassemble them for us and they they help us recycle defeat the pylons the knees. The screws, the the the of the date of the liners. The sleeves that the belts the socks all these things can be recycled, all within KB is the socket because that is custom fitted to that particular patient. But everything else can be recycled and these individuals do this and is an extraordinary program and I never cease to be amazed at the lives that I encounter at the prison there that are doing this. One of them was a man who was in the program who was a caregiver for his wife who was an amputee and that she got sicker and sicker eventually died. He started drinking a lot and his life, went off the rails and ended up in prison and he found out about our program and he wanted to get involved in it was it was it was one of the most meaningful stories at and I got to know this man and spent some time with her while I asked Rev. Brian Darnell to come onto the show today. He is the, the director of chaplaincy and volunteer services for core civic which manages how many for having prisons. You guys do run earlier lately but hundred 29 facilities real estate partnerships may also assist you with martial arts girl prisons and Justice week where your picture about 60,000 folks in any given day well and in this is a huge responsibility and our program is one of the many many many faith-based programs that are involved in your system and not just a first of a thank you for being on the show and I want you to tell me why should faith-based programs be a part of the correctional world what what what purpose do they serve a bit.

I know this, but I'd like to hear from your perspective because it's what you do every single day walk through. That is Mr. Wise's important well. Thank you for allowing me to be on your show this to be recursion for me because of it is, in part, personal validation of my faith.

I was I grew up in church all my life but I came across a passage in John 15 that if you don't have. In your life to be cut away and I realize I really didn't have any.

I've been a bit of so-called Christian all my life group in the church all at end, and I really begin to seek the Lord for what would become a lot and it led me directly into the prison. So for me, wire faith-based programs important.

It's a self validating question why, despite matter at all. Okay so when I started I was asked the question ready and busier ministry. This was a part of the field at the education process that I was going through and I said please don't put me any note not put me in a church where folks are lighting candles and I don't know why send me out into the crowd and a few weeks later I was interviewing with the chaplain who lists at a maximum-security facility dealing with residents at that time there were acute and chronic mentally ill hospice Health Center full of inmates, sex offenders, transient inmates coming in for medical treatment going out for medical treatment and all that and I simply begin the process of trying to find freedom alive of faith and what I realized was the minute we incarcerate an individual, we take away everything from the way limit their access to their family would take away the close of the property, wheatgrass them up in a and essentially uniform put shoes on them and asked them if I'd like a Bible or a sacred text so it's ironic that in the system that we we began our process. Our whole intake process is about. These are the things you can't have these are the things you can have. Would you like to tell us what your religious preference for your religious designation is and so for me it was really a quest of wire faith-based programs important wise faith important at all and I really believe that as I began don't go into the facility that that was just really validated in my faith, and that the fact of the matter is one of the difficulties with the system is that we are.

We're very good at measuring measuring outcomes, particularly in a punitive or a hour or a detention center environment were very good at measuring failed drug screens outbursts breaking property assaulting staff all those kinds of things, but as an individual began to go through a spiritual transformation. We typically can't. We don't know how to measure it for one, and I mean really, how you quantify the spirit. But when weight when people begin the transformation and you don't see a lot of outbursts or or activities that can break the rules where we don't really look at that and so for me as I began as a volunteer chaplain later as a chaplain, director of religious services and mail with the now core civic one of the things that I say that I know for fact that being a chaplain and I've been I've been at facilities with over thousand inmates and I was really immersed in active with that with the guys that I took care of the naturally how solid because it's When you're there to serve every body and for me while I care what someone believes I'm I'm a Jesus loving believer and I believe that Christ died for me.

I am not ashamed of the gospel, but I'm called into this role to serve everyone and I can serve anyone of the divergent K. I can serve them in the name of Jesus. And that's relatively easy for me that's difficult for others but I feel like that that's a validator. My faith and just being able to go in and say that and I'm staying lives. Print form from the participation of faith-based programs, but I speak after the board makes a habit validated in our lives is so well said chocolate malt is never Brian Darnell he's director of chaplaincy volunteer services with core civic they manage so many correctional facilities work with law enforcement all across the country and our program stating without that Gracie started with the recycling prosthetic limbs's house in one of these facilities is extraordinary thing and will also talk about forgiveness today particular tip of the day is learning to forgive and walk through these things without talks more about this 877-655-6755 if you want to be a part of the show's Peter Rosenberger. This is hopefully caring will be right back. Have you ever struggled to trust God when things happen to you.

I'm Gracie Rosenberger in 1983 I experienced a horrific car accident leading 80 surgeries in both legs indicated I questioned why God allowed something so brittle to happen to me. But over time the questions changed and I discovered courage to trust God that understanding along with an appreciation for quality prosthetic limbs led me to establish standing with help more than a dozen years we been working with the government of Ghana and West Africa, equipping and training local workers to build and maintain quality prosthetic limbs for their own people on a regular basis. We purchased ship equipment and supplies and with the help and inmates in a Tennessee prison. We also recycle parts from donated lambs all – is to point others to Christ. The source of my help and strength, please visit standing with help.com to learn more and participate in lifting others that standing without.com. I'm Gracie. I am stating without as a caregiver. Think about all the legal documents you need power of attorney will, living wills, and so many more than about such things as disputes about medical bills.

