ARM Prison Outreach International

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For more information, check out our web sites:

www.arm.org

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www.daughtersofruth.org

Want an ARM multimedia presentation in your church?

As Development Director, I'm visiting a lot of churches in the Midwest! We have a video/PowerPoint presentation that will inform, encourage, and promote evangelism in your church.

If you would like an ARM presentation for your whole church-- or a group within it-- please inquire by reply or call 573-729-6355. We are now scheduling 2008. Thanks again for all your prayers, support, and encouragement!

-- Rod

Need materials?

To contact our Joplin office about receiving supplies and resources, please email info@arm.org, call 1-800-CALL-ARM, or write to PO Box 1490, Joplin, MO 64802.

Want to help?

To contact ARM about aiding in the funding of supplies and resources, please email rodfar@arm.org, call 1-573-729-6355, or write to Rt. 5 Box 159, Salem, MO 65560.

* ARM Prison Outreach International *
Branch Ministry Report July 2008

ARM'S BRANCH MINISTRIES

For a larger version, click here.

These summaries from the leaders of ARM's foreign branch ministries are intended to inform and encourage the reader as well as stimulate prayer. Note the "Quick Link" menu at top left; it will aid in navigating DIRECTLY to the article(s) you choose. Feel free to be a selective reader; should you have interest in only one or two of these reports, you can easily select those reports from the "Quick Link" menu.

In His Service,
Rod Farthing, National Development Director

ARM's Branch Ministry in Thailand Daughters of Ruth Home/ Prison Ministry

ARM's Minister in Thailand is Boonlerd Chompukeeree

An Update from Boonlerd Chompukeeree

REPORT FOR JULY 2008

The cost of gas is increasing, so it has caused the other costs to rise a lot. We have decided to grow rice paddy on our own so we can reduce the rice expenses for the girls. We are preparing the rice sprout and the soil for growing paddy. So we are going to plant it next month.

There are some prisoners asked us for Laotian, Hmong, and Thai Bible. They also want the Bible lesson for learning Bible story. So we are providing for them. We have helped an ex-prisoner to mediate at the court . She gained lots of mercy from the creditor. She has to pay the damages back to the creditor in installment or until the land which was insured her swindle case will be sold. So she can pay the creditor then. Anyway there are many other cases that wait for settlement. Could you please pray for her? Thank you very much.

God bless you. Boonlerd Chompukeeree

===============================

A Summary and an Update from Joe Garman

The DAUGHTERS OF RUTH range in age from 8 to 18. They suffer from abuse, distrust, embarrassment, fear and shame. They do not have family or friends to support them and no clue how to start over. They come to us from a life of corruption and exploitation, yet it is amazing to see the transformation Christ makes in their hearts and minds when they become Christians. Thank you for faithfully including them in your mission outreach.

The progress our girls have made speaks volumes about what could be accomplished if we had more room. At present, we have 21 girls with 27 waiting to get into our program. The director of juvenile prisons for northern Thailand is willing to release more girls and transfer them to us providing we have capacity to care for them. When I was in Chiang Mai last month the staff and I discussed what someday, by the grace of God, will be.

We have one acre of land in a beautiful location, close to the primary and secondary schools. We have $18,000 in our building fund … not much but a good start. We have been told it will cost approximately $135,000 to build a dormitory for 50 girls. So at this time we lack only $117,000. All we need is to find 117 Christians or churches willing to donate $1,000 to turn this dream into a reality. We are the only mission of our kind in all of Thailand.

Their rooms are crowded (they currently live in a three-story townhouse), but the girls are grateful to be here. In this secure environment they are afforded every opportunity to become emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually adjusted so they can return to society. After they leave our home, our staff and volunteers follow up on them. The girls want to step out of the curse and into the blessing. Our mission is to teach them how to do that.

The girls who come to us lack resources, self-esteem and the skills to end their vicious life cycle, but at the DAUGHTERS OF RUTH home, bricks of character, integrity and maturity are laid one by one. Like Ruth, they are living under a curse, but not one that God has placed on them. Thank you for helping us reach out to these Christian women of tomorrow! Jesus said, "Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to Me."

