MAY 2020 REPORT ON
THE WORK IN CORRIGAN, TEXAS [email protected]

Dear Brethren,

281-756-7957

ROBERT RAIF
171 CALDWELL ST. LIVINGSTON, TX 77351

We offer up prayers to our Creator for you every day. We pray for your health and well being, but more importantly for your standing fast in the Lord. And not just to stand, but “excel still more!” (1 Th 4:10).

It is said that there is on average a 60% recidivism rate across America. This means 60% of the prisoners that are released from prison return there having committed another crime. Some years ago, Texas stopped just warehousing the offenders and started teaching them how to change their thinking and to help prepare them for the outside world through education, because it is a BIG adjustment. In Texas, the recidivism rate has dropped to 37%. Among the “faith-based” groups, it is 10%!

It is such a privilege to help make a difference in the lives of some men. Some in the prison are surely bad to the bone and enjoy just living life they way they want it, and no one is going to tell them what to do. Others have made some bad choices - - some just ONE bad choice. Others got addicted to this or that - - either a pattern of life or to substances.

Since I can’t meet with my classes at the prison, I’ve started sending my sermons and bulletins and offering correspondence courses. WOW! Almost all 36 of my students have responded with letters of appreciation - - and even write “love” as they sign their name. About 13 so far have responded to doing the first lesson of the course. Some are expressing their thanks to me for caring enough for them to teach, and to you brethren who make it possible for me to be there. I thank you too!

One of those men is James Gee. I just love this guy. He about 68 and is so gentle and humble and such a sincere smile always. He is upset when Christians there waste time playing dominoes, and cards, and watching TV. All he does is read his Bible. He wrote that my coming there saved him. He has served 31 years of a 45 years sentence for aggravated kidnapping! I would have never thought.

Most of these guys have a sentence of 40 years are more. Some have a life sentences, or life without parole. Seven are in there for murder, aggravated assault, or organized crime, but you would never think it. Three or four of these probably never will get out. Art Moody went with me several times and was just amazed how nice and polite they are. He taught the class when I couldn’t make it and was impressed with their knowledgeable Bible answers and their kindness.

Six of my students have been released, all but one is doing well. He got involved in drugs again and is back. Two can’t worship with churches because of their crimes, but they are good men following the law. Eric works 50 to 60 hours a week, and the plant manager wants him there every day because he is the most dependable worker and most honest. John got out a month ago and I got him hooked up with a good church in San Antonio and I think he will go far. Right now he is doing baby-steps.

Well, I’m out of space. The Corrigan church has been meeting all month, spacial distancing as much as we can, and things are going well. Thank you brethren so, so much for your support - - financially and your encouraging remarks. Let us keep praying for open doors!

Yours in Him who saves, Robert

MURPHY REPORT
SPREADING THE GOSPEL IN PHILADELPHIA,

Dec 29 – Mar 31, 2020

Hello, Brethren.

So much has changed since my last report. Up until three or four weeks ago, I was going out twice a week to set up a table at the train station to hand out leaflets and to speak with people about the Lord Jesus. I had Bible studies at coffee shops three times a week. Patti and I met with the saints in our home for a Wednesday evening Bible study and assembled with them each Lord’s Day on the UPenn campus. Now we are discouraged (forbidden?) by the civil authorities from doing any of these things face to face. The exception being assembling on Sunday. We can still do this if we practice social distancing. However, since we have no assembly hall of our own, it must be done in private homes. Because of seasonal illnesses (thankfully, not coronavirus), some concern for venturing out due to pregnancies, pre-existing health concerns, and general concerns for catching the virus, these assemblies have been small but encouraging. Almost all who feel they can’t venture out

“join us” through ZOOM.

Except for my Wednesday morning study with Anne (who postponed the study entirely), I continue to participate in the other studies via ZOOM.

Because I ran a fever for about a week, our primary care physician thought it best that I get tested for the virus. After two weeks, the test came back negative. In the meantime, we canceled Patti’s caregiving service until this state of emergency is over, and because we did not want the caregivers to bring the virus into our home. So far, everything has worked out as well as it can be expected. When the days are lovely, we attempt to take a brief stroll for exercise. But for the most part, we confine ourselves to our apartment.

At the moment, our health remains good, except for Patti’s daily bouts with either extremely high or extremely low blood pressure. But we consider ourselves blessed!

Thank you so much for your prayers and for your support. We know that some of you may not be able to continue your support if this state of emergency continues for months and months, as many predicted. Whatever the future holds, rest assured that we will continue to trust in the Lord while giving thanks to Him for you.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please let us hear from you. Hold fast!

Kieran

Kieran & Patti Murphy
241 S 49th Street, Apt 202

Philadelphia, PA 19139

Home Tel. 215 825-7444 Mobile 267 437-7517

Report from “Ricky” William Shanks in Gainesville GA
4565 Persian Trail; Gainesville, GA 30507; Phones: 843-569-8729-Home; 843-725-9283-Cell

Website: AnswersFromTheBible.ORG - Dial A Bible Study: 770-835-4000 (Ext. 3 for Spanish.)

