Tecate Mission Prison Ministries

Spring Prayer letter!

2011-04-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

Olson’s Opportunities Spring 2011
The color GREEN symbolizes growth. Just as we watch our grandchildren going through growth spurts, we are excited that the Lord is “growing” men and women behind prison walls, too! In our Spanish Bible classes,
we’re studying a panorama of the Bible that will take us through each
of its books. The memory verse is I Peter 2:2: “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation”. That challenges us to ask the Lord to help us desire His Word just as a growing baby desires milk.

Our Dodge class is learning that the Bible is more precious than gold, sweeter than honey, and is spiritual milk to help us grow.

After depression and disunity among the Taycheedah class ladies, there are baby steps of new growth. They are beginning to minister to one another’s needs. This week S. shared how she sees God at work in her life through many trials, and encouraged the others to trust Him.

J. immediately asked for a pastoral visit. S. thanked God for giving him time to hear the Word of God. E. told God that he was sorry for never going to church until now that he is in jail.

Both O. and J. are diligently studying their Bibles. O. wants to please the Lord by obeying Him, and has forgiven his wife for not allowing him contact with their children. J. is really growing but needs prayer as he works through the anger he feels towards his “absentee” father.

Green shows new birth and new life. T. wants to be the last one to leave after class so that he can ask us questions. We feel he is close to believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. E. is hungry for the Word, more at peace, and joyfully advancing now that he has the assurance of his salvation. J. prayed that God would enter his heart and also help his children to know Him. E., a mature Christian and personal evangelist, patiently teaches C., his cellie, the Bible.

Unfortunately, not everyone is choosing to grow. In one class, several have stopped attending. I., soon to be released, is not as interested in spiritual things as in the past. L. feels “distant” from God. J. asks prayer for his 17 yr. old daughter, L., who says there is no God for her.

As Paul wrote in I Cor. 3:6-9, we want to be faithful in planting and watering seeds, but it is God who gives the increase, who makes them grow. Please pray for us to creatively take every opportunity to present the Gospel during what Latinos call “Semana Santa” or Holy Week, the week between Palm Sunday and Easter, and keep trusting God for His growth in their hearts.

Thank you for being our fellow workers through your prayers and gifts to God’s prison ministry!
Carl and Kathy
Serving with Tecate Mission International, POB 1000, Tecate, CA 91980 ~ 619-468-3355 ~ www.tecatemission.org

Merry Christmas from the Olsons!

2011-04-11T17:21:00.000-07:00

Jesus, Our Prince of Peace!
¡Jesús, Nuestro Príncipe de Paz!
Isaiah 9:6

This Christmas 2010, we greet you warmly from cold Wisconsin as we again celebrate the coming of our Prince of Peace! Our greatest need was forgiveness of sin, so God sent us the Savior, Jesus.

Our church choir sang these words in a cantata once--“He broke down the barrier created by our sin and ended the war that was going on within. Hallelujah, He is our Peace! Hallelujah, Jesus is our Peace!”

What a beautiful plan--by putting our faith in Jesus, we have peace with God. (Romans 5:1,11) Also when we surrender to Him, He is willing to take our worries and give us the peace of God. (Philippians 4:7)
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God has called us to offer His peace to prisoners.
His calling has been both a joy and a challenge which has caused us to desperately seek His direction every day. It also means that we desire God’s peace and love to flow through us to others.

We have tried to be faithful to His calling by building our love relationship with Him and by sharing the Gospel. Each year, hundreds of prisoners are impacted through in-prison Bible studies and pastoral visits, mainly in Spanish, representing thousands of miles driven and thousands of hours invested for Him.

God says His Word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11) and that not one word of all His good promises has failed (Joshua 21:45), so we trust He is at work, even when we don’t see all the results yet.
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Please pray with us for:
*God’s comfort to prisoner’s hearts this Christmas as they are separated from family, and courage and strength
as they enter the new year. Also wisdom for us in preparing and presenting Scripture lessons to counsel them.

*Both incarcerated and released prisoners to stabilize and connect with a local church and mentor, to truly be that “new creature in Christ” and go forward spiritually, not returning to old friends/ways of thinking/acting.

*The Lighthouse ministry is officially closing, as the owner put the home up for sale. We believe seeds of faith were planted in the hearts of the ten ladies who resided there. Keep praying! Our deep thanks to those who helped them.

*Lord willing, there will be provision for a January road trip to Tecate Mission to report. We very much appreciate the used car donated to us in April, but which now needs new tires.

*We are grateful for God’s faithfulness to our family and proud of their accomplishments! Pray for His blessings in their lives, Kathy’s parents and Carl’s brother and his wife at this time.
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We thank God for YOU!
We praise God for the fellowship He has given us with you and for your partnership in the ministry. Our Grandchildren
The Lord promises you a wonderful “return”, in more ways than one! We’d love to hear from you!
May Jesus be your Peace this Christmas, and may He use your life for His glory in 2011.
Carl and Kathy Olson
“I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Matthew 25:36
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Serving with Tecate Mission International ~ POB 1000 Tecate, CA 91980 ~ 619-468-3355 ~ www.tecatemission.org

September Prayer Letter!

2010-10-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

Olson’s Opportunities - Sept. 2010

Greetings once again to all our dear friends, Celebrating 20 years in His service! Can you believe it? We praise the Lord for His faithfulness to us, and we humbly thank you for your part in our family and ministry, by prayer and giving.

It started with people like you praying. Then came our short-term trips to Mexico, our year in Dallas when Carl studied at Dallas Bible College, more trips to Mexico, culminating in Sept. of 1990 when we moved to the border to serve with Tecate Mission! God met us, directed us, stretched us, and provided for us all along this faith journey. It is like the old hymn says, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

Pointing people to Christ! It has been six years now that God has opened doors and given us the privilege of leading Spanish Bible studies and doing pastoral visits in Wisconsin prisons. Through new experiences and friendships, our lives have been so enriched. One prisoner even composed and sang a song about our time in the prisons. It is all because of the Lord and the difference He’s made in our lives as He’s transforming us in order to reach others.

This week an inmate wrote,” My dear friends and brothers, I give you thanks sincerely for your help to all of us that are here in the prisons. Thank you because many of us have found God with your help.”

Another, recently released wrote, “ I would like to start by thanking you for coming to visit me. It was a blessing. I am finally home now and everything is going good. I started my new job today and although it’s low paying and an hour drive, I know God has a plan for me.”

Believing in the power of prayer! Inmates ask for your help in prayer for their needs—

*For hope and strength to withstand constant negative pressures of the prison atmosphere.
*To feel God’s love personally, grow in the Word and learn their identity in Christ.
*To see God at work in the area of building healthy relationships.
*For God’s will in their court cases, like keeping custody of their children. (M., A., M., I., & B.)
*To develop a “support net” before their return to society, including a mentor & church.

We, too, appreciate prayer, for balance and wisdom in decisions, safety in travel, and to network with others who can share in ministry responsibilities. The Lighthouse is using this time while no ladies are present, to reevaluate changes needed and recruit church and community involvement as Board members, volunteers, & mentors. Training is provided. Interested? Contact us!

Receiving God’s encouragement! Hebrews 12:2 says “…who for the JOY that was set before Him endured the cross…” What was the joy? You were His joy—it was you and me that He thought of as He hung there, so that we could be FREE FROM SIN--whether in prison or out of prison!

Carl & Kathy Olson, www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=559967875

Serving with Tecate Mission Int’l, P.O.Box 1000, Tecate CA 91980, 619-468-3355, www.tecatemission.org

May prayer-news letter

2010-05-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

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

Merry Christmas from the Olsons!

2009-12-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you from Wisconsin! Your friendship and partnership mean so very much to us. We trust you are rejoicing as you consider the JOY that God sent to YOU and to the world. That baby in the manger came to save us from our sins. In Jesus, God was saying, “I love you!”

This year, as we entered by God’s grace into our twentieth year of missionary service, the Lord called us to a new level of commitment, “Come unto me…and learn of me.” (See Matthew 11:28.) Thanks to Him, 2009 has been a year of learning for us.

As we look back to the beginning of 2009, a long time friend had offered an empty house she owned to be used as a new ministry project~ the development of a transitional living home for women being released from prison. The Lighthouse was born! God connected us with a new friend, who joined Tecate Mission, and became The Lighthouse supervisor. DOC policy says we are able to supervise those who directly supervise Lighthouse residents.

As planning began in earnest, we got word from a prison that we could no longer do one full day a week of pastoral visits there. This was a blow at first, until we realized we were emotionally drained by doing them. God already knew, & we were learning.

Imagine all the preparations that went on before The Lighthouse June 6th Open House! Surprise--the first resident came earlier than expected, and soon all four beds were full! We watched God working in their lives, as well as in our own! Then, one by one, three of the women slid back into their old way of thinking and relapsed. One is in treatment, two are in jail, and the fourth is living for the Lord and Carl will perform her wedding. Three new ladies have been welcomed, so please keep praying! He’s been stretching us, allowing us to learn in difficult ways, but for His purposes and His glory.

