May 2018

We seldom see how God uses our actions or words to influence others. It is like throwing a small stone in a still lake and seeing how many rings of water the stone will make. Who could have guessed the stone’s impact?

 God gave me an opportunity to see some unexpected results of our prison ministry. Daniel, a deaf inmate I work with and to whom I referred to in previous Newsletters, asked me to find an article that evaluated the Da Vinci Code so that he could share it with another deaf inmate. This inmate has rejected Jesus because he is convinced The Da Vinci Code presents the real historical Jesus and not the Jesus of the gospels.  I hunted for an article that evaluated the book and pointed out its mistakes. It also had to be both scholarly and readable. I found just such an article by N.T. Wright entitled, “Decoding The Da Vinci Code: The Challenge of Historic Christianity to Post-Modern Fantasy.” If you are interested in this article you can find it at http://spu.edu/depts/uc/response/summer2k5/features/davincicode.asp.

 Daniel’s friend read the article but continues to believe in The Da Vinci Code. But I can see that God is at work. This inmate he has begun attending our worship service. Who knows what God will do next?

 Thank you for your continued support that makes this ministry possible. Who knows how God will use your support to further his kingdom in prison? 

 Dwight “Rip” Van Winkle

APRIL 2018

EDDIE'S STORY

“I have never experienced love!
God’s love is meaningless,” Eddie confessed to me.

As a child, Eddie (not his real name) experienced physical, emotional and sexual abuse. He has been in prison for over 20 years for crimes he freely confesses that he committed.  He is a loner and has erected very high walls so that no one knows the real Eddie. It is only after years of pastoral counselling that I have come to know the real Eddie. In prison ministry, it takes a long time to build trust.

He presents as a strong, independent and confident individual; physically strong and can easily
defend himself. He is intelligent and can easily best other inmates in arguments. But inside, he is filled with shame, guilt and self-loathing. He has responded to the gospel message by making a profession of faith and seeks to live a life of obedience to Jesus. But the gospel message of God’s love has not fully penetrated his heart.

In my conversation with Eddie, I pointed out that in English, we have only one word for love. In
Greek they have three words for love. “Eros” refers to "passionate love" or “romantic love.” “Phileo” means “friendship as a kind of love.” “Agape” refers to “unconditional love that transcends and persists regardless of circumstance.” Eddie admitted that he has had several girlfriends and has experienced
romantic love. However, he doubts that he has experienced either friendship or unconditional love that transcends and persists regardless of circumstance.

I prayed aloud that God would open his eyes so that he could see that he could experience both “phileo” and “agape.” Eddie challenged me that these simply did not exist in prison. When I asked
Eddie what he thought motivated me to come into prison for the last fifteen years, he was speechless. He had never considered this. When I told him that I was motivated by both “phileo” and “agape,” he stopped and thought during a prolonged period of silence. He admitted that he had experienced in our relationship both friendship and unconditional love. But that these experiences were outweighed by his experiences of hatred and animosity.

Please pray that Eddie will recognize both “phileo” and “agape.” Pray especially that God’s
unconditional love will penetrate his heart. Our prisons are full of Eddies. However, I recall that God raised Jesus from the dead and has triumphed over despair and death. Nothing is impossible for God. God is at work through the Holy Spirit to will and work for his own good pleasure.

Thank you for your support in both prayers and financial contributions that make this ministry possible. It is because of your support that I am able to reach out to inmates like Eddie.

Dwight “Rip” Van Winkle

FEBRUARY 2018

DANIEL'S STORY

Daniel (not his real name) is an inmate I have worked with for several years.  He is short, pudgy, only has an elementary education and is deaf. Because of his disability, size, and lack of education, he is viewed as weak and easy prey by other inmates. Daniel sought support from prison staff by becoming an informant, causing him to be labeled a “rat” by other
inmates and by officers who benefitted from his information.

