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Volume 9, Issue 1

January-February 2006

Articles

"We Care" Prison Crusade in Alabama

Congregational Life

Did You Know...

Diggin In the Archives 

• First Church Sign

• New Church Sign

Thanks...

• Letter from EMM Missions

• Special thanks to those in congregation who weekly prepare the church for Sunday

Mexico Was Good 

by Mary Alice Vaughn

Moyers Travel to Peru

by Nancy Moyer

Library Nook

From the Pastor's Heart 

"Reaching Our Neighbors"  by Tim Kennell

“We Care” Prison Crusade in Alabama

The team ready to leave for Alabama

  Pres Nowlin, Marjorie Rohrer (Dayton), Donna Wyatt, 

Pat Hertzler, Ruth Showalter (Waynesboro), and Frank Vaughn. 

Marjorie & Ruth  helped Doris Ranck with the cooking for the volunteers.

 Preston Nowlin:

My week in prison in Alabama was tough but a true blessing.  The first day I went to the Atmore Work Center, I was excited about meeting prisoners and “getting them saved.”  The day was a disaster.  I felt totally out of place and had no real contacts with the prisoners.  That night I asked the other participants to pray for me, but wondered if anything good could come out of my time there.

After that Monday night meeting, a brother approached me and told me that he was glad I had such a bad first day!  He went on to tell me that God was at work in me, teaching me to follow His program, not my own.  That word touched me so that, on Tuesday, I entered the prison waiting to see what God would do.  For the rest of the week I had one-on-one contacts with the prisoners every minute I was there.  God guided me as I talked with them and He spoke to them also.

Thank you, Father for such an opportunity.  Thank you, PMC for your support!  Our team will put together a Sunday evening program to tell you more about our experience and to encourage many in the fellowship to consider going next year!

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 Donna Wyatt:

Making the decision to go into the Alabama prison system in order to share God's love was a real boost to my spiritual walk.  At first, I was pretty scared of the idea of trying to start up a conversation about the Lord with an inmate.  But I decided to break the ice by talking to the toughest looking inmate I could find. Her name was Barbara and her scowl melted as soon as I asked her if she had something I could pray with her about. She began by telling me she had been abused by her stepdad from the age of 9 and her mother had done nothing about it. She claimed to have Jesus in her heart and gratefully welcomed prayer for help in healing the hurts of the past and in finding forgiveness towards those who wronged her. I also asked God to help her find the forgiveness she needed to go on with her life. After that, it became much easier to go up to the other ladies and share the love of Christ. There were so many hurting there in the prison, but the Lord was faithful to minister to each one and I was so strengthened by that. The Lord ministered to my heart in a tremendous way as well that week by strengthening His love in me for those who are bound and brokenhearted.  

The unexpected death of my 22 year old nephew the first day I was in Alabama was something I was not equipped to handle. However, the Lord graciously took care of every detail that arose in this tragedy from the smallest to the most difficult. From working in my necessary training time for the crusade, to working out the details of getting a rental car, picking up another nephew on time at the Atlanta airport, guiding us safely on to Blue Ridge, GA. for the funeral and then back to Alabama so that I only missed one day in the prison. I am confident that because of all the prayers on my behalf, God never missed a beat or an occasion to show me how He delighted in taking care of one of His own.  

Pat Hertzler and I shared a room while in Alabama, and I could not have asked for a better roommate.  Being a detail oriented person, she  helped me all week by making sure I was on time for everything. We shared many laughs and even a few tears.  A lasting bond of friendship was solidified in the week we spent working together furthering God's Kingdom. We are already talking about going back next year.  Thank you to everyone who prayed for me and for the love and support that was shown me during the loss of my nephew. 

Pat Hertzler:      

My impression of prison:  razorwire, padlocks, guards, cooked cabbage, white prison clothes, cigarette smoke,  rules, loneliness,  metal, letters, tears,  sentences,  conviction, worship, dog-eared Bibles, women of all ages,  count-down,  no-privacy,  eating spaghetti with a plastic spoon, tall chain-link fences,  hopelessness,  prayer,  loud speaker, work-release, maximum/minimum  security, trade school, Bible Study, SAP (Substance Abuse Program), chaplains, inmates who are people desperately in need of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and a system of rehabilitation that prepares them for a hopeful second-chance for the future.

I was so touched and blessed to be a part of the team of women who ministered at Tutwiller Annex, the minimum security prison in Montgomery for women.  I will remember beautiful, 18 year old Jennifer who struggles to know the truth, Wendy who wants so desperately to begin a new life on the outside in several weeks free of drugs, Sharon, Tish , and many others.  Thank-you for being a part of this ministry by supporting us financially and in prayer.

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Frank Vaughn:

Some of the residents of the area call the place L.A.  I heard the term and asked, “What?”  L.A. is in California.  Yes, that’s true, but this L.A. is Lower Alabama.

My experience with the WE CARE Prison Ministry teams was, and hopefully is, a life-changing experience.  To those who had the vision of this way of prison outreach I say “thank you for being faithful.” Preparation by means of singing praises, preaching and prayer is the single most important aspect of the success of this ministry.  God’s power was evident to me those four days beginning with being totally disarmed of my plans I had to “save those men” or preach to them till they knelt and accepted Jesus as Savior.  God had other plans.  Listening and developing friendships seemed to be most important early on.  As the days passed, I actually looked forward to walking through locked gates to see if the ministry team music or invitations of the preceding night had any impact.  They did.  People actually began looking for us (me) to talk about things said or their feelings about salvation and their families.  One man who had been in prison for the last 20 years said to me, “See that fence and wire there?  That only keeps my body here.  I’m not in prison,  I’m free.  Forgiven, blood-washed, free.”  He was more free than I was at that moment.

Reflecting on the time I served during those four days in an Alabama prison, I feel that I am more free today than before.  Free to talk about Jesus, listen to people talk about their hurts, and really care enough to spend time with them.

I’ve been a believer for nearly 30 years, have been to many Bible studies, prayer meetings, revivals, and song services, a few mission trips and have even done some work for others with no interest in getting any payment for services rendered.  But to go into prison totally focused on doing God’s will, whatever that may be at the moment, is such a rewarding experience that I must say “I’m hooked”.  Like a fish with a sharp Eagle Claw hook on tough line embedded in his jaw.  Thank you to those who guided us to study Rick Warren’s book “The Purpose Driven Life.”  I’ve found a purpose to focus on.