Free Indeed

Indiana Women's Prison

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Shelley Quinn (Host), Lemuel Vega (Host), C.A. Murray (Host), Shirwanda Boone, Lara Campbell, Michelle Jones, Christy Mann

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Series Code: FIN

Program Code: FIN000008


00:19 What can I learn from someone who is incarcerated?
00:24 What can a prisoner say to me?
00:27 What can someone who has spend time
00:30 in a place like this, what can they tell me,
00:33 what lesson can I learn from them,
00:35 can they say anything to me?
00:38 Can a person who has failed in life have a message for me?
00:45 Well, I think you'll be surprise
00:47 because the question is,
00:49 can we learn more from success or from failure?
00:55 Do we learn more on the mountain top
00:58 or down in the valley?
01:00 Do we learn more when we are being praised
01:04 or when we're being cursed?
01:07 Can a person who has failed at life
01:11 tell me something about my life?
01:15 I think the Bible tells us
01:16 that if we keep our hearts open
01:18 and our minds alert and that we always posture ourselves
01:22 in the position of a learner
01:25 that life has much to teach us,
01:27 even someone who has failed at life
01:32 has something to say to you, something to say to me.
01:36 On today's program we are again
01:38 at the women's prison in Indiana.
01:42 We're gonna meet some people who have much to teach us,
01:44 if we will but hear.
01:46 Shirwanda interview by Lemuel Vega
01:49 has a message for you and for me
01:52 and we're gonna meet Laura, also a strong testimony
01:57 and we get to hear her sing the song "grateful."
02:02 We get to hear a little bit from Christy,
02:05 who is a volunteer worker
02:07 and then there's a strong message on a merited favor,
02:10 "grace" by our own, Shelley Quinn.
02:12 So does life have something to tell us?
02:14 Yes, it does.
02:15 Does this program have something to tell us?
02:17 Surely, it does.
02:18 Can we learn something from those who have failed in life?
02:24 Oh, yes, we can.
02:26 There is always something to learn
02:28 if we keep our hearts and our minds open.
02:31 Stay with us on this edition of Free Indeed.
02:35 Today we're at the Indiana women's prison
02:36 and we have a special guest speaking with us,
02:38 her name is, Shirwanda Boone. Yes.
02:40 How long you've been in prison, Shirwanda?
02:41 I've been across already for 13 years.
02:43 Is this your first time in prison? Yes, sir.
02:46 So something must have went tragically wrong and--and now,
02:49 now you're in prison.
02:50 How long do you have yet remaining?
02:52 I have nine years remaining.
02:54 Could you share with me some hope and strength,
02:57 actually you'll be sharing with the world
02:59 some hope and strength that even though
03:01 you're in prison you--you seem to be pretty well, happy.
03:04 Yes, I am.
03:05 Most people have been addicted to drugs, alcohol,
03:09 but my addiction was love.
03:11 I was looking for love in all the wrong places.
03:14 I was reaching for love, but I didn't love myself
03:17 and I didn't dig within myself
03:19 to find what I really needed
03:21 and that was God as it states
03:23 in the Bible in Ephesians 3:18,
03:25 "That everyone should have the power of understanding
03:28 and God's people should no matter how wide,
03:31 how long, how deep, how high,
03:33 God loves you and that's the only love that you need."
03:36 Now before you got incarcerated or before,
03:39 you had two jobs. Yes, sir.
03:41 So you were working hard by society standards. Yes, sir.
03:44 You had how many children? I have three boys.
03:47 Three boys? Yes, sir.
03:48 And from a mother's heart that just--you just long
03:50 that your boys will not make the wrong mistakes,
03:52 Amen. Amen.
03:54 And are you able to share the hope and strength
03:56 that you have in prison with your boys?
03:58 Yes, I do.
03:59 My youngest son writes me now and give me scriptures.
04:03 He gave me Revelation 2:10 and he gave me Isaiah 54:17.
04:07 Wow, what a blessing.
04:08 Do have a favorite Bible scripture in closing?
04:11 Yes, I do, Isaiah 54:17.
04:13 "No weapon formed against you shall prosper."
04:17 Before we close and you leave...
04:22 would you just look out there because you're no longer
04:25 talking to your co-partners in prison,
04:27 would you look out there and share with those people
04:30 that are suffering today in society.
04:33 Yes, I will like for everyone to seek
04:36 the kingdom of God first
04:37 because no matter what high adversities,