April 2020

The efforts continue to sow God’s seed into the hearts of those who are seeking. I’m going to share with you

the stats from our Facebook program “Answers From the Bible” on Wednesdays at 11 ET. This week will be week 8. Each week we have gotten more comfortable with the MANY hurtles we must jump through to keep from being distracting and focus on what God is saying in His word. I won’t list the many items here that need to be done for each program. Call me if you want those details. But each week seems to be gaining momentum. For these first 7 programs, even though a couple of them were train wrecks, here is a summary of results. FB says we have reached 19,000 and 19K have engaged with us. 243 have clicked on our links. I’m not certain these mean much. I continue to populate the website above with more Bible study materials. Feel free to visit and download any of interest to you. If someone would help me understand more about these stats I would love to hear from you. The ones who have clicked for information seem to be from other parts of the country. For example a sibling and niece in my family has

FB says all the stats above have come from GA and around this area. That is confusing to me. One who asked for the Bible course and DVD was from MO. Hopefully we will see such interest locally soon. The FB programs have been viewed for a total of over 12K minutes (200 hours). That seems to me an important stat. Again if I’m thinking wrong in this I would like to understand more, please let me know.

Concerning my recording the gospel message we use in our evangelism meetings, I have recorded all but the last part of the presentation of the gospel. I have agonized over exactly how to finish the series. So I am praying and hopefully will finish the 5th and last of the series soon. I will put them on thumb drives to give out and upload it to the site above when I finish it. So follow the site and you will be alerted to when it is uploaded.

We were able to study with the contact mentioned in last report. They looked so encouraging and we were excited to be studying with them. However they may have ended the study for some unknown reason this week. It really saddens us how the devil never gives up in distracting. I’m going to try one more communication with them to see if they will continue.

However on a good note a couple we studied with last year has contacted us and wants to continue their studies to begin this Saturday. Please pray with us that the devil does not stick his ugly finger in the situation and rip it to pieces.

The flock here has missed each other’s presence so much. GA lifted its “stay at home” order this month and for us to use common sense before gathering. We did meet together and each family stayed a distance from each other. Unfortunately we are small enough in number we could all keep the proper distance. Communion was packed in sealed cups and bags and picked up as they came in and we as a one body were able to partake together. Leading up to the meeting we listed out items of cleaning & sanitizing needing to be address at the building. So the building was in top shape for our gathering. We hope soon to have Bible classes as well. Till then we will continue to have Bible classes through zoom.

The newer in Christ are holding on tight. The devil has tried extra efforts to pull them down with family distresses, to car accidents and that on top of the virus pandemic. Unfortunately our county here in GA is a hot bed of new cases. It is still accelerating and spiking. In response we continue to teach and continue to remind his saints that God is still with us and no matter what may come, we look to Him for our help and in Him for victory. How glorious it will be! Thank you for your wonderful encouragement and prayers.

Ricky

APRIL 2020 REPORT ON
THE WORK IN CORRIGAN, TEXAS

ROBERT RAIF
171 CALDWELL ST. LIVINGSTON, TX 77351

[email protected].      281-756-7957

Dear Brethren,

Some of you may be wondering about the tornado that come roaring through Onalaska killing 3 people and destroying 50 + homes. None of our brethren were in that, but it was just 3 or 4 miles from us.

I guess we are all in the same boat, trying to figure out how best to “get together” and worship God. Our normal has been turned upside down. I wonder, is there anyone out there who will get my report? :-)

I went to the prison Friday March 20. They called me up that afternoon and said they were locking down all the prisons - - no more volunteers. Two weeks later one of the officers at Estelle died of the virus. I believe one of the inmates was sick with it too. Estelle has to be especially careful because they are a medical facility and 75% of those guys are already in weakened conditions due to diabetes, cancer, old age, amputations, organ transplants, kidney dialysis, etc.

Half of my time each week I spend going into the prisons and teaching. I’ve been trying to keep my students anchored and interested by sending them my bulletins and sermon notes about every two weeks and writing personal notes to them. Their response has been great. I send out 33 letters, and I’ve gotten 10 letters back from them so far - - some are brethren, and some growing to that. But they are appreciating the interest I show them and having something different to read to break the monotony. Estelle is keeping them all locked up except to shower. Through their letters, I’m getting to know these guys better, but it is a lot of effort. But then again, I spend about 20 hours a week driving there and teaching and coming home, plus the hours preparing. So I’ve got time on my hands. The saved gas pays for the postage.

Concerning the church in Corrigan, we are using Zoom to worship together, minus the Lord’s Supper and collection. We are using the free version, which means we get cut off after 40 minutes, and then resume the worship when everyone gets back. That works out well for us, a small congregation. I know the larger groups may have a hard time using this method, but I know we are all doing our best with what knowledge we have. It is not ideal to say the least, but it helps keep us close and in contact.

