An Ongoing Drought

In my eleven years of ministering at the Winnipeg Remand Centre (WRC), I have experienced a vast change in the profile of residents—not in terms of their charges but in terms of their personal and communal foundations. The great majority, especially those in their twenties, seem not to have had any upbringing in the Scriptures and seem not to have lived within a religious tradition/community.
While this lack of scriptural knowledge might indicate no need for the Bible, it is quite the contrary! I firmly believe that the increase in requests for Bibles over the last decade is due to an ongoing drought and pain felt within the hearts of inmates, where God’s Word has been written—in its entirety! People who have no history of faith, scripture and religious community are responding to their hearts!
WRC was built in 1992 to hold a maximum of 275 residents; last week we were 400. We’ve gone through a lot of Bibles from LifeLight Ministries, as well as Bibles from other wells. We certainly need a well that keeps providing Scriptures!
I am grateful for the generosity of LifeLight donors who give so unselfishly so that many have the opportunity, often for the first time, to read and hear God’s Word.
Joseph Lintz, Chaplain