Hi Friends!
If you are like Mart and Tim and just want the bullet points, scroll down to the paragraph with the stars 
If you like the stories and details, you can start right here....
What a month we had! Denton County was incredible. I had the blessing of working with Anne and she is amazing. The girls adored her and she jumped right in as if she had been doing it her whole life. The week is so much nicer when there is someone there to share it with.
Just a few highlights of the week include girls who stayed an extra week when they could have bonded out earlier but they didn't want to miss the class. I find that amazing every time I hear it! The Chaplain tells us this is the most requested class he has ever seen and most effective he has encountered in all the years he has worked for the state. That is so encouraging. Another highlight came from a young girl who came back from her attorney visit smiling bigger than I can tell you. Earlier in the week, I told the girls about how God transforms us so much that people begin to see God's glory in our faces. I shared a story about a man who told me I glowed once after God showed me that scripture. Anyway, the girl in my class wanted that to happen to her too. So, when she comes back from her attorney visit, we assumed by the look on her face she was going home soon. We asked her how much time she had. It was so awesome. She just looked up beeming and said 'My attorney said I am radiating!' She didnt care that she had just been sentenced for 4 years (I think that is what the sentence was) anyway, she was so excited that her attorney noticed the changes in her she didn't care about anything else. It was such a great witness for all those girls and blessed me so much.
One more highlight before I move on. Jody was a girl in my class last year. She was the one who had a seizure in the classroom we were locked in. She had been so heavily medicated that week, I couldn't believe how she kept showing up even though she wasn't able to keep her head up. Anyway, she was still there and wow! She was so different. She was radiating, passionate and so on fire for Jesus. She was mentoring several other girls and I could tell God really did a work on her. She said that she had taken in more than I thought the last time she was in my class. She was a huge blessing and I can't wait to see what God does with her.
Okay, I have to move to the next event. The Murray unit was incredible and I am still in awe of what God did there in 8 hours. I was in the Faith based dorm with a group called 'Dicipleship Unlimited' Linda Strom is the founder and she has been so amazing to me. She has opened doors that I was never able to walk through before. Anyway, we did the whole program in one Saturday. I thought for sure it was too much for the girls to take in and way too long sit still. Boy did they prove me wrong! They sat on the edge of their seats all day. I never once saw any of them do anything distracting! God moved in a mighty way not only with the girls incarcerated but also with the volunteers. It was a day I will not soon forget.
After speaking an average of 6 hours a day for 5 days (in Denton County) and then almost 8 hours straight on Saturday ( the Murray unit ) I was blessed to also speak in the church service for the general population at Murray. That was a huge group of women! I sat there thinking ' can I fill two hours of a service when my voice is about to go out any second?' Well, God is faithful! It turns out the girls there had put together a Christmas program that lasted and hours and a half. All i had to fill in was 30 minutes! I was so happy. My voice barely made the 30 minutes. I love how God works. It was the most powerful 30 miuntes of my life. God just filled me so quicky and so passionately it suprised even me! I had a prepared lesson, that not what God had me do - I love it when He does that
I pray I will have the privelege to work with Linda's ministry again. They are such a blessing to work with. I know God is not done!
Paula, from Embroidme Plano is making shirts for us to sell online to hopefully help get some money in the door. When the website is up, I will let you guys know so you can check it out! We are needing to bring money in, I have been so busy with the prison runs that I neglected getting money for the books. Now we are in a bit of a hurry to get them payed for and printed.
Next year is filling up for retreats and Prison runs. I still can't believe God allows me to do this!! God has gathered an incredible team of women together. I am in shock at how God brought each of them out of the blue just when I needed them most! Now, we are training for all that is ahead. It is so cool!
Last, this year was a very rough year - I can't tell you how happy I am to put this year behind me! Still, I wouldn't want to trade in what God taught me for anything. So, for a couple of years people have told me I needed to write a follow up book but I honestly didn't feel God was calling me to do that. I think He might be now. I am a little intimidated just thinking about it but I found so much is missing from the original book! So, please pray as I continue to seek God's guidance on this.
Thank you all for your prayers and support. God is doing amazing things and each of you are a part of it!
****** Bullet point paragraph for people like Mart and Tim hehe... ****
We had an amazing year and an even bigger one coming. We need money and alot of it right now there ya go, there's the bullet points. Is that better?
Now.... go serve your KING!!
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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