Cactus Game Design Message Boards

EDGE2025 leadership conference last day starts w a devotional from Commander Pastor Bob Jensen. My conservative estimate is that half of these commanders have embraced the game or have at least learned it. We pray and declare that, at day's end, the other half (mostly new attendees) would have at the least learned about the game when I make my 3-minute spiel onstage (yes Redemption elder team, u heard it right, just 3 minutes!), tried out the game, or embraced the game at their outposts from tonight onwards.





My annual spiel at EDGE this year:
"Blessings South Texas Commanders and guests! For those who don't know me yet, my name is Roy -- blessed extremely to be an adopted brother jedi of The Royal Rangers. I am celebrating my 8th EDGE and celebrated my 7th PowWow and 8th Pinewood Derby. I honor Regional Coordinator Ken Porter for starting it all in South Central as a Redemption gamer himself. Ken is a loving supporter of the game.

May I please see a show of hands from all who have either learned even once how to play, taught, and simply just love to tell others about the game even though they haven't played at all. (about half of audience raise hands and I said "Amazing! God is good!")

For those who are new to the game, Redemption is a Bible-based collectible trading card game where Heroes go into battle to rescue Lost Souls. It's a game of epic earthly and spiritual warfare. Redemption celebrated its 30th anniversary as a game last week at the 31st National Tournament in Northwest Arkansas.

We have taught the game to more than 1000 RRs from both South Texas and Oklahoma combined.

Please make sure to come to Room A2 at the end of the hallway next to the side entrance door in between classes and during breaks, scan two QR codes outside the room: "New to Redemption" as well as join the Royal Rangers Redemption Discord. The resources I just mentioned will definitely get you started and prayerfully inspire you to embrace the game at your outpost.  Then come in, buy a starter deck or two, and visit me for a couple of minutes, and we will go from there. I can even demo the game to you in just 1 minute if you have a very busy conference sked.

On behalf of all commanders and outposts who have since 2018 embraced Redemption as an activity, on behalf of Commander Chad Hutson who has embraced Redemption as an official PowWow activity at Camp Williams, and on behalf of our beloved Commander Ken Porter who is the reason why Redemption was born and continues to flourish among Royal Rangers in South Texas, South Central and beyond --- I prayerfully urge all Royal Rangers commanders to seriously consider making the game part of your regular activities and ministry, perhaps also as an amazing tool for Royal Rangers to be in symbiosis with your church youth and adult groups. Make your church pastor fall in love with the concept of the game!

Thank you Cmdrs Jeff and Lori Stokes for inspiring me to keep on teaching the game to Royal Rangers and by tirelessly making Redemption a permanent activity at Pinewood Derby, EDGE, and PowWow. Finally, thank you so much to our beloved District (Network) Director Commander Jason Bone for his undying support for Redemption and for embracing the game himself after future Commander Harrison Gregory taught Jason the game at PowWow2021 on Harrison's 10th birthday.

Get that unique official Royal Rangers Family Gamer MERIT by playing Redemption!

PRAY HARD! WORK HARD! PLAY HARD!

Thank you all, and Godbless!"

At long last...my most awaited....sibling rivalry from RR future commanders Harrison and Jase, and with a surprise visit from Commander Jeff!



Jared and Travis, your Redemption Godson is now 14 and in full RR uniform! He was 10 when he celebrated his birthday with you at PowWow2021. He still cherishes ur gift of a whole box of idk what set you gave Harrison.

Redemption dad!!!



Commander Chris Moses -- mentor for the outpost which is home to the 'infamous' Eaten by Worms Gang. Vid below shows the 'gang' about 7 years younger (?).
https://youtube.com/shorts/-psicUOoV-I?feature=share


(Now) Commander Riley Musil -- Eaten by Worms Gang leader and mastermind of the vid above. Riley has finally embraced Redemption as a game player a couple of years ago. The rest of the gang still need to start playing the game.


