Carl and I took time out of several weeks to search through the BTY data base here to see who has been missing. As a matter of fact, we found that we had corresponded with 248 people, who had, for some reason, stopped sending lessons back. In years past, we kept a tighter reign on this, but with our lack of ability physically, lack of finances, and lack of willing helpers, we were unable to do so for some time, thus it backed up.
Of those 248, one was an elderly woman whom we just wrote to. the 247 remaining, had to be searched in the “inmate searches”, state by state or in the Bureau of Prisons, which is federal. 93 were no longer accessible. Some were in different facilities, so a search was made of each of those facilities for their inmate mail address.
Together we loaded envelopes for each of the 154 with their last lesson sent out, a letter inviting them back, a Bits of Home Chat, two tracts, and 2 devotional pages. Because of the increase in support since our mission’s run last Fall, we were able to pay for the extra postage, paper, ink and envelopes without a problem!
If you are doing a mail-out ministry using these lessons, it is wise to check periodically to see who has fallen away, and to recontact that person in a similar way. Of course, not all will write back, but all will have more of the Word of God which does not return to Him void!