Serving together, Joe R. Garman, Evangelist
1 Peter 5:6-7

Note from Rod: We still need funds to build our first dorm for the Daughters of Ruth.

Gifts may be sent to

ARM/DOR -- Rt. 5 Box 159 -- Salem, MO 65560

RAPHA HOUSE NEWS

Here is Dear Sourm's latest report: ARM's Rapha House is supporting 54 girls at the center and 16 girls at the Half-way Home for reintegration. Total is 70 girls at the center and the Half-way home.

There are 2 girls referred from IOM Thailand to ARM this month. Many visitors came to visit RH. This report included the trip of Kerry Decker 9th to 16th July. During his visit, he had conducted training on Healing for Wounded Heart, there are 2 girls from RHFF and 2 girls from RH attended in the course conducted by Kerry, Kerry also had leading morning devotion for staff and preaching on Sunday at the church that is blessing.

Stephanie Freed was here from July 20 to the end of July -- coordinating many activities with all visitors and many other issues such as help the wedding of Mary and Odom our staff. There were 3 people with her. Seth and his friend teach the security guards on self defense every morning, making progress on protection of the girls.

The family of Dr. Lim Heng came to visit Rapha House from 25th – 27th June 2008. During their time at Rapha House, they lead morning devotion and had team leader meeting discuses on how to improve the ministries of Rapha House we are blessed during their time with staff and the girls. A team of six from Lillar came to visit RH,leading morning devotion and bible study for the girls in the evening that is blessed.

The team leading by Jakina, there are 4 of them, they lead morning devotion, Lean leading continue education on counseling program in the morning after morning devotion and Pam leading all caregivers staff and counselors on challenging of women working with children, they all very happy and leant a lot from this course.

Team from Indian Creek Christian Church in Indianapolis came July 23 -28. During their stay they have been doing on the following activities:

* Lead in staff devotions every morning
* Lead evening devotions/activities with the girls

* Visited the reintegration program
* Participated in teaching English for the girls
* Participated in sewing class with all trainers at the center
* Participated in Hair dressing classes

* Art paining on the wall of both dormitories

There are 25 of staff and the girls from CWCC came to visit Rapha House, during their field visited the girls at RH had a chance to meet the girls from CWCC to learn from each other of skill that they have learnt will be helpful for their life at the community. Staff from CWCC also learnt from the work of RH that had been providing skill to the girls during their visited staff had good talked and learnt from each other.

There are 16 girls at Half-way Home for reintegration; all of them received training on sewing with different style. They are very happy to continue their skill training more on sewing at half-way home and learn more on small business management computer course, English course.

Editor's note: Any support for the new vehicle, the furnishing of the new building, or increase in operational support is greatly appreciated!

Gifts may be sent to

ARM/RH -- Rt. 5 Box 159 -- Salem, MO 65560

Philippines Report

I. Baptism:

* 2 at Mindawide, Davao City

* 3 at Aplaya Beach, Digos City

* 4 at Tacul, Magsaysay

* 2 at Orange grove, Davao City

II. The team delivered two units of sewing machine at General Santos City Jail as ARM donation for their livelihood projects. All the female inmates, guards and the management of city female dorm especially the warden was very happy excited.

III. The team and the volunteers conducted a feeding program at Provincial Rehabilitation Center for indigent, weak and sickly inmates.

IV. Tracts and Bible distributed:

· 7 box large print bibles

· 1 cebuano bible

· 3 packs outline sermon

· 15 packs

· 3 pcs. NIV bible

· 1 used camera

V. Gifts and Assistance received:

* 26 pcs. Used clothes from Tacul

* 17 bars laundry soap from MCFCS

* 125 packs noodles from Dr. Elfred Batalla

* 30 cans sardines from Dr. Batalla

* 25 kilo of rice from Kag. Dominic

* 20 pcs. Toothpaste, 1 dozen shampoo

* 10 pcs. Face towel from Cobrado

* 10 pcs. Laundry soap and used clothes from Cuyapon

* 10 kilo of rice from Escobar

* 1 cartoon assorted goods from Camuning

* 6 pcs. Bath soap, 12 bars laundry soap from Palomo

VI. The team encouraged and assists 7 young people from Barayong to enroll at MCFCS.

VII. The ARM gave 14 certificates of recognition to the brethren who supported the ministry.

VIII. The team, volunteers, inmates and families, guards and some brethren especially the city jail warden J/INSP Buenaventura Pedrita was very excited and happy in celebrating the ARM 5^th Anniversary Celebration at Kidapawan City Reformatory Center.

