This family man needs to get back to his family

We want to come around this family and show them that God's kingdom is a powerful force in this world. That we are our brothers' keeper. Vycee (Vah-see) is in jail right now for some old charges that never quite got sorted out. He needs to get back with his family so he can keep being the husband and father he needs to be. But before we dig into that let me tell you about my friend:

I met Vycee a couple of years ago when he started dating our good friend Tabitha. We all live in the same neighborhood and have become family to each other. So when Vycee showed up we were a bit skeptical. Who is this man stepping out of Tabitha's past? Well, he is the first to let you know that he has a rough background. He and his brother spent a big part of their life out on the streets doing things they shouldn't have done and rolling with people they shouldn't have been with. It all came to head for him when he was in jail for larceny and his brother was shot and killed. Vycee was really close to his brother and his death broke him. He couldn't even be around to mourn his brother in the right way because of the choices he was making.

Vycee wanted a change but didn't know where to start. He happened to reconnect with Tabitha when he got out of jail. Tabitha is a prayer warrior. She loves our Lord Jesus with all her heart and she started praying with Vycee and showing him the grace that only comes from Jesus. Well, that opened his eyes and he started seeing that it was possible to start fresh. To do right by his family and stay clean. He started wanting to tell everyone he could that the streets are no place for a young man, but the church is. Our concerns about Vycee were long put to rest when we got to see him marry Tabitha in December of 2021. We saw him get and hold a good job for over a year to provide for his new family. We saw him step up to be a father to Tabitha's kids. We saw him seek the Lord and join our little church. Now Tabitha and Vycee are expecting their first child together. A little boy. We saw the Lord change Vycee from the inside out. A man made new by our savior. A man I am proud to call a friend.

Unfortunately, our judicial system doesn't get updates on people's salvation. So Vycee's newness doesn't mean his past goes away. On Saturday the 13th of August, he went to the magistrate to deal with some old charges. It was supposed to be a simple conversation about setting a new court date. But things didn't go as planned. The court took him in and set his bail to $100,000. Now this husband and father is sitting in a cell waiting to get back to his family and back to work.

So we need your help. First, we need to hire a lawyer. His public defender wants him to do a year of jail time and miss the first part of his baby's life. We are hoping that a hired lawyer can do better. The first priority is to get his bail amount reduced so that we can get him out and back to his family. Then, the lawyer will work to address the charges and get Vycee right with the court. If you've ever dealt with the court system, you know it isn't cheap. We set an initial goal, but it seems there is always more needed whenever we discuss logistics.

Lawyer: $4,500

Bail: $1,500 to $unknown

We want to come around this family and show them that God's kingdom is a powerful force in this world. That we are our brothers' keeper. Pray for this man and his family, Thanks for your help!