Louis Gerber
Prison Ministry – July 2006 Report
In this report:
- Visits with inmates
- Visits with teachers
- Meetings
- Correspondence
Visits with inmates
You might recall that we where in negotiation with the authorities at the Baviaanspoort prison to get some student baptized. After 9 months, we got permission. Even though this prison is 50 miles from where I live, I arranged to do the baptizing myself on Sunday, 9th. Since my father, who lives in Pretoria where this prison is, celebrated his 77th birthday the same day, I left here the day before (Saturday) and stayed with my brother that night. I arrived at the prison at 7 am and waited for the man who was supposed to arrange the baptism. I could not reach him via phone and by 9 am decided to plead with the head of prison to at least see the inmate. He escorted me and I spend two hours with them singing and praising God. Monday morning the man contacted me and apologized for the miscommunication. He said he sent me an e-mail on the Thursday in which he cancelled, but I was out the office since Wednesday afternoon and. would not have seen it. The new arrangement is for August 16. Pray that God will remove the evil that has prevented us from doing His will.
Tomorrow, Sunday 30, I am scheduled to visit with some inmates in the Leeukop prison. One of them where baptized not too long ago after doing the WBS lessons. For me, this has always been the fun thing to do about this great ministry. No matter what your mood before, it is always one of gratefulness and joyful when you leave.
Visits with teachers
I cannot afford to phone all the teachers (75) in all the areas in South Africa in one month, so I divided them in three groups and make turns to call for information, motivation and general situation. But, sometimes I am grateful to visited with some of them. Like the two in the Pretoria area, Dimpo and John I visited the month.
Meetings
- July 1, I attended a meeting at the University of South Africa where the Director of Religious Care discussed the new White Paper on Corrections. You might recall that I attended a workshop that discussed the draft White Paper. With regard to Religious care it is quite clear that greater emphasis is placed on the responsibility of the church, the family and society in the rehabilitation of offenders.
- 19th. Meeting with the members of TSHEPO at Radio Pulpit.
- 27th. Meeting with the Regional Chaplain of Gauteng and directors of other Religious Programs.
Correspondence
Correspondence is one of those mundane thing that we all have to do regularly. Among all the correspondence I do during a month, there will always be some interesting information.
This month:
- I received a call from the religious coordinator of the Lichtenburg prison (a small prison about 130 miles West from where we are). He contacted me on behalf of an inmate who obeyed the gospel while he was in a prison a neighboring town. He and the inmate-brother want to continue his studies and. teach others. They asked for a NLBM-CD.
- A similar thing happened in the Barberton prison (130 miles in the other direction). Inmates have been corresponding with me asking me for the material so that they would be able to continue their studies and teach others. I hope this will inspire you as much as it motivate us. I want to repeat some of the words of the apostel John when he says (in my own words): “Many other things that have happened I could have told you. But these thing I have written so that you may believe.” Believe that God blesses this ministry with souls that we teach, they respond and God gives the increase. Also, thank you to our faithful supporters, without whom we will not be able to do this work.
Continue to pray for us as we pray for you.
Louis and family.