Last fall we were blessed at PMC by the We Care “Amazing Grace Tour.”  Now I’ve been blessed by an on-site mini-tour in Atmore, and I want to share some impressions with my church family, supporters of this vital ministry.

              You will understand when I say I’ll always miss Ed and Doris; it may be harder to understand when I say I’m happy they’re there.  More convinced than ever that they are where God has called them to be right now, how can I not be thankful?

              Frank, Paul, and Pres have observed Ed in the prison environment and have testified convincingly of the ways God is using him in that setting.  I was able to see him relate at the We Care building site with three men from the Atmore Work Center, and I can only confirm our men’s testimony about Ed’s effectiveness.  His sense of humor, godly wisdom, and no-nonsense compassion combine to make him an extraordinary chaplain.

          I’ve wondered from afar how Doris could possibly handle the additional responsibilities pressed on her by the building program.  Being house parents for the young adult volunteers and hostess couple for the We Care base seemed a formidable challenge from the start.  Then a year after the Rancks arrived in Atmore, they assumed responsibility for hosting work teams ranging from one to ten members, most spending a week in Atmore.  Inmates from the Work Center assigned to the construction project add three or four hearty appetites to the table at lunch time.  January has been the busiest month so far, with Doris and helpers serving 1,064 plates, not counting leftover meals!

          When I marvel at what she’s able to do, Doris states firmly, “It’s a God thing.  If He didn’t enable, I couldn’t do it.”  The most encouraging part of her testimony is how fulfilling Doris is finding the work.  It isn’t at all where she would find satisfaction in the natural, but God has not only equipped, He’s giving joy.

           While planning, organizing, and supervising rest on Doris’ shoulders, she is deeply grateful for the indispensable assistance of others.  At the top of the list are the volunteers, especially the young women, who take turns assisting with housekeeping and meal preparation and clean-up.  From time to time, volunteer teams bring along a wife who is happy to help in the kitchen.  Doris’ sister Goldie often steps in at a critical moment, and Ruth Showalter, another sister, and Marjorie Rohrer were true Godsends during Crusade.  All that being said, Doris is performing an amazing job and finding “joy in the journey.”