I got a call yesterday from "Tony", an 11 year-old boy, whose stepsister is an inmate at the Grants, New Mexico Women’s Prison. I met Tony and his parents when we rode in the same church van to the Wings Valentine’s Party on Saturday. We played a few “get to know you” mixer games in the van to know one another, and then I started teaching the songs we were going to sing at the party to everyone in the van. Tony paid close attention, and I asked him to help me lead music once we got to the prison. Tony sang along with me and helped teach motions to the 368 inmate and guests at the party. Tony and his parents are from a small northern New Mexican town. They had an unreliable car, so rode the 62 miles to the prison with us. I didn't have a chance to debrief with Tony and his parents on the return trip as they got a ride back to their car in Albuquerque with another woman from their home town, who then followed them home the remaining 100 miles.

Yesterday afternoon the phone rang and it was Tony. He wanted me to mail him copies of the music for the songs we sang at the Wings Party! He had been given an old guitar and had tried to teach himself how to play and sing the songs and realized it would help to have the music. When I asked him what the highlights of the party were for him, he enthusiastically said, "The music!" I talked to his mom afterwards and she said he had been singing the songs since leaving the prison. He had taught all his friends the songs and they "wanted more words".

Sadly, his grandfather, father, two stepsisters and one stepbrother have all been in New Mexican prisons. And yet Tony WENT to a prison and came out singing praise songs about God, and is now sharing these songs with his friends in rural New Mexico! What could be more wonderful and hopeful?

I am also working with Henry Tafoya, my friend and owner of 1150 AM radio in Albuquerque. I shared the story with Henry and he told me we would put Tony and his friends on the radio to sing a song for us!!!!! AMAZING! So I called Tony back and told him that when he and his friends have perfected a song, they are to call me and Henry will put them on the radio!

Maybe, JUST maybe, Tony will avoid the family pattern of incarceration. MAYBE, a few minutes in a van and a few minutes of singing in a prison have changed one young man’s life. His positive actions of teaching his friends "the songs" are already changing his small world.

"Tony’s Story" is one of those ‘rest of the story’ tales that is still unfolding. But believe me, I will do everything I can to help Tony. I’ve also encouraged him to master each of the songs so he can teach his church leaders and so he will be able to join any Wings band at future parties. One can only hope and pray that our actions make a difference.

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