Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others He has redeemed you from your enemies. Psalm 107:2
Do you know of anyone who is in prison? Most of us think that those in prison deserve whatever misery they experience as punishment for their crimes. But, God loves all men no matter how far they have fallen. He wants to reach them with his love and help them find hope.
Saying their wedding vows to each other
What a blessing it was to be asked to participate in and celebrate the marriage feast of 21 inmates. Our Prison Ministry team gathered together to make and decorate five wedding cakes as well as serve at this festive event. Our prayer is that these couples learn that joy is not found in material possessions, the circumstances around them, or how much fun they have in life, but that true joy comes from knowing the confident assurance of God’s love and that He will be there for them not matter what.
Karla, Cheryl & Monica serving cake
Week after week people all around us are accepting our Heavenly Father’s unconditional love and finding freedom from the wounds of their pasts through the Celebrate Recovery program. It is our prayer to eventually have a team of men that could bring the CR program into more prisons so that men could find freedom from past hurts, habits and hang-ups. We can only begin to wonder how different these 21 marriages might be with Christ at the center.
The most dynamic, life changing stories are from the people who have found Christ and wholeness but still remember what it was like to walk in brokenness. Let me tell you about Alfredo. His childhood was riddled with difficulties. Having an alcoholic father left him with a distorted view of a father image. He sought to fill his hopes and dreams through education. After years of studying he became an agriculturist. Filling his life with work, fun and relationships did not fulfill him. There remained emptiness deep within his soul.
Eventually Alfredo invited Jesus into his heart. Alfredo has gone through excruciating misfortune among his family members. With the economic downturn jobs are scarce in Mexico and opportunities to work in his chosen profession have been scarce. Through all of this Alfredo has clung to Christ in the midst of the grueling challenges. Nearly a year ago Rod began to go through the Celebrate Recovery program with Alfredo. By allowing God into the innermost shattered areas of his life, healing began. Alfredo may not have been to prison physically, but he was imprisoned emotionally.
Rod & Alfredo at the Celebrate Recovery Info table
Alfredo is just one of the many that are experiencing liberty from oppression through the CR program. Today Alfredo is serving alongside us in reaching out to others that struggle with past hurts. His enthusiasm is infectious! Please pray with us as we continue to raise up Mexican Nationals to serve in the Celebrate Recovery program. Pray that God will open doors to take the program into more churches and prisons so others can find hope.
Rod and I would like to thank you for your partnering with us in ministry. It is through your prayers that we find spiritual strength, and it is through your financial partnership that God provides for us and the needs of the ministry. Together we are seeing others brought into the Kingdom and healed from past wounds.
If you are interested in helping fund this ministry, please contact us rod@yugo.org or cheryl@yugo.org and we will guide you on how you too can partner with us in ministry. Daily we are seeing lives changed.
