When Tamber signed up to become a Crossroads mentor, she expected to help women in prison grow in their faith. What she didn’t expect was how much she would grow too.
“Crossroads is an extraordinary example of being a living epistle by building connections and relationships with women in prison through Bible studies and letter writing,” Tamber shared. “The relationships that I have built through the Crossroads mentorship program have been life-changing for me. As a mentor, the lessons have helped me to maintain consistency in meditating and studying God’s Word.”
Tamber’s compassion for the women she mentors comes from a deeply personal place.
“I did not go to prison,” she said. “However, I went to jail the night before Easter in 1998 and repented of my sins and confessed Jesus as my Savior that night. I spent my teen and young adult years using drugs, alcohol, and running away from God. That night I surrendered to Jesus, even though I had spent years mocking and talking badly about those who were believers.”
That moment of surrender changed everything. Today, Tamber says she can relate to her students’ struggles because she knows what it’s like to be broken and redeemed by God’s grace.
“The women I have mentored have been an encouragement and inspiration to me, and I am so grateful for Crossroads studies that have helped keep me consistently studying God’s Word,” she said. “By God’s grace, He has given me this gift to connect with women about God’s Word, our pain, our failures, our victories, and how God is faithful even when life is hard.”
Through the exchange of letters and Bible lessons, Tamber and her students share more than Scripture—they share life. Their correspondence is filled with honesty, encouragement, and hope, building bonds that transcend prison walls.
“I can recall many instances when I received a letter of encouragement or a prayer from one of my students that was a gift from God,” Tamber said. “The joy of the Lord is our strength, and God has used Crossroads Prison Ministries’ mentoring program to plant joy in my heart.”
That joy runs both ways. While students grow in their knowledge of the Bible and confidence in God’s promises, mentors often find their own faith strengthened. They begin the journey hoping to encourage someone else—and discover that God is using those same letters to encourage them.
This mutual growth is at the heart of Crossroads mentoring. As mentors walk alongside students through the pages of Scripture, God shapes both of their lives, reminding them that no one is beyond His reach and that His grace truly transforms.
If you’ve ever felt called to make a difference, becoming a Crossroads mentor is a meaningful way to share hope and experience God’s transformative work firsthand. You don’t need to be a Bible scholar—just someone with a willing heart, a pen, and a desire to walk alongside someone who wants to grow in their faith.
Through your letters, you’ll remind someone in prison that they’re not forgotten. And as you do, you might find, like Tamber, that God uses those same letters to grow your own faith in ways you never expected.