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In previous posts we have written about our project of sending books to prisoners in Texas. One of the prisons has a seminary program in which inmates can obtain a degree and then be transferred to another prison to help others start similar programs. Here is a short video which describes the prison seminary program.

A letter I received recently….

Dear Mrs. Bluedorn,

It was great to hear from you. Thank you so much for A Latin Grammar. I also thank you for the copies of the Latin text of Confessions.

I will be starting my summer teaching jobs at the seminary this week. I’ll be teaching Greek, Latin and a few lessons of Ancient Greek Philosophers. It will be a busy summer. We also have a small reformed community of brothers here. We hold several services spread out over the unit on each Lord’s Day. We just finished the The Heidelberg Catechism, thus, we will be going back through another year. The guys in here love to learn about the faith — some of the most unlikely people you would ever think of.

The first class just graduated last week. It was a big deal — the Lt. Governor and Senator came and spoke. You can catch it all at the Heart of Texas web site.

Something happened to me last night that you might enjoy. In prison, the day room is where you go to watch TV, play games, etc. On this unit I’m on, the day rooms are terribly small. They are 30’X25′ and typically hold about 80-90 men at once. Seating only covers 40 people. Thus, it is a mad house. People screaming over one another to talk to some one across the room, two TVs blaring the volume, a fan that sounds like a crop duster hovering overhead. It was this environment that I came home to last night. While waiting to go into my cell, a man who has terminal cancer asked me to pray for him. So I prayed that God would get glory from both of our circumstances — my problem was the chaos around me, his was his sickness. After finishing, he left to get his medicine. Once he left, a man came up and said, “It is good to see you doing the Lord’s work in the midst of all this chaos.” I thanked him and he left. It didn’t hit me until he left that God answered our prayer. God got His glory in the midst of the chaos. Someone noticed that two guys in all that madness were seeking the Lord.

Mrs. Bluedorn, I know I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know, but sometimes we have to realize that our trials are for the sake of others as much as they are for us. I will continue to pray for you. Thank you for your help in my trials.

God Bless,
JS

If you have any books we can send the prisoners, please send them to us and we’ll forward them on (Harvey Bluedorn, 525 120th Ave, New Boston, IL 61272). Our email address is bluedorn @ triviumpursuit.com.

They need any kind of educational materials (5th grade and up) or devotional/theological materials. The devotional or theological materials need to be from a doctrines of grace/reformed perspective. The materials can be used or new. No CDs or DVDs or anything made of glass or metal. The prison also rejects flash cards.