LOVE

January 1, 2008

Dear Friends,
It has been a very good year for our microscopic little church. God has blessed us richly. Please continue your prayers for us.

In February, the Lord opened a door for service for us at the local county jail. Every Tuesday evening we go to have worship service with men waiting trial for serious felonies. An average of 17 men attend each week, but because of the frequent turnover as men go to trial and more are arrested we have had 152 different men in our services. We have seen many saved and rededicated by the power of the Holy Spirit. Please pray that many more will be saved.

We soon realized that worship alone was not sufficient ministry for these men. Discipleship training was needed beyond evangelism. We started writing and sending them Bible lessons by mail. I write the lessons and Trisha illustrates them. We send a Bible with the first lesson. When the men respond, in addition to grading their work, we write each one a personal note and prayer. We have sent about 250 Bibles with first lessons. About 75 men have responded by completing at least one lesson. We have mailed out about 500 lessons beyond the first lesson to these 75 men. About 40 are still active in taking lessons as of this month. To the men who complete at least 10 lessons we send a Bible Dictionary. We have mailed 15 Bible dictionaries. To the men who attend at least 10 worship services we send an inspirational or devotional Christian book. We have mailed 34 of these kind of books. Please pray that these men will continue to grow in Christian maturity.

However, all these students are not in the local jail. As some of the men go to trial, and are sent to other prisons, our Bible courses have reached into the state prison system. These students recruit other students. We have never met more than half of our students. We have one Bible student in an Oklahoma prison. Please join us in praying for an open door that the Bible lessons may reach the female prisoner population as well.

Our ministry at the behavioral health hospital has continued. In addition to units for rehabilitation from substance abuse and various mental difficulties, the hospital also has a hospice wing. We go every Sunday morning and have worship service with patients, staff, and visitors in the hospital chapel. After the chapel service we go to a ward where the patients are locked in and have another service in their break room. This year, we have given about 175 Bibles to patients in this ward. Please pray that God use our ministry there for his glory.

We support through prayer and financial giving five foreign missionary teams, and two local ministries. This year we sent a total of about $3,000 to help in their work for God's kingdom. Please pray that this money will bear much spiritual fruit.

In September, we were joined by a local minister, Mark Lang. He is helping us in the jail. Please pray for more Christian people to help us in God's work.

God Bless You,

Thor

January 19, 2007

Dear Friends & Family,
We covet your prayers. The Lord has opened doors of effective ministry for us at a local mental hospital. We go every week and have worship services with the patients, staff, and visitors. He has also opened up the jail ministry so that we can go weekly instead of just monthly, as we were before. All of these meetings are well attended and are making a Godly impact on lives. Satan is angry and is attacking in every way he can.

Some specific prayer needs:

God's will for our church
Spiritual protection from Satanic attack
Our hospital ministry
Our jail ministry
Physical protection in general and specifically
when we go to the mental lock-up ward and jail
Thor Carden's sermon preparation and delivery
The music ministry of Trish Carden and Judy Dodd
Personal holiness and health for all our ministers and members
A Christ centered marriage for Thor & Trish
Our Greek and Hebrew classes
More people to help with our ministries

Enclosed are some prayer reminder cards, some prayer commitment cards, and a self-addressed envelope. We are asking that each person who is willing complete a commitment card and return it to us so that we might be encouraged.

God bless you,

Thor & Trish