Prison Ministry
Oh, I wish you could have been there!!! We had such a great
time at the Women's Prison last Thursday night! Working
with Prison Fellowship Ray and I have been able to go into the Medium
and Minimum sections on Thursday evenings to hang out with the 30-40
women who come to the chapel service. Right now I am getting to
teach a four week series on
How to Hear God's Voice.
It is a regular topic that I teach for YWAM but have never done it in
this setting in the Body of Christ. These women are so ready to
eat this up that they just keep asking for more.
In the evening we shared on the
different stages of
relationship with the Lord. We spent just a few minutes on the
Shepherd /Sheep stage. When I made the comment that the sheperd
uses the rod to break the little legs of the consistantly rebellious
lamb the ladies reacted vocally. Then I asked them, "...and what
does the sheperd do with that little lamb? He carries it on his
shoulders every day until it is healed. And then where do you
think that little lamb always wants to be?" Many of
them spoke out, "Right next to the shepherd." They got
it!!! There was a holy hush for several moments as they
realized His discipline is for our good. What a moment in
eternity to witness.
OK, so if you can't be there just be sure and pray.
We have this last Thursday (2/2) night to finish the series
and we so want God to give them everything they need.
Starting Feb. 16 my sister and I will begin to team teach a 5 week
series from the book
What's So Amazing About
Grace? Since Ray and I will have to be gone for 2 of
those sessions Gloria is really looking for some prayer backing, too.
Ministry
to Street People
On Friday nights Ray and I have been going down under one
of the bridges in downtown Portland helping a group called Bridgetown with their
"Nightstrike". It's a bunch of Christians who get to gether to
feed the street people in downtown Portland. A station for
shaving, haircutting, and footwashing (with a brand new pair of socks
at the end), are set up and we just get to love on these very needy
people. When we are home we try to head down there
about 8pm on Fridays to help out any way we can. I usually work
the food line while Ray just talks to guys like one human being to
another. You can imagine some of the talks he's had. We
both want to wash feet next time. It is not an evangelistic time,
necessarily, but a time to demonstrate the "true religion" Jesus
talked about. We loved it!!
Because we are gone from home so much, especially in the
fall and spring, we realize that we need to use our time at home for
regrouping and resting so we have carefully asked the Lord to keep us
on the cutting edge - but not used up. We have felt like this is
His answer for us and we are content.
Ray has been able to work 7 out of 10 weekdays so we are
grateful. The rain continues so he may have a chance to continue
on some of our projects around the house on his days
"off". He's working on renewing his commercial
driver's license with the practical driving test all that
remains.
I continue to potter with the little things that need to
be done in the settling in while we are home for these weeks.
Studying for the classes I'm teaching now,
and getting ready for
the several new ones in the spring (one is teaching on
intercession for
a Korean group), are keeping me at His feet and loving it.
Occasionally we even put on our rain gear and go for a bike ride.
It's in the rain or never so we have prepared for it as best we can.
Lots of love,
Ray and Paish
