Letters From Samuel

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Mother's Day, Letters & Snippets

Dear Mom and Dad, 5/26/14

I'm so sorry that you came all the way here and were not able to visit me today. I missed you sooooo much. So sorry this letter is so sloppy, my celly is trying to sleep, so I'm using the wall next to my door for a table :-).

Every Holiday I spend separated for you guys is so hard. I miss you guys so much. I can't wait to see both of you again. I hope you guys have a good Memorial Day and a good week.

The Lord is good - all the time.

Love,
Samuel
Shelton Joshua 1:9

Dear Mom & Dad, 5-19-14

Just was thinking of you guys. I miss you all so much, hope all is going well. The phones have not been working for the last couple of days. I loved our visit on Saturday. I always have fun with you guys. I was doing the math – and next Tuesday will be 100 days of incarceration. That's a landmark to me. Maybe you could come on on that night, and if Katie sends in her visiting form, maybe she could come with you.

I had a meeting with the Intake Multi-Disciplinary Team today. They still don't think my diploma will be credited by the state of Wisconsin. They said the SO4 is no that important right now. All they want me to do is academics. These Modules are mandatory for me to be released: G-Gip, vocational and the SO4 in that order.

Man I can't wait till next weekend to see you guys and to get my canteen too. Also, I will be staying on the north unit. Miss Heidt is my social worker.

The schooling they want me to take first is Civics, Employability, and Health.

How are you guys doing this week? Is my dog doing ok? :-) Man, I wish I was out so I could help dad with the garden this year.

The weather was great today...but it just started to rain.

Oh, I get my hair cut tomorrow at 1:30.

I should start school next week sometime.

I love you guys so much. I'm praying for y'all. Hugs and kisses to you.

Love,

Samuel

Lee

Shelton Joshua 1:9

Moved to his new Facility: Racine Youthful Offenders

Correctional Facility

New Address:

Racine Youthful Offender Correctional Facility

Samuel Shelton 612941

North Lake #42

P.O. Box 2500

Racine, WI 53404

Dear Family, 5-11-14

It was so good to see you guys yesterday. Thank you so much for coming to see me. It is always so much fun to spend time with you guys. Today was on of those hard days....because I was not out spending Mother's Day with my mom. I'm so sorry that I let you guys down the way I did. God knew what was going to happen, and I'm glad I got caught to stop me from going somewhere I never wanted to go.

I want to thank you mom for being the best mom in the world. May God bless you this year When I talked to you today it made me so glad to know you would choose me all over again...even though I let you guys down so badly. Will you forgive me?

I love you guys so much. I can't wait to see you on Saturday.

Love,

Samuel

Lee

Shelton

Dear Mom and Dad,

Today is Wednesday the 7^th – I am going to be moved tomorrow morning. I hope you get this before Saturday so you don't come all the way up here. I love you guys so much. This is one step closer to home. They are moving me to RYCI (Racine Youthful Correctional Institution). :-( But God is in control.

Love,

Samuel

Shelton

This is the Mother's Day card Samuel sent me:

Got this call the Friday before Mother's Day from Samuel:

I LOVE our visits with him!!!

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Thursday, April 24, 2014

4/24/2014

Dear Family, 4/24/2014

Things are going well here. To save me an envelope, my celly said I could send this letter with his thank you card for the Easter card and money you sent him.

I can't wait to see you guys. We have had outside Rec for two days! It's fun to play soccer again. Things have not changed with my staffing. I am still waiting to find out where I will be staffed. Maybe next week. Not very often do guys get staffed on Friday. Today we had canteen. I got three boxes of cakes, five envelopes, 15 ramen noodles, and some shampoo.

I just finished Acts in my Bible reading. It was really interesting to see what the early church went through and compare it to what we may face as Christians very shortly.

How are things going there? Any new news on the house? How are the church families doing? I miss you guys and love you so much. Hope to hear from you all soon. Can't wait to have a

on Saturday ☺ Today is Thursday. I love you guys very much. Hope you guys are doing ok. May God bless you till I write again.

♥ Love,

Samuel

Shelton ♥

p.s. Praying for you guys.

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Saturday, April 19, 2014

Easter Weekend ~2014

We had the blessing of being able to visit Samuel on both Friday and Saturday for two hours each. What a blessing! (We normally only get to see him on Saturday).

On Friday we had our usual "picnic" of beef jerky, chips, soda or juice, and a candy bar. We spoke of that Unspeakable Gift - God's Son - Who came and died for our sins - that we may have eternal life.

On Saturday, we went back, had another picnic - we added cheese stix this time :-). We read a passage of Scripture: Matthew 26-28, and sang a few hymns. Samuel read the complete passage and it was so beautiful to know that "because HE lives - we can face tomorrow."

We had this picture taken while there...

How grown up he looks! Taken 4/19/2014

~We're thankful for all the seemingly little gifts.

Every moment is precious.~

This is one of the songs we sang together. This version by Il Divo is one of my favorites:

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. ~Matthew 28:6

Samuel told us that these lyrics keep coming to his head ( the first part - not the whole song - but I thought I would post the whole song anyway...)

The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow
There'll be sun!
Just thinkin' about
Tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs,
And the sorrow
'Til there's none!
When I'm stuck with a day
That's gray,
And lonely,
I just stick out my chin
And Grin,
And Say,
Oh
The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on
'Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow!
Tomorrow!
I love ya
Tomorrow!
You're always
A day
A way!

They have a saying in prison, "Do you." ... This is how we would put it in our vernacular :-) ~

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Saturday, April 5, 2014

4/5/2014

Dear Family,

It was so good to see you guys today. I finished writing to all the people who have written me.

I now am up through the book of Isaiah in my Bible reading. I never thought I would read that much in a little over three weeks.

