Jail doesn’t stop women from mission work

  • Kayla Sylvester, Emilie Bolling and Hallie Thomason, from left, show off some of the bracelets they have just finished making that will accompany members of The Ridge Community Church on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic.
    Kayla Sylvester, Emilie Bolling and Hallie Thomason, from left, show off some of the bracelets they have just finished making that will accompany members of The Ridge Community Church on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic.
  • The ladies in the Fannin County Jail worked hard to make bracelets for the women and children of the Dominican Republic, making a total of 287. Making bracelets that carry messages including “Jesus Loves Me,” are, from left, Tamrah Hedden, Savannah Dillard, Tara Sharp and Haley Dillingham.
    The ladies in the Fannin County Jail worked hard to make bracelets for the women and children of the Dominican Republic, making a total of 287. Making bracelets that carry messages including “Jesus Loves Me,” are, from left, Tamrah Hedden, Savannah Dillard, Tara Sharp and Haley Dillingham.
  • Abbigayle Ownes shows off a bracelet she made that will be given to a child in the Dominican Republic during a mission trip by members of The Ridge Community Church.
    Abbigayle Ownes shows off a bracelet she made that will be given to a child in the Dominican Republic during a mission trip by members of The Ridge Community Church.
  • Erica Dean is shown being baptized by Rev. Dr. Chan Mitchell of The Ridge Community Church with the help of Kristen Young, one of the leaders of the Breaking Chains ministry sponsored by the church. Members of Breaking Chains visit the Fannin County Jail every week to “spread the love of Jesus,” Young says. Dean was one of several ladies in the Fannin County Jail to be baptized during a special service after professing their faith in Jesus Christ.
    Erica Dean is shown being baptized by Rev. Dr. Chan Mitchell of The Ridge Community Church with the help of Kristen Young, one of the leaders of the Breaking Chains ministry sponsored by the church. Members of Breaking Chains visit the Fannin County Jail every week to “spread the love of Jesus,” Young says. Dean was one of several ladies in the Fannin County Jail to be baptized during a special service after professing their faith in Jesus Christ.

    The women held in the Fannin County Jail can’t go on a mission trip to the Domincan Republic, so they are going in spirit by sending the fruits of their labor.

    Their desire to help began when they heard from Kristin Young and Carrie Cornwell how the two would soon be going on a mission trip with other members of The Ridge Community Church to the Dominican Republic. Young and Cornwell minister to the women in the jail on Wednesday nights as part of the Breaking Chains ministry sponsored by the church.

    “We talked to them about our upcoming mission trip and about what it’s like for those living in the Dominican Republic,” Young said last week.

    Working with the Cups Mission, the group from The Ridge will “minister to those in poverty and witness the love of Christ to those trapped in human trafficking,” Young said. Among the work will be feeding those at the garbage dump who are looking for food or items they can recycle or sell. The mission team also goes into the streets to pray with the prostitutes, and goes into homes to minister to families. “This is a love mission,” Young said.

    Hearing this, the women of the jail wanted to get involved, so Young went to Sheriff Dane Kirby to figure out a way. “He has allowed them to make bracelets for us to bring and give out to the children in the villages and the ladies working on the street,” Young said.

    The women immediately began “diligently working to make us a bunch of bracelets,” Young said.

    Those bracelets contain little phrases in Spanish such as Jesus Loves Me, Jesus Loves You, and Child of God. The women are also making Daughter of the King bracelets “for us to hand out to the prostitutes when we pray over them,” Young said.

    “The women of the Fannin Jail are excited to be a part of this mission with us and have expressed desire to do mission work to help others struggling when they are released,” Young said.

    This will be Young’s second trip to the Dominican Republic working with Cups Mission. There are currently 1,000 children in the mission’s program and over 43,000 lives have been impacted through its work.

    More information about the Cups Mission can be found at www.cupsmission.com.