The following excerpts are from a letter to our ministry from a female inmate who is taking our course, Firm Foundations, by correspondence:
I thoroughly enjoy the lessons you are sending me and I am grateful for what you do for us. I’d like to tell you a little about myself. I’m 30 years old and started using cocaine at the age of 10. So I’ve been an addict for most of my life. I only start my introduction with these hard facts so that you can understand my thirst for “The Word,” and my desperate need for a relationship with God. I don’t know if you, or anyone you know or love has ever struggled with addiction, but Sir, let’s just say I’ve seen hell and, at least in my mind, I’ve met the devil himself. I believe in Heaven and I’m anxious to see that for myself. I’d love to be able to catch up on the time I’ve separated myself from the people I love the most while getting high. Like my two children. My baby girl is two and my son is twelve.
Please pray that I will get released on my scheduled date to go to a drug program. I have been 100% clean since October 21st of last year. I’m very proud of myself. The option to use is very plentiful in here. But my urge to do so is gone. Please pray for my strength and determination and motivation. And please don’t give up on me. Thank you for all you do,
God Bless,
And she signs her name.
“Please don’t give up on me,” she said. There is no way I could ever do that. As long as God gives me breath I will devote my life to not giving up on this young woman or the multitude of men and women just like her who God sends our way. And what is it that we do that’s so special to them? Well, we certainly take advantage of every opportunity to present God’s wonderful good news, The Gospel. We preach and teach in live classes whenever possible and we send successive lessons from Firm Foundations, and we always answer their letters. But most of what we do is love them. We start by telling them that they haven’t been too bad to be forgiven. We share God’s love and we share our love. Sometimes it takes them a long time to finally realize that someone really does love them. Someone is showing them that they really are a worthwhile human being after all. Someone is showing them God.
Clint Webb, President New Leaf Inmate Ministries
If God moves in your heart to be a part of what we’re doing, please don’t ignore His prompting. As president of this ministry I seldom ask for financial help. And I’m not really asking now. But if broken lives breaks something in you, then you need to know that what we do costs money. Printing and postage is just part of our overhead. We are a Virginia not-for-profit organization and IRS 501c3 approved. All donations to our ministry are deductible from Federal Income Tax.