Opening Prison Doors-Mar 2010

“But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.” Galatians 3:22

Click-jingle-clang, click-jingle-clang… The doors creak open after keys rattle and the guards confirm our proof of admission as our prison ministry team goes through eight sets of locked doors manned by armed guards. This is a weekly ritual as we enter into the secured area where a group of incarcerated women we work with are housed in the Ensenada Prison. We are warmly welcomed each time we get to our destination and enter into the area where the women are allowed out of their cells.


This cell houses nine women in the Ensenada Prison

These women enter into the prison system carrying pain from tragedies that have brought them to this place of separation, loneliness and despair. Each of these women carries her own deeply buried memories that have built up barriers, iron doors within their hearts that need to be unlocked so they can be set free from the pain from their pasts. Some of their hearts are guarded, as guarded as each of the doors we have to pass through to bring them hope. The Celebrate Recovery program we offer them gives them an opportunity to express themselves and break through the obstacles that stop them from receiving God’s love and healing. We as a team are in agreement; even if they have committed the crime they deserve dignity to find the love of God and rehabilitation.

God reveals himself to us through his Word, the Bible which is His Love Letter to us. He daily changes us to be more like Him, filled with love for others when we take the time to read and reflect on what He is saying through the Bible which is alive and powerful to change our lives. Each woman prisoner is given the opportunity to believe in Jesus Christ and secondly, encouraged to commit to reading and studying His Word which allows their hearts to be changed and transformed into His image.

Shortly after returning from Canada we continued missionary training. Our newest Canadian missionaries Jody and Angela came to Mexico with their youth from Immanuel CRC from Langley, B.C. one year ago. Both returned to Mexico July 2009 to join our staff in volunteering at Grace Children’s Home. Now they have committed to being short term missionaries. This year their youth group from their church body have returned to join us in ministry in Mexico and Jody and Angela are leading their team as YUGO missionaries. Good job ladies! The Immanuel CRC team served in Mexico in many areas of ministry, including presenting the love of Jesus through Drime (drama with music).


Rod, John, Gerry and Peggy waiting for fish tacos in Ensenada

My mom (Gerry), dad (John) and sister (Peggy) also came to visit us in El Faro. It was fun to have family on our turf doing the things we like to do best. We had a chance to do a fair amount of visiting and of course, shopping in the local markets in Rosarito and Ensenada. It was great to join up with the Langley group at a favorite taco stand after Rod led the group on an adventurous day experiencing the culture of Mexico.