Weekly we do three Spanish Bible studies in prison, one study at The Lighthouse, six to eight pastoral visits, plus occasional worship services in prisons farther away. Praise God with us for being part of the first Spanish services ever held in New Lisbon and Stanley Correctional, also in helping baptize a Latino believer. We’re learning of God’s faithfulness to His people.

An inmate’s recent decision: T. told us, “I am prepared to give my life to the Lord.” And he prayed to do so!

W., an inmate said: “You are my gas tank! I fill up so I can give out God’s counsel to others who are hurting.”

A testimony from a pen pal to prisoners: “I have been corresponding with one inmate for several months and another for just a short time. In addition, I have been sending birthday and Christmas greetings to several inmates. These men and I take pleasure in sharing experiences, thoughts, and our passion to spread the Gospel.”

A life transformed for the Lord: We called P. our “John 3:16 guy”, having met him in our Dodge Corr. Spanish study three years ago. Being bilingual, he had learned many Bible verses, and had recommitted his life to the Lord. We visited him at Prairie du Chien Corr. before he was transferred twice more, then released. Prison Aftercare Network of Milwaukee helped him transition, find a job and a home church. In Jan. 2009, he was married, and has come “full circle” by receiving permission to enter prison as a volunteer to preach the Gospel!

We thank God for you, and ask for your continued prayers for us in the coming year. Please join us as we look to the Lord with renewed vision for His guidance and victory in 2010.

This Christmas, may you experience and be blessed by God’s personal love for YOU in Jesus!

Carl & Kathy Olson & family

www.carlandkathyprisonministry.blogspot.com
Serving with Tecate Mission Int., P.O. Box 1000, Tecate, CA 91980, 619-468-3355, www.tecatemission.org

Celebrating One Year of Blessings!

2009-05-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

It was a special day of celebration at Comunidad de Fe: El Shaddai! Special music, special guests, and a special message from the Word of God.

Today the Spanish church plant that we have been helping with celebrated their first anniversary! About sixty people gathered to thank the Lord for this year of blessings and to hear Pastor Tulio Duran share about the work that God has placed on his heart to reach Latinos in the area for Christ. He chose to use Nehemiah 6:3, "I am doing a great work.", which was the same Bible text he had used on the opening day of the church.

In his words: "This has been a year of faith and of incessantly seeking the move of the Holy Spirit, for the formation of this 'Great Work'. We continue making an emphasis on the power of prayer, on obedience to the Word of God, and on the faith that moves the heart of the Holy Spirit, and in this manner, to see the growth of new leaders and disciples, ready to live for Christ."

"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

Will you pray with us in FAITH?

2009-04-28T12:42:00.000-07:00

In our Spanish Bible studies, we worship the Lord through song and testimony, then do the Bible lesson. One song the men and women like very much is “Un Grano de Mostaza”, talking about us having FAITH in Jesus the size of a mustard seed, from Matthew 17:20-21. We are privileged to plant seeds in the minds and hearts of prisoners, asking God to help us water them and He will give the increase.

A new member of one of our classes, Luis R., has asked for prayer for his wife M. to open her heart to the Lord, as well as their children. He became a Christian last summer and is growing in the “grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus”. He desires others to pray with him for M. to make a FAITH decision to follow Christ, and that he may walk in victory even though incarcerated.

Joshua D. needs to let the Word of God revolutionize his thoughts, attitudes and behavior. Two events radically changed his life when he was 13 years old--his mother trusted Christ and his dad left them. Joshua did give his life to the Lord and memorized many Bible verses, but got in with the wrong crowd. Now Joshua says it is "too hard" to live for the Lord in prison. Pray that Joshua will experience his Heavenly Father's love and be able to replace his doubts with FAITH.

In one-on-ones with my gals before Easter, I asked them to read through the Gospel of John and circle the word “believe” each time it was present, then count up how many times! This challenge made us more aware of the importance of "believing" the Lord. It especially made an impact on Avery and Linda, women that I may not be able to see again. Please pray that God will cause their FAITH to grow.

A young man in our Dodge Bible study really tried to listen each week. His girlfriend had just given birth to their baby boy, and at the same time, we'd been studying about the "new birth". Before his transfer to where he would serve his sentence, we asked how he was doing spiritually. He spread his arms out to the sides, answering that he was "between good and bad". Please pray that Juan R. chooses to put his FAITH in Christ and "be born again".

God keeps on blessing!

2009-03-02T17:32:00.000-08:00

God has done miracles in E’s life. When we first met him four years ago in Bible study, he had been incarcerated for fourteen years, without having had even one visit with a family member in that time.

Two years ago, on our March 2007 posting, we spoke of our brother E. At that time, he had just received his first visit ever from one of his grandchildren. She was his seventh grandchild, but the first to visit him. Last week he came in with a picture of them together, that had been taken in the visiting room a few days before. Today in class he thanked God because this little girl will grow up knowing him and calling him Abuelito (Grandpa). Not only is God restoring relationships between E. and his family, E. has restored his relationship with God, and is growing!

Web Site to visit

2009-03-01T07:15:00.000-08:00

Following is the web site for the R. A. Torrey quotes below!
http://www.wholesomewords.org/etexts/torrey/hspirit.pdf

One more quote from R. A. Torrey!

2009-02-27T07:31:00.001-08:00

"We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little; many services but few conversions; much machinery but few results."

Think about this!

2009-02-27T06:41:00.001-08:00

The great theologian R. A. Torrey said; ". . . it is of the highest importance from a practical standpoint that we know the Holy Spirit as a person. If you think of the Holy Spirit, as so many even among Christian people do, as a mere influence or power, then your thought will be, 'How can I get hold of the Holy Spirit and use it?' But if you think of Him in the Biblical way as a Divine person, your thought will be, 'How can the Holy Spirit get hold of me and use me?" '

Monday in the prison!

2009-02-17T11:37:00.000-08:00

Brother Luis gave his life to the Lord last June and since then has been growing in his faith. He entered our group Bible study just last month, and shared that he has been praying for his wife and children for the past three months, that they would want to know the Lord. Yesterday during testimony time, he said that they came to visit him and his wife said with tears In her eyes that she wanted Luis to teach her what he was learning in Bible study! He was very happy! He will be seeing PRC soon and hopes to be sent to a minimum facility nearer his family in Milwaukee.

We saw another fellow, Pablito, who had been in our study, but now is finishing up his last class to get his GED. He said he’d been missing the study, and will be allowed to return after he is able to pass his reading test. In the meantime, he wants to resume studying via Bible correspondence lessons. He said he always prays, “God, please don’t leave me alone here. I need your help to finish my last 7 years. Please help my parents to live that long, so that I can be reunited with them in Puerto Rico once again.”

What’s a TLP?

2009-02-13T20:39:00.000-08:00

The Lord has been directing us and rest of the leadership team regarding plans for the discipleship home being developed in Janesville, WI. It will potentially house 4 women newly released from prison, helping them transition back to society by
offering a faith-based network of support. This will include Biblical counseling, church services, mentors, prayer, and help with practical needs like employment, transportation, food, clothing, etc.

It is a “God thing” that this month there are two training seminars on TLP’s--transitional living placements--being offered in the Milwaukee area. By attending, we hope to gather as much info as possible that can be applied to developing the Janesville discipleship home. We also would like to tour similar nearby homes already in use, and motivate others to pray and get involved. Contact us now to be part of the blessing!

An awesome week!

2009-01-30T15:31:00.000-08:00

This week found us at Portage doing 2 services on Sunday night. We were blessed to share the message of Christ with around 75 men. Then it was back to Portage on Monday afternoon for our weekly study, meeting with our 14 faithful men.

On Tuesday, we made a trip to Waupun for two Pastoral visits. Then it was on to Fond Du Lac for our normal all day Wednesday work, where, between the two of us we did 10 one on one pastoral visits.

Now it was on to our normal Thursday study where we saw 18 men, afterwards, one of us visited with 2 at one institution and the other visited one at still another institution. WOW, over 900 ministry miles, over 100 men & women touched with the love of Christ, and we received many hours of blessings.

We praise God that He allows us to be in this ministry. The church behind to walls is growing both in quantity and quality!

Here's my verse!

2009-01-23T14:13:00.000-08:00

"Hey Pastor Carlos, God gave me this verse; Hebrews 8:12, 'For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.' I'm holding on to it as a promise from God!"

May God give these men and women His true freedom while they are behind bars!

Jesus is calling!

2009-01-16T08:25:00.000-08:00

Jesus is calling!

He died for our sins!
He was also raised to life to give us entrance into heaven!

He's knocking at your heart's door!

When you let Him in, there will be joy!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-12T15:44:00.000-08:00

The first weekend of the New Year found us “marrying off” our youngest son. It was a great family celebration! Carl had the blessing of being the Pastor performing the wedding and each one of our family, including the grandchildren, participated in the ceremony. Great fun! Great joy!
Then, during the first of the week, we came home via the institutions at Stanley and New Lisbon. At Stanley we visited 11 men and the next day at New Lisbon we visited 14 men. It was then on to Taycheedah for 8 more visits! We were tired, but grateful and blessed!
From those we visited we heard many different stories: some were excited, some we worried, some were lonely, some were rejoicing, some needed money, some needed to hear from family and friends. When you visit 33 incarcerated people in three days, you hear the gambit of ups & downs. God is doing His work in those behind the bars! Thanks for your prayers.

