Investing In The Next Generation
CELEBRATING THE COMPLETION OF ALL SIX VOLUMES OF 33 THE SERIES!
Joel Martinez, Andrew Palmer, Matthew Marks, Moses Lyne, Alex Greenham, Michael Marks, Jordan Daye, Josh Borud, Mitchell Greenham
By Tierce Green
Ray Berglund believes that a better future is directly connected to building better men.
The principles of authentic manhood deepened his relationship with God and changed his life. Now, in the midst of a pandemic, he is simply paying it forward. Ray has given me the privilege of sending video congrats and words of encouragement to the young men he leads. He's very quick to give all the glory to God and point to others who inspired him. This kind of humility is what makes his investment in the lives of these men very personal, profound, and long-lasting.
Ray sent the following text after he watched my most recent video:
Malachi Marks & Ray Berglund
"The first video you made for me was for Malachi Marks pictured on the left. He is responsible for motivating me to get off my lazy thumb-twiddling retired butt to do 33 for the 9 boys. He was also the small group leader for the boys. If I gave you his cell phone number, do you think you could call him and give him an atta-boy? He deserves it more than the one you gave me in the video. He's 22-years-old, newly married, and a new homeowner. Thank you so much!"
After that text and an inspiring call with Malachi, I received this email from Ray's wife:
"I am Ray Berglund’s wife, and I wanted to say thanks for all you have done in helping Ray. About 20 years ago, Ray was struggling in several areas of his life. My brothers had started Men’s Fraternity in their men’s group in Illinois and recommended it to Ray. Ray bought the series and watched it pretty much straight through—not just once, but several times. I saw changes in Ray that I had been praying for. He was a different person. The series literally changed Ray’s life—and mine, too, because of the positive results.
He is always excited to share the series with others. I’m sure you know much of the rest of the story. He has shared it with many men’s groups, prisoners (several who call him their dad because he has been there for them), and the most recent, these 9 young fellows with several of their dads. I have heard all of the encouraging words that you have sent, and I wish you could see the excitement Ray has when he receives them from you—and the excitement he has when fellows finish.
Thanks is not enough, but I just wanted to express my thanks for the series and to you for helping to change our family—and so many others. May God be glorified!!!"
Some stories are so good, they almost tell themselves. This is true of Ray and the men God is influencing through him.
"You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." (2 Corinthians 3:2-3)
A video congratulations to this 2020 Graduating Class in Wautoma, Wisconsin. These men are from the surrounding areas of Coloma, Princeton, Redgranite, and Neshkoro.