I have been fortunate to be Messiah's agent at the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center for the last nine years. Even during the pandemic, "clients" were provided with pizzas, sodas, Werthers and Oreos on a monthly basis; I just could not go inside the facility to visit with them.

Apparently, I am not quite done with God's Work as every month there are always seven to twenty "clients" who are present for the monthly Pizza Night. I explain to them that I represent Messiah Lutheran Church and that I am grateful for the opportunity to bring the pizzas and other items to them.

Sadly, there always a few who will spend months in juvy only to be transferred to one of the State juvenile prisons for one or more years. It breaks my heart to spend a few months with some of these kids only to learn that the following month they had been "sent up."

There are also a number of "regular clients" who rotate through juvy a few times during the year. This is heartbreaking as well as it informs me that there are quite a few children in our community who are from homes that are less than loving, caring and able to provide for the needs of their children for myriad reasons.

During these nine years, I have never once been nervous, anxious, threatened or fearful. I hear no bad language and I regularly hear kids saying, "Please" and "Thank you."

I am indebted to the Detention Staff for their presence and hard work. At the end of each of my visits, they always make sure to thank me and Messiah for our work with their "clients."

I continue to hold on to a belief that over the past nine years, there are a significant number of former "clients" who will always remember that there was some church in Vancouver that sent some strange guy to them who brought pizza and who always assured them that they were being thought of by a church congregation of loving and caring people. I also hope that they remember that they were always told during these visits that we did not forget about them.

I am very appreciative for the on-going financial support of this crucial ministry by this congregation that is focused on a very specific and needy population that definitely needs some Love and support.

As I was leaving the Pizza Function at the Detention Center last night, I asked the kids if there was anything that they would like me to say to my church family. One young man, who will soon be "sent up" for about three years, looked at me, smiled and said, "Tell them that I appreciate their prayers and that I would like them to please keep praying for us."

Peace and Love

Steve Friebel