THE PEN PAL MINISTRY

What are your spiritual gifts?

Encouragement?

Mentoring?

A love to share God’s word, and what he’s done in your life?

Do you love to write? Have you thought about serving but haven’t yet found where God could use your gifts he’s blessed you with?

After reading, The Purpose Drive Life, by Rick Warren, then watching the movie, The Passion of the Christ, my heart was screaming to find my purpose in life. I knew without a doubt that purpose would be to serve God…but where?

A mother of four, and not a whole lot of money, and a husband with a fireman’s schedule, I searched for a place to serve the Lord. To save you the long version, God lead me to the Prison Pen Pal Ministry.

Write letters to those incarcerated from my home, on my own time…now that I could do! Serving through letters allows me to work around my husband’s schedule, and taking care of the kids, and my home.

Through getting involved with serving, I’ve also had the privilege of going to Louisiana (Angola) State Penitentiary in, Angola Louisiana. There I stayed for eight days, and when I left the prison gates, my heart was heavy. I had met so many great men of God, there and didn’t want to leave. The Lord is doing some amazing things in Angola.

I’ve also been blessed to go into Cook Count Jail, a couple of times. The men that are serving there on the jail team are joyfully doing the work of God. You can’t go there without being moved by Gods’ love.

The serving didn’t stop there. I’ve also been blessed to go into Warrenville, on more then one occasion. God just keeps tugging at my heart. The volunteers that are serving there are so giving. I have no doubt that he Lord is smiling down on them.

Whether you are currently serving or not, if you feel a call to serve our wonderful Lord through the Prison Pen Pal Ministry, you can sign up through the Willow Creek Community Church website, or directly through, Christian Pen Pals. You find both lines on the Prison and Jail Illinois blog at, http://prisonjailministry-illinois.blogspot.com/.

Who knows what incredible journey God will take you on? If there was only one thing I was allowed to say about the prison and jail ministry, it would be that I have truly been blessed by those I’ve been allowed to serve, and those I’ve serve with, more then I could ever have dreamed possible.

The Lord is amazing!