Christmas in the prisons!

2008-12-28T17:55:00.000-08:00

We found four of our favorite Christmas Carols in Spanish and shared those with the men in our Monday group. God helped us put together scriptures with songs. We had an interactive Christmas service! As the men left the service, many said they really enjoyed it. We praise God for the opportunity to present the message of salvation in the prisons!

We just keep praising the Lord!

2008-12-13T19:06:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, October 28, we posted a note on this blog about one of our men who had written a booklet. We had gone to see him with the desire to read the finished copy with him, but he was out of the institution. We were saddened, as was he.

However, praise the Lord, we finally got to see him yesterday! We were all overjoyed as we read the booklet together. But, when we reached the part that talked about how he had been such a bad example to his son, we had to pause. Our friend, ex-gangbanger, now wonderfully born again, was very emotional and tearful as he remembered how he acted around his son.

We know that he is very active in writing his son about his experience with the Lord, so we encouraged him that he is doing what God wants him to do at this time in his life. This man’s conversion to the Lord Jesus is a miracle! We pray for more like him!

Please pray for them!

2008-12-04T06:39:00.000-08:00

In doing an Internet search on the criminal mind, we found the following:
"To embark on a truly corrective program, we must begin with the clear understanding that the criminal chooses crime; he chooses to reject society long before society rejects him. The criminal values people only to the extent that he can use them for his own self-serving ends; he does not justify his actions to himself. Only by "habilitating" the criminal, so that he sees himself realistically and develops responsible patterns of thought, can we change his behavior."

Please keep praying for those behind bars!

I need you . . . !

2008-11-20T19:53:00.000-08:00

Because of the number of girls who want to see us, we told one of our girls that we would be seeing her every other week instead of every week. She got tears in her eyes as she said, "I don’t like it, but I will accept it, if that is what you want." Then she slightly raised her voice and said, “I need you guys to help me do my time.” We are humbled that we can make a difference like this. May God receive the glory!

God still does miracles!

2008-11-20T19:48:00.000-08:00

One of our more mature Christian ladies has been facing struggles with a co-worker. The co-worker has ridiculed her, threatened her, convinced others to be against her, and generally made life difficult. So . . . starting last week, we decided to pray for a miracle! We asked God, if it was His will, to move the co-worker or move our friend. When we returned this week we found out that God had moved the co-worker to another unit. Our friend has been relieved from the pressures of this situation. We praise God for this miracle!

Preaching opportunity!

2008-11-02T20:29:00.000-08:00

Just for everyone to know: We will be preaching
at Rock Valley Chapel, in Beloit, WI., this Sunday,
Nov. 9.
http://www.rockvalleychapel.org/
It is the day of prayer for the persecuted church.
http://www.persecution.com/
We are excited that God has given us this opportunity!

Photo trip!

2008-11-02T20:15:00.000-08:00

Minimum Security!

Trip to Milwaukee!

Medium Security!

We were not able to see him!

2008-10-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

One of our dearest friends behind the bars has written a booklet. This booklet is directed to youth and others who are involved in the life style of gangs and drugs. He shares that a life lived in the streets is one that leads to suffering, pain, prison, and even death. He continues by saying that a life centered on Christ is one that brings peace, contentment and purpose.

A sister in Christ at Tecate Mission has edited this booklet and put it into a readable form. We wanted to show the finished product to our brother in Christ who wrote it, but he was OUT TO COURT last week when we went to visit him. His friends said he was waiting for it and will be glad to see it. We only go to his institution once every three months, but we will try to return soon. We can’t wait to see his face when he sees the booklet!

Some recent one-liners from your brothers & sisters in Christ behind bars!

2008-10-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

J. : "Praise God, I just received notice that I will be going to minimum! I hope it will be near my family."

E.: "Carlitos, when I heard the music and your message about Christ, I can’t explain what happened, but something changed inside me. Now I have sent copies of the songs and Bible studies to all my family."

S.: "Please pray that my Mom will bring my daughter to visit me. I haven’t seen her in a year & a half. . . I don’t even know what her favorite color or subject in school is. I want to know my daughter!"

C.: "God has really used this time to motivate me to become more creative with my music skills…I have met others with the same interest & now we write songs to the Lord every day. I will be released to Milwaukee in a month & I am looking for other musicians there who want to form a Christian band to reach people for Christ."

A.: "I’m worried about my younger brother. No one knows where he is."

C.: "This new Bible that I received for finishing the first course of Bible Correspondence study represents a lot of hours of work, but it was worth the effort!"

M.: "I hoped my sentence wouldn’t be this long. I feel deflated & discouraged with God. Please visit me again."

He's been released!

2008-10-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

On Our October 2006 and June 2007 postings, we spoke of our “John 3:16” man. He was one who not only knew John 3:16 but several other Bible verses. He re-dedicated his life to the Lord and we praise God because we were able to continue communication with him for these past two years. He is a precious brother in Christ!

He has been and is very committed to the Lord. And the good news is: he was RELEASED from prison yesterday. He wanted us to pick him up, but as you know, we are not able to do so. He will be staying at a Christian home called ‘Hope Street’. The disciplines there will be good for him. He loves the Lord and calls us his Pastors!

The DOC will let an inmate's old gang or drug-dealing buddies pick him up, but we as his Pastors cannot. Please pray for God's will for proposed changes to hopefully be okayed soon by the Secretary of the DOC.

Prison aftercare!

2008-10-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

Some facts about prison work and prison aftercare:
• Almost 80% of crimes are committed by Repeat offenders. (They are NOT being rehabilitated!)
• 95% of prisoners will be released within 3 years
• Most will return to society ill-equipped to enter trades or professions; or hold a productive job
• Most will not have learned to deal with problems of loneliness, mistrust, and hatred
• The ONLY Programs that have been proven effective are those which seek to help change …
• The HEARTS of criminals rather than simply attacking the symptoms of crime.
• It’s Not a job for “A” church, but “THE” Church!
Please keep praying for prison aftercare. Does God want you involved in prison aftercare?

We've been to Milwaukee!

2008-09-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

Sept. 19 and 20, we had the privilege to tour a half dozen Milwaukee prison aftercare programs. How we wish we'd had that opportunity more than four years ago when we first started in prison ministry. It was extremely encouraging and informative, not just to learn details of programs for those newly-released, but to see the facilities for ourselves! We feel more prepared to be able to direct the men and women we are discipling behind bars, to investigate these resources.

Recently-released inmates need a "safety net", a team of people and programs to connect them with a safe place to live, a job, a mentor and a good church. Please pray for your brother and sister in Christ, P. and E. as they transition to serving God on the outside. After being reconciled to God, now they must learn to reconcile with their families and communities.

All glory to God!

2008-09-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

We continue to be humbled by some of the things the inmates say. One man told us today that when he heard us speak of salvation in Christ and how to be born again, his whole life changed. He says he is now much more content, has peace, and is willing to accept the responsibility for what he has done. He knows that consequences will come, but he is ready for them, with God’s help, as well. We praise God for what He is doing in people’s lives!

Praise the Lord!

2008-09-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

The information we had about him showed us he was a Christian, but he asked questions like: I’m not sure God can really love me? When I die, will anybody know I lived? Will I continue to have victory over my sin?

It was with this information that we paid a visit to this man. Much to our surprise, and to God’s glory, we found him to be much more mature in his Christian faith than the above shows. With the great discipleship of a Chaplain, and with correspondence Bible studies, he has grown in the Lord. We had a great visit! He is walking in victory!

He is planning on getting out early this next year; gathering together housing, work, mentors, a church, etc. He will need prayer and encouragement.

A Birthday Surprise

2008-09-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

We've known J. for 3 years. Last month we made a pastoral visit with him to encourage him. That day turned out to be his birthday! Later he wrote, "This was very special for me. I wanted to cry but I bore it. God knows everything."

"Now I understand that I belong to Christ, that Christ accepted me as I was, and that He has a plan for my life. By means of you, God spoke to me saying, 'Give me your heart'. Even though I am a prisoner, I have not lost my faith in Christ. Christ is everything to me."

"You left me a Bible study on Obedience, and this is exactly what I want to learn, to be obedient to God. Day after day I am forcing myself to be more obedient. I am not talking about my muscles, but my spirit."

J. goes to court on Oct. 2. Please remember him in your prayers, for God's strength to live as an obedient Christian there in prison.

"Come Soon"

2008-09-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we received a letter from an institution that we don't get to visit very often because of it's distance of 3 hours from us.

The letter requested our help in having a Bible study in Spanish at the prison, and was signed by 10 men, indicating their "desire to read the Bible and sing praises", so that we would know that "there are people here who are waiting to study the Word of God!"

The P.S. read "Come Soon"... They WROTE with FAITH, so let's PRAY with FAITH!

Calling All Prayer Partners!

2008-09-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

We appreciate your prayers for the prison ministry! We want to be faithful to God's call on our lives to share Jesus with people behind bars. He is waiting for us to "remember those in prison as though [we] were their fellow prisoners", and pray.

