Awhile ago the Urantia Foundation contacted Pat Murnin in Portland saying that there were some guys at the Oregon State Pen in Salem who wanted to have a Urantia study group there. In order for them to meet as a group, they have to have someone from the outside agree to meet with them.

So last week Pat Murnin and I went to the prison. It's about an hour drive from Portland. You have to arrive at 5:30 p.m., and it takes about 30 minutes to go through all the gates, sign-ins, metal detector, etc. so that you don't actually get with the prisoners until around 6 p.m. It's held in the prison chapel, well, actually one of the little rooms off the side (there's a Buddhist group that hold their worship service in the actual chapel). You meet for about two hours or so, and then it takes another half hour to go through all the gates and signouts to get out of the prison. Then you have another drive home. So, total time is about 5 hours, including driving: you leave Portland around 4:30 and return around 9:30.

Pat and I hadn't known what to expect last week, but the experience was FANTASTIC! We were both so inspired and thrilled at the response of the prisoners that Pat promised them he'd be sure there was someone there twice a month, every 2nd and 4th Sunday.

There were 11 men that showed up. We were all crammed into a small room, without even enough chairs. Two of the men have been reading the book for awhile and have read it at least a couple of times. There were maybe about 4 others who had read a little of it, but the rest had never laid eyes on a Urantia Book before tonight. This guy named Conrad somehow got everyone to come. In fact, he even recruited a few men from the Buddhist service that was going on in the next room over.

They ALL seemed to be searching and sincere. They were all polite, and many of them had something to say. Everyone had a chance to read a few paragraphs and everyone seemed to be genuinely impressed by what we read (which was Paper 1, all but the last 3 pages, which we didn't get to). It was so GREAT, beautiful, true and good! It was one of the highest spiritual experiences I've had in a long time!!! It was incredible! Everyone there asked to take a book back to their cell with them, and there were JUST enough Urantia Books for that to happen -- 11 of them, some that were owned privately by a couple inmates and I assume the rest coming from the Foundation's prison program. The Foundation has agreed to ship another case of books to the prison Chaplain, so who knows but we might have 20 readers next time.

I tell you, it was such a wonderful experience to have all of these people asking their searching questions. For example, one guy asked, "Well, it seems that doing God's will and becoming like God is where it's at. So what is God like, and what is his will?" :-) Great question, huh? And of course, there we were in Paper 1, reading about just who our lovable, merciful Father-God, First Source and Center is.

If you have ever felt the urge to share the Urantia Book with others who are hungry for truth, you should JUMP at this chance! It is a THRILL of a lifetime!!! The experience of helping these hungry brothers fill their minds, hearts and souls with our God of The Urantia Book is the best! As Jesus said to Ganid, " Did we not supremely enjoy this ministry of restoring the child to his mother? So do those who lead men to God experience the supreme satisfaction of human service." (P.1465 - §5)

If you do decide that you'd like to help host this prison study group, you have to send a lot of information to Pat Murnin (503-777-3236, patmurn@spiritone.com) at least a week IN ADVANCE of the date so he can submit it to the prison chaplain, who gets you registered with the guards at the prison. They need your full name, address, birth date, social security number, and driver's license.

You can't wear blue jeans. It costs 25 cents to rent a little locker in the visitor's waiting room—bring a quarter so that you can lock up your valuables and keys. You can't have any money on you and you can't bring keys into the prison area.

Also, while you can bring stuff into the prison such as your own Urantia Book or study materials, you can't leave it there. Whatever you carry in must be carried back out. If you want to leave any study materials, books, etc. for the prisoners, it has to first go through the prison chaplain.

OUA HOME