We have communication!

Hi All, I wanted to send out another quick update on our family. Chris has been transferred to Chuckawalla Valley State Prison. This will be his home for awhile. He said that it is very calm there and he is actually having some fun. Considering he spent six months in a cell, I am thankful for any bit of fun he can find! He felt guilty to tell me that, but I was overjoyed to know that there was light in there for him. The first day that he was there a fellow inmate came across the room and said, "You have an annointing on you! God wants you to be a pastor!" Chris thought he was a little crazy, but over the past few days has gotten to know "Brother George" a bit better and firmly believes that what he told him was from the Lord. Praise God! I have also contact Prison Fellowship regarding their TUMI program, which trains inmates to be pastors. They have been in talks with the chaplains at Chuckie and are hoping to start the program there very soon. Chris is able to have a package sent to him every three months now. He will be sending me an order form soon with what he needs. Because he is right outside of Blythe (near the Arizona border), he needs some extra things. The big items he would like are a fan, a guitar, and a CD player. For those of you who really know Chris you know that music is huge to him. The guy above his bunk offered to teach him to play guitar in exchange for soup. You can do a lot in there in exchange for soup! (lol) He also needs sandals, tennis shoes, and some other items. He is worried about the cost, but I assured him that we have a large group of people interested in making sure he is taken care of. He thinks the total cost of this first order will be around $200. It has to be ordered through a special store, otherwise I'd be out there price comparing and looking for deals. If anyone can help me chip away at that amount, I have a paypal set up at righteousmama@cox.net. Just let me know it is for Chris and I will earmark it for this order. The girls are doing very well. They are doing an online curriculum now from Alpha Omega Publishing called Monarch. They are doing very well and rising to the challenge. Mary is taking horse lessons (so far I've been able to save up to pay for ten lessons at a time). Next school year I would like to put Bethany in dance lessons through a Christian dance school called Beth'el. I'm praying I will be able to meet all these needs for them. We have been over the moon now that we can receive calls from Chris. The other night he called just as we were praying before bed. I put him on speaker phone and he was able to pray over us. He also got to hear the girls and I sing the "Shema", which we do every night. Now Hannah sings with us and that was very neat for him to hear. I started back to school to finish my degree. Through the counsel of a good friend I have decided to move ahead right after my degree is finished in December and earn my MFT. I will continue at Hope International University as it is online and I can stay with the girls. This move feels very natural and I can feel that God is guiding my steps. As of right now, I am watching my friends girls three days a week to make some money. I have been blessed with food stamps, although that isn't ideal it is helping us to get through to the point we can stand on our own two feet (ten feet?). I have been extremely careful with any money that comes our way, but still allowing for some fun every so often. Have I been perfect with my money? No. But, I am learning. I am praying that God will bless my efforts and that I will always learn from my mistakes. Thank you all so much for your continued prayers and encouragement. We thank God for you daily! Marcella & Chris & the girls