The inmates are in different places on their spiritual journeys, but please pray for God to CHANGE their desires, from wanting what THEY want, to wanting what HE wants. Pray He will develop in them a HUNGER and THIRST for HIS WORD, for TRUTH, and for REAL PURPOSE in life. Only He satisfies, don't you agree?

We invite YOU to join us in prayer for prisoners! Let us know, and we'll send you brief email "prayer bullets". We'll post God's answers here and rejoice together!

You are invited!

2008-08-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

You are invited to Peoples Church, 340 West Grand Ave, Beloit, Wisconsin for three Missions Weekends! At the first weekend, Sept. 13 & 14, we have been asked to share--on Saturday morning, Sept. 13. there will be a 9:00 am breakfast with missionaries sharing afterwards. Later that evening will be a 6:00 pm family night meal, then seminars given by Randy & Margie Lawler, ministering to Muslims in London, Mark & Maurene Olson, who are gathering support to go to Lithuania, and ourselves who serve the Lord in prison ministry to Latinos. Sunday the 14th, each of the couples will be speak to Sunday School classes at 9:15 am. At the 10:30 am service, our friend and elder in the Lord, Randy Lawler, will be preaching. God has put a great message on Randy's heart, one we all should hear. Please come!

Praise be to God!

2008-08-22T07:39:00.000-07:00

We heard the following praises during a recent worship service we did at PDCI:

“I left my wife, started running the streets, doing drugs and for over two years I lived that kind of life style. The gap between my wife and I was large! But now I give praise to God because my wife is coming back into my life. God is now at the center of our new, growing relationship."

“I had not spoken to my family for over 6 years because of my life style. Then, after receiving the Lord while I was in the county jail, I decided to call home. Much to my surprise, my parents had become Christians as well. We had a happy reunion and praise be to God, He continues to heal our past hurts.”

I was almost killed in a car accident a few years ago, but that did not make me change my life style. By continuing to live my life the way I wanted, I ended up here in prison. While here, I have given my life back to God and am allowing Him to take control. I’ll be getting out next Tuesday and am praying that God will use my testimony.”

“I grew up in a Christian home. But the more my parents talked to me about God, the more I ran from God. My running landed me here in prison. Now that I’ve given my life to the Lord, I realize that I was not only arrested, but I was rescued as well. God rescued me from sin and myself. I am using this time in prison as a preparation time for me to live the successful Christian life on the outside.”

“I praise God because He is not reforming me, but He is transforming me.”

Praise God with us for these who are living for the Lord behind "the walls!"

Just think what God can do!

2008-08-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

God continues to do amazing things in the transformation of those in the prisons! This past week the word FREE kept coming to my mind. G --, the gal with cancer who had been in our Spanish study at Taycheedah & we met with individually, then was transferred to Hospice, was called to her Heavenly Home. She is now FREE in every way! Thank you so much for including her in your prayers. We pray for her unbelieving family & friends.

E --, the gal I have had the privilege to disciple for the past several years, was released from prison on Tues. She now lives in a new FREEDOM after 5 yrs. of incarceration. This is a critical time for her to stay focused on the Lord & we'd covet your prayers that the Lord would help her through each decision & need--finding a good church & Christian mentor, finding a job so she can get her own apt, & being careful who she associates with.

Among others that we met with this week, S --, I -- & C -- all expressed in their own way that they are making process in becoming FREE from their old patterns of thinking & behaving!! As we study the book of First John in the prisons, we see hunger for that same FREEDOM in Christ in the eyes of M --, E --, L --, A --, S --, J --, E --, R -- & E --. Praise God with us!

Important interview for ALL Christians!

2008-08-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

Pastor Rick will interview Senators Barack Obama and John McCain in their first joint appearance of the presidential campaign at 5:00 p.m. PST on August 16. Click on the link below to learn more.

http://saddlebackcivilforum.com/index.html#

Cabin update!

2008-07-31T13:30:00.000-07:00

It seems that it is not God's timing for us to use our little cabin in His service at this time. Does He have another house in mind? We continue to believe that He wants some sort of aftercare house here in our area that we can be involved in. Please keep praying!

Prayers from the heart!

2008-07-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a sampling of recent prisoner prayer requests--

"Pray for me so I can continue to attempt to read the Bible and obtain an understanding of the Scriptures, as this can be a bit frustrating."

"Thank you, Lord, for this opportunity to draw close to you! I ask you with all my heart to take care of my family."

"Lord, I pray that you would help my faith to grow, that you would take care of my children and that I would receive good news about my mother. Also, thank you, Lord, for loving me!"

"Please pray for the salvation of my soul!"

"Please pray for my sentencing next week." We prayed, and later found out that he received a life sentence. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the look in his eyes--a twenty year old knowing that he faces life in prison. Yes, he committed a crime, but nobody deserves to be raised the way he was!

Update from May 21 posting!

2008-07-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

We need to finally update you on the gal in our, Wednesday, May 21, 2008 posting titled, "Resist the devil!" Well, praise the Lord, our gal was exonerated. The ticket she received was proved un-just. It was removed from her history and her file shows that it never existed. So her streak of not going to the hole continues. All glory and honor to God! She said she could not stop saying PRAISE JESUS! Please keep praying for this gal as she has a few more hurdles to jump!

Housing!

2008-07-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

Since last October, we have been seeking God about Him using the cabin that is on our property in a more practical way. As we have been praying, we have been asking God to show us His plan. Then today we read the following verse in our devotions: "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" James 2:15-16 (NIV)

We are beginning to sense that God may want us to open that cabin up to provide housing for ex-ofenders when they get out. There sure are a lot of details to work out, but with God all things are possible. Please pray about this and also let us know what you think.

Premarital Counseling!

2008-06-26T19:19:00.000-07:00

We did not know that prison ministry would lead us into marriage counseling . . . but it has! One of our gals has become very committed to the Lord over the past three years that we have met her. She wants to please the Lord with ALL her heart. While she has grown in the Lord, she has also led another prisoner to the Lord via mail. However, he is a male and has fallen in love with her! So . . . they have been making plans to wed after they both get out.

We praise God as we were able to make our first visit with him today. He has made that initial step in accepting Jesus as his Lord and Savior, but has not had any discipling. He is very young in his faith! We have cautioned both to go slow, but he, more than her, is like a teenage boy, hormones going wild! Please pray for us to have much wisdom, as we share with them God's plan for marriage.

Todays visits!

2008-06-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

We had good visits today. One gal is recovering from an emotional trauma she had with a former roommate, & is growing again in her trust in the Lord. We very much appreciate prayer for God's will in these girl's lives. Two other gals need God's help in finding a support system to be there for them when they are released--a mentor, a good church to attend, a safe place to live, work, etc. One said today that she has never had a boss. When we asked what she meant, she said that the only job she has ever had was selling drugs...that was a "wow" moment. She'll need the Lord to help her powerfully so that the enemy won't be able to tempt her to start selling drugs again to have money to live and get her children back.

Also, I had the opportunity to sit in on one of my wife's visits today and I was very impressed. The gal showed a very high level of love and respect for my wife. She (my wife) has done a great job in discipling this gal. The gal shows a growing maturity in the Lord and it is because my wife has been there for God to use her.

Resist the devil!

2008-05-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 5:8: “. . . Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Galatians 5:5:17 “. . . the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”

Every week we are in the prisons, we see the truth of the above verses at work. Our inmate brothers and sisters fall into the traps of the devil and back into their old nature. The enemy is mad at them, and at us, because lives are being changed. But OH how the devil pursues them!

Just two weeks ago we celebrated with one of our gals,(who has had a habit of going in and out of seg.) the fact that she had not been to seg. for 6 months. It was a great victory for the Lord and her. But last week she was sent back to seg. We were not able to visit her this week, but are trying to see her soon. It may take a special visit for us, because the visiting hours for seg. are much more limited.

We long to see these precious ones be able to fulfill the verses that surround the ones above. Being self-controlled and alert and living by the Spirit. Here are these verses in the right context:

1 Peter 5:8 & 9: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

Galatians 5:5:16 – 18: “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.”

Please keep praying for your brothers and sisters behind the walls!

Enjoy!

2008-05-15T18:50:00.000-07:00

Thought you might enjoy this! Please visit the website that follows!

http://www.adelanteconjesus.com

Seeking His Help

2008-05-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

God has said that we will find Him when we seek Him with all our hearts. Men & women in prison are doing so. How?

A. READS HIS BIBLE through in one year. He also works on his BIBLE STUDIES for an hr. 3 times a day.

Others spend TIME IN PRAYER seeking answers:

D. wants help to overcome his additions.

A. asks prayer to stay close to the Lord. He says, "I want to serve my Jesus."

R. asks God to give him strength & much faith.

M. prays for those that are struggling to find Jesus.

P. prays God will put His hand on the streets of Milwaukee. With warm weather, people are outside more, & gang activity, drugs & deaths increase.

J. prays his girlfriend will believe he wants to change.

G. hopes she will be allowed to go home before her cancer gets worse.

E. asks the Lord for his "loved ones on the outside looking in, dealing with the pain & suffering that they experience at the expense of our poor decision-making."