04:40 trials, tribulations, there's--there's no love,
04:43 but God's loves and seek him
04:45 and get as far as you can into the word
04:48 and if you have to stretch out wide on the floor,
04:51 stretch out your arms
04:52 and surrender all unto the Lord, Thank you.
04:54 If we surrender all, then He can help us. Yes, sir.
04:57 Thank you very, very much, God bless you.
05:03 God is in my life everyday
05:06 and I'm just so filled with joy
05:08 when I talk about God, 'cause he's so amazing.
05:12 God is so amazing because I didn't love myself.
05:16 I thought I was ugly because of all the detrimental abuse
05:23 that I went through, but He is just so amazing
05:27 and he's always been there for me
05:30 and if it wasn't for God
05:31 I wouldn't be able to stay for 14 years in prison.
05:36 Lord, I'm grateful for the things that you have done
05:45 Yes, I'm grateful for the victories we won
05:54 I could go on and on and on about your works
06:04 Because I'm grateful grateful so grateful
06:08 just to praise You Lord Flowing from my heart
06:23 Are the issues of my heart, is gratefulness
06:34 Lord, I'm grateful, I am grateful
06:38 So grateful, Lord I'm so grateful
06:42 Yes, I am grateful, so grateful
06:48 Lord, I'm grateful for the things
06:53 that You have done
06:57 Yes, I'm grateful for the victories we won
07:07 I could go on and on and on about your works
07:17 Because I'm grateful, grateful so grateful
07:21 just to praise You Lord
07:28 Flowing from my heart Are the issues of my heart,
07:44 He is gratefulness God I'm grateful
07:51 I know somebody out there got to be grateful tonight,
07:53 right, come on, come on now.
07:55 Grateful, Grateful Grateful, Grateful
07:59 Grateful, Grateful Grateful, Grateful
08:04 Grateful, Grateful, Grateful, gratefulness
08:11 He is flowing from my heart
08:13 Grateful, Grateful, Grateful, Grateful,
08:18 Grateful, Grateful Grateful, Grateful
08:22 Grateful, Grateful, Grateful
08:26 gratefulness is flowing from my heart
08:32 Flowing from my heart Are the issues of my heart
08:50 Flowing from my heart
08:58 Are the issues of my heart, He is gratefulness.
09:24 Some times I get angry at God, but that's the human side,
09:28 you know what I mean,
09:29 but I just know that He's the only one
09:32 that I can depend on and I know that
09:35 He's the only way that I've got to this time, you know.
09:38 And He's blessed me so much,
09:40 I mean, most people wouldn't say that
09:42 about being in prison, but it could have been
09:44 so much worse 'cause I was in a domestic violent situation
09:48 and I got with a man who I thought was
09:50 just the best thing ever like
09:52 most females get involved with.
09:54 And he was gorgeous and he made me feel
09:57 like I was beautiful.
09:58 This was the first year or so and then everything changed
10:03 and with the first hit and I feel
10:08 like anything that was beautiful of me,
10:13 I'm sorry, that he just stole from me
10:18 and I had to hide from my parents
10:21 and I couldn't be around them.
10:24 My niece was just 11 months old and that's--
10:28 those are the times that I should have been
10:29 there for her, but I would either have a black eye
10:32 or my ribs were bruised and my hand was broke
10:36 and I would never take that around her.
10:39 So I tried to get away several times,
10:42 but when I would press charges,
10:45 they would say, they can't do anything
10:46 because we were married
10:50 and that's what happens with a lot of people.
10:52 Lot of people feel like they don't have anywhere to go.
10:55 I went through a lot of anger for a long time
10:57 saying, you know, why me but like I said
11:02 if I didn't have God,
11:05 I couldn't have made it through this.
11:07 and my parents have been so supportive.
11:10 I'm sorry.
11:13 Because I hurt them more than anything
11:16 and I know I disappointed them a lot,
11:20 but I thought that I was doing the right thing
11:22 by not going back to them.
11:24 And you know, trying to hide everything from them
11:27 because I knew they have a lot to deal with so.
11:30 If I have to go through this
11:32 in order for these changes to happen,
11:34 then I'm glad to do it.
11:36 But it's, you know, it hurtful,
11:38 but I've had to take my life back.
11:42 You know, one day at a time
11:44 and one piece at a time and it was never love
11:49 and it doesn't matter how hard you search for it,
11:52 there'll never be a love like God
11:54 and that's what I'm really trying to learn about myself
11:58 is I don't need a man to love me or somebody else,
