Praise God for His Wonderful Works!

We want to share with you all some of the INMATES’ letters and cards of art we have received thanking us for a Christmas card from folks in this ministry.

Greetings Jesse & Beth in the name of Jesus Christ,

When I received your card I rejoiced because your card was a reminder from God that I am not at all forgotten and that Jesus is the reason for the season when people like you will reach out to a stranger like me.  May our God bless you for your thoughtfulness AMEN.

I read Luke 2 which is my favorite account of the birth of Jesus.  Thank you for also sharing God’s word with me.  You all feed my soul.  Smile.

I’m not sure if you all wish to continue to correspond with me. If you do I welcome your future correspondence.  I would love to fellowship with you all in Christ and get to know you if that will be okay?

Maybe the God in whom we serve bless and keep you both and enrich you spiritual lives for the glory and purposes.  AMEN

Your bondservant in Christ Jesus,

Brother Schofield

Dear Jesse, Beth, Christopher and the CPP Staff,

     Thanks for the card.  MERRY CHRISTMAS!  Believe it or not the sheet you guys included with the card helped me a great deal.  I’m struggling in Bible College here at the prison.  I was trying to figure out what to write for this one paper I was doing.  Those notes gave me an idea and it turned out ok.  I was thinking maybe I should drop the course because I’m sorta new at all this.  But I got your card and it gave me strength.  It’s cool how things work out like that.

     I figured you guys thought I was just another inmate trying to get a hand out or something.  Thanks for taking the time to care.  If you ever want to write back, I’ll be sure to answer.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

John Zook, VA

Dear CPP Friends,                                                                      December 20, 2011

                           Greetings!! I pray this short note finds you in the best of health, mentally, emotionally, physically and most certainly spiritually!

     I want you to know I received your beautiful Christmas card!  It put a much needed smile J on my face!  Thank you for your time and consideration!  You’re a true blessing!

     I pray this Christmas is filled with love, joy, peace, happiness and with the good Lord’s blessings for you!  Know, on Christmas morning I will be down on my knees lifting you up in prayer!  Stay safe, stay positive and always remain true to Christ, fellow believers and yourself!  May God richly bless you abundantly!  Take care for I care!

        “Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!”

In Christ’s Love, James A McCarter

Wishing You God’s Love at Christmas and Always

To: Kimberly, Jesse & Beth, and Christopher.

 God speaks in every church bell’s chime,

In carols sung at Christmas time,

In snowflakes whispering through the air,

In winter winds, in silent prayer…

In sounds of Christmas may you

Hear God’s loving voice and know He’s near.

 Wishing You a Blessed Christmas Season

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year   from Tim Hannah

Dear Michelle, Jesse & Beth-Christopher and all Christian Pen Pal staff and supporters,

I would like to thank you so very much for your timely and well received Christmas card.  Boy did that little card lift my spirits this Christmas season.  2 years ago on the day I received your card I was given news that my Mother had passed away.  I was devastated.  On the day your card arrived I was walking around sad and feeling sorry for myself.  Your card said, “May God’s peace  refresh your heart and soul!”  It did!

Then you quoted John 14:27

“I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give is a gift that the world cannot give.  So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

A friend of mine told me “God never shows up when you expect him too BUT HE is always on time!

Know this year tireless efforts to comfort incarcerated souls are not in vain.

God bless you all, Keith Washington

Hello Patrick & Diana,

How are you doing today?  I pray that this letter finds you guys doing well & in the best of health, mentally & physically.

As for myself, I am doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances that I am under, but I am very thankful to the both of you for the Christmas Card that you sent and it was extra special because it is the only Christmas that I received.  So thank you very much.

I know that you guys probably don’t have any idea of what it’s like being in prison and though it’s not time being well spent, we can still spent it wisely. But the absolutely worse time to be here is during the holidays and though we are surrounded by many they are not even there, because our thoughts are being with family and friends for those of us who have them and the memories of them of those of us who don’t. 

But any time we receive a message from the outside whether it’s a letter or a card, that’s a sign of hope for us that somebody cares enough to write, and that in itself is enough to hold on to.

And for me to receive mine from people I don’t even know, is truly a blessing for me and a sign of hope that this coming year could have reserved for me.  So I would like to inquire whether you guys are part of my new Christian Family or was I just a passing thought?  And whatever you decide I want you to know that I really do appreciate what you did do. I hope that you had a Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year.

Love, Malcome

Dear Christian Pen Pals,

I just wanted to write a short note to thank you so very much from the depths of my being for the Christmas card.  It really meant a lot to me.  You could never imagine how much.  It is hard to live a Christian life in my environment so a little encouragement goes a long way.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to remind you that I am still very much interested in a Christian Pen Pal.  Again, that Christian Fellowship and encouragement goes a long way in this environment.  When one becomes available of course.

