Mail Time

“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.” 1 John 1:2-3, NIV.

Roy and Doris Burson enjoy getting their mail. The Bursons are part of the Associate program with the International Mission Board and are involved in prison ministry in Thailand. Many letters come from prisoners who are participating in the Bible correspondence courses that Doris coordinates. Other letters come from all over the world from released prisoners who have returned to their homelands.

“When you work in a prison setting,” said Roy, “you often wonder if the decisions that people make are real. Those letters we get from released prisoners that talk about their faith or the church they attend are a special encouragement. It lets us know that at least some of the decisions stick.”

One letter really made the Bursons appreciate the cost of being a follower of Jesus for some of the people with whom they share the gospel. The body of the letter simply read, “My father has 3 wives, and I have 30 brothers and sisters. They have written and told me that when I get out of prison they are going to kill me. I have to go home and tell them about Jesus because what God has put in my heart is worth more than my life.”

“Letters like that sort of put things in perspective,” said Roy.

Pray that:

Many prisoners in Thailand will hear the gospel and be set free in Christ.

Southern Baptists will appreciate the sacrifices that many make to follow Jesus and will be even more committed to pray, give and go so that all may hear the gospel.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.