T. seeks a life "outside". Through an appeal, he is getting a new trial.

E. prays for unity in the Body of Christ in prison.

P. hopes his parents can come from Puerto Rico next year to visit him.

I. prays her children will not be taken from her when she goes to court this week.

Will you join us in seeking God's help on behalf of those behind bars?

Important Victories

2008-05-04T18:30:00.000-07:00

S. told us about having opportunities to cheat on a test & to steal something this past week, but she chose to do what was right! Those were real victories for her! She's motivated to stay out of segregation. She is also motivated to study the Bible via correspondence lessons in Spanish. When we meet with her each week, she asks us to go through the studies with her to make sure she is "getting it". We have had some awesome discussions about topics like these:
+ What is God like? Can I trust Him? (Trust is a big issue for most inmates)
+ How can I get to Heaven?
+ How can I know if I'm saved or not?
+ Does doing good things or attending church or giving money to a church or keeping the 10 commandments or being baptized or a member of a church save me?
+ What will happen if I continue to do things that don't please God? Will He discipline me? How?
+ Do my wrong actions hurt others?
Keep praying for many more victories for S. as she learns how to consistently make Jesus the Lord of her life.

Is God your Father?

2008-04-29T18:31:00.000-07:00

Today we received a letter from a man we have been working with for four years and he said the following: “I see the Lord as God and Savior, but not as a father. In my heart I believe that I never will. Does this thinking affect my salvation status?”
My friends, this young man has never had a good father figure. His father mistreated his mother for many years and has been in prison, as well. Do you think it will be easy for him to know God as his Heavenly Father?
In fact, he also said in the letter that we have stuck closer to him than his own family these past 4 years. We continue to encourage him to see God for who He is. May our Heavenly Father continue to reveal Himself to our friend!

Something to consider…

2008-04-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

Today at the Volunteer Appreciation Day at Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution, one of the other volunteers spoke these words:

“It is only when the inner man is changed profoundly, that the outer man can be changed permanently.”

How does change come about? What are the needs of the inner man? How can those needs be met?

We have found it a privilege to share Jesus and ourselves with those longing for hope and purpose, joy and love. Love cares enough to open your heart. Love is a decision that results in action.

Would you consider opening your heart to an inmate? Pray about it. You could make a difference in someone’s life.

Can you picture this?

2008-04-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

We simply do not have the words to express what we felt when we heard a group of incarcerated men sing the following lyrics in a song by Chris Tomlin:

VERSE(1):
The splendor of a King, Clothed in majesty- Let all the earth rejoice, All the earth rejoice
He wraps himself in light, And darkness tries to hide-And trembles at his voice, And trembles at his voice

CHORUS(1):
How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, How great is our God

Before this second verse, you are pushing back the emotions that have crept into your throat:

VERSE(2):
Age to age he stands, And time is in his Hands-Beginning and the End, Beginning and the End
The Godhead, Three in one, Father, Spirit, Son-The Lion and the Lamb, The Lion and the Lamb

CHORUS(1):
How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, How great is our God

CHORUS(2)
Name above all names, You are Worthy of all praise And My heart will sing how great, Is our God

Well, by now that which was in your throat has now turned into tears in your eyes as they repeat the first chorus. It’s really all over but the crying:

CHORUS(1):
How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, How great is our God

We praise God that those who have made poor choices can be redeemed and sing praises to our God!

Frustration!

2008-04-24T18:33:00.000-07:00

Last week we received a letter from H., an inmate asking me (Carl) to come so he could give his heart and soul to the Lord, with my help. Although he’s at Green Bay Correctional, a prison we don’t visit very often, because of his urgency, I made plans to see him yesterday.

Driving the 70 minutes from Fond du Lac was fun because Spring has finally sprung in Wisconsin! When H. came to the visiting room, he could not stop talking about what God is doing in his life! He truly had already given his life to the Lord, but said to me, “there is something about you that made my life do a 360.” He wanted me to pray with him.

But, after 20 minutes of his non-stop sharing, our visit was terminated because of a practice tornado drill! We did not get to pray together. He was not as discouraged as I was. In fact, he was elated at the visit, albeit short. He begged us to come and give Bible Studies there in Spanish. Oh how we wish we could! Please pray for God’s way of answering his request, and for my next visit.

More Olson’s Opportunities--

2008-04-10T20:38:00.000-07:00

The Lord is encouraging us to follow-up with inmates who have gone to a variety of county jails & prisons farther away. Please pray for His provision as we plan visits to a number of them.

We have been on the leadership team of a local church that is planting a new Spanish work with a Venezuelan pastor & his wife that we have respected for many years. Pray the team makes Latino contacts whose hearts God has prepared. The opening service is on May 4.

Gracias for your dedication to the Lord, shown through your prayers & gifts to prison ministry.

A transfer to medium security

2008-04-10T20:37:00.000-07:00

Martin was to be transferred this week, with mixed feelings. He’s excited to be going to a facility where he will probably enjoy more freedom in his daily living, but concerned about the adjustments that come with a change. Even though he has taken a stand for the Lord, many mock. Pray for Christian friends.

Working through the consequences of their actions…

2008-04-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

Several of our “disciples” are suffering at this time—Ileana, who continues to agonize because she can’t “be there” for her children. She also has seizures, may have lupus, & is being tested for cervical cancer. Even though she is seeking God, these stresses leave her wanting only to sleep...Luis, who is really being intimidated by another inmate & needs God’s protection…and two struggling with anger--Candie & N.

There are also those who are rejoicing this week—Erica, who was just released, has a Christian couple to stay with, as well as a job—a good start! Joshua, even though he’s still in seg, was allowed to meet face-to-face with Carl, instead of using the video-phone, which is very difficult to communicate through. Estrella, who is headed home in several months, desires to grow in her walk with the Lord…Noe, deeply touched by the worship songs, is humbly responding to the Lord. Please join us in praying for God’s direction, wisdom & hope in each of these situations, & many others.

Gilda's Story

2008-04-10T20:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks for your special prayers 2 wks. ago as I translated for the Taycheedah chaplain in a meeting with Gilda, who is incarcerated & has cancer. The result was that I was allowed to schedule a weekly meeting with her. However, last Wed. she collapsed shortly before our time & was unable to come. Chaplain sent for a bilingual Bible & Spanish materials for her, & also arranged with the powers that be for me to go to her housing unit (unprecedented permission!), every Wed. as long as she wears a mask, since her immune system is so compromised. While together yesterday, she shared more about her family, her favorite Bible passages in the Psalms, & her prayer request that her compassion appeal be granted.

Living by the Spirit!

2008-04-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

One of our gals has been working very hard to walk away from 2 different sins that have been a habit in her life for years. We praise God for what He is doing in her life! And here’s another victory: Today, while on her way to our one-on-one with her, she was confronted by one of her “old friends”. This “friend” was very mad at her because our gal has walked away from her and the things they once participated in. Then, suddenly, her friend hit her square in the face. Well. . . if you knew our gal, you would know that she does NOT take anything like a hit in the face. A year ago she would have fought with her “old friend” to the end! And then she would have gone to seg. But today she WALKED AWAY! Can you believe it? All praise, glory and honor to our God & Savior!

He was greatly encouraged!

2008-03-31T19:44:00.000-07:00

The brother who was troubled by a member of a cult, was greatly encouraged today. As God would have it, he was given a new roommate and this roommate was a Christian who had studied about cults. He has helped our brother with his witnessing. Praise be to God!

The body of Christ behind bars!

2008-03-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

This week was great at our Monday class! We have lost a couple men, but have received a new one who was with us in Dodge. He is new in the Lord and was somewhat troubled by some questions that were asked of him by a member of a cult. We were overwhelmed and very pleased by the way that the rest of the group tried to encourage him. They gave him verses and all kinds of help!

Wednesday found us at another institution that we go to once every 3 months. After doing pastoral visits during the day, we had our first bilingual service. As you know, upwards to 90% of our services are in Spanish, but have never done an official bilingual. It went well and we praise the Lord for it. However, 24 of the 27 who attended were English only. We will pray in more Latinos for next time.

We saw a new gal on Thursday. It is a joy to reach out to others, however, it does increase our work load. We praise God for His increase!

A letter from a Brother behind bars!

2008-03-25T06:28:00.000-07:00

Following is a letter from your brother in Christ behind the bars!

"Dear Brothers,
I write this to greet you and I hope this finds you well. I want to let you know that I just received the study you sent me. I am just starting it, and it seems to be a great study. I trust God will help me to do it correctly.

Also, I was wondering if you can help me in finding a Hymnal. I feel like I am lacking a lot in worshiping the Lord and this would help me. I know He is always with me, though.

I wanted to share that I finished reading and studying the Bible through in the last year. I learned many things that I did not know! My brothers, I’m very content and I give praise to the Lord for this and for the help you have given me in regards to knowing God.

Well, my bothers, I hope you can help me and I await your answer. May the Lord protect you and help you. Please know that I am praying for you, as well. I hope to see you soon!"

This man has a great, but sad testimony. We praise God for what he is doing!

Special Prayer for Gilda

2008-03-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

Friends, we are asking prayer for one of the women who has been in our Taycheedah Correctional Spanish Bible study. Gilda has been battling cancer for some time and now it has returned. I (Kathy) have been asked to accompany the chaplain this Thurs. morning, March 27, to translate as she speaks with Gilda. We would truly appreciate your prayers.

