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by Connie Johnston
Philippians 2:3-4: “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others.”
As Governing Board Chair, I committed to writing a note of welcome to each person who joined as a member of the church. Two men on Death Row, part of our Prison Ministry, joined the church that year. Each of them received a letter of welcome from me. This is part of the story of Curtis, my friend in Christ. I hope that by reading his words and mine others will be inspired to become part of the Prison Ministry. As Jeff Leister says, it is a lifelong commitment that we are called to.
Matthew 25:36 ”I was in prison and you visited me.”
Curtis wrote:
"I first heard about First Community Church by accidentally reading the FirstNews newspaper. There is usually a pile of papers for guys to use for making ice boxes, stuffing for items mailed out (to keep them from moving around), blocking light out from the windows, etc. I was using it to lay on my lap so the bowl wouldn’t burn my legs as I ate.
Connie notes:
"We make do with what we have at hand. Who would have thought that this chance encounter with a FirstNews would be life-changing? And how many of us have had to be so creative in using what is available to us?"
Curtis says:
"As I was preparing the thickness of papers to lay down, I came across an article written by Don Jameson about faith and love. I read and reread the article so I could get a better understanding of what I was reading. That article led me to read another, and then another, and before I knew it I had read about 85% of the paper. I investigated how to obtain the paper on a regular basis. I wrote to Mr. Jameson, inquiring about receiving the paper, along with getting a pen pal after seeing there was a program for that. I really wanted to hear back from him but I have learned not to get my hopes up. I’ve been failed by the outside on many occasions, so why should this be any different?"
Connie writes:
"Our expectations often shape our responses. I have had to think about this so many times…when have I had disappointments mount up? How have I responded when that happened?"
Curtis continues:
"After a week had passed, my hopes faded and I got back to my normal routine. The following week, on a Thursday, I received a letter from Mr. Jameson. He thanked me for writing and explained that I should be receiving The FirstNews newspaper soon. Then he floored me when he told me that he’d love to be my pen pal. My thoughts were everywhere because I put myself in a mindset of failure and received the total opposite. What do I say? How do I say it? After reading his article and holding on to his every word, I began to feel like I wouldn’t live up to his expectations with my limited vocabulary and lack of forming an understandable sentence. It was overwhelming, but I did it. I wrote to my abilities and spoke from the heart. After finalizing and rereading over and over, I sent the letter out and waited. He wrote back and eased my mind to just being me. However, he said he was going to refer me to someone else because he felt that his aging would be an issue and he really wanted to help me as much as he could. It was disappointing because I wanted to get to know this man and build with him. But I had to understand…it’s not very often that you receive a gift of comfortability when you are in the position I am in. About two weeks passed before I heard from someone, and when I did it was by mail and by the kiosk."
Connie notes:
"The prison system has an electronic system similar to email called JPay. When communicating this way, the cost is a 10 cent ‘stamp’ and there is an option of sending a return stamp as well. Often the people in prison have few ways of getting the funds to support things like stamps and phone calls."
Curtis continues:
"He introduced himself as Jeffrey Leister and gave me a little bit of who he was. We hit it off from the start. I saw us as friends from the very first communication and visit. Jeffrey is a very good listener and a great conversationalist. I found myself receiving the same respect I did from Mr. Jameson. During our visits, there would be guys from the church that came to see other guys and they gave us all the equal respect as one unit. For the first time in my life, I am meeting what God intended human beings to be and experience: kindness, loving, caring, faithfulness, encouraging, helpful, bonding, comforting. I spent most of my life thinking that good people only existed in the movies and here I was wrong all this time.
As I was getting to know Jeffrey and developing a relationship with him I got a note from Connie welcoming me as a new member of the church. We hit it off from the start. Her husband Brian and I share the same interest in painting. Connie has been my Bible study teacher and a very great one at that. If I had to describe Connie in two words, it would be Beautiful Spirit. She has this beautiful light about her that helps soothe one’s spirit when you are speaking with her. Above all, she has been one of the most honest human beings, along with Jeffrey, that I’ve ever encountered."
Connie writes:
"This comment means so much to me - it is so important to be your authentic self so that others can be authentic as well."
Curtis closes:
"I thank God each and every night for allowing us to connect with one another. My spirit, my faith, and my mental well-being have been lifted to a level like never before, and I have Connie, Jefferey, Mr. Jameson, and the church to thank for that. My faith in God and people has been restored and I push myself to be a better human being and spread as much kindness like it’s been bestowed upon me by great people. I want someday to help others and to teach others about God and the kindness of others. God heard my cries and he sent his angels to comfort me in my time of need. I hope and pray that someday I will be able to return the kindness and love to all that I have mentioned and those I will meet in the future. They saved a broken soul and gave me new life, and without First Community Church there would be no connecting to gather, so I thank the church and its members, everyone.”
Connie concludes:
"The need for genuine relationships is great; we all need that. I pray that for any who have hesitated to get involved in the Prison Ministry, you will read the words of my friend Curtis and understand that the rewards are greater than I could have imagined. Ask those who are involved and I believe the response will be similar."
If you are interested in becoming involved with the Prison Ministry, please email mission@FCchurch.com.
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