Dear John,

One of the hardest days for a woman to be in prison is Mother’s Day. Whether a woman is missing her own mom, longing to hold her children, or mourning broken relationships, the day can feel long and bring a sense of hopelessness. That’s one of the reasons we work hard to schedule as many events as possible in women’s prisons nationwide each May. This year was no exception, and I want to highlight the special ways we honored mothers in three Indiana facilities this year. At two, we were the first outside group allowed to hold an event since COVID-19 hit.

We kicked off our celebration with a Hope Event at Wheeler Mission Center for Women & Children, a homeless shelter in Indianapolis. The women at this facility, many of whom are about to be sentenced or are going through alternative sentencing, were blessed with the amazing talent of Solveig Leithaug. The Dove Award-winning singer-songwriter captivated the women with her stories set to music. My wife and Prison Fellowship volunteer, Martha Ackerman, and Betsy Wright, a Prison Fellowship staff member, both shared their testimonies of overcoming adversity and self-doubt.

Following the Hope Event, Betsy and Martha led the Wheeler Women of Higher Ground, a long-term recovery program, in their first session of Create: New Beginnings, a restorative arts program that empowers women to acknowledge critical emotions and develop self-awareness through the lens of artistic expression. Create: New Beginnings includes 10 workshops that allow women, who often carry crushing emotional burdens, to open up and explore them in a safe, soothing environment. They are reassured and challenged by the Scriptures and discussion woven throughout each workshop.

The next day, this same team was welcomed into the Indiana Women’s Prison for the first time ever! There were 170 women in attendance for the mother-honoring Hope Event. Many women asked for prayer and surrendered their lives into God’s hands. Everyone left the chapel feeling energized. The event was attended by Warden Turner, who shared that this was exactly the encouragement the women needed.

Martha and Betsy then led 15 of the women in the first session of Create: New Beginnings, where they held a discussion on rooting out shame and self-doubt. At first, Martha says, “It was a bit like the beginning of cracking a nut. But when they did talk, it was powerful and heartbreaking at once. You could see they felt a huge release.”

We wrapped up our time in Indiana with a Mother’s Day Hope Event at the Madison Correctional Facility. Once again, we had over 170 women join us to be blessed by the team. The altar call was long, and many women committed or recommitted their lives to Christ. The facility staff attending the event were also touched and expressed their gratitude. The facility chaplain shared afterward, “A couple ladies said, ‘Something broke in me,’ and they were meaning in a good way. Everyone said they loved it and it was encouraging and uplifting. Thank you all for coming.”

In the days following, Indiana Women’s Prison and Madison Correctional Facility reached out to request more events and programming. We have also been asked to bring programming to the Rockville Correctional Facility, which is the last women’s facility in Indiana we have not yet reached. Praise Jesus! What a testimony of the impact the Gospel is having inside prison walls.

Afterward Betsy shared, “It was a blessing and a joy to be able to launch two Create: New Beginnings workshops in Indiana during the week of Mother’s Day, and to have a mom say, ‘This was exactly what I needed: the atmosphere, happiness, encouragement, faith.’ Our goal is to bring hope and encouragement to the ladies, but I always walk away encouraged in my own faith and journey by the beautiful women we serve.”

Would you continue to pray with us for the women in the Indiana prisons? The Lord is opening doors of opportunity for ministry in prisons throughout the country thanks to your faithful prayers and ongoing support. Lives are being transformed for eternity through the power of Jesus Christ, and we are so grateful that you have joined us on this journey.

Praising Him,