MINISTRY POTPOURRI

2008-03-17T18:29:00.000-07:00

THREE STEPS FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK
We frequently experience ups and downs in this ministry God has called us to. Last fall a young man we have spent time with was released from prison. He had a good job and was promised an introduction to a local church by a Christian friend who had been leading a Bible study at his institution…Last week he showed up in our Dodge class, having returned to prison!

We long to see our guys and gals have success on the outside, but when this doesn’t happen, we welcome them back to the study to continue learning about the Lord.

He asked to give a testimony, sharing that his probation agent sent him back to the same setting where his offense was committed. It wasn’t long before his ex-girlfriend and her new man came to visit, and as they say,” the rest is history”. He realizes he wasn’t ready to handle the emotional challenges he faced.

What God seems to impact our hearts with is the GREAT NEED for a faith-based half-way house or transitional living house where ex-prisoners could live in a structured environment with daily training in the Bible and practical application. Please ask God what part YOU can play in accomplishing this goal.

“WILL I BE DEPORTED?”
We are working with many prisoners who will be deported when they finish their sentences--some did not have papers to enter the United States to begin with, and others have lost theirs due to having committed a crime here. Some will have to leave their families behind when they are deported, because some family members do have U.S. citizenship or residency papers. Please pray for God’s answer to the immigration issue, and pray for those being deported who have become Christians during their incarcerations, to continue to live entirely new lives “in Christ”.

A TRIP TO REDGRANITE
For many months we have been wanting to make another trip there to follow-up with two dozen contacts. We have been blocked several times. Join us in asking God to open the way to go soon.

RACINE CORRECTIONAL
God has opened the door for us to minister more regularly to the many Latino men in Racine. They have been encouraged during our special services and there may be an opportunity to have a monthly Bible study with them. Our schedule is already full, yet perhaps God has His purpose for us there. We need God’s wisdom. We ask Him to send more workers into His prison mission field to share the load.

WHAT COULD I DO?
We’re glad you asked! There is always a need for those who will partner with us prayerfully and financially. God may be calling you to become a mentor to someone in or out of prison, be on an aftercare network team to help after release in a variety of ways, or become a prison pen pal. You may have an idea of your own! We wait to hear from you.

We're back!

2008-03-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

Please forgive us for not posting anything for a month. We were back at the Mission and the best Internet service we could get was 28K dial-up! Not good for posting to
a blog.

Anyway, we returned to our class on Monday with great joy. But with joy sometimes comes concern. One of our men was sent to the hole for getting into an altercation with another in the class! And the other man was in the class! We don't have the full story yet, but trust God to work it out. Also, 2 of the men who have been the least interested, have decided to not return to the class. We thank God for His will!

Also, in returning to this class, we found out that the institution has decided that the men can not raise their hands in worship and they can not stand and sing a song that has touched them personally. This affects us greatly because we have had 3 men who have really grown in their relationship with the Lord and being able to sing songs has helped them in this growth. We are following our God given authority and are praying!

We will be back to our normal schedule in the other institutions through out the week. Please keep praying for this God given ministry!

Another day at the office!

2008-02-02T10:35:00.000-08:00

Great study on Monday! The men are always ready to participate, sing and give testimony to what God is doing in their lives. All were sad to hear that we would be gone for a month. We gave them a devotional to do daily. We trust God will use it to encourage them.

Wednesday was the coldest day of the winter - 40 to 50 below zero wind chills, so the prison we go to on that day canceled all activities. We were sad to not be able to go.

Thursday found us saying so long to some, as we only have the men in this study for us to 8-10 weeks. We asked if anyone wanted a follow-up visit in the future and 80% said "yes". We hesitate to ask this question because it just adds to the LONG list. "The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few!"

On Friday we made a special visit to another institution. We had planned on doing one-on-ones with 7 men, 30 minutes each. But the guard did not want to keep track of all those visits so he called all the men at once and we had a group visit with all 7. It was MUCH better this way. God used that guard to bless us all!

Please continue to pray for the church behind the bars. God is producing his will in the lives of many. Philippians 2:13

Learning curve.

2008-01-30T11:47:00.000-08:00

We continue to learn the 'ropes.' Although we have never talked in any of our classes about tithing, we just had one of our men say he wanted to send his tithe to us because he feels we are his Pastor. He says, "God commands us to take care of our Pastors." Remember, these men in prison make around $ .22 per hour. Yes, that's 22 cents per hour!

Well, with the help of a great Chaplain, we found out that if any inmate sends a volunteer from the outside a gift like that, the inmate will go to segregation and our privilege to enter will be taken away. We are glad we learned this before anything negative happened. We praise God for the Chaplain!

Please praise God with us and also, please continue to pray with us about the prison ministry. May God bless you all!

Sometimes sadness!

2008-01-22T15:15:00.000-08:00

Ecclesiastes 3:4 speaks of "a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance." In prison ministry we understand this very well. When we hear life stories and watch the inmates make both good and bad decisions, we weep, we laugh, we mourn, we dance!

Just last week, along with the chaplain of the women's prison, we decided to suspend our study there due to inappropriate behavior in the class by some of the inmates. We long to see these inmates live for the Lord! We weep & we mourn!

Our ministry focus at this prison will now be to do one-on-one discipleship times with the women who request them. This will require more hours of work on our part, but should yield positive results as we see who is really serious about growing in the Lord, and who isn't. We laugh and we dance! We ask for your prayers that God will use this decision to change lives.

More blessing from Christmas!

2008-01-10T18:24:00.000-08:00

One of our regulars, whose father recently died and was his only financial helper, makes just $6.00 every two weeks! This week he was praising the Lord because his sister sent him a nice financial Christmas gift. He is praying for a job so he does not have to be a burden to his family. He is a solid brother in Christ!

One of our gals said she saw all her children but one. She was happy and sad, as you can imagine.

Still another shared that he just received notice that his 24 year old daughter died. Although he has not had much of a relationship with her, He is still sad because there is nothing he can do.

There was another who asked us to follow him when he goes to another prison. He said, "I never gave God a thought when I was running the streets, but a few weeks ago when you gave us an opportunity to receive Christ, I did it! Now I want you to be my Pastor and help me grow in my understanding of the Bible." He becomes another that we add to our LONG list of those we may not be able to see because we just do not have the time or the money to follow him up! Please pray!

Blessings from the Christmas Season!

2008-01-07T16:42:00.000-08:00

One man went 16 years without any visits from family members. But, after rededicating his life to the Lord more than two years ago, he has slowly been getting visits . . . even nine visits in the last two weeks! He says it is a blessing from God.

Another man shared how a woman brought over many, many gifts for his children. Even when he was working, his children never received so many gifts. He said it was an answer to his prayers.

A third said, "I was sad being in prison and not being able to see any members of my family. Then I heard that my grandfather came to L. A. to visit my mother and how happy my mother was. This made me happy, and I am continuing to pray for my day to leave prison so I can be with family, too!"

We just praise God for what HE is doing in the lives of prisoners. Fractured relationships are being put back together.

Many Thanks.

2007-12-26T13:27:00.000-08:00

At the end of this year, 2007, we want to thank each and everyone of you for your faithful encouragement, prayers and support. May God, by his grace, richly bless you!

Also, we want to thank the Gutierrez Brothers and Luis Mellado for the permission they have given us to use their music. Many, many inmates who we minister to are singing their music, daily. It is music with a message and God is using His messages to reach Latinos here in Wisconsin.

This past week we showed a DVD from the Gutierrez Brothers, with great Latino Christian salsa music and a great message. During one of the songs, one of our men, who has told us that he will die in prison because of the crime he committed, turned to me (Carl) and said; "WHEN I LEAVE PRISON, I want to start a band like that and I want you, Carlos, to be the preacher." I wondered if I heard him right, because he has never had the hope that one day he would leave prison. But, yes, I heard him correctly.

We PRAISE God for what HE is doing!

From the Bible!

2007-12-10T18:11:00.000-08:00

We've mentioned this verse before: First Corinthians 14 says, "What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction . . . All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church."

Once again it happened today; we played some songs from a CD, one gave a testimony, another read a verse, another made a comment on the verse, a couple sang songs, and this repeated it self again till we ran out of time.

We just praise God for all He is doing in our Monday Bible Study. God IS being honored in the lives of these men. Praise God with us, would you? And please pray for those who still do not want to fully commit.

A Favorite Passage From A Prisoner!

2007-11-30T06:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we asked if anyone would like to share a favorite Bible verse and here is what was shared, in the NIV:

1 Corinthians 13

1-If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2-If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3-If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4-Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5-It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6-Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7-It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8-Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9-For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10-but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11-When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12-Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13-And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

We pray that these inmates find the true LOVE of God!

What are you thankful for?

2007-11-27T17:09:00.000-08:00

Today we asked the men if they would like to give thanks to God for a recent blessing they have had and here’s what we got:

“I want to thank God for the restorative justice program here. I have sat in the room with lawyers, judges, other inmates and even victims. It has helped me to understand how crime hurts society. God is using these sessions in my life.”

