Monday, October 13, 2008

Eastern Wahington missions trip

I just completed a missions trip to Eastern Washington prison sites through Prisoners for Christ over October 10-12. a team of four of us traveled to Spokane, Medical Lake, Walla Walla, and Yakima. It was a tremendous experience. The Lord delivers special memories at each site. We ministered to 153 inmates with 8 professions of faith.

In the western outskirts of Spokane, we visited Airway Heights Correctional Facility on Friday afternoon. We traveled from there to Medical Lake for two services at the Pine Lodge women's facility on Friday night. On Saturday evening, we traveled to Walla Walla at the Washington State Penitentuary. We finished on Sunday afternoon at Ahtanum, a medical facility for men, outside of Yakima.

The women at Pine Lodge are always very appreciative and responsive. We did two 45 minute services back-to-back. There were 5 positive responses to the gospel message, there.
Chuck Boyce, a member of our team from Olympia, gave a great message for the women
on responses to the changes that come into our lives. Change is part of the reality of life. The women at PL are not allowed to have Bible studies in their living units but have great opportunities in the chapel

Pine Lodge in Medical Lake

On Saturday night, we met Lewis May, who has been serving as a volunteer chaplain at the WSP in Walla Walla since 1981. We are coordinating with Lewis to join him on a future Saturday night at McNeil Island. I spoke at Airway Heights, Walla Walla, and at Ahtanum on "the precious blood of Christ," from 1 Peter 1:13-19. Every believer is ransomed from their futile way of life inherited from their forefathers. Peter identifies Jesus as the "lamb of God without blemish."

We passed through much of the new construction at WSP (pictured to the right) where the state is in the process of locating all maximum security inmates. This facility is imposing and always causes a deeply sobering response within me. Our team will be heading back over to eastern Washington and perhaps Oregon in late March or early April of 2009.

I am also scheduled to share ministry with "His Harmony," from our church, Faith Baptist Church in Kent, in November up in Monroe.

I continue to serve at the Regional Justice Center in Kent during the week and the Echo Glen youth facility in Issaquah on Tuesday night. I am also doing some guest teaching within the Tahoma School District.

I continue to appreciate your faithful financial giving which has dropped off some over these past months. Thank you for praying for us. Should you be led, you may give through the www.pfcom.org website or at PFCOM, P.O. Box 1530, Woodinville, WA 98072, 425.483.4151,
attention Jill Payne Holman.