Ryan Weingartner, JJM Chaplain
I have been a volunteer chaplain at the Juvenile Intervention Center for the past year and a half. I met D’Angelo when one of his friends asked me if D’Angelo could join our time. I never saw someone in that facility smile as much as D’Angelo did. He always looks at the bright side of things even in a difficult place like the JIC. The three of us began meeting weekly, studying the Bible, talking about our lives and praying together.
One day we read through passages about Paul and Barnabas in Acts and I told them they seemed like that kind of pair with D’Angelo being Paul. I encouraged them to think about how they might view the young men in the JIC the way Paul and Barnabas viewed the people on their missionary journeys. They ended up starting a Bible study in their pod. Several young men who wouldn’t have otherwise read the Bible sat in a circle with them and read through the Gospel of John out loud.
D’Angelo is out of the facility now and we still get together where he beats me at basketball, beats me at chess, and we study the Bible and pray together. He’s also attending a church, going to college, and has a good job. I’m sure I’ve influenced him, but he’s arguably influenced me even more. I have so much joy of seeing him flourish in his life with Jesus, and I’m excited to see all the wonderful plans God has for him!