By Andrew McChesney

Tracey Lee, a mother of four living near Fort Worth, Texas, wondered what gift she could give to God.

Image © Pacific Press

She didn’t have much money, and she has struggled for years with attention-deficit disorder. But between homeschooling and five pets, she realized that she had one thing that she could dedicate to the Lord: time.

So, Tracey volunteered to correspond with inmates through a prison ministries program at Grandview Seventh-day Adventist Church in Grandview, Texas.

“The more I did it, the more I enjoyed it”, Tracey said. “I felt like I was making a difference, so I have continued doing it”.

Six years later, she is responsible for a prison ministries program larger than her church of about 35 members. She guides dozens of inmates through Bible correspondence lessons every week and maintains contact with about 300 people.

It is unclear how many people have been baptized through her work, but several inmates have described big changes in their lives. One inmate wrote that a family member exclaimed during a prison visit, “What did you do? I see something different about you. There is like a glow about you”.

“I got an opportunity to witness to this person because they saw a difference in me”, the inmate wrote to Tracey. “Thank you for taking the time to teach me”.

Tracey, 46, was raised in a Sunday church, got married, and spent several years visiting various churches, trying to find a place to grow her children. One day, she was browsing at a half-priced bookstore with her eldest son, Kyle, when a customer struck up a conversation.

“He mentioned Grandview as a church and invited us to come try it out”, Tracey said.

The family attended a couple church concerts and began to attend worship services on Saturdays. About seven months after joining the church, Tracey volunteered to help with prison ministries.

The prison work not only gives her joy but also has helped her control the attention-deficit disorder. Tracey said she is thrilled that it has forced her to stop procrastinating and to organize her week in such a way that she can assist the inmates in a timely manner – and care for her family at the same time.

Tracey still doesn’t have much money, but she is eager to keep giving her time.

“That’s what I feel that I need to give”, she said.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Find more mission stories at adventistmission[dot]org

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