April 4, 2013
Dear Friends,
It is the Easter season—springtime, when dead things get new life! At the Miramar Brig, we’re studying 1 Peter on Thursday nights. This week, we’ll be looking at 1 Peter 3, with that great resurrection truth in verse 18: For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit (ESV). On Easter Monday, I was visiting with Jason at East Mesa Reentry Facility (formerly East Mesa Detention Facility). He had shaved off his
beard to represent the new life that we celebrate at Easter. Jason is one of four men in our PRO Mentors class at EMRF who will be released this week and next. Jason and Rudy will be going to local treatment facilities; Rob is being released on his own (and will live with family) and Martin has permission from his parole agent to live where he works for the time being. Pray for these men to walk closely with their Lord as they are released. I will be mentoring Jason and Rob; my colleague Tom will mentor Rudy, and we’re still recruiting a mentor for Martin (preferably, someone who is fluent in Spanish).
Tom and I have scheduled a training session for new mentors on Saturday, May 4. Please pray for us as we recruit men to invest in the lives of reentering offenders—that their reentry will be permanent. We have a steady 12 men attending our bi-weekly 90-minute class at EMRF, with a new man or two showing up each meeting. As of now, we have two men being released in May, two in June, and two in July.
In addition, I offer the PRO program to recently-paroled men at three or four meetings per month. On Tuesday of this week Guillermo and Mario asked for help. Last month, Chris and Greg asked for help. I’ve already met with Greg twice. Can you tell we need more mentors? Please pray.
At the Miramar Brig, we have had as many as 16 men attend our study in 1 Peter. The youngest man attending, Jon, has been bringing two or three friends each week. Keep praying for growth in these men.
Bruce (released in February of this year) reports from New Jersey that he has found a church and has housing and food, but needs to find a job.
I was able to visit Clark in Arizona last month. (Clark is a former Army medic serving life without parole) He is still anti-Christian, but he is showing signs of beginning to understand the Truth. He is fascinated with the writings of C.S. Lewis. We correspond a couple of times each month.
Your financial contributions to this ministry will help keep men out of prison, which will save taxpayers at least $25 a day! Experts agree that providing treatment, housing, and jobs for ex-offenders helps, but what is really needed is to change the way they think. In other words, ex-offenders need Jesus, and they need to know how to think and act Christianly. Thank you for your prayers and donations!
Dear Friends,
It is the Easter season—springtime, when dead things get new life! At the Miramar Brig, we’re studying 1 Peter on Thursday nights. This week, we’ll be looking at 1 Peter 3, with that great resurrection truth in verse 18: For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit (ESV). On Easter Monday, I was visiting with Jason at East Mesa Reentry Facility (formerly East Mesa Detention Facility). He had shaved off his
beard to represent the new life that we celebrate at Easter. Jason is one of four men in our PRO Mentors class at EMRF who will be released this week and next. Jason and Rudy will be going to local treatment facilities; Rob is being released on his own (and will live with family) and Martin has permission from his parole agent to live where he works for the time being. Pray for these men to walk closely with their Lord as they are released. I will be mentoring Jason and Rob; my colleague Tom will mentor Rudy, and we’re still recruiting a mentor for Martin (preferably, someone who is fluent in Spanish).
Tom and I have scheduled a training session for new mentors on Saturday, May 4. Please pray for us as we recruit men to invest in the lives of reentering offenders—that their reentry will be permanent. We have a steady 12 men attending our bi-weekly 90-minute class at EMRF, with a new man or two showing up each meeting. As of now, we have two men being released in May, two in June, and two in July.
In addition, I offer the PRO program to recently-paroled men at three or four meetings per month. On Tuesday of this week Guillermo and Mario asked for help. Last month, Chris and Greg asked for help. I’ve already met with Greg twice. Can you tell we need more mentors? Please pray.
At the Miramar Brig, we have had as many as 16 men attend our study in 1 Peter. The youngest man attending, Jon, has been bringing two or three friends each week. Keep praying for growth in these men.
Bruce (released in February of this year) reports from New Jersey that he has found a church and has housing and food, but needs to find a job.
I was able to visit Clark in Arizona last month. (Clark is a former Army medic serving life without parole) He is still anti-Christian, but he is showing signs of beginning to understand the Truth. He is fascinated with the writings of C.S. Lewis. We correspond a couple of times each month.
Your financial contributions to this ministry will help keep men out of prison, which will save taxpayers at least $25 a day! Experts agree that providing treatment, housing, and jobs for ex-offenders helps, but what is really needed is to change the way they think. In other words, ex-offenders need Jesus, and they need to know how to think and act Christianly. Thank you for your prayers and donations!
