He came into the garden alone, knowing what was soon coming, Jesus was alone. So are several million inmates in U.S. prisons. We have been blessed for over forty years by serving Jesus in prison. Getting folks involved is very difficult. I pray this newsletter will reach all and each join us.

We would like you to go to your computer and visit our website, www.someonecares.org. At the top of the screen are years of archived newsletters. At the bottom there is a radio icon. You can click on it and hear twenty-eight radio shows that we have recently done. After years of serving Jesus, we thank Life Talk radio.

This ministry is made up of people from all religions. This is why we say, �Do not let your doctrine be a barrier but a bridge to Jesus.� Every knee shall bow. Yvonne�s parents, Reverend Clyde and Vera Groomer were well known in our church. When I became a Christian through the effort of Elder Euell Atchley and Yvonne, two things happened. I now belonged to the family of God. I had been �one of those kind of people.� I studied day and night learning about God and tried to be accepted. Yvonne�s father and mother helped me a lot.

The bible talks a lot of prison and inmates (prisoners). I called Chaplain Read at Soledad Prison and Someone Cares was born. Hebrews 13:3. We had to go to the police academy and attend all staff meetings. Chaplain Read had asked us if we could be full time staff chaplains with no pay. I said yes. Thanks to Elder Jim Finn, Rev. D. Retzer and the personal of the GC Unit our non-profit status came through and we were paid a dollar a year.

Working with an organization called M2 we got church folks to visit inmates once a month for a year. This is another vital need. Being locked in a cell, often twenty-four hours a day, is cruel. Having someone to talk to in the visiting room with guards is neat.

Driving to and from prisons, Yvonne and I chatted about needs. There were a bunch - where to start? There were remedial reading classes using the Bible. There were �dress-outs.� Dress-outs are when an inmate is released. If he does not have street clothes, they must buy what they are wearing. We had a large garage and filled it with rows of clothes. One day driving home Yvonne showed me a bunch of string. She said an inmate did not know his sizes so he measured himself with the string. Elder Lee and Pat Grady with Adra, we got receipts from California for 100,000 inmates receiving free clothes. If you are near a prison this is a good way to help.

They need help. Here we would like to thank Mark Retzer who was a great help. We would also like to thank a local church who put on an amazing Christmas party for the young inmates, many heading for prison.

A Godly man who started off as a cop and became a Minister. I was about to destroy Yvonne and myself, but her wisdom took us to Euell�s Church. For many months Yvonne�s friends had told me what not to do. I think I already knew all that, but sin is fun, In Euell�s Church office two Miracles happened. First Euell made Yvonne sit in a corner and be quiet-Amazing.

Then in a language I understood he told me about Jesus. Not the give up this or that but the give in Jesus.

After several hours of total peace, truth, and kindness and God�s Love this atheist and exconvict went down on his knees. After prayer, during which the old me was sucked away, I rose Born Again. Two or three packs of cigarettes, and drinking about a fifth of booze and doing a lot of drugs every day - all that was gone. I was and still am high on Jesus. �To be Free in Jesus is to be Free indeed.

Now I�m a Christian and Darryl was the Pastor of my new Church. Being a grammar school drop out and a street raised youth I had not been in Church a lot. I think I set a record of being in a Pastor�s class. I devoured the Bible and many reference books of the Bible. But there was a very real problem - I just did not fit in Church. As hard as I tried It was difficult. I was invited to a lunch where the speaker was a Prison volunteer. As babe in Christ I knew at once HE led me where I needed to be. Soon and very soon I was teaching Bible at Soledad Prison. Now I knew I really did belong, to the family of God. In serving Jesus I was given a chance to repay all I had done wrong in my life.

Twice a month we did prison ministry services in different churches with a prison ministry program after. Then Dan Mathews got us into Voice Of Prophecy radio. Elder Lonnie Melachenke and Connie Jefferies did two 5-day sessions a year. Also we were featured on three A.B.M. TV and sure would like to do that again. Then there are camp meetings. At Soquel�s camp ground we had a cell set up and a booth. The cell was a perfect copy even having a toilet which a young boy used. We held programs whenever there was nothing else going on. The folks got to view videos we did in prison. We even brought several inmates to speak. There was a young girl who attended every meeting that I would love to find again. On the last day of the last camp meeting she dropped a note which Yvonne picked up.

We need to use your experiences to help others. Here is an example. We got a letter from an inmate asking for $154 worth of things. Did the Pen Friend offer to do that? Will the prison allow that much? If not sure, ask. Our writter is calling the prison and then contacting the inmate telling him what she will do. Share your experiences - good or bad.

• You wrote and got no answer. Write again. If still no answer return the inmate�s information to us and we will rematch you. I�ll take care of other.
• Inmates have next to nothing and will ask for things. Use you judgment. They know this ministry and try all kinds of things. Gangs here about us and recruit weak ones to try to get them things. That is why we have telephone expense in our budget.
• Inmates try to get you to put them online. Go to Inmates Pen Pals. You will be shocked. Do not us Pen Pal - we are Pen Friends.
• Again, if you are not sure please ask.
• We have a massive amount of sheets of old stamps to get rid of or use.
• Postage may go up.
• If you use pen name make it two names not Daffy Duck.
• If you can do nothing else pray for us as we do for you.
• Please send us an updated phone number, e-mail address and pen name.

God bless you and yours , from Yvonne and Don

The first baptism was done in a kiddy wading pool. Then we got permission and the inmates raised money for the wood. We built one. I am amazed it lasted as long as it did.

To do anything in the name of Jesus say, �I�ll be happy to.� Many have asked about my background. So many years ago when I became a Christian the last thing in my mind was to be a Pastor, much less a Prison Chaplain or operating an International Prison Ministry. I also never thought my years in the gutter and ghetto would end up being a blessing.

Writing this newsletter monthly we try to put as much information as possible to make your job easier, or to get you involved. Here are some basics we are going to touch on. You are not Someone Cares who is writing your Pen Friend. We have found that many of you do not read the instructions, or the application the inmate filled out. Postage is going up, and this will be a burden for us and the inmates.

Inside the application is a question: If we can�t send stamps how will you respond? Paper Sunshine is what your letter should be, not all the problems of the world. They have enough. If they ask for money or anything and you can�t afford it, say so. You can go to a Church where you feel comfortable, or you may choose not to go. They do not have any choice but the Chaplain and volunteers. Jesus is the Church they need. But if they belong to a Church different from yours, ask about it and pray they ask about yours.

There is a new breed of inmate. With so many people losing jobs and homes and everything many turn to crime. Prison is not a place for just anyone, especially without street knowledge. The vultures in prison prey on the �fish�, a nickname for a new inmate. Many of you seem scared to ask prison-related questions but sometimes it helps them to write. Do not ask why they are in prison, but be blessed if they tell you.

Learning about prison can be done on the Internet by typing in their prison name. If you type in Prison Pen Pals you will be shocked at what you may see. If your friend asks you to put them on the Internet please do not. It would be neat if those of you that have had problems with pen friends and worked them out would tell us how you did it.

If you are not sure how to handle a situation, just ask, �p-l-ea- s-e.� We all know someone with a computer and you all have our [email protected] e-mail. Give your Pen Friend a twoname Pen Name. Please, as your friend, do not mail to Chapel tracts - we pay additional postage.

Have your Pen Friend PRINT your name on an envelope - some write as badly as I do. Those of you that e-mail inmates remember we pay postage to inmates and their reply to you. If they ask for something have them send a slip from the prison saying it�s alright. If they only write every three or four months please ask for a new name. If you get a name you did not ask for, please write them or find someone else to write to.