And...OF COURSE...the reason, together with Commander Ken Porter (Redemption gamer and the reason South Central RR Redemption was born), this amazing Commander, brother, and friend has for the past 7 years blessed the Redemption community with more than 1000 Royal Ranger youth and commanders who have learned the game at his STX PowWow events at Camp Williams (who were mostly taught by our very own Travis Matthews) --- your Redemption family will forever bless and thank you....Commander Chad Hutson (Redemption gamer) --- WE LOVE YOU!!!


My great brother and friend Rev. Frank Frazar preaching the banquet's devotional. His unforgettable son Jayce (now 12 and RRRedemption demo team member) was barely 7 when he dared play Booster Draft at one of the PowWows years ago, and his dad allowed him to play thru the wee hours of the night together with Commander Royce A and Royce's son, my Redemption Godson Noah A.


See you soon at RR events next time you come back home from Asia, Master Jedi RRRedemption Teacher...

And when you come back to your RRs, Harrison will be almost 15 and Jase his brother 13 and now playing the game himself! Here they are, your kids, all grown up!!!


And of course the dynamic duo Commanders Jeffrey and Lori Stokes -- who since the great Damon Barber stepped down as events coordinator (he set Redemption up as an EDGE event in 2018), Jeff has been tirelessly setting me up for major STXRR events that perfectly fit in Redemption: PowWow, Pinewood Derby, EDGE, and now the upcoming (held every 4 years) National Camporama 2026 (very similar to the BSA National Jamboree). I missed 2022 but our STX and OK RRs made sure it happen for Redemption at Camporama2022 led by Commanders Royce A (TX) and Chris S (OK) --- love you and miss you my brethren. Both commanders were/are Redemption retailers.


Missed you sorely at EDGE and STXRR, Commander John Squires -- avid fan and Redemption promoter and supporter.

Missed you sorely at EDGE2025 Commander Ken Porter ('Santa' in red shirt) --- you ARE the prime most reason why STXRR Redemption and RR SCentral Redemption were born!!!


****CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE****

I faithfully and prayerfully prohesy that one day ALL Royal Ranger outposts in the WORLD WILL embrace Redemption as one of their regular weekly activities as well as in ALL their conferences and camps including Camporama and Bundescamp.

GLORY BE TO THE FATHER, AND TO THE SON, AND TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING, IS NOW AND EVER SHALL BE WORLD WITHOUT END. AMEN!!!

I wanted to share with you all a cool "planting the seeds" story with you from Nationals this year: Last summer a young man who used to be a part of our church youth group moved to Russellville, AR two hours away from where Nationals was in Rogers, AR. He is friends with all three boys who came to Nationals from my group. We picked this young man up on Wednesday on our way to Nationals just to hang out with his friends while we were in the area. He had never played Redemption and had no interest in it when he lived here in Oregon even though I invited him to the group. He showed up to Nationals on Thursday and by the end of the day had become quite interested in the game even though he had never played. He bought a whole box of Cloud of Witnesses on Thursday and that night opened it and pulled a copy of The Second Coming. All three teens in my group were excited for him and helped build him a deck of his own even giving him some of their own cards to make it happen. They stayed up late teaching him to play the game. On Friday he played Type 1 and played all 10 rounds. He even managed to win a game. He is a big fan of Redemption now and has been connected with the local Arkansas play group. His story is the highlight to me out of all of Nationals this year.

Please pray for this old man for renewed energy, enough rest from Nats2025, travel mercies, wisdom, and more Redemption harvest as I embark on my journey to Houston as I teach the game to Royal Ranger commanders at their annual eadership conference this Fri/Sat.
EDGE – South Texas Royal Rangers


Please pray for the Royal Rangers as they keep on playing the game as a treasured part of their activities especially at their PowWows.

Pray for Travis M who is currently based in Thailand for his HVAC-related career but has made sure he attended Nats2025 and is hoping to be at all forthcoming Nats during his vacations back home in San Antonio TX. Travis has historically taught more than 1000 Royal Ranger kids from South TX and OK at their events.
https://www.cactusforums.com/testimonials/the-birth-of-tx-royal-rangers-redemption/msg607582/#msg607582