Three years ago I encouraged the members to read their Bibles daily using a planned Bible reading, and I would post the scriptures daily on Face Book and give a few words of summation. It is listed as “Corrigan Bible Reading,” One lady from Florida saw it and asked to join us, and said she needed prayers and didn’t have a Bible. So I sent her a Bible and am going to try and have a study over the internet with her. I’ve already talked to a preacher who lives nearby so that when and if the time comes that she wants more, I know where to turn.

I am so thankful for you brethren who support me with finances, but also support me with prayers and encouraging words. I ask, like Paul did, that you pray for me that I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. And continue praying for open doors - -more opportunities - - it’s working! My support is sufficient.

Yours in Him who saves,

Robert

Report  from  “Ricky”  William  Shanks  in  Gainesville  GA

4565  Persian  Trail;  Gainesville,  GA  30507;  Phones:  843-569-8729-Home;  843-725-9283-Cell   Dial  A  Bible Study:  770-835-4000  (Ext.  3  for  Spanish.)

February  2020

Good news  at end…The work  preparing  a studio  is  just  about  finished.  I  still  have a  lot to  learn and do electronically.  We  are going to have a  couple  of practice  test  runs  the  next  two Sunday  afternoons,  “Lord Willing.”  We will  begin our effort to share the  gospel  via  the internet  on  the  18th.  It will  focus  on Facebook  live  at  first  then  to include    other  venues. We  will  try  boosting the local  exposure here  as much  as  we can afford. This  is  to  get face to  face Bible  studies  with them,  which  is  our  goal.  It  is  scheduled to  run on Wednesdays  at 11AM.  It is  my  understanding this  is  prime time for  Facebook  viewers.  The first of the weekly  programs  will  be  March  18th.  Tune in  if  you can.  I  will  need guest to  join  me  via  their  smart phone  often.  So if  there  is  someone in your  local  flock  who  has  a  working  knowledge of God’s  word and  able  to  quickly  (less  than 3 min.)  answer  questions  with book  chapter and  verse  please let  me  know. They  will  need to   have good bandwidth  at that time.  I would love to talk  with them and we can  schedule  them  to  join  us  in  this  effort.  Look  for  “Answers From the Bible”  (there  are  more than one)  or  “Bible  Compass”  with  my  name  connected  to it.  The learning  curve has  been  very difficult for me. There are dozens  of  tasks  leading up  and after each  program. I would  much rather  be  face  to face  in  front of  someone teaching God’s  word.  Hopefully  it will  all  become routine and  easier. The desired  result  will  be  many  other personal  studies  and rejoicing in heaven.  
 

Studies  with the  newer saints  are still  going well.  We  may  have lost one  back  to the world but the rest are flourishing. We  heard from Carrie again and  her friend. We did have another  study  and they  are thinking of obeying  the gospel.  Our society  today  has  been  so influenced  by  the devil  that he  has  gotten more and  more  in  such  “a  sinful  hole”  that  it  takes  more  extreme  efforts  to turn  away  from  sin so they  can  commit  their  life to  serve  God  in  baptism.  It is  getting less  frequent  to find someone whom repentance is  easy.    I’ve  seen that pattern in  several cultures. Nevertheless, with the right  heart it can be  done.  
 

Our evangelism meeting will  be on the  27th  and 28th  at end of  this  month.  I will  be able  to  speak  about it  in  our first  2  broadcast  which hopefully  may  bring out more  to the effort.  The flock  has  been  encouraged passionately  to invite their lost friends. They  have been asked  to have a  list  of 10 whom  they  are praying  about right  now. Then  7  to 10 days  before  the meeting they  are to go in  person, face to face and ask  them if they  will  come.  For  years  now  there  has  always  been no less  than  10% to come.  We pray  that will  remain true for this  meeting as  well.  
 

The flock  overall  seems  a little  more healthy. But the  rains  keep coming  just  about every  day.  Wettest  2 months  here  in  decades.  This has  not  helped their recovery.  Luckily  no  extreme  cold  temps  to go with  it. Hopefully  I will  be able to get the rest  of the  banners  replaced before long.  

We rejoice that the  kingdom  of  God grew  by  2 being  added  by  our Lord. Del  and Valeria Santos  came  by  our  booth  last  year  at  Mule  camp. Brownie reached  out to  them  with studies  in  their  home  and over  past few  months. They  decided to die with Christ in February. With no religious  background they  are  refreshing to help them  grow  in Christ without having  to undo the religious  confusion that  many  have.  The  first light  from God reached  his  heart  when  he started reading the Bible  but did  not get  much  from it, so  he stopped  and  started writing the Bible by  hand.  He is  now  up  to  Ecclesiastes  so far.  They expressed  interest in  our efforts  at the  festival  which  led to the studies.    They  have  a long way  to grow  but so far they  seem very  steady.  We hope  there will  be  many  more.

To  God be the glory.

Ricky  Shanks