PEN PALS
"My dad was a warden in the Florida Department of Corrections prison systems for many years. He always stressed to me the importance of Christian ministries In the lives of prisoners and the well being of the facilities. He saw first hand what a difference it made.
I was thrilled to make a difference in this way, right from home. However, I never expected Sara, my pen pal, to make such an impact in my life. She has become one of my greatest prayer warriors. We share our struggles about our kids and rejoice together when a pray has been answered. I’m constantly encouraged by her because of the way she’s chosen to live out her sentence. She is positive and upbeat but is real with me when she’s down. She is hilarious and keeps me laughing with her funny stories about prison life.
To be honest, I hope I’m as much of a blessing to Sara as she is to me. She’s one of my heroes."
- Karen
With a dad who worked as a prison warden, Karen grew up hearing of the difference faith based efforts make for those in prison- the wardens, workers and inmates. She is shining her light through her prayers and emails sent to her incarcerated friend, Sara.
Pen pals are the backbone of this ministry.
There are currently over 50 pen pals but with thousands of women incarcerated many more are needed.
Especially for those serving long or life sentences, being in touch with the outside world is crucial. Those serving lesser sentences feel hope and begin to feel more equipped to thrive once released knowing they have a friend on the outside.
Many of the women in jail and prison do not have someone writing to them sharing Scripture, words of encouragement and prayer to bring them hope during their time of incarceration. This is truly virtual discipleship.