We ask you to take a trip with us. The end will be out of this world. We do pray that it will allow all of you to become a larger part of this ministry. God called Yvonne and I to this ministry. I met Yvonne and glory filled my soul. She led me to Christ and the rest is here. Having lived the life I had left behind, I was a mess. Being a Christian was not easy. Yvonne led me to the man who led me to Christ and a book, the Bible. �What says the Bible, the Bible to me? Words of men so often deceive us, what says the Bible to me?� Our growth has been amazing. Again, thanks to each of you.

Do not let doctrine be a barrier but a BRIDGE to Jesus. Yvonne and I happen to be Seventh Day Adventist. Almost every religion known to man is involved with this ministry. Over the forty years of ministry we have not had any problems. Because of all of you, God has and will continue to bless this ministry. We do not know what the future holds be we know who holds the future. Always remember Jesus directs us.

We believe the Pen Friend Program is the best prison ministry around. It would be wonderful if you could put an article about Someone Cares in your local newspaper�s religion section or your church�s newsletter. Talk to your pastor about us and get your church involved. Ask friends and families to join. We have videos that when funding increases we will put on CD�s. We have tons of letters, poems and stories written by inmates we what to share.

Pen Friend�s George and Betty wrote to us. �Friends, we have belonged to Someone Cares for many years, We have and are writing to hundreds of inmates. We love writing but if we were handy with a computer we would write more.� It has really never changed. We have served the Lord in more than one house.

When we started and became a non-profit ministry, our board set us up with a salary of $1,000 a month, covered our medical expenses, health insurance and provided us with a manufactured home, which is free and clear. We have gone through five donated cars. When younger and able to drive, we put on a program at least three times a month. The Central California Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist Church guaranteed this for us. If we came up short for a month they paid us. If we were over for a month we paid back the difference. Now Satan was not happy with our success. California became too expensive, so we decided to move to another area of the country. The President of the Kentucky Seventh Day Adventist conference agree to follow California�s lead. We sold our house and moved. However, the wife of the couple who bought our home in California died and the deal fell through. We lived in churches basement for three months until our house was re-sold and we bought another one. Then we found out the agreement made with the Kentucky conference was rejected. We put our house up for sale. We also found out two prisons in Michigan were without chaplains. There was no salary but on faith we took the job. Yvonne reminded me I was also interim pastor for three churches with no pay. The move to Michigan was great and we were blessed again. I took on the men�s prison and Yvonne the woman�s prison. The structure of our arrangement fell apart and Yvonne�s health problems grew. I started working the men�s and women�s prisons. Yvonne helped and along with our grandson Jake did the mail. Everyone kept writing and/or supporting us and we ended up in Indiana. Each move we made was positive and grew the ministry.

The shock hit hard when a reporter called telling us Yvonne�s daughter had been murdered. We moved back to Indiana to be around family and God blessed us. We were in a mobile home in Arizona which sold twenty minutes after I put up a homemade �For Sale� sign. We bought a manfuctured home in Indiana over the phone after a friend had it inspected. Lots of miles, a ton of joy, a lot of sadness. Now something strange happened. I called the Pastor here in Indiana to see if he got our membership transfer. He told us �Yes,� but he would not accept it. We had always worked very hard in prison and were always treated with great respect. This pastor wanted to know what we could do for HIS church. We were amazed and so were many of our friends. Several years ago, an organization call Jesus Behind Bars was robbing our churches blind. We alerted them but they got stung anyway. We asked for nothing. We pray for our church and every church involved. We ask for special prayer for all churches� leadership.

There is a place that is hell on earth, C section at San Quentin. It is five stories high and there are fifty cells to a tier. There is a gun rail across from each tier. I met a man that had never received mail or a visitor. That is when the Pen Friend Program was started. It is very big and getting bigger.

This is how it works. The inmate gets an application. This tells them we are a Christian ministry. We asks them to fill out both sides which gives us an impression of them. We send this to them and ask for them to add letter as well. When this is returned we put it on the bottom of a pile. We have three large piles. You then - PLEASE - join us. You read all the information and decide. When you write, the first envelope has your name or pen name (make your pen name a first and last name.) You now write the inmate. Put the inmate�s letter in an envelope with your pen name (don�t use silly names) and then our address here in Indiana. The letter to the inmate has their full name and numbers, their address, and for the return, your name or pen name and the address. Someone Cares should not appear on anything the get. We suggest you go to our web page and read archived newsletters gives you direction. You can also e-mail them. Write letter and e-mail it to us, one again with their full name, number and address. We will �snail mail� to you and scan their answer and email to you.

