I can’t stop thinking about my recent prison visit. I traveled with our development team to the Crain Unit in Gatesville, Texas, where several women in the Prison Fellowship Academy bravely shared their testimonies with us.
For some in our group, it was their first time ever stepping foot inside a prison. We were processed through security and sat down in the prison gym together, where we heard story after story of God’s abounding grace. These ladies prove what can happen when people like you make life-changing programs like the Academy possible.
Several of the women shared courageously about trauma they experienced in childhood, some learning to cope with drugs or alcohol. Another woman shared how she always blamed others for the problems in her life but failed to recognize the common denominator was always her.
But God was not done yet.
One mom, only 30 years old with decades left on her sentence, said the Academy has helped her focus on being the best parent she can be from prison.
Another woman said she thought she knew the Lord before the Academy, but now, she knows Him in a deep and personal way.
Still another woman said the program “transformed me from the inside out,” saying she’s not only growing healthier mentally and spiritually, but also taking better care of herself physically. She now has purpose in Christ and a sense of belonging in a restorative community.
Because of supporters like you, the Academy is not only breaking chains; it’s breaking cycles. Together, we are working to replace patterns of crime and incarceration with hope and renewal, one transformed life at a time.
I still remember the wave of hope that washed over our team that day. On the bus ride back from the prison, we swapped stories about our most memorable conversations from our time inside. Development Director Brian Fulton shared about one Academy participant who expressed some fear about leaving the program.
“Her face lit up as she transitioned to her hopes of starting a daily devotional ministry when she gets out,” said Brian. “The prison system is far more tragic than I had ever believed, but the hope that is born here is stronger than I had ever dreamed.”
Another team member, Jennifer Eckert, recalled the answers she received from the women in response to her question, “What would you want people on the outside to know about you?”
In different ways, they all said the same thing: “We wish people knew how hard we are working to change.”
So, to make sure you know, I’ll leave you with this: the beautiful mantra that Gatesville’s Academy ladies recite daily, in one strong voice.
Today is a brand-new day! A clean slate on which I get to show the world who I am.
My past does not define me, constrain my present, or dictate my future.
I am not who I was, but I am on my way to a better me, a stronger me, a restored me, a whole new me who has a story to tell.
I am no longer broken, no longer unable. But I am able!
Able to hope,
Able to dream,
Able to live in integrity,
Able to walk in responsibility,
Able to be part of a community,
Able to embrace productivity,
Able to receive and give affirmation,
Able to be a picture of restoration,
And I will be! There is no doubt! Just you watch … just you wait and see. My journey is not over … it is just beginning.
And I am on my way to a better me, a stronger me, a restored me, a whole new me who has a story to tell. Better than yesterday. Not done yet!
Hearing the women recite these statements, their voices collectively reverberating off the gym walls, filled my soul with gratitude. I’m grateful to each woman who gave us a window into her authentic and courageous pursuit of true identity. And I’m grateful to you for the support that makes it all possible!
Thank you for joining us to restore lives in prison and out. Please let our prayer team know if there is any way we can pray for you.
Joyfully,
HEATHER RICE-MINUS President and CEO
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