Because of Him, Ernesto O. Alocelja

Russian Report

1. IMMERSIONS. On 27.06.2008 I was specially invited to the "Grand Hotel "Polyana" (GHP), which is situated in the mountains near the villages of Esto-Sadok and Krasnaya Polyana of the Adler district of the Sochi-city, to immerse one Moscow public and political activist, who had a rest at that famous resort.

2. PRISONS. A mutiny took place in the prison camp in Chelyabinsk area on 03.06.2008. Four convicts were murdered by the guards, which event brought the all-Russia scandal. On the same day some convicts ran away from the prison camp in Chita area.

On 10.06.2008 the Federal TV channel Ren-TV gave the information, that the Russian convicts had invented a new method to inform the public opinion about torments in prison: they had begun to write down the letters with their own blood; every such a letter is a sign, that the torments are used in the prison.

A mutiny took place in the prison camp in Rostov area (400 km North from Krasnodar) on 18.06.2008. Two men were wounded.

On 26.06.2008 the convicts of the prison camp in Sverdlovsk area sewed their own mouths as the protest against torments.

Thus, the June 2008 was the month of the disturbances in Russian prisons. Krasnodar prison had no mutiny in June, but the convicts to speak with me, informed me that the situation there was also very tense.

The Ministry of Justice Penitentionary Service began this month the installation of the mobile phone jamming devices in Russian prisons to prevent the convicts communications with the outer world. This action was one of the causes of disturbances.

3.MOSLEMS. With "NIKA –ministry" (the youth one of our daughter Nike) we spread in June 5 New Testaments in Turkish among the Moslem students of the Kuban State University.

On 09.06.2008 I had a meeting with sheikh Hasan Gurji-ogly and the representatives of his religious group. They informed me about the arrests of their members and court processes. Sheikh Hasan himself thanked me eagerly for my firm public position in their case. He said: "Without Your public support I, for sure, would have already been arrested".

In Jesus our hope!

Sincerely, Nicholas E. Alyoshin DOM ARM chaplain

Mexican Report Alfredo José Aparicio, ARM associate

Dear brethren in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior,

I greet you with the love and joy our dear Lord gives us, wishing your lives are a great impact in society, as they have been an impact in our ministry.

I am so happy and encouraged in the Lord for the good harvest and work results during May. We had 62 baptisms. 89 of our students graduated from our Bible Correspondence Courses.

During May we received 2,063 new enrollments to our courses. We are so encouraged by the requests to study the Bible. Besides, we sent 5,619 other lessons, which meant an expense in postage of $4,609.00 US Dollars. I am so excited to see people from all over the world studying the Bible thought our Bible Correspondence Courses. This ministry is indeed impacting the World for Christ!

We planted a new congregation in San Marcos, Guatemala. The members are 47 of our Bible students who met to share Bible knowledge and Christian fellowship. Now, they have friends, family members, and others joining to share their ideas and Bible knowledge together. On May 11th, they all had their first Christian Gathering: The Church. The new visitors are receiving our Bible lessons and encouraged to continue attending Church and reading the Bible and learning about God. They are learning the basics of the Christian life.

I am so grateful for David Rangel, who is ministering in the Church in Cuernavaca. He and I teach and preach. We visit church members together. David is helping me a lot and he is always eager to do his best in the Kingdom of God. During the week of May 12th, we traveled together to Perote, Veracruz, Mexico. We visited our students in jail over there. Also, we visited Santa Ana, Teziutlán and other towns and places both in the states of Tlaxcala and Puebla. Most of the students we have in these places claim that they need Bibles, teachings, and economic support to visit other places and build churches where to meet. The need is great all over!

