Prison pen pals!

Perhaps someone reading this would want to get involved by “adopting” an inmate— to become a pen pal and prayer partner with someone behind bars. If so, contact us at: carlkathy@juno.com

Please pray with us!

Please pray for all the inmates to choose Christian friends. Prison life can be lonely--they want to belong and to have friends. Rather than be leaders, some are followers and they accept the influence of negative friends from drug, homosexual and gang backgrounds. E. is like this, although in her heart of hearts, she wants to follow Christ, she lacks the strength to take a consistent stand for Him.

M. has never had an example of love. He needs to learn how to be a loving, Christian man. He’s a believer, but thinks there is only one way to tell people about the Gospel, and his presentation is not tactful. Pray for full surrender of every area of his life to God.

After the women being very open last week with their feelings, attendance was down yesterday. M. continues to be honest, even more so when certain friends are not at the study. She said she has “one foot in the Bible and one foot in the streets”. Pray that she comes out totally for the Lord and leaves
the world behind, the same for Y., S., and O.

God is faithful

During what can be a demanding ministry schedule, we sometimes grow a bit weary. This week, the Lord encouraged us with Proverbs 28:20, “A faithful man shall abound with blessings.” His Word is true!

After 2 ½ years of not seeing her daughter, C. was surprised to have her and several members of her family come for a visit. She said they cried and hugged a lot! C. is very committed to the Lord and has testified much to her family about God’s saving grace.

Because many of our students are bilingual, from time to time we sing a song in English. This time, after singing “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord”, several of our men were very moved and even applauded at the end of the song.

At one study, we’d been praying for a different seating arrangement to encourage better attention. This week, instead of our normal room, our class was assigned to the chapel, which promoted a new sense of unity. In another study, pray for 2 men who distract others with their talking.

One study has a class limit of 5, but only 4 men were coming. Knowing there were others on a waiting list, we asked the chaplain to call up another inmate, but instead, God answered by having the chaplain allow 2 more to attend, for a total of 6!

As a result of a TEE study on the responsibility of using our talents to serve the local church, one inmate asked if he could sing a song that he had composed for the Lord.

J.P. came to know the Lord in a county jail. He led his girl friend to salvation and now he wants to be baptized, and desires for them to be married. He had prayed for and asked the chaplains for a pastoral visit. As God answered, it was not the chaplains who had that blessing, but us, as God had put him on our hearts to visit! He told us, “I am so happy to know Christ!” His joy in the Lord was contagious! His attitude is of being under “God’s correction” at this time--not that of a “prisoner”, but as one who is “free” in Christ!

GROWING IN FAITH!

Last week, M. sadly told us he had been locked up for 6 years without hearing even once, from any member of his family. Together we asked God for His solution. You guessed it; he came to class today thanking each one for their prayers. He had received a letter this week from his niece! We rejoiced with him for God’s answer!

J. was excited that today’s topic spoke personally to him on the responsibilities of being a member of a local church, even though he attends church in prison.

L. is struggling with family problems that he feels helpless to change because he is incarcerated. With these problems always on his mind, it is hard to concentrate when he prays. Romans 8 encouraged him to remember that in the midst of his trials, the Holy Spirit prays for him according to God’s will.

In the women’s class, we see a new openness in the way they are more honestly expressing their struggles with specific sins.

Involved in the occult before her salvation, R. suffers from anxiety attacks, which affect her mentally, emotionally and physically. Pray for complete surrender of every area of her life to God, and freedom from these attacks.

L., who has been making spiritual strides, was down. His father recently passed away and L is concerned that he was not a Christian.

As we studied about communion, the men themselves agreed that taking the Lord’s Supper was of no value without true repentance of the heart. It is not man who has revealed this to them!

C. has served her time in prison, but is being detained until she can be deported to her home country. We tried to encourage her that this was an opportunity to trust God while she is waiting. She feels her prayers are falling on deaf ears.

G., who has been thinking through the doctrines of the church he grew up in, told us that he now knows that when he dies, he will go to heaven to be with the Lord. PTL

Ministry overview

In prison ministry, for security reasons we cannot take pictures of our students.
So picture them in your mind! In April of 2004, we started at Dodge Correctional Institution. We have now shared God's Word with 450 Latinos, with approximately 125 receiving the Lord! We do four weekly studies, in four different prisons, with around 50 regular students, as well as one-on-one discipleship studies and pastoral visits. We thank God for opening prison doors, and for His inner freedom! We also thank Tecate Mission for allowing us to minister under their authority.

Ministry of Carl and Kathy

Welcome to the Tecate Mission Prison Ministries with missionaries, Carl and Kathy Olson!