JOYANNA VISITS THE FREEDOMERS TABLE OF CONTENTS Visit with Adam in Florence, Arizona prison These positive words from Dal, a man who once had low self-esteem, but had been making it outside for over 17 years Visit with Buddie in Huntsville Prison The picnic was rained out when I visited with Michael: Tiptonville, Tn. A traumatic visit with Chris in a Kentucky prison; not caused by Chris, but the staff A Visit with our Prayer Ministry Director, Ernest and his mom, Edith, in Burnsville, N.C. (Appalachian Mtns). Visit in McCain Correctional Hospital, near Fayetteville, N.C. Visiting Jerry in Soledad Prison, California. A Black Panther activist becomes a Christian pacifist Another visit with Buddie Williams in Huntsville Another visit with Michael Martin; this time in Texas Visits that didn't happen: David Carter, Pepin Menendez, Bobby Lusk Updates on all Freedomers mentioned in this book FOREWORD I've taken literary license by adding two chapters in this book, out of context from their original sequence, in order to have all my visits with Freedomers in the Travel Series in one book. Therefore, Adam Martin and Jerry Pitre's visits are included here, rather than the sequence in the book where they would have been featured. For instance, I've visited with Adam Martin several times, in various prisons in Arizona, but this visit with him took place in December 1997, shortly after our visit with his mother, Linda, and her husband, Ken, in Texas. And I've had many visits with Dal Culvahouse, in Colorado Springs, since he moved there from Texas; and it's only an hour from my daughter, Dottie, in the Denver area. INTRODUCTION I'd begun writing to the Freedomers (my name for inmates seeking inner freedom), when I responded to their letters in Seekers, a monthly publication of Diane Pike (widow of Bishop Pike, who died in the Holy Land) and Arlene Lorrance's Love Project. God had said to me, "Answer these letters," and like Moses, I'd said, "Not me, Lord. I'm not qualified. I want to facilitate prosperity workshops; that's why I'm writing my Pot O' Gold Prosperous Living Course." Nevertheless, I responded to their letters, starting with Al Vaillancourt, who dubbed himself my #1 con, and whom I would be visiting on this Journey. I'd been guided to send them each a copy of my gleaming gold-covered prosperity book that contained almost everything I'd ever learned; from the Ten Commandments and Prosperity's Ten Commandments to My Life Plan (a goal-planning technic) and Financial Disbursement Form (a Spending Plan). I'd based the book on Unity's teachings of the Twelve Powers, similar to chakras, that are energy centers throughout our body; but modified and expanded. The subjects included: Faith, Will, Understanding, Imagination, Zeal, Power, Love, Wisdom, Order, Renunciation and Life. Each became a chapter in my book. Charles Fillmore, Unity School of Christianity's co-founder, had been divinely guided to assign a disciple to each center, and also colors. So I searched every paper company, until I located the right colors for each chapter. Thus on its side, the 300+ pages (8 1/2 by 11) looked like a rainbow. And it glistened when the Freedomers (in their dark, depressing cells) opened the package with its golden cover embossed with a golden pot o' gold. They began writing letters and poetry about the contents, and some sent artwork or cartoons. So I created a monthly publication, the Rainbow Connection, and co-ordinated with the twelve subjects, which I sent to the Freedomers. One page titled: "Prayer Ministry," included a sketch of Ernest by Freedomer, Bob Carver, taken from a picture Ernest had sent me. The page featured a letter from Ernest and any poems, articles, or pictures (from others) that were appropriate for the month's subject. At the highest point of my ministry career, I was sending over 300 monthly publications and writing new courses, including Journey to Inner Freedom, based on the exodus of the Israelites to the Promised Land. I also personally answered each letter. During this time, my elderly adopted mother (over 100), in a convalescent hospital deteriorated into a deplorable condition. My schizophrenic natural mother (80+), who hadn't written and refused to see anyone (but her husband) for over twenty years, came to live with us, after he was hospitalized with terminal cancer. Because of the change, her condition worsened, and I had to place her in another convalescent hospital. My youngest daughter, Gail, (who lived with us off-and-on), became mentally ill, and unable to raise her teenage daughters, who also lived with us part-time. My husband had had his business in our home, but, after his business went defunct, he became jobless for seven months , and we had no income. I finally demanded that he get a job, and he did, but went into a period of depression. Now the bulwark and strength of my life could not be depended on, and that was the last straw. I could no longer maintain my momentum, and I stressed-out. Now, after four years of my ministry, I was forced to gradually stop my publications, letter-writing and courses. My efforts were limited only to corresponding with the few who continued to write (and still do), while my focus became on getting well. This process took nearly ten years of therapy, Twelve Step programs (for inner child healing and codependency), and re-evaluating my priorities. Then, about the time I'd recovered, Van became traumatized when he lost his job as the result of a company downsize. He had become revitalized after getting involved with a multi-level-marketing program with my daughter and her husband. But they moved to Colorado, and over the next few years the business not only didn't prosper, but we got into debt, and finally filed bankruptcy. Van's condition had worsened, and he wasn't able to look for another job, or take care of our financial accounting. This was our bottom, and I'd even gone to Colorado for two months to re-evaluate the situation. And then my stepmother gave me a money-gift that made it possible, with another money-gift from Van's mother, to buy our 35 ft. Holiday Rambler motor home. Throughout our travels, I visited those Freedomers who were still in contact. The following excerpts are from several of my books that relate our travels (See Book List for listings). |
