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SETTING THE PRISONER FREE |
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(A Monthly Prison Ministry Newsletter) |
July 2000 |
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ob Ventura, volunteer at BCC, got married on June 7th in Henderson, Texas, USA. You can read about how God put Peggy Lou Neal and Bob Ventura together by visiting Bob’s new website at: www.geocities.com/new_ton7. Look under the Testimonies section. Testimony Updates will be available in the future.
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Bob will be moving by the middle of July to Henderson, Texas, to be with his wife. He has applied for several Band positions available and substitute teaching in the Henderson School District. While they are waiting for the paperwork to go through for Peggy Lou to come to Canada as a landed immigrant (this could take up to a year), Bob will be doing some work in the Henderson School District, if accepted, or finding other employment which is readily available in the area.
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Bob will try to maintain the website from his new home in Texas, unless someone else would like to take some of this over. Mark Fjaagesund, who has been helping maintain the site, will be able to continue updating the site as new articles are sent to him at:
[email protected]. The newsletter for the inmates has already been started by Mayra Rodriguez of Manassas, Virginia.
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A new prison ministry website has been established. It should be available by the time you read this. The new address is:
www.geocities.com/new_ton7 .
In other news....
The barbecue on May 25, 2000, at Queen Elizabeth Park in Brandon, Manitoba, was very successful. There were around 12 to 15 people in attendance. Chaplain Bernie Mullins was in charge of the super hot dogs and hamburgers that were grilled to perfection. Pop, a variety of chips, salad, and cookies were also part of the menu for the evening. Superintendent Brian McVicor gave his thanks to the volunteers that faithfully come and serve in the prison. Chaplain Bernie Mullins commented on the new things that are developing in the prison: a project on inmates profiles and lives, and also the one-on-one ministry in the higher security areas of the prison. Plans for a seminar in the Fall are in the making.
We value all of you that pray for this prison ministry work. It is very much appreciated. Please feel free to make any comments or suggestions on anything to do with this ministry. Thank you for your support.
Volunteers are needed (men and women). Chaplain Bernie Mullins will come to your church or set up a community meeting to discuss any concerns involving a prison ministry. I’m sure that volunteers would be most happy to discuss with you their involvement in this ministry also. Community contacts are very important in assisting inmates in adjusting or making the transition to the outside.
Christian materials are needed for the inmates. Tracts, Christian magazines (like Guideposts or Decision), any books that you may have sitting on your bookshelf not being used which would be of benefit to this ministry, Bibles (we are getting Bibles from the Gideons), tapes and videos. Some materials can be secured free of charge, but other material has to be purchased. Items at this time that we could use are "TouchPoints Books," "Indian Life Ministries" materials, and "Promise Keepers" New Testaments with devotionals included. The Chaplain has indicated that there really isn’t a set budget for materials of this nature.
If you would like to make a donation, the following churches have prison ministry accounts (taxable receipts available): St. George’s Anglican Church and Bethel Christian Assembly. If your church would like to be a part of this, please let me know and we will add your church to the next newsletter.