Let me share with you part of a letter we received from one of our students. "My dear friends and staff at the Bible Correspondence School, one of my friends sneaked in jail a pamphlet and a Bible and gave it to me. I am in the jail called El Altiplano, which is one jail with maximum security. I had heard about the Bible, but I had never touched one. When I started reading it, it seemed to me as if it was a novel, or a Science Fiction book. I began reading Genesis, and I am not reading Isaiah. All is so new to me, so different to any other book. Now, when I read my Bible, I consider myself being before God, and I hear what He has to tell me. I understand that the Bible reached my hand with a purpose. I am in jail because I was a bad man. I used to sell drugs, kill people, and worship Death, but now, I consider myself different already. I did not care about people, and now I feel different. This little book in size, but huge in its content has opened my eyes and it is changing me. I wish to study the course you advertise in the Bible, but I have a hard time getting mail, and most of the time the regular mail does not get to our hands. I cannot understand how was it that this Bible got to my hands, but what I do know is that it is a great blessing for me. Please pray for me and for my future life. I will finish reading the Bible, and will read it many times, as time is something I have a lot now. I do some physical exercise, but that is about all I do. I consider the Bible a marvelous book... (Yours, Nicolás Bermúdez Vázquez), El Altiplano, Almoloya, México.

Please help us pray for...

**The huge problem Mexico has with drugs and crime. All looks so uncertain and no one is safe at home or on the streets.
Provision from God to print more courses, as we are running out of them.**Equipment to continue copying our Christian Literature and Bible Materials.**Sirlene Aguilar, who is our secretary, but who had her right foot swollen and she can hardly walk. She is so active and hectic for God! She has kidney problems and some difficulties with uric acid.**Groceries are going up terribly. This has to do with oil prices going up and it affects all areas of our economy. Most people are suffering from malnutrition, especially children and mothers. All is becoming to be a chaos with high prices of food.

I am so grateful to you for all of your help,

Your servant in Christ Jesus, Alfredo José Aparicio

WE GET MAIL! Responses to ARM's "Ministers' Minute"

Dear Rod, man of our Almighty God, Thank you so much for the "Minister's Minute" because many times we use them to teach people and some times we use them for our students that we have far away in Southamerica, Cuba, or in the Mountains in Oaxaca, Chiapas, Guerrero, Puebla (Mexico). This a precious work you are doing.
Yours in Jesus, Alfredo Jose Aparicio

Thanks for this Rod, I will forward this message in sermon also to Filipino preachers. --Jaymark --ARM Philippines

Thanks Rod. This is timely most anytime. A great reminder. Just finished reading it. I appreciate your thoughts and you used some great examples from scripture. Hope you have a pleasant week. BW in CA

Baptistry Report

ARM sent 7 baptistries to prisons in May/June 2008
Adobe Mountain Juvenile Inst. -- Phoenix, AZ 85027
Butler Correctional Facility -- Red Creek, NY 13143
Federal Corr Complex- CI -- Petersburg, Hopewell VA 23860
Green Rock Correctonal Center -- Chatham, VA 24531
Lee Adjustment Center -- Beattyville, NY 41311
Pocahontas State Correctional Ctr. -- Pocahontas, VA 24635
TDCJ/CMS-Ft. Stockton Unit -- Ft. Stockton, TX 79735 ARM sent 2 baptistries to the mission field in May/June 2008 Two Baptistries sent to Pakistan ARM sent 1 baptistry to the military in May/June 2008 L 1-13th Infantry Regiment -- Ft. Jackson, SC 29207
Since 1973, ARM has donated 1,340 baptistries to prisons! In addition, hundreds have been shipped to military bases and mission fields!

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Schedule a Presentation?

Want an ARM multimedia presentation in your church? As Development Director, I'm visiting a lot of churches in the Midwest! We have a video/PowerPoint presentation that will inform, encourage, and promote evangelism in your church. If you would like an ARM presentation for your whole church-- or a group within it-- please inquire by reply or call 573-729-6355. We are now scheduling 2008. Thanks again for all your prayers, support, and encouragement! -- Rod

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Contact Info

Rod Farthing, ARM National Development Director rodfar@arm.org
Rt. 5 Box 159, Salem, MO 65560 573-729-6355
Check out our web sites:
www.arm.org
www.abarc.org
www.raphahouse.org www.daughtersofruth.org

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