A Carpenter’s Redemption: Faith Restored Behind Bars.

My name is PW and I am currently being incarcerated here at MECC. The other day I was talking to another inmate about the subject of God and how I have restored my faith in my creator. I am 44 years old and was raised Catholic as a child and went to a Catholic private school as well. As a teen I turned away from God and when I was 20 I had gotten married and have my first child. My wife’s sister lives in the word and I did a couple bible studies and seen that there was a lot of things that didn’t make sense to me that I was taught as a Catholic. I was married 19 years and a carpenter by trade and never really pursued a faith or went to church. I built my wife a restaurant in 2004 and it was the beginning of the end. In 2008 my family ended in a divorce and she got the restaurant and I go that house. My daughter went off to college and I found myself alone and in pain trying to run from the memories that one were. I lost my purpose as a man. I was a father to my daughter and a husband to my wife. Alcohol had not played a part in our family until my divorce and I began using it to try to numb the pain that I was in. Before 2008 I had never been in trouble with the law and in 2010 I found myself in prison due to my drinking. After being here I have had to confront my pain for the loss of my family and began praying to God to please help me. I’m doing so slowly but surely m pain has been taken from me. On Oct 14th prison officials had notified me that at 11:00 AM my father had passed away from lung cancer and I didn’t think I was going to be able to handle it, but through reaching out to God and asking him for his help he has put people in my path in here that has led me to the light. I was reading out of the Bible yesterday and made a comment on the illustrations in the middle of the page and asked him where he got it. He began to tell me a story of you two guys and how you sent it to him. I was sincerely moved at what I was hearing and thought to myself I can only hope that one day I could be so unselfish and help others as well. So I have two purposes for this letter, the first is to let you know that you are in my prayers at night and to tell you that you have truly made a difference in some of the lives of the inmates. Because of you I have set a goal to do one kind act for someone in here not letting them know that I did it in memory of you guys. I pray and hope that you two have all life’s blessings that life has to offer. I was also going to ask you guys for one of your Bibles. I’ve never had one of my own that was new it was always some else’s. If you don’t I understand. I feel guilty for asking. Truthfully please write back.