May Report from Straight Ahead Ministries

Dear Family and Friends,

From time to time, Straight Ahead schedules special speakers to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with incarcerated youth. This week we welcome Ryan Morton, from England, who won the Bronze medal for Weightlifting at the 2011 British Masters Championship. Ryan is traveling throughout New England with speaking engagements in thirteen youth lock-up facilities over the course of six days. In addition to demonstrating proper lifting techniques and holding facility-wide Dead Lift competitions, he is also sharing how his faith in Jesus Christ transformed his life, and he offers the teenagers an opportunity to trust Christ for themselves.

I was with Ryan on Monday at a lock-up facility south of Boston. Twelve boys, aged 12-16, and three staff were present. After sharing a bit about how he got involved in competitive weight lifting and his personal achievements in the sport, he changed directions and began to talk about the greatest weightlifter who ever lived. “I can Dead Lift close to 600 pounds and some of my mates can do even more. But none of us can compete with the greatest weightlifter of all time, Jesus Christ. Jesus lifted the weight of the sins of the entire world and placed them on himself. He lifted the weight of the sins of everyone in this room so that by believing in Him you can have your sins forgiven and receive eternal life.”

The Bible says “our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried…He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:4, 12). I will be thankful throughout eternity to Jesus for lifting my sin onto His shoulders and bearing the weight of its penalty so that I might live.

As summer approaches we enter into another season of fundraising. We are honored when anyone gives to the work we are doing for we know that finances are tight for many people. We are so grateful for those who do give and hope that you see the eternal investment your money makes in the lives of juvenile offenders through our direct ministry to the kids and through the ministry of special speakers like Ryan Morton.

- Dan and Jodi Mesher
Straight Ahead Ministries