In closing I would like to say again, how much the Christmas card meant to me.  Thank you and you are always in my prayers.  May God our Heavenly Father continue to bless you and your family, and your ministry.

In Christ, Scott L. Messer 729468

A Poem: To Jenell & Leo

I sent a prayer to the Lord up above

And he responded in kind and sent me some LOVE

A brief moment of paper and pen

Had brought my loneliness to an end,

Yes two strangers took a moment to share

Two stranger took the time to care

And there’s nothing in this world that can replace

The smile their kindness put on my face.

Funny how the simplest of things in life

Can ease the pain and erase the strife

The basic things which I had lost touch

Are now the things that mean so much

I wonder when my tear drop had hit the ground

If where they were it made a sound

For a little bit of sunshine was brought my way

With the gentle words they had to say

So grateful am I to the Lord up above

For the two strangers who sent me some LOVE.

Love, James

Dear Jesse, Beth and all of the CPP staff of volunteers,

Thank you from the depths of my heart for being so thoughtful and considerate!  Your Christmas card arrived at my cell on my birthday.  It brought joy and happiness to my spirit.

May God continue to spread his love through each of you, to all of the lonely people throughout the world.  I pray that his mercy, grace and blessings will abound in each of your lives this holiday season and throughout eternity. 

Words cannot begin to express my gratitude.

Thanks again, Hannibell

Dear Diane, Jesse, Beth, Christopher & all the CPP staff,                  1-1-12

Sorry I wasn’t able to respond sooner to the nice card you sent.  Thank you for thinking of me.  This can be such a lonely time of year.  Especially when you are separated from family or loved ones.  That has become the norm for me unfortunately. 

That is why your card was so special.  I wasn’t expecting any mail at all J  so thank you from my heart!  I have been in prison over 31 years now, so I had just come to expect that this would have been another holiday season just like all the rest.  Lonely and boring.  At one time I could at least look forward to some better food on my tray & a bag of nuts & hard candy.  But now that is all gone & over with.  I see someone is following Hebrews 13:3, John 13:34-35.

Once again, thank you all for caring.  I hope the Lord is looking after & blessing you all.  Take care.

Sincerely Christian,

Noel Faith #C31222

Dear Ms. Nancy Cutler,

I thank God for your concern.  Thank you very much for the Christmas card.  It made my Christmas more special…  I don’t have any family…  God blessed me to receive a beautiful concerned thought from you Ms. Nancy Cutler.  That’s the first mail I received since I’ve been incarcerated.  Thank  you very, very much… Ms Nancy Cutler if you would please write to me and talk to me about the man they call Jesus I would surely like to learn more about him.  I need someone to write me and I write them back…  I would like to hear from the free-world…  everybody mostly here received mail from the outside…  I am about to come home, well back out into society… I would like to be full of Jesus’ spirit.  I hope I said that right?  Right now I am taking this computer class.  I am preparing myself for the free world.  I would like to become a good Christian.  Ms. Nancy Cutler if you please help with the knowledge of a Christian I would very much appreciate it.  If you write me back I’ll tell you a lot more about myself.  Well Ms. Nancy Cutler thank you so kindly for the Christmas card.  I pray that you and your family have a blessed New years.  I am sorry about my handwriting.  Nobody has ever sent me a card of any kind.  So I am very nervous about writing and saying the right thing.  I need a pen pal to correspond with me.  I don’t have any family so I just need some member of society to write me and I write them.  May God the Lord Jesus Christ bless you Ms. Nancy Cutler…

 Happy New Years,

 PS I will write anyone back that will write me.  I just need a friend.  Thank you J

 PS Write back soon, thank you for the beautiful card. 

 Bye now

Yours truly Aaron! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! May God richly bless & prosper you in 2012

Love in Christ, Jesse & Beth

The shepherds heard the angels’ announcement and followed the star – “Dreaming, hoping, Wishing” Until they saw the Christ child. But then they left Believing, rejoicing, and Praising God.

May  God’s greatest GIFT be just as real to you.

We have had a wonderful year, blessed in 2011 through your faithful works to serve Jesus through this outreach to prisoners. Please keep praying God of the harvest to send more laborers into the field, to join with us in the CPP writing ministry.

Thanks to all who mailed the cards out this year, together we sent over 2600 and greatly surpassed the goal!!

Thanks also to Peggy, Delaney, and Elisa for typing up address lists for the volunteers!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! May God richly bless & prosper you in 2012

Love in Christ, Jesse & Beth