Our special guest this week is Dawn Damon Leiro. Dawn is currently living in California. Dawn is Rick’s cousin and she traveled with Teen Rescue during the summer of 1992 and, at that time, Teen Rescue was stationed in Austin, Minnesota, and traveling in a restored Ambulance. Dawn remembers that the ambulance had no seats. Everyone sat on the floor with no seat belts. At the age of 22, it was fun hanging out and meeting people her age who were followers of Jesus. Dawn helped out mainly with the t-shirt booth and sales.
Dawn ministered at the juvenile detention center in downtown Minneapolis for one week and conducted a vacation bible school for any detainees. Dawn spoke in some of the small groups that covered topics like drugs or self-esteem.
It was life changing for not just her, but for the team and those in the center who attended because many of the Teen Rescue made life long relationships with those kids. Dawn is still in touch with David Brom who had a notorious criminal reputation in Minnesota. But Dawn didn’t know who he was at the time when he asked to come out of his cell and have a one-on-one time with her. He was 16 and seemed like an All-American boy. They struck up a friendship and they continued to stay in touch for 30 years. Whenever she was in the area, she would visit him. He knows her kids and husband. He has been adopted by her family. Dawn says it has been such a blessing because through the visits, seeds were planted for him to know Jesus.
Shortly after Dawn first met Brom, he was transferred to Texas and received Jesus and his life was transformed. He had a supernatural event in his jail cell. He now leads bible studies, mentors others, and is studying to be a chaplain in the prison. Dawn is so grateful to be a part of his life changing story.
Rick recalls Teen Rescue was doing two different events that week. The juvenile center only allowed a certain number of team members and Dawn could have easily been serving on the other team but God had different plans. Also, Teen Rescue only served at the juvenile camp that year and not the year prior or after so Rick believes it was a divine appointment.
Today Dawn is still doing a similar work at the Redwood City men’s jail at a special psychiatric unit for mentally ill patients. She works with nurses as a mental health assistant. She sees a lot of lonely broken people.
Dawn was thinking that there was a thread that she hadn’t connected before of why she loves what she does, ministering to broken people in the jails. She looks back and sees that it started with Teen Rescue. It all started a desire that she didn’t even know was there but God knew it. She has learned that those in jail are at their most broken state. They have nowhere to go. Sometimes their family has left them or they have left their families. They have such guilt for the crimes they have committed and they are completely isolated.
Just being with the inmates without having a conversation is a blessing because she can just be present, she can pray for them, and just be available. Just being friendly and kind is foreign to a lot of people in jail. Dawns says we all have to go to the places that God calls us whether it is in prisons, your local neighborhood, we all have a sphere of people that we can reach. Be that light wherever we have influence.
Dawn gives some final memories. She believes it was a cool thing because it wasn’t really that structured which she loved. They never knew from day to day where they were going to be so it kept you on your toes. Dawn felt that kind of environment helps you to figure out on your own what your gifts are and what you will bring to the table to contribute to the team. There was a lot of freedom in doing it that way. Dawn remembers the team did not complain and it was unified and fun.