“I want to thank God for sending my daughter and granddaughter to visit me last week. I have 7 grandchildren and have now seen two! It is a blessing from God!”

“I want to thank God because I just received a letter from my father. I had not seen him since I was 14. He’s very sick. So several weeks ago I asked Carlos & Katy to pray about me making contact with him, and then came the letter! Thank you God!”

“I want to thank God that my liver test showed that nothing was wrong!”

“I thank God for the health and patience He gives me!”

We want to thank God for these testimonies!

LOCKDOWN!

2007-11-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

We want to update everyone on the hostage situation that occurred this past Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the Waupun Correctional Institution. As many of you know, we are in Waupun every week, doing Pastoral visits.

Apparently, an inmate took a dental worker hostage and held her for almost six hours. According to what has been released, it seems as though he wanted some cigarettes. (All Wisconsin prisons are non-smoking, sometimes causing more of a problem for workers than for inmates!)

Anyway, here are a couple links you can visit to find more info. I’ll see if I can make them hot links. But if I can’t, please cut and paste into your browser for viewing. http://toplistings.twincities.com/wisconsin/ci_7464722 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21790963/

Additionally, we were not allowed to enter Waupun this week due to the lockdown lasting three days. God is still doing His work in the lives of many prisoners. We praise Him for this!

Hear this testimony!

2007-11-13T20:40:00.000-08:00

He began his testimony by saying, "I thought I was a brave man! I had my gun under my bed and my knife under my pillow. I always made my wife sleep closest to the door, in case someone entered our bedroom looking for me. Man, wasn't I brave?"

"But after getting locked up in 1992, I began, off and on, to attend Bible Studies. But not until six months ago did I really know what it meant to be brave. When another brother in this study stood up and sang, even though he is not a singer, I could see that he was brave for the Lord. While he was singing, God said to me, 'you can sing, but you are not brave enough to stand and sing for me. You are a coward.'" Our man went on to say, "as you all remember, I got up that day to sing for the Lord and now I want to do it in every study!"

We give praise and honor to God for what He is doing in the lives of these men! God is good and He remembers these prisoners whom society has forgotten.

San Diego fire update!

2007-10-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, we continue to be members of Tecate Mission, located near the area where many large fires have raged this past week, fueled by high winds. For us, it was not just “news”. Many of our friends were affected by this tragedy.

The “Harris fire” started about a mile from the mission house that Willa Edmonds calls home. She and her daughter and family were evacuated soon after it started on Sunday, Oct. 21. They went to the mission, which was evacuated shortly after. They crossed the border to find refuge at Mission Director Ron Hoffman’s home in Mexico. Four days later, they were able to return home to find the house standing with minimal burns to fencing around the home. The mission was not burned, although there were homes nearby on the Mexico side that were.

We had several friends in the San Diego area that had to evacuate, although their homes were saved. The mobile home park where we used to live had to be evacuated, as well. Our son Josh has several firefighter friends who have been working the fires. Sadly, he has a friend whose family home in Lake Arrowhead was in danger, too. As of this writing, we are not sure what happened to the home.

We praise God for his protection in all of this! Many churches and other organizations are still working together to help meet the needs of those affected.

Four people who lost their lives were found only two miles from the mission in an area that we passed almost every day. Also, another man who lost his life had attended the mission church several years ago. He died saving his son, who now has burns over 50% of his body. Please be in prayer for those hurting as a result of the fires. “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.” Psalm 56:2

What would you say?

2007-10-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

What can you say to someone who says her mother tried to kill her when she was 11 years old, then joined a gang because she felt they loved her more than her mother did!

What can you say to an inmate who never knew her dad, saw all her mother's live-in boy friends beat her mother, sell drugs, and then go to jail? Oh, did I mention that every one of these men molested the person who is now an inmate. Do you think she has chosen a heterosexual live style?

Or what about the man who had to start stealing when he was 5 years old because his mother was running the streets and not bringing home any food for he and his sister. He says, “our mother chose the streets, drugs and men over us!”

Then there is the one whose dad put a knife in his back pack when he went to kindergarten. When he asked his dad why, his dad said, "My enemies send their children to this same school and you will need to use this to protect yourself!"

We see the truth of Exodus 20:5 “. . . for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,” But we claim Exodus 20:6 for those who have professed Jesus as Savior: “but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

Sadness and joy!

2007-10-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

We were saddened today because, as we looked out over our class, we saw two men who had been with us in the past, then were released, only to return again. We had a good rapport with them before, so we were able to pick up where we left off.

They both have made professions of faith, but we long to see them get victory over sin. One of them gave testimony that he had stopped reading his Bible and finding a church became less important to him than the worries of the world.

We were joyful when he challenged himself and the others to remain faithful to God and walk away from problems. He wants to sing a song for us next week.

OH, may God help these people who are caught in life cycles of sin! May God give us wisdom! May He have mercy of us all!

It just keeps happening!

2007-09-28T17:54:00.000-07:00

One man stood up and began to share that he had walked with the Lord over 10 years ago. But he decided to begin a new “business” with two other friends; they began to run drugs across the border. After several close calls, his wife found out what he was doing and divorced him.

Then, hearing that a warrant was issued for his arrest and after crossing the border one night, he found a tract that talked about returning your life to Jesus. He promptly turned himself in. He admitted to the police that he was all they said he was. But at the same time, he asked God if there was still room for him in the body of Christ. Of course he heard a big YES!

As he began to grow again in Christ, his two “business” partners accepted the Lord. His wife not only accepted the Lord, but said she would re-marry him! What joy filled this mans heart, as he pushed back tears while praising God for what has happened. He is going to a prison that we do not go to, so we are committing him to God’s grace.

We continue to be spectators!

2007-09-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

Once again we were just spectators today, sitting on the sidelines, watching what God is doing. It is just a miracle!

A man stood and shared how his mother and father were saved from a spiritualist background. He said he accepted the Lord soon thereafter. But by the age of 15 he began to run with the wrong crowd and was soon addicted to crack and heroin. He would see his mother agonizing over him in prayer while he was sneaking out to party. Soon he was high and would forget that he ever saw his mother.

After 11 different accidents in cars and motorcycles, several overdoses, and a crime that gave him 3 life sentences, he found himself in prison, without parole. His mother would tell him she was praying for him. She would encourage him to pray himself. From time to time he prayed and read his Bible, but always seemed to return to the things of the world. He even attended a Bible study in Spanish several years ago, but the study leader only stayed a few weeks and never returned.

Then, as he says it, "God sent us this white Christian couple to teach us about the Word of God in Spanish." He went on to say, “I am saved by the blood of Jesus and I praise God for this weekly Bible study that helps me to grow and live for Him."

Then he sang his mom’s favorite song, ‘Divine Friend’. Here are some of the words:
"Stay with me, Lord. It’s getting late. Don’t leave me alone! I offer you my heart to worship you. Accept my worship, accept my worship, OH Lord! Help me till I arrive home.”

We just praise God for what He is doing! As we’ve said before, we are just amazed!

Great quote!

2007-09-22T19:20:00.000-07:00

From devotional by Pastor Greg Laurie:

"When Jesus went to his death, they (the disciples) must have thought He had let them down. And for many, perception is often reality. Perhaps you feel that way right now as well. Perhaps you feel as though God has somehow let you down, that he hasn't kept his promises. But Jesus hadn't failed the disciples; they had failed to see what he had come to do. The same is true of us when it seems as though God has failed us. Perhaps we need a new understanding of his ways."

Another day at the office!

2007-09-22T18:55:00.000-07:00

Once again, it was another ‘week’ at the office!

Some sang;
Some shared;
Some cried;
Some prayed;
Some were confused;
Some were encouraged;
Some asked questions;
Some asked for pastoral visits!

Join us for part of a prison Bible study!

2007-09-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

The following are some verses and questions we are studying in our classes.

What important conditions are required for us to have our prayers answered?
John 15:7
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

1 John 5:14,15
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

What characteristics do we find in God’s answers to our prayers?
Jeremiah 33:3
'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

Ephesians 3:20
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.

Let's sing along!

2007-09-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

In Spanish, there is a song called “100 Sheep”. It is based on the story in Luke 15 about the shepherd who leaves 99 sheep in the pasture to find one lost lamb.

Yesterday in one of our classes, one of our faithful men stood and sang this song. But, when the song spoke of the shepherd, he always put Carl’s name in it's place, and when the song spoke of the lost sheep, he referred to the Latinos in the prisons. It was moving and humbling to hear him singing the song this way.

May God receive the glory for each lost Latino in prison who comes to know Jesus.

Notes from a prison sermon!

2007-08-19T20:22:00.000-07:00

Philemon – Mending Broken Relationships
Example of mending fractured relationships-Prisoners lives!

Point # 1 Prisoner:
V1= Paul calls himself a prisoner of Christ Jesus. What does it mean to be a prisoner of Christ Jesus?

Point # 2 = Philemon’s Godly character:
V5= faith in the Lord Jesus, not faith that God is going to do what we want, but faith in Jesus.
V5= love for all the saints. Even your enemies from the streets.
V6= active in sharing your faith.

A verse with a promise: If you share your faith, you will have a fuller understanding of Christ. Are you sharing your faith?

