(After being a Keynote Speaker at the YMCA Good Friday Breakfast)

Dear Melanie:

Thank you! Your presence this morning - your...warmth, smile, commitment, courage, leadership, joy, strength, LOVE, peace, humbleness, friendliness - was so evident this morning and so real for everyone present - and the perfect message for Good Friday. You were everyone's teacher today and we are all better people now than when we woke up this morning, because of you and your message. Your message is one that all the world needs to hear, and hear over and over again. Everyone today will tell your story to at least five people before the day ends and that makes about 2,100 more converts. Thank you for also getting us out of our comfort zones and getting us to hug and share our love for God and one another. One man told me he hugged his best friend for the first time ever, and they have been friends for fifty years. You are so special - we love you Melanie. The YMCA thanks you, this community thanks you, and this world needs you so very much.

Happy Easter Melanie.

Warmly,

Alan C. Hostrup
President & CEO YMCA of Greater Long Beach

Mama Melanie:

Thank you for all you have done to help me get my job back and for talking to me about the right things to do with my life and for my family. You are very appreciated.

BJ

Dear MATFA Mentors and Melanie:

Thank you for your time with us while we are still locked up, we appreciate all that you have done and are still doing for our cottage, keep up the good work, lives are changing.

Wilmer

Hey Mom:

As you may know I have been locked back up, this time for thirty seven years, I am sorry for all the times I pretended to be listening to you, now I see why it was so important to pay close attention to what you were saying, please pass this on to the other guys still at Nelles and let them know from me to please listen to all that they are being taught and to truly want to change the way that they live or they will end up just like me.

Carlos

(From the boy who murdered Melanie's son)

Mom:

It has been hard for many to believe that you have truly forgiven me for the thing that I did to your son Dee. I had no remorse at first but you kept writing me anyway and sharing the Word with me and telling me how you have forgiven me and want me to forgive myself.

Now when people tell me that you might want to hurt me. I tell them that's ok for what I did to her, she has the right, but you still tell me that you love me and that I can be forgiven if only I ask.

Well I have asked and now I have accepted Christ in my life, this is a long haul for me Life without parole but I can do it with Christ. Thank you for being my mom and accepting me in your program. I will do all that I can to help turn other lives around so they don't do what I did.

I love you.

- Name withheld.