This is the third Journal entry since we got back Sunday. The first two were mine, I finally finished my story today. This one is from Janice. Here is her side of the story 
.......... God is so awesome! I just have to share with you what happened this weekend. I told my sister, Judy, this story yesterday, and she encouraged me to record it, so I would never forget what God did, which is why I went into so much detail…so forgive the length of this letter. Feel free to browse…I wrote it more for me anyway, and thought you might enjoy reading it. Judy said an interesting thing…”You got to experience a little bit of heaven and a little bit of hell on the same day.” How true…but the best part is that God brought Heaven down right into that little bit of hell. No prison wall, no fence, no amount of razor wire, no heavy barred doors, no iron mesh doors, no guards, and no hard hearts can keep the Holy Spirit of God out of any place He wants to be! What a thrill to be able to partner with Him and experience His love, His mercy and His grace firsthand.
Here’s the story: This past Sunday, I went with my new friend Sandy down to Gatesville , Texas to help her out with 4 back to back chapel services in 4 different correctional facilities. The plan was for the 2 of us to lead the girls in a time of worship, then Sandy and I would share what the Lord had put on our hearts. Sandy is a wonderful teacher, and she was obviously carrying the load of this, for I neither sing, nor preach. But I was willing to accompany her beautiful voice with a joyful noise, and to add my 2 cents if the Lord led me to do so. And I was there to support her in prayer, if nothing else. We headed down to Gatesville on Saturday afternoon, about 3 hours away from DFW. We talked and prayed and sang all the way, enjoying the time of fellowship and the Lord. We spent the evening at the hotel preparing our hearts and seeking the Lord for what he wanted us to share.
On Sunday morning, bright and early we arrived at the first facility, only to be told that all of our chapel services had been cancelled due to a lack of=2 0security staff. Apparently about 20 guards had called in sick that morning. Well, well, well. Now what?
Sandy immediately remembered that Linda Strom had called earlier in the week and asked Sandy if she wanted to go with her on Sunday to Death Row at another facility in Gatesville. Sandy , a little disappointed, told Linda that she couldn’t because of her prior commitment to these other chapel services. (Linda runs Discipleship Unlimited and is the precious saint who mentored and became very close friends with Karla Faye Tucker, the first woman executed in the state of Texas in 100 years. The Lord transformed Karla from a cold, hard, murderer, to a precious, humble, loving, and joyful follower and lover of Jesus Christ.) Anyway, Sandy called Linda right away to say that we were now available to go with her to Death Row, if she still needed us and if she could miraculously get us on the prison list. This is typically done weeks ahead of t ime, almost unheard of to be approved to get into any facility on the day of, especially for Death Row.
Linda took our driver’s license numbers and told us to pray for favor.
Within 5 minutes, she called back and said “You’re in!”
Sandy was elated and shouted, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” I, on the other hand, whispered, “oh! oh! oh!” As you probably remember, I’ve only been on one prison event. Granted it was 2 long days, in 2 different facilities, but it was only one event. Sandy has been ministering in prisons for many years. And, she had gone to Death Row with Linda in the fall and loved it, and was so hoping to see those women again. I tried to smile and look excited, but on the inside I was crying out, “This is not what I signed up for today!”
< FONT face=Calibri size=3>Jehovah Sneaky was at work again. That is my new nickname for the Lord. He knows that I am smiling as I say that with all due respect and affection. Prison ministry was never on my “To-do” list. I had laughed and told him a few months ago, “You tricked me!” …and I felt he answered, “Yes I did, and you’re going to love it!” Jesus knows my weaknesses, but He also knows my strengths. He is showing me that He believes in me more than I believe in myself. With His power and strength…I truly can do all things through Christ. He knew that I probably would not have gone with Sandy if she had asked me to accompany her to Death Row. I would have said that I didn’t feel ready for that. But, He wanted me there Sunday, to teach me about myself, about Him, and to experience a little bit of Heaven come down to Earth! So he cancelled our “plans” and inserted His own. Life with Jesus is definitely an adventure!
We now had 2 ½ hours to wait. We went back to our hotel, and although we had checked out earlier, they let us back into our room. We prayed, worshipped, read the word and rested. A peace and calm came over me and I was surprised at how relaxed I felt. I even fell asleep for a few minutes. I know I was covered in His amazing grace. I should have been shaking like a leaf, but I was calm as a cucumber. (How is a cucumber calm?)
Pretty soon it was time to go, and I bravely walked to the car. Sandy had a bounce in her step, and I was just proud that she didn’t have to pull me along behind her. We met up with Linda and 4 others in the parking lot outside the fences of Mountain View Prison. Linda informed us that only 2 of us would be going into Death Row. The two had already been chosen, and so Sandy and I would be accompanying Linda in going cell to cell.
