I continue to be amazed at what God is doing at in2Action, and 2019 has only enhanced this amazement. While I was confident in my decision to leave a career with the Missouri Department of Corrections in 2012 to start in2Action, I was not given a crystal ball and I had no idea how long this “season” of my life might last. I did not know if I would operate as a one-man show, managing an 8-person transition house for a couple of years….or maybe in2Action could become more sustainable and I could work here for ten or more years? Today in2Action has 46 beds at five different houses, we employ two full-time and two part-time staff, we have some of the best outcomes in the state and we have earned the respect of local service providers, city and county governmental agencies, and the Missouri Department of Corrections and the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Most importantly, however, we have earned the respect of people being released from prison and returning to the Columbia/Boone County area. I am blessed to receive text messages, usually daily, from our residents stating things like “in2Action has saved my life;” “Please let me know how I can give back, this program is awesome;” “I got a job today, thanks so much;” “I saw my son today for the first time in years;” “I have been out for a month and stayed clean.” I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.

Included in this special edition newsletter are several efforts/accomplishments for 2019. Please know, however, we do not measure success by how many beds we have added, the amount of grant funding we have received, or the number of new partners we have engaged in the community. No, at in2Action we consider ourselves to be successful when we see the lives of those, we serve transformed into something more glorious than they could have ever imagined. I am grateful to report, we get to see this daily at in2Action.