We would like to update our records, so please send us your full name, address, phone number and church affiliation if you have one. Also, let us know who you are writing. We have a bunch of letters and we have no idea where they go. And remember, your pen name must be two names.

I am! When you get this, I am going to be 85 and Yvonne is 78. I will still preach when asked but travel will be limited. At this moment I am in very good health. We have help here and need to expand, as nothing is going to slow us down. The $5.00 monthly donations really helped! E-mailing will add expenses and equipment. We have never asked for larger donations but a couple large contributions will keep us on solid ground. Here is an example. Yesterday I sent 401 letters from inmates to free folks. Yesterday 105 people asked for Bible studies.

A post office has opened near us and we have a new post office box number. The new PO box number is 65629. However, our old box number will be good for the next six months. Note: P.O. Box 65629, Fort Wayne Indiana, 46825.

This article is reprinted from our June, 2009 newsletter.

A young man who knew the Bible well started his own Bible group and was doing a good job. Then he was seen doing drugs and all the good was gone.

The Bible says through Jesus �follow me�.

I learned a long time ago if asked a question and you are not sure of the answer, say - I�ll have to check it out and get back to you. Too many volunteers answer without guidance. If you teach a class, make sure you stay in control and on the subject. Inmates often will try to make a fool of volunteers. They ask questions hard to answer so just tell them you will get the answer, and make sure you do.

Yes, it is hard to think of what prisons are full of. We tell you 50% of the men and women in prison are really neat. Sure, they made a mistake but without us they have no chance. Prisons are so full they pull dead time. No school, no jobs, and believe me, it is big business. There are laws like this. An inmate is arrested for stealing so his family can eat. He does not make enough. He is sent to prison for a year, and the family in a goes also. They go on welfare and it cost tax payers. $40,000 per welfare recipient plus another $15,000 for dead time. When we started 40 years ago an inmate could go to school, get a GED and learn a trade. Now they spend 23 hours a day in a cell with two bunks and a sink/toilet combination. Recidivism is about 62%. Most people arrested today cannot afford an attorney, so they get a public defender. A couple of years ago a friend of ours did a study and found ten men committing a similar crime got ten different sentences. Let�s call him Jesus sent to prison. No visits, no job, no school. Read all of Mathew 25. We have a video of a gang member teaching another inmate. They had bread and peanut butter sandwich�s which they made. They knew who had money and went to sell them for $4.00. A reporter asked what if they did not pay. They cut their throat. Prison is a terrible place. I know - I was there. Yvonne and I have walked the yards at Soledad, San Quentin, Corcoran, Eddyville Jackson and many others. We go into cell blocks and death rows. We pray with those who belong in mental facility, not prison. Will we see all in heaven. No - Satan is to strong? But with you and your help we can cut the numbers. Yvonne and I talk about getting to heaven and having mass of exconvicts coming toward us. What a day that will be.

This article is reprinted from our June, 2009 newsletter.

One big learning experience in prison is when you carry the title �Chaplain�, you had better know you are the Chaplain of all faiths.

In training volunteers we try to teach: Do not let your doctrine be a barrier but a bridge to Jesus. Chaplain Reed during one service asked me to preach a whole service not mentioning Jesus. The Chapel was jammed, and I started and in a flash had Jesus up front. Chaplain Reed stood. I started again and again, but Jesus kept popping out. Reed stood up as 5 Muslims came forward and told him - let him Preach we all have to account to one God. Amen.

Yvonne with her new title was given a section of the Prison as her own �800 men.� She chose a Muslim as her clerk. He attended all her services.

We were part of an effort that put the first ever Indian Sweat Lodge in a California Prison.

This article is reprinted from our June, 2009 newsletter.

Being an Atheist at forty, becoming a Christian took a lot of Bible Study. I took every study course I could get my hands on. I studied and taught them at the same time. Then I preached them and taught them again. Not too bad for a kid who dropped out of school in the 6th grade.

Yvonne was such a great help and helpmate. Chaplain Stan Reed was a helper and a pusher. After ten years a church organization we worked with took our ten years of on-the-job training, the courses I took through Home Study, Andrews University, Liberty Bible, �AA� , �E.A� � N.A� and ordained both Yvonne and me. Several Courses in Pastoral Counseling were vital and the knowledge gained was often used when working one to one with inmates.