Kirsten and Scott--a husband and wife that are separated by jailhouse walls, as he is incarcerated despite his innocence. He is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole. As a family of 4, and then 5, as the story unfolds, Scott and Kirsten knew the "good life." But God had a better one in store. They first had to be broken. They plumb new depths of their faith and in their knowledge of the Word in these days that some would consider dark, but that God infused with great joy. Throughout a total of 16 months of separation they wrote letters to each other that are filled with the stories that capture the depth of their love, family life, fear, questioning, and details of what God is doing in, around and through them. Many of the letters are laced with snaphots of jailhouse interactions in the maximum security unit where God still dwells. It is inspiring to see how the Holy Spirit moves throughout the whole situation when you see Scott’s letter next to Kirsten’s as the days go by. Prayers are being prayed and answered and it is all recorded in the daily wrap-up. It is a God story. It is a love story. And the letters are delivered daily. Make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed to receive daily updates of our story. To learn more about this blog and the background behind it, check out the About Section.

take 2: september 30th & October 1st – inside/out

by Kirst on February 3, 2010

Hi Sweetheart,

It’s just after lunch on Thursday.  We had clothing exchange today, whites and oranges.  Pretty interesting sight, a bunch of men wrapped up in blankets standing around to exchange all of their clothes.  It’s quite a spectacle.  I made out okay on the exchange, you just never know what you are going to get.  My orange shirt looks like it could file for Social Security.  Ha!  No biggie though.  I had another great visit with Joe.  We talked, laughed, and shared stories.  I had been waiting for an opportunity to tell him how much his visits mean to me.  But before I could tell him, he opened up and told me what a gift it has been for him.  How cool!  He said he has been reinvigorated spiritually.  God is feeding both of us.  I really look forward to growing our friendship, even if it’s only 20 minutes a week.

I was thinking about our last vacation in Carlsbad.  I’m sorry that you had to experience it as pregnant as you were.  It holds great memories for me and I can’t wait for our next one.  What a great time of just “being” with the kids.  A great time of being together as a family, without a schedule and no place we “had” to be.

I received 4 pieces of mail today.  One from JP and Melissa, one from Kay, one from my sweetie, and one from the Union Rescue Mission asking me to donate money for their Thanksgiving Day meal for the homeless. :-)

Your letter was from last Saturday night.  I was encouraged by your upbeat spirit and the way Stephanie and Gretchen are caring for you.  Good friends!  I’ll work on Buddy’s monster truck envelope this weekend.  I didn’t realize just how much he was looking forward to receiving it.  I’ll get it into the mail by Monday.

JP and Melissa each wrote me a  letter.  Melissa was reaffirming their commitment to walk this with us and to be there for whatever you might need.  JP’s letter was 2 pages long , written in small handwriting.  He had a lot to say.  After talking with Joe and now receiving this letter from JP, it is sounding like they are in need of a spiritual renewal, or revival.  Not that they are lost, but the everyday of life has them drifting, with no real motivation or direction.  It sounds like, at least for JP, well and for Joe too, now that I think about it, this situation is pushing them to confront this reality and be spurred on to growth and a rededication of their commitment to seek Christ’s face daily.  JP’s letter was written so well, so honestly, that it brought me to tears.  We are brothers, helping each other to be the men God intended.  I am motivated by his words and moved by his love.  He is a good man and I am thankful to have him in my life.  He also mentioned that if I need him to talk Buddy to a ball game or something else for additional male contact in his life that he would be more than happy to do it.  I am deeply touched my his sentiment.  I’ll write them both back soon.

Thank you for your love sweetheart!  I am praying that by the time you receive this letter you will have had a wonderfully rejuvenating weekend with the girls.  Talk with you soon.

Love, Scott

Related Letters

  1. take 2: september 23-24 – inside/out
  2. october 30th – inside/out
  3. take 2: october 12th – inside/out
  4. take 2: september 25th and 26th – inside/out
  5. take 2: october 7th – inside/out

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Hi name is Kirsten, and I am the author of Inside/Outside. If you are new to the site, please read About The Letters and make sure you Subscribe To My Feed. To learn more about me and my interests, check out the About Me Page.

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