Today, i am going to write just a bit different. I want to write just little about a new lady i am corresponding with. She's new to my list and she's new to prison, most of all she's new (fairly) to death row.
She's given me permission to post about her, but i am not going to use her name/state just yet. I want her to see how and what i write first and make sure she's okay with it.
My first correspondence with her was a Christmas card this year. I had sent out 70 plus of them to DR inmates and women in penitentiaries who's names i was given to send a card. In my card, all painfully written with a hand/wrist full of arthritis, i wrote just a brief blessing and that i was an inmate advocate and was available for anyone wanting a pen pal.
Everyone in her DR cell block had written back to me but they were all leery because of a certain woman that poses as an advocate for women in prison but really preys on them for fodder for her trash books she writes and sells for $2.50. I am not interested in writing any books or profiting and that can be a lot for some of these used and abused women to wrap their heads around. It's okay, i am very patient and i shall send them all cards again soon.
However, this one woman, "the new lady", was glad to write me back and take a chance. She said she had no one that would write her back or help her in any way. Her aged mother could not do certain things for her and anyone that said they would did not follow through. I could feel her anguish and frustration so i decided i would help her anyway i could.
We have all had the experience of being new. Whether it was a new school, new job, or whatever. It's never fun being the newby. I cannot imagine what being the newby on death row must be like. No one appreciates their creature comforts and privacy like i do! To have that all suddenly gone, whether you deserve it or not......cannot be very pleasant. I do not get into the deserves or not part much. I think all human beings deserve to be treated as human beings no matter what.
I am not going to choose to think about this woman as guilty of some horrid crime. I am going to think about her as a fellow human who reaching out to another just to try to put a few of the pieces of her shattered world back in place. Can i help her with this? I dont know but i can try at least. What will it consist of? Sending a few short messages via facebook. Yes, i feel i do that. Looking up a few addresses for her that she cannot quite recall the zip codes on. yes i can do that.
After a few letters i casually bring up money. Does she have any in her commissary account? Is there anything i can send her? Does she need help with stamps? It's only fair that a person writing to someone in a prison, especially on DR where the inmates do not have paid jobs, send them a little money from time to time to help them with buying paper, pens, envelopes, and stamps. And maybe a little extra for a candy bar and a coke. A little kindness and generosity is not missed on these folks. They are grateful for 5 bucks. Try only giving your kid 5 bucks and if they are over 7 they will just stare at you like, "you better be kidding". Out of all the many inmates i write, only 1 has ever asked me upfront if i would send her money. These women are very humble. Not what i had thought they would be like at all.
My goal, as my goal with all the inmates will be to try and show as much kindness and caring as i can so that my message about the Lord will be listened to and hopefully they will want more. Hopefully this woman will see God loves her and is waiting for her with open arms.
What do i get out of it? I get nothing but pure joy for serving the Lord and that gives me everything for we are to amass our treasures in heaven and not on Earth. Easier said than done. But very possible with the Lord's help. God bless everyone that reads this and God bless everyone double that's willing to reach out to an inmate and care.
She's given me permission to post about her, but i am not going to use her name/state just yet. I want her to see how and what i write first and make sure she's okay with it.
My first correspondence with her was a Christmas card this year. I had sent out 70 plus of them to DR inmates and women in penitentiaries who's names i was given to send a card. In my card, all painfully written with a hand/wrist full of arthritis, i wrote just a brief blessing and that i was an inmate advocate and was available for anyone wanting a pen pal.
Everyone in her DR cell block had written back to me but they were all leery because of a certain woman that poses as an advocate for women in prison but really preys on them for fodder for her trash books she writes and sells for $2.50. I am not interested in writing any books or profiting and that can be a lot for some of these used and abused women to wrap their heads around. It's okay, i am very patient and i shall send them all cards again soon.
However, this one woman, "the new lady", was glad to write me back and take a chance. She said she had no one that would write her back or help her in any way. Her aged mother could not do certain things for her and anyone that said they would did not follow through. I could feel her anguish and frustration so i decided i would help her anyway i could.
We have all had the experience of being new. Whether it was a new school, new job, or whatever. It's never fun being the newby. I cannot imagine what being the newby on death row must be like. No one appreciates their creature comforts and privacy like i do! To have that all suddenly gone, whether you deserve it or not......cannot be very pleasant. I do not get into the deserves or not part much. I think all human beings deserve to be treated as human beings no matter what.
I am not going to choose to think about this woman as guilty of some horrid crime. I am going to think about her as a fellow human who reaching out to another just to try to put a few of the pieces of her shattered world back in place. Can i help her with this? I dont know but i can try at least. What will it consist of? Sending a few short messages via facebook. Yes, i feel i do that. Looking up a few addresses for her that she cannot quite recall the zip codes on. yes i can do that.
After a few letters i casually bring up money. Does she have any in her commissary account? Is there anything i can send her? Does she need help with stamps? It's only fair that a person writing to someone in a prison, especially on DR where the inmates do not have paid jobs, send them a little money from time to time to help them with buying paper, pens, envelopes, and stamps. And maybe a little extra for a candy bar and a coke. A little kindness and generosity is not missed on these folks. They are grateful for 5 bucks. Try only giving your kid 5 bucks and if they are over 7 they will just stare at you like, "you better be kidding". Out of all the many inmates i write, only 1 has ever asked me upfront if i would send her money. These women are very humble. Not what i had thought they would be like at all.
My goal, as my goal with all the inmates will be to try and show as much kindness and caring as i can so that my message about the Lord will be listened to and hopefully they will want more. Hopefully this woman will see God loves her and is waiting for her with open arms.
What do i get out of it? I get nothing but pure joy for serving the Lord and that gives me everything for we are to amass our treasures in heaven and not on Earth. Easier said than done. But very possible with the Lord's help. God bless everyone that reads this and God bless everyone double that's willing to reach out to an inmate and care.
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