Coronavirus Update

Coronavirus in the Prisons

I know that all our lives have been disrupted by the coronavirus. You may feel like our world is turned upside down.

Inmates are also affected by the coronavirus. An officer in the prison tested positive. He worked 3/9/2020. All volunteer activities, family visitations, and volunteers are prohibited at the Monroe Correctional Center. This means that I am no longer able to visit inmates in the hospital, provide pastoral counseling or teach the Bible Study class on the book of John. Furthermore, we can no longer provide worship services for inmates on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays of the month. God alone knows when this will end.

During this troubling time, I want to share with you what I tell inmates to do with their worries. I find that inmates spend far too much time worrying about things that are beyond their control. I ask them to take two pieces of paper and write upon the top of one “Things I Control” and upon the other “Things I Cannot Control.” The sheet entitled “Things I Control” is the “To-Do” list. The sheet entitled “Things I Cannot Control” is the prayer list. Our God is so powerful, kind and wise that we can entrust to him the things beyond our control.

Please pray that inmates in Monroe, in the USA and in the world who are apprentices of Jesus might trust God in the midst of this trial. May they share their faith in both actions and words with those who are anxious.

I will spend this time preparing for the class on the book of John and Galatians since we will study this next.

Thank you for your partnership in the gospel.

Rip Van Winkle

March 2020

A Theologically Significant Conversation

Part of my mission for Opening Blind Eyes is to minister to the staff as well as the inmates. Sometimes officers seek me out to share prayer requests for themselves and their families. At times I engage in spiritually significant conversations with non-Christian officers. Let me share a recent example.

A Muslim officer oversaw the chapel as a short-term replacement. He told me that Muslims await Jesus’ return. He explained that Muslims do not believe that Jesus died. Instead, God took him up to heaven as he had done with Elijah. He added that the Romans crucified the wrong person.  

I assured him that Christians also await Jesus’ return. But my training as an ancient historian led me to believe it was very improbable that Jesus did not die. The courtroom is a good model for an historian. If the prosecution and the defense agree on certain things, these things are likely to be true. For example, they might agree that a crime took place at a certain time and location but disagree on the identity of the perpetrator. From this I conclude that it was likely that a crime took place at this certain time and location.

Both early Christians and early Jews were opponents. They agreed that there was a man known as Jesus of Nazareth. They concurred that he worked wonders (Christians claimed he was a miracle worker while Jews maintained he was a magician). Both granted that some of his followers claimed that he was the Messiah. Both agreed that he was crucified by the Romans and placed in a tomb. Both concurred that the body was missing from the tomb (Christians asserted that God resurrected Jesus from the dead while Jews argued that the disciples stole the body).  

Therefore, it is very probable that Jesus of Nazareth was a man who worked wonders. His followers claimed the he was the Messiah. He was crucified by the Romans and his tomb was empty. It was not until 700 years later that Mohamed claimed that contrary to the claims of Jesus’ contemporary prosecutors and defenders, Jesus did not die.  

The officer and I parted on good terms and he agreed to think about our conversation. I look forward to spiritually significant conversations with him, with other officers and with inmates.  

Thanks for your prayers and support that sustain this ministry.

Rip

December 2019

Jesus Ate with Sinners

Every Gospel account attests the Pharisees complained that Jesus ate with sinners, prostitutes and tax collectors. They considered people to be sinners if they did not keep the laws of purity originally intended only for the priesthood. The prostitutes were sexually immoral women. In the gospel of John, the story of the woman taken in adultery shows the Pharisees were less concerned about men’s sexual immorality since only the woman was brought for judgment. The tax collectors were generally unpopular because no one likes to pay taxes, but in first-century Palestine, they were especially unpopular because they enriched themselves at the expense of other Jews. But worst of all, they were Jewish collaborators with the occupying power, Rome.

Jesus’ hanging out with sinners took on a greater meaning for me during a recent day of prison ministry. In the morning, I went to visit with the inmate I see regularly at SOU (Special Offenders Unit) which is reserved for inmates with more than one mental illness. Even though I arrived early, I just missed him. He went to a Christmas party. After I got permission from the shift lieutenant, I went in and sat with him at his table. Four inmates sat at each small table but for some reason my friend’s table had an extra chair. Although all of the staff sat apart from the inmates, I sat with them. The inmates offered me water, popcorn and candy and were happy to see me.  

Inmates sang songs with the aid of a karaoke machine. Even though leaders encouraged participation, there were dead spots when no one volunteered. I made a decision to participate and helped an inmate sing U2’s "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.”

The Spirt encouraged me with this party since for me it reflected the true meaning of Christmas. Jesus came to befriend sinners and ultimately save them. Angels announced his birth to shepherds whom the Pharisees considered unclean since they took care of sheep on the Sabbath. Jesus always loves us and God never tires of giving us second chances. Thank you for your support that allows me to offer God’s second chances to inmates.

Rip

November 2019

Rip & Cathy’s Story

Usually I write inmates’ stories and give them pseudonyms. This time I’m writing about Cathy and me and am using our real names.

