Shared Sin and Shared Grace
God’s grace easily relieves a troubled soul, no matter who’s shoes you are standing in.
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…..had never been asked to do a personal piece of art
by Correctional Officer D. Linares I recently had an Adult in Custody (AIC) at Warner Creek Correctional Facility paint a beautiful piece of art, which displays me, a skier, at the Warner Canyon ski area-located in the Warner Mountains of south-central Oregon. Although my identity is obscured by a helmet,
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The Sound of Water
by AIC Artist Russel Thomas I was raised in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the town of Nevada City from an age of 8 to 19 years old. I was lucky enough to have the foothills of these mountains in my backyard. I love to choose to recall memories of
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It Was an Amazing Discovery……
by AIC Artist Russel Thomas Artwork is giving me a level of patience and confidence that I’ve never had before coming to prison. Doing art allows me to enjoy my time and space in a place that seldom offers such. When I draw, I tend to draw places I’d like
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It Seemed a Good Idea, Until….
(Originally written 2009. Updated 2026) By Dale Russell Picture it: a scorching Ugandan evening around 7:00 PM. The sun has finally disappeared, but it’s still about 90°F with humidity to match. As a visiting team, we’ve been invited to a special event—a.k.a. the weekly bee inspection at the Bee Center at
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Is Handwriting a Lost Art—or a Lifeline?
by Dale Russell What could an Adult In Custody (AIC) possibly share with a Ugandan orphan living at Otino Waa Children’s Village (OTW)? At first glance, the answer seems obvious: very little. One lives behind prison walls, the other within the fragile safety of a children’s village thousands of miles
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FROM BARS TO BRUSHES TO AI
(Let’s have fun—with purpose.) Artificial intelligence reflects humanity’s curiosity and creativity. Y. LeCun Observe people who are good at their work— skilled workers are always in demand and admired; they don’t take a backseat to anyone. Proverbs 22:29 AI-generated art is everywhere these days. Whether you’re scrolling through social media, spotting it
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We domesticated horses—so why not zebras?
by Dale Russell – (Highlighting AIC Artist zebra/horse creations over the years) On paper, it seems obvious. They’re basically horses in high-contrast pajamas, right? Well… not so fast. The Dutch actually did try to tame zebras during their time in South Africa, but the zebras responded with a clear, unanimous,
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Review of Amazing Things
by Dale Russell We finally have a moment to reflect on all the blessings that came out of the historic Radical Reconciliation Tour a couple of weeks ago. We were engaged in six meetings during the week-long trip around Oregon. Our guests were Pastor Nelson Vargas and Carlos Colón from
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God’s Beauty, Truth, and Hope – When Words Fall Short
Art piece showing stages of incarceration – arrest (left), discovery of art and purpose (bottom R) and the long-range benefit (welcoming into Otino Waa Children’s Village, Uganda – top) Life’s challenges can often leave us asking why—why pain, why loss, why struggle? Yet, Scripture reminds us that God never wastes
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I Can Make a Difference and Provide Hope
By AIC Clifford Mitts I have been donating art to Visions of Hope since 2010. I donated before I really understood what Otino Waa Children’s Village was all about. Over the years, I have come to understand how much impact we have had on the lives of hundreds of children.
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