I breathed a sigh of relief, Sandy resisted the temptation to be disappointed, trusting in God’s sovereign plan. We all knew that He was up to something, for it was such a miracle that we were even there. Little did I know that what I was about to do (according to Sandy ) was way scarier than going to Death Row.
After going through the security check, we walked into the prison. My eyes were wide open noticing every detail. Linda and her team had been here many, many times, and they walked and talked with such grace and ease. I took great comfort in being with them. A security guard led our group through the tiers of gates and doors. I was the last one through the final gate, and turned to see that there was no security guard behind me. “Am I supposed to close this gate?” I called out to20the women ahead of me…meaning am I supposed to close the gate, of course I knew that the gate was supposed to be closed, I just didn’t know if it was an automatic gate, or if a guard was coming behind me. They all turned and laughed, saying, “Yes, Janice, this is a prison you know! You have to close the gate!” Of course, I was the brunt of good natured fun the rest of the day!
We were taken to a lovely chapel with worn pews and paneled walls. Lots of books lined shelves across the back, and banners hung over the altar proclaiming hope and God’s love. We waited here for instructions. After a short while, more guards came. One took the 2 women to Death Row, and another led us to a small building I would later learn was called the Seg Unit (segregation). Once inside the Seg unit, we were quickly divided into 2 groups, and before I even knew what was happening, Sandy and I were following a guard down around the corner. She began to unlock a=2 0heavy barred door. Behind that door was a narrow hall with tiny cells on both sides. Each cell door was made of diamond shaped, lattice-like iron mesh, with a locked small door flap in the center, presumably for passing food in and out. The diamond shaped holes were so small that a finger would not fit through. Perhaps my pinky fingertip might have been able to get through.
As the guard unlocked the door into the small and narrow hallway, she hollered out, “You’ve got company!” Then she told us that if the girls want to talk they will turn their lights on and come to the door. She continued to walk about a third of the way down the small hall where she unlocked and opened wide another heavy barred door, then continuing on two-thirds farther she unlocked and opened wide the third heavy barred door, leaving us to freely walk up and down this small hallway. In each section behind the barred door, there were probably about 6 tiny cells, three to a side.
Slowly, I followed Sandy, who fo llowed the guard, deeper into this hallway. Immediately we saw girls with their faces pressed to the mesh staring at us. I smiled shyly and waved to the first girl, and then the girl in the second cell to my left said, “Hi.” I turned and looked at this pretty young girl, having no idea what to say to her. I said “Hi” back and then we both looked at each other. How do you start a conversation with a girl in such a confinement? “How ya doing?” didn’t seem quite right. “It’s a beautiful day” didn’t seem right either. While I was struggling for words, I noticed that Sandy was already in the back talking to someone. I told the girl that I was going to start in the back of the hall, and that I would be back in a few minutes to talk to her. Then I headed straight to Sandy , my living security blanket! But before I got to her, at one of the last cells on the left, a beautiful young girl called out to me and immediately began to ask me questions about the Bible. I went over to her and through the iron mesh I saw that she had her Bible opened up on the floor behind her. Her small cell had a bed, a toilet, a sink, and a small shelf in the back where she had some books, some snacks, and some displayed cards sitting on the top shelf. There was a huge Snoopy card that was prominently displayed with large “Happy Birthday!” on it.
Veronica was easy to talk to. We talked about the Bible, we talked about how the devil binds us with lies, and that the word of God is truth and that the truth will make you free. We talked about the utmost importance of learning to fight those lies with truth. We talked about her attempted suicide, (which I gathered is why she was in the Seg unit) and how much God loves her and how valuable she is to Him. We talked about the fact that God speaks to His children, and that if she was a child of God then she could hear his voice. For he said that, “my sheep know my voice.” Then we prayed together and I said goodbye, moving down to another girl who wanted to talk.
If you hold your hands up in front of your face and criss-cross your fingers, you will have a vague idea of what it was like trying to talk to these girls with this mesh door between us. I could see the girl’s faces, but had to put my head close to the holes to get a good look. The guard later warned me not to get so close. You could actually see them better if you stood back, but that was not conducive for conversation.
Working our way down the hall, Sandy and I sometimes prayed together with someone, and sometimes we were on our own. About half-way down the hall, Sandy asked a woman who was standing at her door, “Is there anything you’d like us to pray with you about?” She said she’d like us to pray that their hall would have unity. When we finished praying, Sandy , following the leading of the Holy Spirit, began to sing to this woman. The acoustics in this little cement block hallway were wonderful... Sandy ’s beautiful voice sounded so sweet. Within seconds it was obvious that everyone in there was listening to her sing, even the guards were captivated…you could have heard a pin drop. I’m telling you that Heaven came down and filled that tiny building. It was one of the most precious moments of my life. Most of the girls pressed their faces to the doors and all listened quietly to her sing of the mercy of God. When she finished many of them applauded and asked for another song. She sang again. I stood in the hallway, (if I had stretched my hands out, I could have touched both walls) and raised my hands in worship. It was a Holy moment and we were standing on Holy ground.