Please pray for Cathy. About four weeks ago she fell, dislocated her shoulder, broke her humerus (the upper arm bone) as well as the glenoid cavity (the socket in which the bone fits). Fortunately, x-rays show that the bones are beginning to heal but she will need to remain in her soft cast for another four weeks. Then it will take an additional four weeks for her bones to completely heal. I will continue as her chauffeur for at least the next four weeks. She will have an MRI this week to determine the extent of the damage to her soft tissues. She has begun some light physical therapy, but the more strenuous therapy awaits the healing of her bones. Depending upon its severity, her soft tissue damage may be overcome with physical therapy, surgery, or even a shoulder replacement. Please join us in prayer that God will heal her without the need either surgery or shoulder replacement.

I have been Cathy’s primary caregiver. In addition to my duties as chauffeur, I have learned how to roll her hair with hot rollers. This is totally new to me since I only had brothers and sons. I will not use a flat iron because she does not need to be branded in addition to all her other injuries :). We thank God that we are part of a loving church that has helped to provide meals three times a week as she heals.

Please pray for me. I feel overwhelmed. I have begun to suffer PTSD as a result of the news of Turkey’s invasion of Syria. It reminds me of my experiences when I was in Beirut in 1982 when Israel invaded Lebanon. It calls to mind horrid scenes I witnessed of mothers identifying the bodies of their children. I also harken back to the massacre of the residents of Sabra and Shatila (two Palestinian refugee camps) within six months of my visit. Furthermore, hearing prisoner’s stories take me back to aspects of my own childhood. I see a counselor, exercise regularly and try to practice good self-care.

Linda Whittlesey is retiring as secretary from OBE. In addition to taking minutes of board meetings, she has helped to edit newsletters as well as collecting and managing donations.

We thank God, that Robin Scribner, a friend who attends our church, has agreed to become OBE’s new secretary.  Please pray that God also provides a treasurer for OBE as well as other volunteers.

Please pray for additional financial donations to OBE so that it might meet expenses for November and December.

Thank you for your prayers and support that make the ministry of OBE possible. 

Rip Van Winkle

July 2019

Baby Steps

I am learning that God often works both through us and with us in baby steps.  

Let me tell you about an inmate, “John” with whom I meet weekly. He is in a unit reserved for inmates with more than one mental illness. Recently, the staff moved John to a more intensive level of custody after he cut himself with a razor blade to relieve his emotional pain and anxiety. The cut was so deep that it has taken months to fully heal.

John is now on medications which have side-effects of making him experience audio, visual and tactile hallucinations. For example, he complained to the officer that five inmates were in his cell even though he was alone. He felt cats licking his toes to wake him up even though they were not there. He could not distinguish between reality and fantasy.  

One week he described his delusions to me. As I thought about it during the week, I got an idea! The next week, I asked him if hallucinations looked like images on a black and white TV. He agreed they did. When I asked him if everything else was in color, he agreed that it was. I proposed a simple test. If an image was in black and white, it was a hallucination but if it was on color, it was real.

When he reported back to me the next week that the test worked, I praised God that he used me to help John distinguish between reality and illusions. It had seemed to me that I hadn’t accomplished much the previous weeks.  

God worked through me in baby steps to help John discern what was real. God worked with me to remind me that my work may have more significance than I can recognize. None of us can know the true significance of our actions and how God uses us in the lives of others.   

Thanks for your prayers and contributions that make my ministry to inmates possible and the chance for me to share how God uses you in the lives of inmates.

Rip  

May 2019

God is Always Faithful  

Many months ago, an inmate who was very involved with Opening Blind Eyes stopped attending worship, Bible study and counseling. He was angry with God for not answering his prayers for his mother’s wellbeing. She suffered from Alzheimer’s. I heard that he stopped attending any Christian events. Through another inmate, I sent a message to him apologizing if I needlessly offended him. He assured me that I did not; this issue was with God.

He finally came back for counseling as an agnostic. He questioned his previous Christian experiences. He challenged me to prove that Christianity was not just another form of denial, thereby proving life was meaningless. I prayed aloud for him at the end of each session and throughout the week.

Over  several months, we discussed Biblical history and prophecy at length, including the proof for the resurrection.  

Then, we finally got back to his real issue:  unanswered prayer. He had to acknowledge that by definition God was greater than we can imagine. Therefore, God’s ways are not our ways. I also pointed out that God did not answer Jesus’ prayer that he might be spared from crucifixion in the garden of Gethsemane. If God is did not answer Jesus’ prayer the way that he wanted, why should we imagine that God will answer all our prayers the way we want? Jesus provided our role model by declaring “not my will by your will be done.” 

The Holy Spirit worked in his heart so that he finally repented and trusted in Jesus. He has returned to worship services, Bible study and individual counseling. God also answered his prayers for his mother better than he could have imagined!

I have waited over a year to report this because I wanted to make sure that his faith was sincere. Praise God for his faithfulness and your faithfulness that makes this ministry possible. 

