A Perfectly Timed Letter

In a world of text messaging, emoji and social media, the art of letter writing is slowly dying. But for many of those locked in prison, handwritten letters are the primary way of having contact with the outside.

At Crossroad Bible Institute, we have a network of more than 5,000 volunteers who faithfully write letters of encouragement to prisoners across the world. Every week, at the CBI office, we receive testimonies from prisoners, explaining how a letter came at just the right time with just the right message. We know that the Holy Spirit inspires these letters, and they have the power to bring hope and encouragement to the very dark world of incarceration.

Here is an excerpt of a testimony from Nicholas, a student imprisoned in California who recently wrote CBI about receiving a perfectly timed letter:

“This last Friday I was laying in bed, trying to sleep off my bout of depression. I have been under the attack from the ‘Father of Lies.’ I am not suicidal. It’s just a funk that comes over me.

My false pride kicks in and I try to cope with all my baggage by myself. I know this is wrong and it is the reason I am in prison.

While I was laying there in bed, I heard something come sliding into my cell. It was the CBI packet of my finished work and a touching, handwritten letter from my CBI Instructor. It instantly broke me out of my funk! Praise Jesus!

I wanted to personally thank her for her kind words and the hymn that she offered me — ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus.’”

Please pray for Nicholas as he continues to seek comfort and peace from God during his time in prison. Pray that his Instructors would continue to have timely words of encouragement to lift him up.

If you are interested in joining our team of Instructors who daily shine light into the darkness, click here for more information.