Daniel became a Christian before I met him, but was not a good advertisement for Jesus.
He tried to impose his religious views on everyone he met and got into fights with
roommates because of their lifestyle choices and language. He was kicked out of GED classes, Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups, because he disrupted their meetings in his attempts to convert others. The prison system moved him around like a hot potato because of his tendency to create havoc.

Daniel regularly attends our worship services, weekly Bible study and counseling sessions.
Interpreters are provided for worship services and counseling sessions. Even though there’s no interpreter for the Bible study, Daniel comes anyway because he is in a safe and helpful group.

God is transforming Daniel, and he has begun to grow in Christian maturity. Christian inmates now seek to nurture and help him grow, instead of joining others in viewing him as prey.

As a result, Daniel no longer informs on others or tries to impose his views on them. Also, he
recently made the costly decision to cease manipulating a non-Christian friend on the outside who would send him money. The consequence is that he no longer has money for coffee and store (extra food, etc.). Life is not easy for Daniel. He was recently returned to the main prison after being assaulted at the minimum security unit and is now more safe because the prison has given him a cell to himself, so he no longer has to share space with others.

Thank you for your prayers and financial support that allows me to work with inmates like Daniel. God is using you to transform lives.

Dwight “Rip” Van Winkle

DECEMBER 2017

So much to be thankful for! Here are just a few blessings has poured out on OBE.

Dear Friend,

Our hearts are full of gratefulness for all that God has done in the ministry this year!

Þ God answered prayers for a deaf inmate that allows Rip to meet with him weekly at
another prison at Monroe. Interpreters have helped Rip to understand deaf culture,
enabling him to better serve this man.

Þ Attendance at worship services and Bible studies have remained strong in spite of the
release of inmates, their rotation to other prisons, and a new call-out system that makes it more difficult for inmates to attend.

Þ We finished college-level studies of Luke and have begun Acts. The men involved are
asking engaging questions and enjoying digging deep into God's Word.

Þ For the web page update, https://www.openingblindeyes.org, made possible by a
generous donation from Community Christian Fellowship. 

Þ For God's financial provision. We had one of our strongest years financially. We thank God for those who have committed or pledged regular support for OBE.

Þ Special thanks for the response to our urgent request with prayers and donations that
allowed us to meet expenses through December.

Þ For those who donated by shopping through amazon.smile. Curious? Information can be found at https://www.openingblindeyes.org/donate.

Þ We are especially grateful for you! Our partners in reaching into prison with hope found in Christ. Your prayers and gifts have made this ministry possible.

We look forward to connecting with you by phone to express our thanks for your support and to answer any questions you may have about the ministry.

Opening Blind Eyes Board of Directors

OCTOBER 2017

One-to-one counseling brings some surprising outcomes - who knows who is listening?

Dear Friend,

Thanks for your prayers for my health. I had a second biopsy of the mass in my spleen. It showed no evidence of cancer. But unless they remove the spleen and do a pathology of it, they cannot explain the origin of this fibrous tissue. I have chosen to leave it alone.  I also am still waiting for ligaments in my thumb to heal so I can lead worship with guitar in the OBE services. 

About a third of the inmates that OBE serves have either been released or transferred to other institutions in the last several months. We pray that God will richly bless them and that they will be salt and light at home or in
another institution.  Please pray that God expands our ministry to meet the needs of other inmates. 

I have counseled a deaf inmate for the past four months. It took me a
few weeks to  recognize that as I mentored this inmate, I was sharing the gospel with the interpreters. I rejoice that this deaf inmate has grown in the Lord. He is becoming a more obedient apprentice of Christ, even though his obedience is costly. The interpreters have asked me questions after the session that shows they are interested in the gospel and its
application. 

This deaf inmate will be transferred to the minimum-security prison in Monroe.  There, he will take classes in drug and alcohol dependence and strive to complete his GED  degree. His program will target students for whom English is a second language. The regular vocabulary used in standard GED instruction is too advanced for him. Please pray that God will make a way so that I might continue to mentor him even though he will be moved to another prison. 

Thanks for your continuing support of this ministry that makes its success possible. 

D. W. ‘Rip’ Van Winkle