Home     |     Sitemap     |     Contents An Ocean of Tears May 7, 2016 A week before we met Brian and learned about Byron Boyd, Jesus was already setting the stage for this letter. We had looked at a DVD called “Paper Clips.” The documentary was in our possession for many years before we were prompted/urged to look at it. It’s about a project that the 8th graders in the middle school in Whitwell, Tennessee undertook. From start to finish, it took four years to complete. The initial goal was to collect six million paper clips – one for each Jew exterminated by Hitler in the concentration camps. But by the end of the project, nearly 30 million paper clips were collected and a memorial to the Holocaust victims was built in Whitwell, Tennessee. Click on the words “Paper Clips” and you can view the trailer of the documentary. I, Peter, wept profusely as I saw the documentary. I was born in Germany. Our family emigrated to America in 1946 when I was 13. Not until World War II was over, did my Mother dare to tell me that I was and still am Jewish. I could tell you more but it will be too great of a detour and the intent of this letter will be diluted. On Friday, April 15, Brian Myers and his wife Rochelle came to visit us. They live in Farmington, New Mexico, a two-hour drive from Pagosa Springs, Colorado, where we have lived for nearly forty years. We quickly bonded with Brian and his wife. Brian was very eager to tell us about “Convicted by Christ”, an organization he helped to give birth to. After they left, an ocean of tears erupted. Here is the story that broke my heart It is copied from the Convicted by Christ web site: Convicted by Christ was formed September 2011. It was started by two men Byron Boyd and Brian Myers. Byron spent sixteen years incarcerated in prisons in New Mexico and Colorado. Brian has worked as a missionary in the four corners region of New Mexico since September of 2007 and is still currently doing so. Byron and Brian met writing letters to each other while Byron was still in prison. Byron got released from prison July 5th, 2011. Upon release, Byron and Brian started meeting together on a weekly basis at his mother’s home where he paroled to. After several weeks of meeting together, Byron and Brian realized they shared a desire and passion to assist men coming out of jail/prison and help them re-integrate back into society. Byron had become a Christian while still in prison and received discipleship and instruction by a lady named Carolyn Evans. As of September 2013, Carolyn has been involved with jail and prison ministry for 17 years, and started a jail and prison ministry called Isaiah Prison Ministries. Brian got started in prison ministry through Carolyn and it was she who introduced Brian to Byron by way of letter correspondence. Byron had asked Brian to name the group because he had considered Brian his mentor. Brian felt the Lord was going to name the group through Byron. The day after Brian shared that with Byron, the Lord gave the name “Convicted by Christ” to Byron. After meeting for several months, in the summer of 2012, Byron got a job on the oil rigs which took him away from some of the meetings because he had to work on Thursday nights. Byron eventually stopped attending Convicted by Christ all together and then stopped answering phone calls. One of the last phone calls Brian had with Byron, he stated, “Brian, I am still in a prison. I’m just on the outside now. I don’t know how to live out here.” Byron went on to say to Brian, “You know, you don’t have to be in prison, to be imprisoned! There needs to be a group for men to show them how to live outside of prison walls. Don’t stop what you’re doing. You’re good at it. Men will listen to you and you’re not intimidating. I just can’t be a part of the group right now. I will continue to pray for you!” Several weeks later, Byron had cut off his ankle bracelet which he was to have on for 20 years (till 2031). Byron quit his job on the oil rigs and went missing. On Christmas Eve of 2012, the police got word of his location and had him barricaded inside a building. Byron then took his own life after a stand-off with the police. This made Brian want to quit and give up working with men in jail/prison even though he knew this was part of God’s plan for his life. He remembered the words from which his friend Byron said to him several weeks before he took his life. That spurred Brian to continue on with Convicted by Christ and gave him even more passion and desire to persevere. After Byron’s death, it became even more apparent than before that there was indeed a need for a group like Convicted by Christ. Since then, Convicted by Christ has grown and as of September of 2013 (two years after the group was formed), the group averages anywhere from 20 to 30 men each week and is growing. A plaque was made in memory of co-founder Byron Boyd which sits on a chair each week for group. *************** Suddenly I could see myself walking the corridors of hell with Jesus. I felt the pain and terror of Byron and others like him who were treated like caged animals or had to wear ankle bracelets to track their every move. I could not shake the terror that caused Byron to take his own life and neither did I want to. Jesus allowed me to personalize Byron’s anguish long enough to use me as