May prayer-news letter

Dear Friends in Jesus,
Our hearts have been touched again by your faithfulness to God's prison ministry. Thank you to each of you who pray, give, encourage us and show love. This demonstrates that you are interested in the welfare of both the prisoners and us. May your generous investments bring you great rewards!

GOD'S MIGHTY WORK IN HEARTS:
M. was in our Portage Bible study before being transferred. He receives no other visits, yet the Lord "visits" him daily during his Bible study times! He said that he has been more blessed than he could express through memorizing and meditating on Psalm 91! Now he is beginning on Psalm 51. Pray that God's Word would overflow through M. to others in the institution.

We were excited to return to Racine Correctional recently, where we had six good pastoral visits, but one man's sweet spirit stood out. J. faces three more years of imprisonment and separation from his wife and three young children, then deportation back to Mexico, but his heart is focused on Christ. He desires that his extended family know the Savior that he himself surrendered to a year and a half ago when he was in county jail. J. is using his time wisely, already finishing four Bible Correspondence courses of study!

Another man, A., is going through a time of difficulty, as he suffers after hearing that his brother was sent back to Guatemala and killed there. Please pray that the Lord will sustain our brother in Christ, remove any bitterness and send a fresh wave of that "first love" he had for Jesus.

Carl leads the Monday night Bible study at The Lighthouse, currently using the book entitled "Character: Who You Are When No One's Looking", by Bill Hybels. As Area Lead, we guide Lisa Ortman as supervisor of the house. As a member of Tecate Mission Intl like we are., Lisa is gathering her support team. If you or a friend could partner with her, please contact us. Lisa would love to share her vision for The Lighthouse ministry with you!

A special thank you to the Peoples Church Missionary Ladies who helped in the packaging and mailing of Bibles to prisoners for their completion of Bible Correspondence courses!

OUR WEEK = THREE SPANISH BIBLE STUDIES AND SIX PASTORAL VISITS, PLUS..."GOD OPPORTUNITIES"--


**Sat. May 8 was The Lighthouse Work Day to do yard cleanup and house maintenance. God sent some of His best servants from New Hope Community of Streamwood, IL, where Carl has the privilege of serving on the Board of Directors. There is still one dangerous dead tree to remove in the back yard, for which we must hire a professional soon. We are also hoping to have a "Scraping and Painting Party"--perhaps you or your group would like to help?

**Kathy was asked to share an update with a ladies Bible study group that she affectionately calls the "Sommerset Sweeties". Their prayers are valuable to the prison ministry, as are yours! Let us know if you'd like us to share at your church, small group or Sunday School class.

**May 13 we were involved in a special presentation to the women at Taycheedah Correctional regarding the topic "Body, Mind and Spirit".
We covet your prayers for HIS Spirit to communicate the reality of what Christ has done for them and what their response should be.

**The Lord opened the door for us to do another Spanish worship service at Stanley Correctional on May 16, then to stay overnight for pastoral visits with a dozen men the next day.

**May 18 we will again attend the yearly Dodge Correctional Volunteer Banquet and Training.

**We've been working with others on the Rock County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council on plans for the second annual Prisoner Reentry Resource Fair. It will be held June 10 this year, at Peoples Church, our sending church. This event welcomes returnees home and provides information about resources available to promote a successful transition into the community.

**Carl has the opportunity to preach to the men at Waupun Correctional on June 12 and August 21. Pray that God will prepare hearts.

P-R-A-I-S-E!
1. The Lord surprised us with the gift of a low-mileage used car in answer to prayer! Our old car has 312,000 miles, most put on to and from the prisons!

2. Our laptop crashed last month, but the "up" side is that we were able to retrieve ministry documents and photos, even though not our emails.

3. The second anniversary celebration of El Shaddai, the Spanish church plant that we have had a part in. It was a wonderful time of praising God!

P-R-A-Y!
1. We are asking the Lord to help us connect with Christians near each state prison, who would be willing to do pastoral visits there with our contacts.

2. Wisdom is needed in the timing of a trip to the prisons at Redgranite, Oshkosh, and Green Bay, as well as Wisconsin Resource Center, Drug Abuse Correctional Center and Door County Jail.

3. We continue to pray about being able to return and report to Tecate Mission International.

We close with a tribute to our friend, Rob Griffith, who is now in the presence of his Savior in Glory. Rob offered and used his God-given gifts to be
an encouraging friend to prisoners by sending cards and letters to men behind bars. We and the prisoners thank the Lord for Rob's life and ministry. Perhaps you would like to do what Rob found so much joy in doing--sharing the love of God through a ministry of encouragement. If so, please contact us.

God is real and is at work in hearts who seek Him and yield to Him. Thank you for the part YOU play in His prison ministry. We appreciate you!
In Jesus,
Carl & Kathy