THE TRUTH TELLER Building Bridges for Tomorrow Volume 4, Issue 1 Truth Be Told Fall 2007
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THE TRUTH TELLER Building Bridges for Tomorrow Volume 4, Issue 1 Truth Be Told Fall 2007 Inside This Edition Building Bridges for Tomorrow ....................1 Bridge Builder Insight .......2 Carol’s Column .................2 Love Can Build A Bridge ...3 One Woman’s Journey ......3 New Board Members ........5 Truth Be Told will hold its 3rd annual fundraising luncheon Volunteer Opportunities ...................5 Building Bridges for Tomorrow How Long Do I October 24, 2007 Have To Pay? .....................6 12 - 1 p.m. Good Medicine .................6 Education Service Center: Region XIII Letter from a Graduate ......7 5701 Springdale Road Quilt Project .....................7 Austin, Texas 78723 Calendar ...........................8 We invite you to attend this Make a Donation or free, informative and inspiring Contact Us ........................8 one-hour presentation about our work. Board of Directors and Staff ............................8 RSVP by Friday, October 12 at 512-292-6200 or Visit our website at www.truth-be-told.org offi [email protected]. Truth Be Told rupted the normal fl ow of class and Carol’s Column Bridge Builder asked aloud how she was feeling. By Carol Waid, Insight That’s when the real pain gushed Founder and Director of Beyond out. The shame she felt for her Bars Program By Natalie Weinstein, crime has been overwhelming her Class Facilitator life. Her classmates were so gener- “Love can build a bridge, between your heart and mine. Love can build hat is a bridge? It connects ous in their encouragement and a bridge. Don’t you think it’s time? two places. It is a passage- acceptance. I was so proud. W Don’t you think it’s time?” way. It is a means to safely cross over an area that is dangerous or Seeing clearly... attended a memorial service otherwise impassable. One woman whose mother I last night for 25-year old Justin repeatedly abandoned the fam- “Davis” Armistead. Davis is the son The work we do at the Lock- ily and whose parents were later of our co-founder and dear friend, hart women’s prison is very much divorced said she didn’t understand Suzanne Armistead, and her hus- about building bridges. We are why those experiences had so band Dave Armistead. trying to connect these women to traumatized her, why they led her their future, to themselves, and to down the road to addiction. “Other Under a brilliant sapphire sky, one another. people go through this and are the Wildfl ower Center was baptized fi ne,“ she said. But I know why and in magic and mystery; open hearts, I began teaching Talk To Me/ told her: She has a sensitive soul. Crocodile size tears and laughter, Circle this summer. I can honestly And I would be proud to call this expressed that which cannot be say it is one of the most meaning- woman my friend. explained. Davis’ life and death ful experiences of my life. Every had built a bridge from one heart time I’m there, I see courage, pain, Working through pain... to another, calling us to cross over regret, strength, vulnerability, and One woman cried throughout that which separates us: fear of be- truth. her entire speech as she recounted ing vulnerable. Suzanne and Dave the ways her abusive husband tried stood in their grief and modeled Here are a few experiences that to kill her. She is deeply grateful to the elegance of grace, inviting us to come immediately to mind: be in prison, to be away from him, experience the mystery. to be safe for the fi rst time in years. Shining light on secrets... At the end of the service, I fl oated A woman shared that she was I honestly don’t know what the into one embrace after another, deeply afraid of telling her story future holds for the women in my growing lighter and brighter. It because once people knew what class. I don’t know if they can make was/is time for me to receive a new she’d done, they wouldn’t like her it across the bridge we are build- understanding of how death and anymore. Once she told her story, ing. I can’t see the other side yet. I birth hold hands. though, the secrets began to lose don’t know how long the construc- their power over her. She was an tion will take. And I’m not sure if I took a similar journey when inspiration to her fellow classmates. the building materials are strong I walked into the GEO Lockhart enough. facility, 7 years ago and was wel- Offering support... comed by women who were in- Another woman went into a But I do know that every time carcerated and living in a concrete kind of emotional shock after her I leave Lockhart, I truly feel that vault. With shy eyes, yet coura- speech. I could see that she was a healing has been done in this world. geous spirits, these women took million miles away, and I inter- And I am fi lled with hope. continued on page 3 The Truth Teller 2 Fall 2007 Carol’s Column Building Bridges continued from page 2 The bridge from incarceration into the “free” world is rickety and to feed their children, house their me down the path of a reality that unstable. Many women step into children, clothe their children, fi nd I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. I dead end roads and are captured medical care … and the list goes have heard stories of violence, in- by poverty, anger, rejection, and on. The facts are that the majority cest, loss of respect and dignity, loss, despair. These women need our of our women are met with doors loss, loss, yet I have witnessed the support. They need guidance and slammed and some that are gently elegance of grace. These women they need one-on-one interaction shut, but a shut door is a shut door. gave me the visual of an overused to enter the unknown and the term, “letting go”. unwelcoming of our society. They Truth Be Told wants your sup- immediately step onto free land port; we invite you to cross over I began this work because it with a label that says, “Can’t hire, that which can not be explained, fi lled a gap in me that was starving can’t help you, would like to, but only experienced, the bridge to for peace. The women that I have your record keeps me from being love. met, and taken into my heart, have able to give you a second chance”. given me way more than I could I receive one call after another, We invite you to join us in have asked for. They gave me a pleading for prayer that they will Building Bridges for Tomorrow. purpose. be given a job that will allow them One Woman’s Love Can Build A Bridge Journey By Nathalie Sorrell, Founder and By The Judds Director of Behind Bars Program I’d gladly walk across the desert That love and only love With no shoes upon my feet Can join the tribes of man . stood in front of our second To share with you the last bite I would give my heart’s desire Tever Talk to Me Class on the Of bread I had to eat So that you might see day she was to tell her story. It was I would swim out to save you The fi rst step is to realize autumn of 2000. Tightly built and In your sea of broken dreams That it all begins with you and me pretty, with long, dark blonde hair When all your hopes are sinkin’ and blazing blue eyes, she said “I Let me show you what love means (Repeat Chorus) hate men. If I don’t get rid of my anger, I’m gonna kill me one when (Chorus) When we stand together I get out of here.” No one laughed. It’s our fi nest hour Her hatred was palpable in the Love can build a bridge We can do anything, anything room. Between your heart and mine Keep believin’ in the power Love can build a bridge Then she told us of parents who Don’t you think it’s time? (Repeat Chorus) owned a nudist colony, and men Don’t you think it’s time? who used her as their sexual play- Love and only love thing while she was a toddler; the I would whisper love so loudly Love and only love mother who accidentally shot her Every heart could understand when she was aiming at T’s brother; the 34-year-old man who offered continued on page 4 The Truth Teller 3 Fall 2007 Truth Be Told Fellowship instructor. Margaret times we’ve been overwhelmed and One Woman’s looked up at me, laughing, “I have discouraged—and sent requests for Journey 5 minutes – tell me everything prayer to the group that quickly about your prison work!” became 75 strong. Every time, God continued from page 3 showed up with some volunteer’s to protect her after she’d run away I laughed, sat down, and skin on, or intervened in Spirit to from home at 14, then beat her so breathed a prayer for brevity. Then change our attitudes, to relieve our severely he eventually broke every I spoke of the situation, and the fears and solve our problems. bone except for her legs so she’d still fears we were drowning in. Marga- be able to dance in topless bars and ret said “You need a prayer team.