Things sure have changed since last year! We want God to bless you and yours and in the coming year. We are planning a big year in 2016. We are proud to say that once again this ministry is financially in the black, and that is all because of you. We are happy to say that the government has made nonprofit organizations tax deductible. A reminder too that your donations, no matter how large or small, are tax deductible.

It is also hard to believe that I will soon be 83. Satan has tried hard to slow us down with various health problems. My blood sugar spiked to 1143 but I did not have a stroke. My eyes have gotten worse so I have quit driving, but that is where my family steps up to help. I am thankful for them.

I wish to explain a bit about the Pen Friend Program. For inmates all over the United States this is risk free. The inmates send us letters asking for an application and a letter of introduction. We hear from free folks from all over the world wanting to get involved with this ministry. We send the letters to you and God takes over. These folks are in prison for a crime they committed, and some are looking for a mate. This is not a part of our outreach and we do not get involved with that. We ask you to visit our website, SomeoneCares.org. You can visit our archived newsletters and get more information and insight. You also can make donations there. We use Pay Pal and your donation goes straight to the bank.

My name is Jim Jamison and I need you to know you saved my life. I grew up in a middle class household. In my teens I was lost in computer games and all the trouble that you can get into on the computer. This led to drugs. My straight �A� grade average dropped to a �D�. My hanging out with the wrong people got me 30 years in this hell hole. I was not street wise and prison was terrible. I was raped and stabbed more than once. I met you 20 years ago when I only had a year in. Then soon you and your wife led me to Jesus. I regained my self respect. I got into school and planned my life. I was paroled 11 years early. Now I am married and we go to church and do a drug program at a youth prison. I tried hard to find you again. My pastor said to look on the computer. I pray to see you both soon.
God Bless

Around the holidays I tend to get a little worked up or emotional about people and the letters I read from inmates going to a family member. I don�t understand how someone can look down on another for a mistake made years ago, and in some cases a misunderstanding. People are in prison for a crime he or she didn�t commit. I see it all the time where inmates will write to their family and the family either doesn�t respond or has a few choice words for the inmate and they don�t hold back. I just read a letter from an inmate that was asking for a pen friend. He is in prison for murder. He tried writing his mother and her only words on the paper sent back to him were, �You are dead to me.� I can only imagine the feeling that guy got in his chest when he read that. As most of you know my father is in prison. He will be getting out this next year. I am so excited to finally have a relationship with my father. Yes - I am a little nervous about him coming to stay with me because we don�t really know one another. Yes - we have visited for years, hours upon hours talking. But what good does that do to our relationship when he gets out? How will we get along being around each other? My point is no matter what my father has done in the past, I along with the rest of my family am willing to give him a chance. Just because someone has lived a life of sin doesn�t mean they should be punished when they try to come clean. There is a phrase my dad wrote when I was about 11 years old and it says, �The heart of a father is that of his sons, though miles apart their hearts beat as one.� That has stuck with me the entire time we have been apart and I feel everyone deserves a 2nd chance. In the Bible it reads �Think of the prisoner as if you were chained with him.� I feel that has a meaning to it.

Several members of my church approached me about your Pen Friend program. I did not think they should join. They went ahead and the results have been amazing. I was reminded to read all of Matthew 25. When I called Don he reminded me of Hebrews, �Remember the convict as if chained to him or her.� I then asked all to take a look. Don told me this ministry is not for everyone but my wife and I have joined as well. I will also bring it up the next time we meet with the other pastors.
His name withheld.

One of our Christian pen friends has sent me a letter of how her inmate has been blessed by her letters. Here�s a few things he has said.

8/5- I have a lot more questions I want to ask you about God. I hope you don�t mind. I want to become confident in my Christian walk, living a victorious life in Christ. I never would have looked at it the way you do. God had the first cordless phone, and it�s prayer. I like that a lot.

8/17- I can�t say you changed my life and the way I was thinking, but you made my life a lot better when you came into it. Then you made it great when you put God into it. So I want to say thank you for taking the time out of your life to show me a better way to live.

I wanted to share this with you because we never know how much we can help someone and change lives until we reach out! Everyone have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Blessed be to all.

Many years ago I was asked by the warden to deliver a death notice to a very hard core inmate. I went to his cell and told him his brother was killed in a drive by shooting. He did not shed a tear. We talked a bit but the years in prison had turned him to ice. A month later the same inmate and the same message again. This time I took him out to a special area and we talked. In and out of prison for years - no letters - no visits. I made it a point to visit him, and we got him a Pen Friend who would understand him. I contacted a friend who lived near him who visited his family. This is what Jesus asked us to do and HE would provide. This inmate has since gotten a high school diploma and an early release. Still today he keeps us posted. Without this ministry he, like thousands of others, would have gone back to prison unchanged. To God give the glory!

I came to prison fifteen years ago and deserve every second spent here. About five years ago I listened to VOP on the radio, and you and your wife and Ministry were featured. My grandmother took me to church when I was young but when I left home I left that. I wrote you guys and received a pen friend and a Bible Study. The couple seemed very nice and very caring. It did not take long for me to see my only way to stay out of prison was to change. Could I? I spent hours in God�s word and kept growing in Him.

My pen friend helped me every step of the way and the one time I got out of line you guys stepped in. I will be paroled soon. As for my future, thanks to Someone Cares and my friends and of course Jesus, I�m sure I�ll be free indeed.

Thanks, Manuel.
P.S. I would like to get involved with your Ministry.

Several years ago I was driving home and listened to you on VOP. I was touched and called you. Soon after I received a packet with two inmates. I chatted with my Pastor, but he said not to join. I asked my husband and he said, if God called you. Both my husband and I have written about twenty inmates with our kids drawing pictures. This also made us dig into God�s word to deal with questions. Those who may read this, this ministry is great and makes us do what God asked us to. If more pastors would write an inmate and then promote this program Jesus would be here sooner.
Sandy, John and kids

You asked us to try to get folks to write inmates. I asked my pastors if I could make an appeal, but they said no. So we asked a few friends and they joined us. We have written about thirty inmates with only a couple of problems which you took care of. We do see why it is difficult. My daughter and I sit at our kitchen table and write. We cut out interesting things from the paper and magazines and are having a ball. Thanks for arranging for someone to visit one of our pen friends.
Rusty, Janet and Bob

I am a Pastor and think this program is really neat. We got ourselves and our small church involved. We have a Vesper service and we read and discuss our pen friends letters, help each other with Bible questions and pray a lot. Of the twenty-seven inmates we have written, eleven have been released. Of those, seven still write and two have visited our church. I stressed the danger of writing inmates, but your safety rules made it so we have never had a problem. Pastors, did Jesus not say, �I was in prison and YOU visited me not.�
Mark and friends