2007 - 10 - October
THE Grapevine NEWSLETTER > October 2007
Matthew 25 Ministries, Inc.:
A Ministry of Prison After-care
P.O. Box 5690, Lake Worth, FL. 33466 (561) 432-9072
Dick Witherow, Maggie Witherow dick@matthew25ministries.org
Visit us on the web: www.matthew25ministries.org
___________________________________________
WE’RE CLOSE
It looks like we will be able to get the $900,000 loan we need to purchase our Mobile Home Park. We have two thirds of the $300,000 we need for the down payment. 
But, close only works with horseshoes, hand grenades, and atom bombs! So, we are looking to the Lord to work a miracle. We need to close on this property on Oct. 26th. In our giving, we have been sowing seed for many years, and now we are expecting to reap a harvest.
THE EPIDEMIC OF ADDICTIONS AND ALCOHOLISM
( excerpts from an article by Roni Lacuesta www.canaaninternational.org )
“The epidemic of drug addiction and alcoholism has been rising exponentially and in a matter of time there would not be one person in the world who would not be affected by this plague directly or indirectly. Our way of life, economy, education, family structure, international relations and culture in some form or other has been influenced by the commerce of drugs and alcohol It is almost as if a cancer is eating away into the moral fiber of our society. Denial is the main attitude that keeps addiction going strong and unfortunately for our society, it is also what keeps us in the dark about this problem. In the United States our prisons are filled with men and women incarcerated for drug and alcohol related crimes. Many youth offenders are in jails or prisons right now for crimes as a result of addiction or drunkenness. Sadly the movies and television portray “coolness” with orgies, drunkenness or stoned students that cannot even keep an average passing grade. Being in college is now synonymous with drunken orgies all over the globe thanks to “Wild On” and other TV programs that consent to these kinds of behavior. A 2005 survey by the US Department of Health and Human Services reported that 51.8 percent of American’s ages 12 or older are current alcohol drinkers. Among them between the ages of 18 to 22 years old, college students drinking alcohol was reported at 19.5 percent higher than those who were not enrolled in college.
Are we creating a generation of drug addicts and alcoholics? What will the future look like if we keep continuing at this rate. Healthy families will produce healthy children and healthy children will grow up to produce healthy families. The problem right now is that nearly half of American families are or will end up in divorce and 27 percent of family households are single parent homes.
Belief in God and absolute family values contribute in a big way to healthy development of the next generation of our society. The church can play a crucial part in eradicating drug and alcohol addiction throughout the world. The only group of people that can do community well would be the church.”
CHRISTMAS CAROLING
Those who would like to join us as we go caroling in several prisons and a nursing home on December 14th need to let us know now. We will make arrangements for them to obtain clearance to enter the prison facilities. Contact Dick at (561) 432-9072 for details.
THE STRANGER
A few years after I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small Texas town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around from then on. As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. Mom taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey. But the stranger…he was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies. He took my family to the first major league ball game. He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn’t seem to mind. Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home… Not from us, our friends or any visitors. Our longtime visitor, however, got away with four-letter words that burned my ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush. My Dad didn’t permit the liberal use of alcohol. I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced strongly by the stranger.
Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked… And NEVER asked to leave. More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family. He has blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you could walk into my parents’ den today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures. His name?…..We just call him, “TV.” P. S. He has a wife now….We call her “Computer.”
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
Oct. 2nd - Chapel Service Martin. C. I.
Oct. 14th - Chapel Service Glades C.I.
Oct. 14th - Chapel Service Okeec. C. I.
Oct. 26th –28th Prison Reentry Convention Minneapolis, MN
Monday’s – Alcoholics Victorious Meeting Glades C. I. *
Tuesday’s – Bible Study Okeec. C.I.*
Tuesday’s - Anger Management, Okeechobee Jail.
Wednesday’s Sexual Purity Glades C.I.*
Thursday’s - Woman’s Work Release. *
Thursday’s - Kairos Broward C.I.
* These programs are conducted by volunteers