Mother's Day Service

Dear Friends, Family, and Prayer Warriors:

Saturday May 6, 2023, our small team, Joyful Expressions (Kim, Pastor Tim, Paula and Ramana) joined Prison Fellowship’s team (Eric, Katharine, Pierre, and Georgia) at San Quentin Prison for a special Mother’s Day service in Chapel B.

The prison sits above a sweeping, gorgeous bay, and its’ aging Gothic buildings give no hint from the outside of what we experienced once we went through multiple iron gates and set foot in Chapel B. The presence of the Lord is so strong there; it is truly holy ground. The men greeted us enthusiastically; soon the Chapel was packed–the men are so hungry for God and for worship. 

We had a plan coming in, but sensed strongly Holy Spirit had a direction He wanted to go in this service, so we followed it.

I asked the men how many of them have praying mothers–nearly every hand went up. I felt led to share how God sovereignly, supernaturally delivered my son from addiction to crack cocaine when he was literally days from death at age 18, as I cried out to Him for my son in a worship service many years ago.

Throughout the service, the power of a praying mother was emphasized. Later on, I asked God how I could thank Him for saving my only child. “Train for Prison Ministry” was His answer–and I’m still loving it and serving Him in it many years later.

The song “Use Me” by Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir is so anointed; the congregation sang along and worshipped with us. Kim took us higher still with “He’s Been Faithful” and “I Know The Plans I Have For Your”, then Ramana on vocals and keyboard kicked it into high gear with the San Quentin Worship Band doing “Let Me Tell You ‘Bout My Jesus”. 

Eric introduced Georgia, the mighty woman of God and Evangelist he brought up from Los Angeles for this service. She is about 4’10 and so full of Holy Spirit and the word of God, she is like a stick of dynamite!  Georgia shared her testimony of having a 25 years to life sentence at one time; had not known God, but when she had her encounter with Christ, she went ALL the way in and has not looked back since. She encouraged the men to do the same; saying, “What’s written on your papers by man is meaningless! The ONLY thing that will endure forever is this book”–waving her Bible over her head. She preached from Numbers 13: 30-33, urging them to get their report only from God and His word, not external sources. 

The San Quentin Gospel Choir and Band came up and literally rocked the house with soulful praise and worship–we could not sit still or sit down as we worshipped along with them. They are mighty, mighty, mighty!!

Chaplain Etic came up and preached a powerful invitation to receive Christ and rededicate their lives to God. As we bowed our heads in prayer, men began streaming up the aisle and went on their knees–easily 40 or more men went up for salvation and prayer. Joy broke out and The San Quentin Choir and Band went back into more spontaneous praise and worship…in fact, it was truly hard to leave the chapel today; none of us wanted to go but eventually, we did. Our prayer is that we all get invited back, and soon. 

~Paula Caddy for Ebenezer Outreach Ministry and Joyful Expressions