Now look what you’ve done! You made a grown man cry!
It may be hard for you to believe that one little birthday card can mean so much, but truly, I hear this all the time! Men who had sad childhoods and are long forgotten by family and friends are overwhelmed with emotion when strangers take the time to scribble “Happy Birthday” and sign their name to a card for them; to think about them for even a moment. Many list and thank everyone who signed by name. John sent two letters, one to the church and one to “Mama-Jo”, and a card thanking us a total of a dozen times! I’ll post the one letter and the card on the bulletin board.
Last fall John found the church address on “A Timeline of Church History” brochure that he inherited from one of our participants at Alexander Correctional, where Fr. Onouphry holds monthly meetings. He wrote, but his letter got misplaced. Months later, when I finally sent an introductory packet, he wrote me two 10+ page letters in a week! John, like many of the guys who write, has been seeking God and Studying the Bible for a long time. Finding Orthodoxy is like finding a treasure. Finding a community to pray for and who will pray for them is priceless!
New people ask a lot of questions and share testimonies about God working in their lives. God is very present in prisons; He is working on men’s hearts! It’s wonderful to see how Orthodoxy can answer burning questions and give their time new purpose. It surely stimulates a lot of conversation!
Thank you for bringing John to tears on his birthday! Thank you for signing cards, for including John and our other participants when you pray for those in prison. Thank you for supporting this ministry with your prayers and donations.
The prayers of people like John are truly lifting our community up before God and we are truly being blessed by them.