An Inside Christmas
From Minnesota CRI State Rep Ashley Gorka - Waseca FCC

No Santa, no presents, no tree, no stockings, and no blinking decorative lights. A simple white sheet on the wall. A projected fireplace. A piano. Dimmed lights to feel like a family living room.

On December 23, 2011 the women at Waseca prison joined Jackie, the worship leader from CRInside, to celebrate Christmas. The room was packed and the series of events that ensued can only be explained as God reaching down and touching the life of every single person in the room by the birth of his son Jesus Christ. Jackie started with Christmas music and the bi-lingual praise team sang Christmas songs giving God all the glory and honor for the death and resurrection of his most holy son. Surely this must have sounded like choirs of angels singing of the coming of the newborn savior!

Jackie read of the Christmas story from the book of Luke. A simple telling of an incredible story of the birth of the one and only true savior of the world. A baby wrapped in cloths and laying in a manger. Somehow this simple scene of our salvation was transferred 2000 years later into a prison chapel with hundreds of believers and non believers rejoicing in the birth of Immanuel “God is with us.”

Jackie invited anyone who wanted to receive Christ in their lives for the first time to come and accept his gift. 15 women came forward and publically committed their lives to Jesus! Rosemary, one of the inmates, prayed over each woman individually and thanked God for sending his son as our redeemer. Our past sins are forgiven by his work on the cross. Everyone including the Chaplain and his wife wept and praised. As the last prayer was said over these 15 women all the voices rejoiced and exalted his holy name.

All were invited to share their testimony or favorite scripture or verse. As they stood and shared, each with their own special story, Jackie noted how many spoke from memory! Each woman recited scripture and thanked our Lord and Savior for being saved. Imagine the room as they gave praise for having to come to prison to be saved. Women leading other women in both English and Spanish, believers leading non believers.  Our God is so amazing that He can take the pain from any past and use it for his glory.

Many more songs were sung by Jackie and the praise team with all the women who were even now renewed by the knowledge of their one and only higher power Jesus Christ. As Jackie was singing the closing songs she once again invited anyone to come forward and proclaim their King and 8 more women accepted the invitation of Jesus Christ into their hearts! 23 women total stepped forward to be acquitted and found not guilty!

There were no distractions for anyone as they experienced, maybe for the first time, the true meaning of Christmas. Many women shared that this was the best Christmas they have ever had and it was inside a Federal Prison!  Jesus can be found anywhere by anyone seeking Him. That some have to be completely broken with no distractions was part of His plan all along.