Hungry and Thirsty…

Inside every jail and prison in the United States is a group of people who want to change, who are hungry for the truth, and who are looking for God or desiring to get reconnected with Him. I’m not talking about those who have embraced the criminal lifestyle. I’m talking about those who didn’t think things through, who got caught up into making some foolish decisions, and hate how they let things get out of control. The ones who should have seen the consequences of their actions but didn’t. The ones who are back inside again after they’d thought they’d learned their lesson and wouldn’t have to repeat this chapter of their life. For them, incarceration is not all bad. It can serve as the wake-up call they need to make the changes they should have made earlier. It can be the place where God can finally get their attention.  

   This group of inmates are the ones who attend Bible studies or classes similar to what we offer. A little over seven years ago, we started sending our Lessons for Life Correspondence Course into prisons. This has allowed us to connect with these inmates on a more personal level. Although we have had some very successful general meeting groups in a few jails and prisons, we don’t get as much feedback or insight into their lives as we do when they participate in the written response portion of the Lessons for Life Correspondence Course. Therefore, we see this as a very important aspect of our ministry. 

     With the shutdown due to the virus, we have not been able to participate with any groups inside. We are very thankful, however, that this has not hindered or slowed the participation with the correspondence course. We have also been able to continue sending Bibles. For the sake of an update, we are currently represented in forty-two states and inmate interest continues to grow every month. 

     The following is a recent letter from one of our students:

To the staff at Lessons for Life Ministries:

     I wanted to extend to everyone there my sincere thanks and best wishes for your continued success. The lessons and the Bible you sent were critical to helping me survive my incarceration here at the jail. In addition, the book Plain Vanilla Wrapper motivated me to come closer to God. My faith is stronger now and I am overcoming the sins of my past life. In this new life, I have developed healthier habits such as Bible study, meditating on the word of God, prayer, worship, and now spreading the gospel myself.

     There is such a great need here at the jail for the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are locked down twenty-four hours per day in small 5x7 cells and are treated poorly. About half of the jail population has never been to jail before, yet we are treated with contempt. Christ is my comfort as well as knowing there are other Christians, churches, and organizations like yours who look at people as worthy of redemption, love, and forgiveness. 

     Due to my wonderful experience with your organization, I am forwarding others to you that are thirsty for the word of God. Please continue your ministry as I know how much it encouraged my spiritual growth. 

     If I ever regain my freedom, I will reach out to help your organization with fundraising and volunteer my time (or whatever help you need). Thank you all so much!!

Your brother in Christ,

James __________