I made it back to the first girl who spoke to me and was loose enough by now to have a wonderful conversation with her. The girl next to her was precious too. She told me all abou t her church near where I live, and I just kept thinking, “What on earth did you do to get yourself in here?” Not that I really wanted to know the answer to that, and I certainly would not have asked that, but oh my goodness, how sad to be in a situation such as these women were in. I can’t even imagine.
The Seg unit, as I have just recently learned, is for offenders who might hurt guards, hurt other offenders, and/or hurt themselves, and/or who are at high risk to try an escape. I read in a book last night, (written by Linda Strom) that as offenders are the outcasts of society, the girls in the Seg unit are the outcasts of the outcasts; the least of the least. This is where Jesus would be, Linda said. When I read those words, I began to weep. This is where the Lord allowed me to go. I was awash with emotion.
Anyway, the last girl (going this direction, she was actually the first girl in from the guards) wanted to sing us a song, and she did. She was so happy for us to listen to her. She sang a Leann Rimes song about the crucifixion and how the rain was really the tears of a thousand angels…or something like that. We prayed with her too and then said our goodbyes to all the girls. They thanked us for coming.
The guard locked the doors behind us; it felt something like a scene from Get Smart. I looked at Sandy and said, “Oh my, that was way out of my comfort zone! I feel completely s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d!!” Sandy looked at me and admitted, “That was out of my comfort zone too! That was so hard! I’d rather talk to a thousand people at a time rather than just one!” It seems that Jehovah Sneaky wanted to stretch both of us!
The other group finished at the same time we did. I told Linda that Sandy had sung for the girls and that they loved it. She said, “Oh, the girls on our side would love to hear you sing too.” She asked the guard to let us go back in to where they had just been ministering, and the guard seemed happy to comply. She led us over there, and went through the process of unlocking those heavy doors again. This hall looked just like the one on our side except…over each door was a sheet of scratched and nasty looking Plexiglas. I was told that this was to protect the guards from being spit on or from urine being thrown on them, or whatever. It was so-ooo intimidating. God knew I was not ready for this side…how gracious of Him to send us to the other…to only shock me a little! All 5 of us stood in the little hallway together as Sandy sang. The peace that filled that space was tangible. The women applauded, asked for another song, which they got, and then thanked us for coming.
We went back20to the chapel, and before long the general population began filing in for their Sunday chapel service. It was obvious that many of these women were followers of Jesus. We had a wonderful service, Sandy preached a powerful message, and then Linda said we would have ministry time since we had so many volunteers. (There were 8 of us now) Many came up to us with tears streaming down their faces, asking for prayer. The three tearful women I prayed with all expressed remorse over causing so much pain to their families. The women left the services with a spring in their step, some blowing kisses, most waving goodbye, and many telling us thank you for coming.
Later that evening we had another chapel service in the faith-based dorm at another facility, the Murray prison. What a joy! These women were so in love with Jesus and the joy of the Lord was certainly present in the room and contagious! There was so much laughter and happiness. I was blown away. We w orshiped together and I turned so that I could see their precious shining faces. Wow!! Young, old, short, tall, big, thin, white, black, Hispanic…all together as one body. Sandy preached again, another powerful word which they readily received. I was thinking that most churches in America have never experienced such pure worship, such joy and happiness, and/or had the blessing of having the discipleship, teaching, and mentoring that these women are enjoying. I believe that these women will be leaders in the body of Christ one day.
It was an amazing and exhausting day! Sandy and I talked excitedly about it all the way home. We were so blessed and encouraged by all that God did for us and through us. Last word of warning…Be careful when you say, “Here I am Lord, send me!” No telling where you may find yourself. And be sure to look out…Jehovah Sneaky is on the loose, working out all the details to position us just where He knows best, to get us o ut of our comfort zones, stretching our faith and dependence on Him, so that He can bless our socks off when we say yes, showing off His marvelous glory with great and awesome works on our behalf! Praise Him!
It’s all about YOU Jesus! It’s all about You!!
I am so happy to be able to share with you all that God is doing in this ministry and in life. What an awesome God we serve! I will do my best to share with you weekly what is happening at each class and event God allows me to speak/sing at. Check back often! God has been very busy! For the Jail/Prison journals, go to www.setthemfreeministry.com
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