August 8, 2013
Dear Friends,
I continue to thank God for you and your support and prayers for this Prison
and Reentry Ministry. God is faithfully growing the ministry, and growing
the men who are involved—those inside the two detention facilities I volunteer
at, those who have been released locally, and the mentors who are helping the
recently-released or soon-to-be released.
This past Saturday, we held orientation for new mentors. There were 15
of us in attendance; six of us are already mentoring at least one of our PROs
(“Permanently Reentering Offender”). So far, we have men from seven
different churches who have attended one of our orientation meetings. We
like to give time for men to consider how the Lord might have them to be
involved, so please pray for Steve, Ed, Jesse, Larry, and Bob as they seek the
Lord on this.
I continue to meet one-on-one regularly with Chris (paroled in February; we
just began a weekly study in Galatians), Kyle (a mentor to Brandon, released in
June; we’re studying through Romans), Brad (incarcerated in the Miramar Brig,
soon to be transferred to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, for the remainder of his
sentence), Greg (paroled in February), Justin (to be released from County
Custody in early September), Chris (to be transferred from County Custody to a
Residential Treatment Facility in October), and Karl (released from County
Custody in July, now in Residential Treatment). Keon is still considering
being regularly involved with the group at the Miramar Brig.
At the Miramar Brig, our Thursday night Bible study just finished the Old
Testament book of Joshua. We’ll be starting Galatians in September, after
four weeks of one-chapter books, like Philemon and Obadiah.
This weekend or next, I am heading into the Arizona Desert to Buckeye,
Arizona, to visit with Clark. You may remember from my June letter that
Clark converted to Christianity in late May. This will be my first chance
to visit with him since then, and as of this writing, I am still trying to get a
visit of more than four hours approved. To give you a better idea of how
Clark is now thinking, let me quote from his eight-page letter of July 10:
One thing I still battle with, and perhaps always will, is how undeserving I
am of such love, favor, and grace. I know that I am made right by and in
Jesus Christ…but…I’ve never been comfortable falling short in anything.
I’ll never be perfect, decent, or acceptable alone and I know this, which is why
Christ’s intervention for mankind is so profoundly unparalleled or
unparallel-able. Every day I am reminded that every good thing that I know
I am not, God is. … Who of us could deserve that for all our evil?
Who of us deserves deserving it through Christ’s sacrifice? I know I
don’t. But it’s offered to me at the mere cost of my life and, as
undeserving as I know myself to be, I accept the gift of salvation.
I could not put it any better. Thank you again for your support and
your prayers.
Sincerely in Christ,
Ben Conarroe
Dear Friends,
I continue to thank God for you and your support and prayers for this Prison
and Reentry Ministry. God is faithfully growing the ministry, and growing
the men who are involved—those inside the two detention facilities I volunteer
at, those who have been released locally, and the mentors who are helping the
recently-released or soon-to-be released.
This past Saturday, we held orientation for new mentors. There were 15
of us in attendance; six of us are already mentoring at least one of our PROs
(“Permanently Reentering Offender”). So far, we have men from seven
different churches who have attended one of our orientation meetings. We
like to give time for men to consider how the Lord might have them to be
involved, so please pray for Steve, Ed, Jesse, Larry, and Bob as they seek the
Lord on this.
I continue to meet one-on-one regularly with Chris (paroled in February; we
just began a weekly study in Galatians), Kyle (a mentor to Brandon, released in
June; we’re studying through Romans), Brad (incarcerated in the Miramar Brig,
soon to be transferred to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, for the remainder of his
sentence), Greg (paroled in February), Justin (to be released from County
Custody in early September), Chris (to be transferred from County Custody to a
Residential Treatment Facility in October), and Karl (released from County
Custody in July, now in Residential Treatment). Keon is still considering
being regularly involved with the group at the Miramar Brig.
At the Miramar Brig, our Thursday night Bible study just finished the Old
Testament book of Joshua. We’ll be starting Galatians in September, after
four weeks of one-chapter books, like Philemon and Obadiah.
This weekend or next, I am heading into the Arizona Desert to Buckeye,
Arizona, to visit with Clark. You may remember from my June letter that
Clark converted to Christianity in late May. This will be my first chance
to visit with him since then, and as of this writing, I am still trying to get a
visit of more than four hours approved. To give you a better idea of how
Clark is now thinking, let me quote from his eight-page letter of July 10:
One thing I still battle with, and perhaps always will, is how undeserving I
am of such love, favor, and grace. I know that I am made right by and in
Jesus Christ…but…I’ve never been comfortable falling short in anything.
I’ll never be perfect, decent, or acceptable alone and I know this, which is why
Christ’s intervention for mankind is so profoundly unparalleled or
unparallel-able. Every day I am reminded that every good thing that I know
I am not, God is. … Who of us could deserve that for all our evil?
Who of us deserves deserving it through Christ’s sacrifice? I know I
don’t. But it’s offered to me at the mere cost of my life and, as
undeserving as I know myself to be, I accept the gift of salvation.
I could not put it any better. Thank you again for your support and
your prayers.
Sincerely in Christ,
Ben Conarroe