a springboard to action. A dam inside of me broke. I wept and wept and wept. And then I sprang into action! But what can I or anyone else do that might make a difference? I’ve got to do something! I’ve got to do something and wasted no time doing it! The “Paper Clips” story suddenly flashed into my mind. I made an ankle bracelet with paper clips. My friend Greg put it on my ankle and then took pictures. The bracelet is my way of pledging solidarity with those who are in prison or have been paroled and have no place to go after serving their time. They need a place that has a “Welcome Home” sign above the door. The apostle James writes, “If we offer no mercy, we will be judged without mercy.” (James 2:13). These are sobering words for all of us, but especial for judges. Those words settled the issue of suicide and murder for me. Neither are unpardonable sins. I look forward to fellowshipping with Byron’s friends now and with Byron in the hereafter. There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus is pleading with all of us and asking us to open our homes and hearts to the Byrons in the world. Jesus is comingling His tears with us and we are to comingle our tears with His. Rebekah and I talked to our friend Michael who has been wheelchair bound for the past sixteen years. He is a quadriplegic and a prophetic voice for Jesus. He told us about the invisible ankle bracelet he is still wearing that needed to be cut–fear, anger, shame, soul ties, etc and etc. While on the phone, we did a prophetic act and cut the chains as pictured here. I saw myself in his place and cut them. Yes, we need Jesus and each other to cut and remove our ankle bracelets. The sandals in the picture have a special significance. I wore them as I walked throughout Israel in 2005. I chronicled a most difficult journey in a book titled: The Stonetable at Maagan. My own parents attempted suicide. I was only seven at the time. They were hunted by Hitler and the GESTAPO (German Secret Police). These were men who had no mercy. Lord, I need your grace to be able to extend mercy to them. I can’t do it without your help. He did, but not until I asked Him to help me forgive. Today, by the grace of God, I am no longer a hostage to anger or unforgiveness. The memory of my parents’ attempted suicide is as alive today as if it happened yesterday. The bathroom where it happened is a vivid memory and so is the hospital where I visited them. The Holy Spirit has preserved this memory so that it would become a part of the fabric of this letter. In my eyes, my parents and every holocaust victim and survivor are martyrs. My parents found hiding places for me during the war years so that one day as an old man I would pen this story. What’s next? I am tossing these words into the sea of humanity by placing them into your mailbox. Maybe someone else will weep an ocean of tears with me? I was so blessed when I was able to release all those bottled up emotions and weep. Maybe others will pledge their solidarity with the Byrons in the world? Maybe someone else will ask for the grace to forgive? I would love to hear from those who are on the same page with me. And now I kindly solicit you to join me and pledge your solidarity and vote for Brian and Byron and the home that will memorialize Byron’s name. We may not be asked to do a lot, but whatever we do needs to be a matter of the heart. We can start by linking some paper clips into an ankle bracelet. And then we can tell those who ask us why we are wearing the bracelet. Or we can wear a paper clip on the lapel of our coat or display it on the pocket of our shirts. That’s what the Norwegians did to show their solidarity and resistance against the Nazi occupation. It’s that simple. Jesus will show us step by step what is to happen next if we ask Him. And yes, be sure to visit the Convicted By Christ web site and encourage Brian with your prayers and support. My heart is breaking for those who have committed suicide or attempted and failed. My heart is breaking for those who are left behind. My heart is aching for those who have no place to go after they are released from prison. Unless we have been in their shoes, have felt their pain and terror, how can we possibly empathize with them? Jesus in me, the Lamb of God is weeping. Jesus in me, the Lion of Judah, is roaring and warring. Our testimony and the Blood of the Lamb are our weapons of warfare – Revelation 12:11. Our tangible weapon of warfare may be a pocket full of paper clips and this story! I will never be able to look at another paper clip as just another paper clip. I have never been able to look at a razor blade as just another razor blade. Thank you Jesus for every tear You have wept for me and through me for others in pain and bondage. Thank you Jesus for showing me how to roar and go to war. And why were these words penned? Very simply so that Satan’s trophy room will be raided and emptied and that the name of Jesus, our Liberator, Savior and King of kings will be lifted up. That’s it folks! Peter & Rebekah Laue Pagosa Springs, Colorado Click on the tow truck and watch it patrol the highway through hell Sitemap    |    E-mail Peter and Rebekah    |    Contents All writings by Peter, the Lord's Scribe and Storyteller and all paintings by Rebekah, the Lord's artist are copyright free.