PFCU and Forks

I took classes on "the nature of addiction" and "assimilating sexual offenders in the local church" from Dr. Bob Segress at the Prisoners for Christ University held at Cedar Park Christian High School off 405 in Bothell on April 24. Bob serves with PFC in Shelton and holds multiple degrees in psychotherapy and theology.

"HALT" is an acronym Bob used to warn a person when they may be susceptible to falling into a particular addiction or sinful failure.
H--hungry
A--anxious
L--lonely
T--tired

Perhaps, some do not know that I receive funding for my PFC ministry through friends and family and am not paid by the jail in any way. That means that we serve in our various sites by their grace PFC and we raise our support like any other missionary. There are some Department of Corrections prisons and DSHS chaplains at juvenile locations paid by the state. That all makes me incredibly thankful for so many that provide for my support.

On May 2, I went with David Julian and Jim Krueger to the Olympic Corrections facility just south of Forks, pictured here, for a concert and sharing with the men. Its just about four hours travel each way down to Aberdeen and then up Highway 101. Yes, that's a long, long way. It is an incredible blessing the times I have gone there. We are so thankful for the privilege of watching what the Lord does right before our eyes and how much the men appreciate us sharing with them.

David led the concert and uses a song sheet with Scripture connected with each song. The 18 men participated in reading he Scripture and singing with us. It was awesome to experience them eagerly desiring to read and call David when he went on to the next selection to sing. It is inspiring to participate in active, involved worship with these men. I spoke on characteristics of a solid relationship with the Lord from portions of Micah 7:7-19. I'll be going back to Olympic in June, July, and August with Jim Dixon and Chuck Baxter.

I was also delighted to have Jim join us from Port Orchard. We enjoyed fellowship on previous journeys to Forks and on Eastern Washington and Oregon Mission trips. The men love his country gospel songs and his heart to care for them. I sing along and even dance in the Lord to his music. I love several of his CD's as I worship.

The tour ministry servants

While the Tahoma School District is taking the WASL (for the last year), I am doing just as much jail ministry as possible. On Monday, I was able to meet in Kent with Grant and Tony from the House of Mercy for an awesome Bible study on God's attribute of love.

On Saturday, I will be participating at the Prisoners for Christ University in Woodinville. I am also making telephone calls with area churches and friends to increase my financial and prayer team support.

On May 2, I will be accompanying David Julian to Olympic Corrections Center in Forks for a concert and message from the word. One of the incredible joys of this Kingdom ministry is sharing service with God's very talented and gifted servants. When I go on Prisoners for Christ Outreach Ministry concert tours to prisons around eastern Washington and Oregon, I team with Jim Dixon, Chuck Baxter, and Wayne Orendorff, most recently. Each has an amazing testimony of God's faithfulness.

Jim lives in Bothell. He has a tremendous gift of evangelism and shares his heart and story through creative ballads. Picture above, he joined me at Judson Park Retirement Community in Des Moines for a Sunday night concert.

Chuck lives in Lacey. The Lord has given him a deep heart of mercy as he shares what the Lord is doing in and through him. When he did some singing at JP, I was amazed as he sat down with several of the residents before the service. He also involved with Celebrate Recovery and other prison ministries in Shelton and Olympia. When he greets and shares with folks at our ministry settings, he offers his fully engaged attention, warm handshake, and a smile. We meet for breakfast or lunch in South Tacoma to build our relationship and care for each other.

Rocker Wayne lives in Renton and is a licking lead guitarist. In our concerts, he leads worship and accompanies Balladier Jim while "Don't call me Willie" Chuck and I offer backup vocals. Yes, we have a great time and I add in a little dancing before the Lord. Wayne also leads worship at the House of Mercy in Federal Way on Saturday nights. The Lord has given him a deep heart for recovery ministries. The picture here is at Standing Stones Orchards with Jim, Chuck, and Wayne on our last eastern Washington and Oregon missions trip.

In June, we have two PFC weekend tours in the works--one to the prisons in Clallam Bay and Forks on the 20th and another all over eastern Washington and Oregon on the 26th-28th. We have started planning an expanded trip in Oregon for future months.

God's goodness and love

After returning from Northwest Transitional Living, or Standing Stones Orchards, in Wapato, the Lord is blessing me with His goodness and love in a fruitful week at the Regional Justice Center. I've met with 20 men so far this week and was blessed to see two receive Christ.

Benito is a growing Christian who shared in joyful tears he believes the Lord is calling him back to Mexico to be used in our Lord's Kingdom work. It isn't clear what He is going to do. The Lord asks, "who will go for me?" Benito can say, with Isaiah 6:8, "here I am, send me!" Then, get up on His altar as a living sacrifice and watch and wait for what He will do, Romans 12:2.

Pat has been attending my regular studies in E-unit and asked to see me one-on-one, earlier this week. He was burdened under the stress and dark cloud of guilt for years. As we read Charles Spurgeon's conversion testimony and then I started sharing several verses to present the gospel, he started to weep openly as we met. I was overjoyed as I watched the Lord draw another sinner into His kingdom.

It isn't all "successful." Another man "who is a drunk" carefully read through a worksheet I use on the the King, His Kingdom, and repentance with me. He even wrote down notes as we walked through the verses. He is considering the truth but wasn't ready.

Tonight, Dwight Hawley and I were to have a Bible study in D-unit but nobody came. So, Dwight went to S-unit and I went back to E-unit and worked through an amazing study on the faithful love of God from an awesome article by A. W. Pink which I will also be using Sunday morning with our Sunday School class. It was more wonderful with every verse we read in Spanish and English.

Standing Stones Orchards over "Finished Work" weekend

I headed over to Standing Stones Orchards just outside Wapato in eastern Washington to experience the participants at the clean and sober ministry facility of Prisoners for Christ Outreach Ministries. Standing Stones Orchards is also called Northwest Transitional Living.

My first purpose was to free Greg and Rhonda Von Tobel, the president of PFCOM and his wife, pictured here, to be home over the crucifixion and resurrection weekend.

I enjoyed fellowship with Bobby, Cory, Noey, and Tyler. There are several others who will be rejoining the program or getting started in the next weeks. Jim Smith, from Monroe, carries out a weekly training and discipleship ministry during the week.

I was able to do a wonderful theological study of the exhaustive sovereignty of God and our compatible free will, using Dr. Bruce Ware's text, "God's greater glory," and I continued my verse by verse study of Colossians.