Over this past weekend, God clearly opened an amazing door that I will NEVER forget! A door that could not be closed by hands, a door that had been anointed to be walked through before the foundation of the world and a door that I embrace and seek after with my whole heart! This opportunity had been prayed about, council had been sought and given over it and God's hand had moved upon it! Through it I have a greater fire within me and a deeper desire to reach out to a secluded and separated group of people...called inmates.
Many months ago, I had been given a book to read that is entitled
Cain's Redemption. As I began to read this story, it told of how God was using a Warden in what had been the most bloodiest prison in the United States, to change and transform the lives of some of the most committed offenders. Upon reading the different accounts, I was greatly moved and from that time, I had a burden and passion to visit that same prison one day! Well, God knew my heart...
The people who lended me this book also shared with me about an opportunity that I might be able have, to go this exact same prison and work with a minstery called
Awana Lifeline. As I further researched it I looked into going but one major thing held me up...I didn't have the finances. I went to the Lord in prayer and asked that if He provided the amount that I needed to go, I would know it was of Him. Finally the deadline for registration came, but God still had not yet provided for the finances, so I decided it was a closed door and I released it from my mind; little did I know what God had in store for me!
Even though this door had been "closed", God was not deaf to my prayer. On last Wednesday, someone walked into my office... from that moment on, things began to change rapidly! After being handed a white envelope, I quickly opened it and found the EXACT amount of money that I had been quoted to be able to come on this trip! There was only "one problem", I knew this was the amount I needed, but the time that I was supposed to have registered by had been supposedly up for me a looooooooong time ago...so what was this money for and why did God provide it now?
That evening, I went home and shared with Tabby what had happened. She immediately encouraged me to get back in contact with the person who I would have been heading down to the prison with, to see if there still was any way to go...so even though the deadline was already past, I gave it a try. I made the call and found out, that the last possible chance to register for this opportunity would have been that day at 5pm; it was now around 6pm. BUT, the man who I called knew some people in authority within this program and wanted to see me go, so he made some contacts and suggested that I should be ready to leave the next morning at around 5:15am to begin the trip to Louisianan! WOW...things all of the sudden went from zero action to 110% action in just a small amount of time!
The next morning I got up and headed out the door at around 5am. I had no clue what I was getting my self into and how God had already gone before me in SO many ways; but one thing I was absolutely assured of, that this was God's direction and nothing else! As we began making the 900 mile trip to Louisianan, we still didn't know for sure if I had a spot to be able to come...but we went in faith anyway! As I road down, I received a call from one of the head people that was orchestrating the
Malachi Dad's Celebration program that I would be participating in at this prison. They were asking for my legal information so that they could process my background check...the rest of the story from here, was history!!!!!!!
Having now been excepted I was already bolting through this door that was wide open for ministry in the lives of hurting men and families! Upon arriving at the
Angola State Penitentiary, I began to see and experience things I will never forget in my life! On Friday we received training to work with the
Malachi Dad's and we took a tour of the 18,000 acre prison facility. On the tour we visited places that will be forever etched in my mind and heart; places like death row (we did not go in) and the execution chamber, the k9 unit and the Persian horse barn that was used to facilitate the property. While some of these places are not glamorous at ALL, God still allowed me to experience them and to see what it is really like for an inmate to have a average life sentence of 89 years in prison and for many of them to have no Life giving hope.
Then finally Saturday came. I and around 300 other volunteers were assigned to our positions as a family assistant. This entailed being a personal chaperon for an inmate and his relative, so that they could spend the day together by fellowshipping in a fun fair fest that was put on by Awana Lifeline within the prison itself. Here, some inmate farther's were able to spend the whole day for the very FIRST time with one or more of their own children, which they had possibly NEVER seen before! For some of these inmates, it had been years since they had ever been able to hold, imbrace and spend time with their children or a family memeber.
Then Saturday was gone...the end of the day had arrived so the inmates went back to their places and the children left the prison, but lives were touched for eternity! I am so grateful and thankful first to the Lord for clearly providing and allowing me to go on this trip and secondly, to all those who prayed for me during this time! I am looking forward to seeing what all the Lord will do through this IMMENSE exsperience and the ones to come! God bless you all!!!
PS. Do to prison security, I was not able to take pictures of this event.
"And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." Malachi 4:6