Rip  

March 2019

God Answers Prayer

I met with an inmate weekly for one-on-one pastoral counseling for over ten years at the Washington Reformatory Unit. He suffers from mental illness. He was transferred to another prison inside Monroe known as the Special Offenders Unit (SOU). SOU is reserved for inmates who suffer from more than one mental illness. Unfortunately, in the USA most of the treatment for mental illness occurs in prisons.

This inmate was transferred about eighteen months ago. This last month, the chaplain contacted me and told me that SOU approved my visits! God cut through the red tape.

Also, several weeks prior to my approval to work at SOU, another inmate who attended my Bible study and our worship services was also transferred to SOU.

I am now able to meet with both men on Friday mornings! I take great solace in the knowledge that God has called me to care for them and not to cure them.

Thank you so much for your prayers and your financial support that makes the ministry of Opening Blind Eyes possible.  A special thanks to all of you who prayed for my recovery from bronchitis and sinusitis.

I also will appreciate your prayers for me as I undergo hand surgery at the end of March.

Rip  

December 2018

Giving Thanks!

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. It reminds me to stop and give thanks for the many blessings that I have received. It is also among the least commercialized national holydays.

Here are some of the blessings I have received and for which I give thanks.

•       The greatest blessing that all of us have received is our savior Jesus Christ whose birth we celebrate this time of year.

•       God has worked through you to sustain the ministry of Opening Blind Eyes (OBE). I thank both God and you for your continual prayers and generous support.

•       The congregation of OBE has continued to grow even though about 20% of our congregation is either released or transferred to another prison yearly. Can you imagine what would happen to a church on the outside if it lost 20% of its congregation each year?

•       OBE’s Bible Study has finished the book of Luke and Acts. We have begun to study the gospel of John.  

•       Inmates often tell me they are delighted with an opportunity to study the Bible rigorously in its original context.

•       As an Old Testament scholar, I have learned so much about the New Testament (NT). I had a sudden glimpse of the obvious. I should interpret the NT in both the context of first century Palestinian Judaism (since Jesus was a first century Palestinian Jew) and first century Greco-Roman culture (since this was the audience of the books in the NT).

•       I have seen God work in the lives of inmates I teach and counsel.

•       Inmates pray for one another, for me, for our nation and for the world.

•       The inmate God has raised up to lead music enjoys it and is thriving. We are working together to introduce new songs.

•       Cathy’s knee replacement was successful. Please pray for her as she has the other replaced on Dec. 7th. We pray that God will protect her from infection.

God bless you,

Rip

PS. Please consider a gift to Opening Blind Eye’s during this holiday season.

September 2018

God Answers Prayer!

(An amazing, recent, true story from OBE prison ministry)

Daniel, the deaf inmate I work with, began to pray for reconciliation with his family. He had a half-sister with whom he had been close. But he had not heard from her for over twenty years, and they had not parted on the friendliest terms.

 After he began praying, one night he was awakened with the message, “Your half-sister is going to contact you.” He didn’t know where this message came from or what to make of it. He dismissed it as wishful thinking, until he was awakened with the same message the next two nights. The messages encouraged him to pray more fervently for reconciliation.

 After the third night, his counselor asked to meet with him. Daniel wondered what he was in trouble for now.

 Instead, his counselor told him that his half-sister had contacted her and wanted to get in contact with him. Since then, Daniel and his half-sister have corresponded with one another. She is married, and has a family that wants to welcome Daniel when he is released from prison. 

 Daniel is elated that Jesus has answered his prayers. Like the man in Acts 3 who was healed, Daniel was walking and leaping and praising God.

 Thank you for your on-going prayers for Opening Blind Eyes. We serve a God who can do far beyond what we imagine!

 In Christ,

Rip

July 2018

A Wife’s Perspective

 It has been a joy and a privilege to have seen Rip touch the lives of inmates and staff at the Washington State Reformatory through the 15-year ministry of Opening Blind Eyes. He often comes home with mixed emotions: joy that men open up in counseling sessions or gain new insight in Bible Study--mixed with frustration that he can’t minister to inmates and staff as he would like.

We recently attended the annual volunteer appreciation dinner at WSR. It was delightful to meet some of “Rip’s” inmates. They couldn’t shake his hand enough, and it brought tears to my eyes.

 We enjoyed the entertainment -- an all-inmate rock band, and a video with inmates thanking various volunteer programs. Inmates served the pizza and salad dinner!

Please pray for more opportunities for inmates and Correction Officers to spend time with each other in nonthreatening ways like this dinner. And for staff and inmates to respect each other more.

 Rip also needs prayer for his own life. I’m having a knee replacement Aug. 21, and he’ll be caring for me. His brother broke his pelvis is a motorcycle accident last month. He is recovering well. But his accident and 3-month recovery time means Rip has even more responsibility in caring for his dad, whose dementia is increasing. Rip is an elder at church, and the duties involve several 3-hr. meetings a week.

 Rip answered God’s call for prison work, and I’m so glad he did. Thank you for all your prayers and financial support so that Rip can minister to some of the least and lost among us.

 With love, Cathy