Dear Friends in Christ!

     The Fellowship of St. Silas is a growing ministry. Through your help we have sent out 370 letters to prisoners all over the United States every week. Sometimes there is more, sometimes less. If you think about it, that is $152.00, per week, just in stamps. You don’t know how just having a letter every week helps our ‘flock.’ Here is an example:

"Each day I try to find more reasons for hope and new purpose for living. It’s a rough road to travel some days, but God’s love and support, always finds ways of seeing me through to the end. As I grow, new opportunities sprout forth for me to share of myself. I know God is watching over me just as He watches over the sparrow." (Paul in Texas)

And another letter from Benjamin in Texas:

"I would like to thank you again for your letters of encouragement throughout the years. Just now, I realized that it has been about six years now that I have been receiving your letters and the ‘Go Forth’ (a compiling of stories about Saints). Thank you for sharing so much of yourself and your family’s experiences in the Lord. There is much to be learned in each day. . .if we would just "open our eyes."

     As you know we also send icon cards and books to prisoners and prison libraries, free of charge. It is exciting to receive a letter from a prison, seeking some Orthodox Christian materials, because they have inmates who are seeking the faith and are hungry for guidance and reading materials. Most of the chaplains that send a request for materials are not aware of the Orthodox Christian faith, but they are willing to stock their libraries with Orthodox Christian materials. The Lord is merciful.

     I know, with your help, God will continue this ministry. We do not get any other funding, only from you, our friends and family who are faithful to this ministry. We thank you. Please continue to pray for prisoners and for their salvation.

In Christ love I write,

Fr. David