My forever life changing experience

I just have to share with everyone Chad & I's experience yesterday.

As we all know Scott & Stacey Pearce come from a family line of the most giving, caring, & God loving people I have encountered. His grandparents (I now call Gma & Gpa Pearce ;-) ) have a Womens Prison Ministry. When I met them & they told me about it I immidiatley was very interested & I signed up as a volunteer to go for their annual Christmas visit. Chad did as well.

I had been looking forward to it but because of all of the rules & regulations that gma pearce gave us, I kind of started to get nervous & a little scared lol! But I'm telling you once we got in the prison chapel- I was overwhelmed with peace. We were there from noon till 9 at night and the entire day was nothing we imagined it would be...

We got into the chapel & some of the well behaved women were chosen to help the volunteers, so we were able to meet about 7 or 8 of them first hand. The ministry brings the women in the prison gift bags filled with shampoos, deoderant (ect.), a Xmas card, and an apple. Things that we wouldn't necessarily be to excited about- but they were. (we are limited to what we are aloud to bring them). The women we first met were so..... angelic, peaceful, & so unbelievably greatful. They stood up and told us a little about themselves, & what they would like us to pray for. These women had gotten saved in that very chapel a year or so before & their lives were changed. They genuinley loved God. And when they asked for prayer it wasn't for themselves, or to "get out" ... It was always for the other women in the prison to find God, & for their families to have peace & also to find God.. To me that was amazing.

Then we all hand delivered the gift bags to all of the women in their "bunks". Not ONE women seemed un-greatful or uncomfortable. There were women crying, there were women hugging us so tightley they didn't wanna let go, & there was even a couple cabins we visited that sang "we wish u a merry Xmas" to us.

Let me remind you that it's all because of the hugs we give them, the love we show them, and the bag of shampoos we brought them.

Than Scott, his dad, & their band came to the chapel where we volunteers were and set up for the church service & worship. The women were able to chose if they wanted to come for church or not... Surprisingly there were soooooo many there! They entered with tears, makeup on & hair done & some even had their own bibles! Each one entered and hugged us repeatedly saying thank you to us.

Gma Lily spoke, worship started, and we got a word from a pastor about "hope"-- it was amazing. During worship almost every women in there was singing and praising.. there were tears- to whaling aloud -to singing in tounges- to some collapsing & hyperventalating. The presence of God was overwhelming and NOTHING like I have EVER experienced. He asked who accepted Jesus as their savior tonight & there were probably 20 women who got saved who weren't already. After that the pastor asked us volunteers to come to the front for prayer for anyone who had something they wanted prayer for. I was extremely nervous because I have never been able to pray what I'm feeling. I've always had trouble. The first young girl I prayed for walked over to me & she was very nervous & she just asked for prayer for hope. I was nervous but once I began I couldn't stop... God had my tounge on fire!!! Lol. While I was praying I felt her tears fall on my hand... & that my friends is something that will never ever leave my heart or mind. I prayed for others as well & the same things happened.

I cried so much the entire day that I had a migrain on the way home & threw up lol!

Than this morning I woke up thinking, "WOW! What if MY CHURCH (and esp me) were just as greatful and worshiped God during worship as if we were also in prison for life and God was our only hope??? We want visitations and supernatural things from God to happen.. But it wasn't until yesterday that I realised how important it is to show God how much we need him, love him, & how GREATFUL we are about the things we DO have.

There are women in prison for horrific things.
there are some in there for something they didn't even do.
And there are more in there than we know that are delivered from there past & have repented.
In Gods eyes, their sin is NO greater than our sin.
And there are even people not in prison who should be.

So what I am saying is, we need to worship God for saving us before we ended up where those women are.. Because we all deserve to be behind bars. Be thankful for our soft and warm beds, our clothes we can change daily, our private bathrooms & showers, our freedom, our families, our friends, our pets, good food. EVERYTHING. And take full advantage of church that we get.. And praise & worship him as if he is our only hope!!!! Because he is. And there are so many people who want this and don't know what it is that they are searching for in life.

I can't wait to go again. I wish I could be with them all the time.

I now know what my calling is because I RESPONDED to what God put in my heart. It was random & kinda confusing at first- but now I know why. The morning I got to the prison I had been going through some personal emotional struggles..I was confused & I wasn't getting or understanding God... His fatherly touch, his unconditional love.

Who knows when my next chance would have been... Or if I wouldve even been given another one if I didn't go. ... I may have even fallin away from my salvation..

I just wanted to share with you all & I pray that every single person in my church family experiences something like that. Or given the opportunity I was given if you haven't already. Look for it because it will change your life. This was one of the best things that has ever happened to Chad & I both. Words aren't even big enough to describe the holyness in the womens prison chapel...