What if instead of shelling out hefty fees for a few days of legal help. You paid a monthly membership and got a law firm for life while we are taking legal representation and making some revisions in the form of accessible, affordable, full-service coverage. Finally, you can live life know you have a lawyer in your back pocket who at the same time is an empty it's called legal shield and its practical, affordable and a must for the family caregiver visit caregiver legal.com that's caregiver legal.com. Isn't it about time someone started advocating for you www.dotcaregiver.com on independent associate is back to health. The caregiver here on family talk channel Sirius XM 131. I am Peter Rosenberger. Glad you're with us will be a part of the show is very easy to do so. The number is 877-655-6755 877-655-6755 whatever's in your heart that is my wife Gracie with John Erickson, Todd Singh, and through it all know Rev. Darnell's with Brian.

Darnell is with us today. He is the director of chaplaincy volunteer services at core civic and it that I love having that sold there because both of these women, John Erickson, Todd, and my wife Gracie both have faith-based programs house that course civic facilities.

One of Ms. Johnny's program wheels for the world and the other is our program stating with hope, which is all part of what Gracie envisioned with prosthetic limbs and Johnny does at Johnny who is a quadriplegic and does refurbishes wheelchair see that in the same facility you've got incarcerated men who are refurbishing wheelchairs that are going around the world and there also recycling prosthetic limbs. We can use to help amputees over and West Africa rev.

Darnell appreciate you being here and part of the show just talking about this and I love to see the stories of redemption and as as I go over there because this is about. This is my story, this is my own life and I've seen this in for me to understand it and you know what when I walk into that workshop over there in the Tennessee prison there is a better place. It's it's in these guys asked me about Gracie and they tell me they're praying for her mean it is hard even put words to that you know it is there likely would not of just don't tell me your expense. As he walked down the halls and is walking to the shops and as you see these programs at work. What are your your expenses on where the beautiful part of it.

If you if you really do spend time in the current and that's kind of the key.

Are you really are we really willing to get back in to so into the lives of so many men and women who often come to us. You know, emotionally, spiritually bankrupt. Aside from some physical struggles and everything else. But when I go in a bin at the Metro facility also an extra tough central facility in a week cut out 10,000+ wheelchairs over the last three years for the world when I'm standing there or not. I watch it a guy refurbishing a prosthetic limb is looking at me and saying I wonder what I wonder where this is going to go radical you think this is going to help and there's a smile on the face and there's a warmness of heart and there's a gentleness of spirit.

You know that's what were looking for in this transformative thing that we call rehabilitation to take these take place love to have come out of part situations that have been hardened by see them soft enough and really want to become givers instead of takers.

It's a fantastic thing to say I lost alone philosophy and journey in Outlook. He died when I was younger and you know stupid for supposed older and stupid, but that was you hundred and 10 more naïve utilizing one out there. You know the doings of the bad luck come up in a be done with that boy. My attitude is changed dramatically to lift them up instead of just lock them up and lift them up and part of that program of of reaching into the because you know as we entered the season of Lent that's coming up in the in the Christian calendar. We think about the extraordinary links that God went to to reach into our misery. Our incarceration, our hopelessness, our bankrupt state.

You know, how can we withhold this from others how to help you know if there had a bed that only makes sense to me. More so it's it's it's like it's it like you said is just a part of our is extension of who we are now in our faith and and so I just wanted to can people get involved in. If so, how do they get involved what what are some the things that you would see like if somebody's listing today and they said you know I like to be a part of this. What are some things that they can do. They may not be in the Tennessee. They may be in another area of the country, but what are some things that you would you would recommend to people to do to get involved well. I would agree.

I would rub her back to your greater aggregated cartridges are plenty of opportunities for mandatory we have plenty of folks who are going to be returning to society within two years it would be great to have someone come in to mentor them as they begin their transition out of facilities and back into the community that you know over 90% of folks are incarcerated are going to be walking the streets at some point and a wood I think it's a burden on our own societies in our communities to go in and serve those are going to be coming back to her in societies and communities no matter where we where we live because most are incarcerated really crosses all demographic lines that generalizations about went up in prison, you know, I've been lucky enough to hang out with guys who have been entrepreneurs and cardiologists and lawyers in an law enforcement folks when it people who in their own right, and successful and found himself incarcerated mentor is a great way to go some stuff the applicant how great their Lotta way to get involved if I can get you you want to redirect my site help for the kink.com sin. Just send me a contact information and will make sure we put in the right hands is something you feeling in your heart you want to do.

Maybe your teacher. I guess you could do all kinds of teaching programs with helping folks tutor with GED stuff that they're doing things like that. I would assume that's going on there plenty of programs and you know it's all about it's all about the that mentor expect. As we talked the other day for milliamp. I'm big on incarnational theology. You know the Lord before he took before he carried his cross and walked among the blind and the laying money ask and those who work for an impoverished and broken in spirit. That's what we do every day that that's a great privilege for me. I feel that I won the lottery work that I do, but for me I just show up to acknowledge somebody humanity and their dignity and share the gospel of hope with them and I think about trying to bring restoration of the three standing without the risk of the world or just being there to mentor acknowledging to someone that the Lord is present with them milk that is that is densely said Rev. Brian Darnell director, chaplaincy and quality services puts the stuff on the website and on the podcast podcast is free by the way, will have this interview up there. Also, if your employer take a chance on some of these and these inmates are getting out that have learned some skills. Talk with core civic about it. They'll work with you think they really want to help these individuals get back into society and be a part of society would you do that what you think about that, about giving someone a job to Darnell. Thank you so much for the call and I would have you back on okay yes sir I will be right leg sugar.com is going