Christmas Blessings

 This will be the last post in 2020. We will not be meeting the next two Tuesdays but will start back working on January 5th, 2021. We usually do not get enough mail between Christmas and New Years to meet and I'm leaving for Gulf Shores for the next 2 weeks. We had a good morning at the Berean office processing the mail, wrapping Bibles and mailing out 46 of them to prisoners. Below are a few pictures of our morning.

Marvin and Leila were the readers at first. Ray, Chuck, Bruce and both Shirleys opened the studies, applied labels and ran the postage machine. 

As soon as the studies were finished Shirley helped Marvin and Leila finish reading the letters.

Above Marvin and Shirley are still working on letters, below we are stuffing and wrapping Bibles. 

We finished by 11:00 am and sat down to enjoy a delicious sweet coffee cake Shirley brought in along her salty chex mix snack. We enjoyed munching on the sweet and salty while visiting. We at the Berean office would like to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and a happy new year. 

Tuesday's News on Thursday

 This post is 2 days late, we met on Tuesday December 8th at the Berean office to work on the mail. We had happy helpers. 

Below is a serious picture, Ray and Shirley are working on labels while Marvin and Bruce were discussing the new postage machine.

We got everything done before 11:00 am and enjoyed coffee and cookies from Stephanie for our treat. We were kept busy but not overwhelmed. We are glad that each prisoner that asked for a Bible was sent a Bible Tuesday. 

A Good Morning's Work

 We had a lot of mail today and a small group of volunteers. Thankfully all who came went right to work and knew what to do. We filled 43 Bible requests and had over 100 studies processed. 

I only took these 3 pictures, we were busy getting everything done and were finished just before noon. It was a VERY good morning's work. Leila brought a wonderful coffee cake from Trefzgers and Chuck made coffee to go with the coffee cake. Once everything was done we sat down and enjoyed eating, drinking and visiting. Mom and I took the Bibles down to the Bartonville post office for mailing on our way home. I am thankful to have that work done for the week. 

Everything Needed

 We were really busy at the Berean office today. We mailed out 268 studies and 60 Bibles. Not many pictures as I was the only one on the computer today but snapped the picture below of our Bible wrappers.

I didn't get pictures of Marvin, Leila and Kathy reading letters and writing letters. I didn't get pictures of Bruce and Chuck opening the plethora of mail then applying labels. I didn't get pictures of Shirley working on the intermediate studies. But that doesn't mean these jobs didn't get done. Everything needed got done today and I'm thankful.

Beautiful Creation

 Bill is on his way back up to Mayo Clinic for more treatment of his Hodgkin's. He was finally feeling well from the last treatment just in time to head back up.  We really miss him and all of us pray for him and his family.  We had plenty of volunteers today to get our work done.

We had some very interesting letters come in and one was quite thought provoking. He wrote that God created our world in 7 days and that is why we have a 7 day week. That is actually quite fascinating, everything season such as more month or year are due to physics but there is no reason to have a 7 day week.  Above Benj had given the study to his dad Marvin to read it aloud to us. Below Lettie was happy to help her grandpa with the labels.

Above mom and Glenna are working on folding studies while below Marvin is trying to figure out how to get some requested Bibles to the Peoria County Jail.

The Pitney Bowes machine is not working and with Bill gone we weren't sure if we have a contract to have someone come in to fix it or to have Marvin work on it.  We will wait until Bill can answer that question. Thankfully we have plenty of first class stamps thanks to the Roanoke AC church. They gave us a big bagful a while ago. We had 45 Bible request today that were filled and the Bibles mailed out.  Benj shared a couple pictures he took last night of the sunset.

God's creation is just beautiful.

Controlled Chaos

 We had such a wonderful group of volunteers today that anyone walking in would have thought it may be a bit chaotic but thankfully it was all controlled chaos. Below are the pictures from today.

These two guys, Jerry and Bart came in unexpectedly to learn about how we do the program so they could set up something like it for Tazwel County Jail. 

Below Bart, Jerry and Chuck are catching up on visiting. 

The perfect people to help Jerry and Bart with the computers were also here, Karl and Benj. Amazing how God put that together.  

Stephanie stopped in also today. Below mom and Ray are stuffing studies.

Mark brought Lettie to help him on the main computer. Lettie's mom had just given birth to another little brother Isaac. We were glad for her help today and very glad for Isaac's safe birth. 

When we finished with the studies we went to work wrapping Bibles and were able to get more than 100 wrapped and ready for mailing.

When the Bibles were finished and the table cleaned off Leila served us all a delicious apple dessert.

We enjoyed our break with visiting and dessert so much that no one wanted to leave the table. What a blessing to be there today. What a blessing this program is not just for the prisoners but for us who get the chance to come together with like minded people while serving the Lord. I am so very thankful!

Deserve To Know

 When we arrived at the Berean office Marvin was out weeding around the air conditioner. Not that we needed air conditioning today we had to turn the heat on.

There was already a group working on the mail when we walked in.

We all sat right down to work. Ray was back and introduced himself to Aunt Jinnie. This was the last day Aunt Jinny could help as tomorrow she leaves for her home in New Jersey.

Benj and Karl came today. Both work at Caterpillar and that company gives their employees a day to volunteer so they chose to come help us! Marvin got Benj going on the second computer but it wasn't easy. The computer wouldn't turn on so Marv crawled under the table, pulled the plug, then plugged it back in and it worked.

Benj was put to work on the computer while Karl was put to work reading letters with Kathy, Marvin and Leila.

We had a good group of volunteers willing to help with a big mail day.

Shirley made coffee and when it was done Glenna came around offering coffee to everyone.

Once the studies were processed the volunteers went into the other room to start wrapping Bibles. 

Wayne stopped in to tell us the good news that his son, Chip's eyes were going to be fine.  We had been praying for Chip.

We were able to finish just before noon. I truly am thankful to all these volunteers who so willingly give of their time to come help with this program. There are many that think these people in prison probably deserve to be in prison but if they are never taught of the ONE who loves them and who died for them how are they to know how to be saved. Jesus desires that ALL would be saved. Don't they deserve to know?