Our Stories

Letters To Tess

Dieuwke Hoodcamp is well known to many of us for her volunteer work in our community, but did you know she is also a writer of stories?    Dee gives us an outline and reason for writing her recently published book.

Is writing a book difficult?
No, not for a dreamer like me. With a husband who did not talk much during our many road trips, I had plenty of time to ponder all kinds of tales. When I retired, I followed my mother's example, who wrote every chance she had and put pen to paper. Or rather fingers to keyboard.

Letters to Tess is my 6th book, but the first published. I considered writing a mere hobby and never thought my stories made the grade. That was until Jessica asked to read it and told me it should be available to others. Thank you, Jess, for pushing me out of the nest.
Letters to Tess is a story about betrayal, deception, pride, sin, faith, forgiveness and redemption. It is a story about modern young people who think they can live life without God.

Until things go pear-shaped.

I love all my characters; they are all people like me, with vices and virtues, a heart and a soul. I have tried not to resort to melodrama or sentimentality so that both men and women can enjoy the story.
My greatest trouble is that I think it is not complete.

What would I change?
I would make the source of the gift of forgiveness more clear-cut. I would add that the most beautiful words that Jesus ever spoke were: ‘It is finished’. After repentance, sin is finished. Sin lives no more. As far as the East is from the West!
Satan will try to remind us of our shortcomings. We can confidently tell him, ‘It is finished,’ and rejoice.

You can purchase “Letters to Tess” from the welcome desk each Sunday for $20.00. Dieuwke generously donates $5.00 of each sale to Kindness Works.

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