V9= The appeal on the basis of LOVE! Why is love so important in mending a relationship?

Point # 3 = Changes in Onesimus: 1-was useless, now useful; 2- was selfish, now selfless (helpful in the ministry); 3- was a slave to Philemon, now a brother in Christ.

PUT your self in Onesimus’s place, what would it take for you to return to Philemon? A better question may be, what do you have to do, right now, to mend a fractured relationship? Does it take time to restore relationships? How long does it take to restore trust?

What will it require of Philemon to do what Paul asks? What does it require of you to do what God says we should do in the Bible?

Pray brother pray!

2007-08-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

Comments and prayer requests that we heard this week from the 53 prisoners we saw:

I would like you to pray for my wife and my 3 children who are suffering a lot.

Please pray for my daughter that she would have a good future.

I’ve never had a Bible in my hands and I need your help.

I would like to give myself to God. I don’t know anything about God, but I want Him to open my mind so that I could be His servant.

I just got over shingles and know I have to learn to trust God and not worry.

Please pray for my family…that our Lord would fill them with His grace, but most important, His love.

I don’t know where I would be if the Lord had not forgiven me.

Pray for inmate C. who is anorexic / bulimic.

I need patience and I want to follow God, no matter what.

I praise God for being so good to me and answering my prayer to go to a minimum security facility.

Please pray for sufficient finances for my wife and children.

Pray for inmates J. and G. who have cancer.

Pray that I will be able to find a good church and a job when I am released.

Pray for God’s will in my appeal.

I am sad because my cousin died in Puerto Rico and I can’t be with my family now.

I love my new bilingual Bible that I use for Bible study.

Pray that I could find my way back to God, after all I’ve been through and done.

We run out of words to explain it!

2007-08-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

As we enter class today, one man asks if he could sing a song and another asks if he could share a short message of encouragement. When the first brother finished, a second asked if he could sing Psalm 121. Picture it; this man with tattoos all over his body singing a Psalm from the Bible! As the title says, we run out of words to explain what God is doing. We continue to be spectators, watching what God is doing! All glory and praise to Him!

Just like in the New Testament!

2007-07-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

First Corinthians 14 says, "What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church."

Today at one of our prisons, we gathered 4 solid believers. During our two hours with them we experienced what 1 Corinthians 14 says. Two or three shared something they were learning from the Word. Others shared songs they has written. Still others shared burdens and victories. Once again, we went to be a blessing, but came away blessed beyond words. May God be glorified!

It's amazing!

2007-07-31T18:48:00.000-07:00

It really is amazing! The man in the last posting, who we prayed for and laid hands on, was not in our class this week. Remember, we prayed that God would encourage him in a big way. Well, one of the biggest prayer requests that men in a maximum security prison have (and biggest modes of encouragement) is to move to a medium security prison . . . and that’s what happened! He was moved! We are praising God that He used this move to encourage our brother in Christ. We can’t wait to visit him in his new prison

We sit back and watch what God does!

2007-07-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

Today, as the men were entering the class, one of our stronger believers shared that he was baptized this past weekend. So we let him give a short testimony. He shared that he had rededicated his life to the Lord when he was with us in Dodge and that NOW was the time to be baptized. All praise to the Lord.

Then, as we were closing, I asked for prayer requests. One of the men courageously asked for prayer because he was feeling low and not spiritually motivated. So we asked one of our other stronger believers to pray for him. In prison you are not able to place your hands on someone for any reason. We asked the Chaplain if we could lay hands on him when we prayed and he said YES! This is the same Chaplain we prayed into the prison because he is a believer. Also, he is the one who is encouraging the baptisms. Once again, all praise to the LORD!

He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

2007-07-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

We had a big blessing this past Thursday when a young man asked if he could share something from the Max Lucado book, "In The Eye Of The Storm". It was a great story that he read. Then he gave a short 3 point sermon: What God did, what Jesus did, and
what we should do. WOW! It sure is powerful when they say it themselves.

Please pray for those caught in the drug abuse cycle!

2007-07-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

Another day at the office!

2007-07-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

Are you sure I don't have to be baptized to be saved?
Pastor Carlos, I'm still struggling with my sin! How long will this go on? Please pray for me.
Can I still be a member of a gang and be a Christian?
Please pray, the bank is selling our house and my wife and kids will be out in the street!
Can you pick me up when they let me out in October?

This is only a sample of some questions and comments we got this past week. God is still doing a new thing in the lives of many prisoners. All glory to HIM!

He is living for the Lord!

2007-06-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday we were able to visit with our "John 3:16 man". He is on our October 17, 2006 posting. He was moved to another prison in December of 2006. We have had the blessing of seeing him twice in the last three months and he is living for the Lord! He is actively sharing Christ with other inmates and growing in the 'wisdom and knowledge' of Christ.

We are encouraged because he is accepting responsibility for his family and is making plans to live for the Lord when he gets out in sixteen months. All glory and honor to our God and Father.

Can you believe this?

2007-06-22T19:25:00.000-07:00

"When I came to your class, I really didn't want to hear about God. I came to get out of my cell. I liked you and your wife, enjoyed the music, but did not want to hear the message. But after being sent to another prison, I had a problem with another inmate and was sent to the "hole." While in the "hole", I thought about my life with drugs, gangs and violence. Then, guess what, I gave my life to the Lord. This was nine months ago. I've been attending a Bible Study here, and tonight I'm going to be baptized!"

This is the story we heard today from P., a young man who is living for the Lord. We praise God for what is going on! One more thing: although we knew this young man, we had asked for another man with the same last name. If the prison had not sent the wrong inmate, we would never have heard this awesome story!

Joy, Joy, Joy!

2007-06-15T17:30:00.000-07:00

What a joy it was for us to see a young man today who is growing in the Lord. This young man is in a minimum security facility where he is on work release. He is waiting for the opportunity to attend a local church, study the Bible in a more formal and serious way and to learn how to give his testimony in an effective way. This all will happen for him in 3 months. He IS a new creation in the Lord!

Rejoicing in Heaven!

2007-06-15T16:25:00.000-07:00

Last night, God brought home to Himself a great man of God. A man who God sent to prison just passed away last night. Although this man went to prison for a mistake he made, God used him in a mighty way. After rededicating himself to the Lord while waiting for his trial, this precious brother had a great witness for the Lord in the prison he was sent to.

Shortly after arriving at prison, he was diagnosed with terminal Cancer. He told me a few months ago that the prison was the only glimpse of Hell he was going to see. He knew he would be with the Lord when his earthly live ended. What a man of great faith.

Questions, questions, questions!

2007-06-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

Do I need to be baptised to be saved?
Do I need to be circumcised to be saved?
Does God really forgive ALL my sin?
What does repent mean?

All these questions and more we are asked almost on a weekly basis. Easy answers for those of us who have walked with the Lord for years, but hard questions for those who have heard every wind and doctrine. May the grace found only in Jesus be found by more prisoners.

It's amazing!

2007-04-15T12:32:00.000-07:00

A. had many tears as he sang the following song when translated to English says:

God take us to the feet of the cross,
Where you show us the truth of your love.
We see your hands and feet,
Fully covered with pain,
And your head lovingly covered with thorns,
While He paid the price for you and for me,
Give thanks to Jesus, Give thanks to Jesus,
Give Him all of your soul, Give Him all your heart.

This young man IS born again!

Check out what GOD is doing!

2007-04-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

After our Dodge class, J. asked to talk to us, Carl took him aside to pray with him & he burst into tears.
E.'s mental situation had improved a lot since Carl's visit with him last month.
C., and F., both strong Christians, seemed encouraged to share their burdens.
C. is facing a possible divorce.
We came to know R. through his wife, Y., who is in our Bible study class in the women's prison.
O. cried a half dozen times during our visit, his heart is so tender. His Mom died just over a year ago. Just as we were asking him to pray with us to trust Christ, the officer arrived with the next inmate. Pray he will give his life to the Lord on his own.
We don't know why R. refused our visit, but when F. also refused, a Christian inmate said E. converted to Islam.
We visited A. via video, as he is in seg now. He is growing in his faith.
A., an 18 yr. old, had been witnessed to by another inmate, & believed on Jesus, now is studying through Tecate Mission's Bible Correspondence Dept. & is sharing with others.
We didn't know his release was so close, but R. said that he is excitedto go to a half-way house this coming Tues.
The saddest visit was one that never happened. We've seen L. othertimes, but this time he had been in seg, his mental & emotional state deteriorated, & had been sent to a mental health center the day before we came to visit. We're trying to see him this coming week.
We were able to leave packets of tracts, song sheets, and a Bible study for each inmate with the chaplain.
Thanks for praying also for those open chaplain positions--God sent a Christian to fill the spot at CCI!

The enemy NEVER sleeps!

2007-03-04T09:59:00.000-08:00

We had a one-on-one visit setup with one of our faithfuls who is in the hole for what seems to be a misunderstanding. These visits are via the video camera and they had "electronic problems", so I was not able to see him. We were going to celebrate with this young man his two year anniversary of NOT going to the hole. I'm sure he is discouraged, so I really wanted to see him. I scheduled him for this coming week.