Jan. 18

Ministry Partners,

Today after breakfast we mad the short drive out by the airport to the prison where we met Bishop Moses and three local chaplains. It is evident the the officers recognize Bishop Moses and it is nice to know that when Aaron is occupied setting up that I am very safe with him. This was a maximum security prison  so for the second time since I have doing prison ministry a woman guard frisked me and thoroughly checked my object lesson bag. 

When we got inside I was surprised to see all the prisoners assembled under a very large metal roofed open sided building. I could see there were prisoners in striped uniforms and then there were remand prisoners in grey uniforms and some in street cloths. The choir welcomed us with such wonderful singing and one prisoner played the keyboard the one of the chaplains brought.

The responses were many and the 4 testimonies were pretty much all the same: 

• He said he was thankful to God that today’s message as he received Jesus as his Savior and the message of forgiveness has set him free from the long pains of unforgiving. He was planning to get out and do something terrible to the person who put him in jail but today he forgave him.

As each each one finished their testimony I gave them a "Mama" hug and spoke a blessing over them. The other inmates laughed at first and then applauded.

Then it was time to leave and go to another area on the same grounds for a Med. security prison there. We had to wait for over an hour so we parked in the shade and had our PB&J sandwiches and bananas.

I must tell you that when we entered that prison and they took us to the building where we were to hold the crusade I was very disappointed. The building was so small and only a few 100 of the inmates could get in to hear me. But Aaron and I agree later that even though the group was small there was a tremendous outpouring of the Holy Spirit as so many men wept. And the responses to each invitation showed His work in their hearts and so did the testimonies: 

• He said how much, in the entire of his life, he had never heard such a message as today and he believed that today was the day God made just for him. He cannot wait any longer but to forgive immediately the person who brought him to jail and to forgive himself and be free.
• He wept so he could hardly share his testimony as he said after listening and watching the object lessons he realized how much he hurt his wife and children. He made them suffer and lack for things that would have helped them survive because he neglected them and married another woman. A few months later, he was arrested and put in jail. It is amazing that his first wife, the one he abandoned, came and visited him in prison but the second wife has never appeared to this day. It is his prayer that his first wife and children will forgive him and from today, he declares and pledges to live a changed life for his family.

 Again I "Mama" hugged each one and blessed them. The reaction of the inmates makes me wonder when the last time was they were hugged by a parent.

On the way home we asked Bishop Moses, who was in his car, to show us where the supermarket was and I must say, you will have to asked me in person about that journey. But we arrived at the supermarket and purchased water, bread and more jelly. With all the traffic we were very happy to find that the supermarket was just around the corner from our hotel.

We ate dinner and I wrote this blog before packing up everything as tomorrow, after holding a crusade at a local women's prison, we will be traveling. I will miss my room and air-conditioning.

It is so very hard to believe that we only have one more week of prison ministry. My time here has gone far to quickly.

We value your continuing prayers, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to keep us before the "Throne of Grace".

That none would be lost,

Arlene