My Family in North Carolina

These are the leaders of the Shepherds Heart Prison Ministry at Southern Correctional Institute in Troy, North Carolina

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Just yesterday I discovered that I have family in North Carolina that I never knew about before. It all happened so suddenly, and all because of an email. Let me explain. Three of our Disciplers classes take place behind prison walls. The classes are possible by the grace of God because precious, godly, selfless women give of their time, energy, and hearts to go to the correctional facilities each week and provide a Bible study class using Disciplers materials. They are the faithful women of Shepherds Heart Prison Ministry.

Several weeks ago here at Disciplers, we received a donation from one of those prison classes. It was a relatively small donation, but it was a love gift from the Shepherd’s Heart leaders of that class. Those leaders are not paid, and of course the inmates are unable to make donations. But in addition to paying for the printing of lessons for about two hundred inmates and fundraising in order provide them with gifts at Christmas, they sent money to Disciplers. 

The Lord spoke to my heart about receiving this gift and I immediately felt that Disciplers should not be receiving the donation, but making one instead. I immediately sent a note and an email to the leader of the group, telling her of my thoughts and of the burden God had placed upon my heart to pray for the women of Shepherds Heart and the precious ones they serve.

Not long afterwards, I received an email saying that what I had written had been shared with the inmates. And suddenly and gloriously I was given family in North Carolina. I am praising the Lord and praying for these precious women. I would like to share with you parts of the email I received from the dear woman who is the teaching leader of this Shepherds Heart class at Southern Correctional Institute in Troy, North Carolina. Here it is. It will explain about my new family.

Hi Suzie, 

Oh, how I wish you ladies of Disciplers could have been present at the prison when I read your note to the ladies!  As I read them your promise to provide their lessons and your promise to keep them covered in prayer they were so humbled and so joyful and so appreciative.  Then I read them your email where you said that you wanted to help the next time we fundraised.  That took them over the edge!  It’s like your generosity to them was just never going to stop!  Many of our beloveds shed tears of gratitude while at the same time giving all the Disciplers team and God a shout of praise and thanksgiving!   Your gracious and loving generosity just overwhelmed these women who often feel forgotten and unloved.

Your note and email was an expression of God’s love to them.  Through you He lavished His love on them!  THANK YOU!!!  Thank you so much!

I wish I could send you a picture of God’s imprisoned Beloveds at Southern Correctional Institute.  They are so radiant with the Spirit of Christ!  In their eyes you can see a deep hunger for God’s Word.  I wish you could hear the in-depth answers these women share on the Disciplers Bible Studies questions!  Wow!  They sometimes spend hours on just one question! 

These women are not just prisoners, they are Prisoners of Hope.  They are Worship Warriors who have accepted God’s call to use their “time” as His time, regardless of the consequences they may face from other prisoners!   Their walk is so vibrant and victorious that they’ve acquired a nickname in the NC Correctional System; they are called The Jesus Camp!  Oh, how I wish you could meet them. 

Even though you may never meet them face to face, we are united through Christ and these women see Disciplers as Family.  And these women PRAY over their family members!  Already they’re asking, “How can we pray for our Family at Disciplers?”  And know this, when these Warrior Women commit to pray, they truly commit to pray!  You have a team of Worship Warriors storming the Throne of God on your behalf! 

Thanks be to God for His unifying Spirit who unites us in prayer, even when we are miles and miles apart! 

Did this touch your heart as it has touched mine. If so, I hope you will remember to pray for the Shepherds Heart Prison Ministry in North Carolina and for those beloved women to whom they minister the word of God. They are my family.

From my heart
  ~Suzie

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