I love you guys so much. You mean the world to me. I just wanted to say thank you for everything you do and have done for me. In your next letter could you send me Mr. Maynard's address, I seemed to have misplaced it.

Hope tonight goes well. Have fun and eat some turkey for me. Love you guys.

Love,

Samuel Shelton Joshua 1:9 (serving God in prison and for His glory)

p.s. Sorry about the bite in the paper....I was hungry...lol. Oh, and I enclosed the drawing of the house.

This drawing is the "plans" for the house (if we get to buy this property) down the road - so Samuel can take care of his folks when they are old... lol

Saturday, March 29, 2014

3/29/2014

Dear Mom/Secretary, (lol)

Just got a letter from the state public defender's office. They said I need to send them $$ for my attorney. You can only send a check or money order and it has to be in by 5/19/2014. Enclosed is an envelope to put the check or money order in. This is all so confusing to me – all the hoops you have to jump through...

The attorney's name is __________. So, I don't know exactly what is going on with all this stuff. The paper work I sent you in this letter I need back as soon as you read through it all. Thank you.

Thank you for coming up today. It was so good to see you guys. All the legal stuff is hard for me to wrap my mind around. Is it worth all of this hassle – just to get the same thing.... 10 years? (That is what my flesh is telling me). I don't know what to do but to trust God to get me through this.

Love,

Samuel Lee Shelton

p.s. I hope you like the picture I drew for you all! :)

Monday, March 24, 2014

3/24/2014

Dear Family,

Thank you for sending me the book. (stack of letters). So good to hear from you all. At this time right now it is 1:00am in the morning. I can't go to sleep because I'm too excited that you guys are coming up this weekend. I can not WAIT to see you guys!

Not too much is going on here. We normally get up at 6:15am for standing count, then sometimes I will go back to bed till 10:35 ish. Next I will go to lunch. The meals have been very good. Lunch and dinner, that is. I normally will not eat breakfast unless it is something really really good like an egg muffin.

It is always good to hear Mom's voice over the phone – it gives me so much comfort to know my family is still behind me. Even when I make mistakes. When you get a chance, could you send a message to Uncle Larry and Aunt Brandy and tell them that I miss them and hope to hear from them soon. Also tell Uncle Jack thanks for the prayers. I could use them all the time.

It is so good to have a Bible again! Today I read over 32 chapters in Genesis! It was so cool to see things I had missed before. Like, God gave fruit for “meat” for Adam to eat and not meat of animals at first. And how Abraham told his wife to lie to the King of Egypt – then later Jacob did the very same thing to a different king.

Well, only 119 months left! :-}

Love Your Son,

Samuel Lee Shelton

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

3/11/2014

Well, no movement yet. I've been locked up in my cell for almost 72 hours. This gives me time to think and pray for people.

Hope you guys are having a good Tuesday. The snow is starting to melt here. It's beginning to look a lot like...springtime!

There is no sunshine today. Well lunch was ok today. We had a ham sandwich, sun chips, milk, peanut butter cookies and an orange.

Just got my eye exam today. They are getting me glasses. They look more like goggles. I will have to see the doctor in the next two weeks too. So far I have had a flu shot and a TB shot. Not used to getting all of the shots growing up in a home-schooled family... :)

Just got back from my shower. It feels so good to be clean...not only physically but mentally and spiritually too.

How has today been? Are you trusting in God to get us through this trial in our lives?

You guys bring sunshine in my life. Thank you so much for giving me so much hope and things to look forward to when I get out. May God bless you for a long time. All I need is for you to pray that I stay strong mentally, spiritually, and health wise. The last few nights God has given me peace and comfort that all will be okay. I love knowing He is always there for me and will never leave me. By the time you get this I hope I have a letter from you guys saying you got my first letter.

Well, happy Wednesday to you all out there. :) No movement yet. Love you guys. Lunch was good today. We had beef soup, bread, crackers, mandarin oranges, and meat balls. And milk. :)

Nothing is happening, not much to write about today. Hope to hear from you all soon.

Can't wait to get me a radio so I can listen to VCY and some good preaching and good songs. The past couple of weeks have been hard for me to stay up on news and things like that as well.

Yesterday was one of the hardest days for me to get through....knowing I would not get to see you guys for at least another week...

Well I did not get moved today either, but there are 39 guys coming in tomorrow, so maybe then. The sun was shining again today. Man it looks wonderful out there.

Today I was thinking of what I would be doing if I was out. I probably would be at work getting things ready for summer and more landscaping. You would be at home making a wonderful dinner. Dad would be at work. And then later we would go to church and have prayer meeting.

Ok, I learned today that when you send me money, the prison will take out 25% for my court costs. It was so good to hear from you guys. It was a bright spot in my day. Thank you for sending me money on my book. You guys are the best.

So glad you got to go to the University with Katie and with Octavio's family to see “Frozen.” Even though it was stupid. :) (is what dad said). I don't have envelopes to send you guys these letters yet, but will do so as soon as I can.

For supper we had spaghetti and meatballs, pudding, salad, rolls, and milk. It was delicious!

Through this time of being locked up – it is good to know that you guys are praying for me and will never stop. Thank you.

To my church family,

Just wanted to give a quick update. Things are going well. The Lord has given me comfort by verses like Proverbs 3:5-7 and Joshua 1:9. Please pray for me as I try to be an example of the believer in my words and conduct. I'm currently stashed at Dodge Correctional Institution where they are holding me til I will spend the rest of my 120 months. The process of getting to my permanent prison seems like it is taking for ever.

Through my sin, God has opened a mission field I never would have considered going to. My eyes have been open to the needs of the people in the United States prison system. Please pray for boldness to spread the Good News to every person I come in contact with.

Serving Christ in Jail, and for His Glory,

Samuel Lee Shelton