12:01 you know, in prison a lot of times
12:03 women try to find love anywhere
12:05 and it's not their fault, they just, they don't get it.
12:09 And every single woman in this prison has been abused
12:12 in some way, shape, or form
12:15 and they just want to be loved
12:17 and I just think that if they would stop
12:19 and try to think about God's the only way,
12:23 He's the only way
12:24 and He'll put the right people in your life
12:26 when you're ready.
12:28 So I was very codependent, very codependent
12:31 and my self esteem was horrible,
12:33 but now it's, you know,
12:35 one day at a time I'm trying to change.
12:38 Today we are at the Indiana Women's Prison
12:41 and we have a lovely lady here,
12:43 Christy Mann and she's involved in
12:46 the--in the community outreach in the jail ministry
12:48 in her area.
12:49 Christy, what would inspire you to want to go back
12:53 in to the county jail or to--
12:55 To love these women that are in prison?
12:57 Okay, what I would say is that initially
13:02 I became involved in prison ministry
13:04 from working as a nurse
13:06 and in the jail in our community
13:08 and so many times I would just see the women--
13:13 And in some ways I saw myself.
13:15 I've heard at time and time again looking for love,
13:20 looking for someone who cares.
13:22 And it's just my heart's desire that,
13:25 that they would know, that they would know that
13:27 our Father in heaven just adores you,
13:31 adores everyone of you and--and I've been looking
13:34 at your backs this whole time
13:37 and every speaker that came up and said oh,
13:39 how beautiful you all are and I am just convinced
13:44 beyond a shadow of a doubt that our Father in heaven
13:47 up there looks down, looks at you beautiful women,
13:51 you do not have to be looking for love
13:54 in any of the wrong places because He is pouring it down
13:58 over your hearts as I speak right now,
14:01 I know He is.
14:03 And so I loved being a part of loving each one of you.
14:07 You know, you came here today
14:09 with a message of hope on your heart
14:11 and you would like to share
14:13 some hope with these ladies personally
14:16 and that the viewers that are incarcerated
14:19 by man standards around the world,
14:21 what is that message of hope?
14:23 What I would say, it relates to the scripture
14:25 that I brought out I don't think
14:27 anyone's mentioned it again, is keep on asking
14:32 and you'll receive as you ask.
14:34 Keep on seeking and you'll find. Amen.
14:37 Keep on knocking and that door will be open to you
14:40 for everyone who ask receives, everyone who seeks finds,
14:44 and to everyone who knocks that door will be opened
14:48 and I just want to encourage you to persevere.
14:52 It's been said verse after verse,
14:55 the scripture of hope,
14:58 you know, our God's plan for you is of hoping
15:02 and not of calamity and I just persevere
15:05 and ask, knock, seek because it is yours,
15:11 it is yours. We can do all things.
15:15 Through God. Through Christ.
15:18 Yes. Which strengtheneth us. Yes.
15:21 Sisters, that is the key to Free Indeed,
15:25 is to surrender our will and our life to our Creator,
15:28 because He know it what is needful,
15:30 necessary in our lives.
15:31 He will transform our lives, He will renew our minds,
15:34 He will give us new desires,
15:36 God bless you and we love you,
15:37 thank you, Christy. Amen, Amen.
15:42 As you walked in I looked at all these angelic faces
15:45 and I thought, what on Earth are they doing here.
15:49 And you know I just want to tell you,
15:51 I'm old enough to be most of your mother,
15:54 most of yours mother.
15:56 How ever you say that.
15:58 And my mother's heart aches for you
16:01 and I want you to know how much God loves you.
16:06 I'm gonna share a quick story with you
16:09 and like Lara's story, I know that many of you in here
16:15 have been disappointed or very hurt by a man,
16:21 it may have been a stranger,
16:23 it could have been a boyfriend,
16:25 it could have been your father or your husband,
16:30 but I know that a lot of problem start from abuse.
16:35 And I want to tell you in the Bible,
16:37 the number seven is the number of perfection.
16:42 Did you know that's the only reason
16:43 that we have a weekly cycle,
16:46 I mean, there's--there's a reason for the yearly cycle
16:50 because that's how the Earth is going around the moon.
16:53 There's a reason for the monthly cycle
16:56 that's how the moon is going around the Earth.
16:58 And the only reason we have a weekly cycle is
17:01 because God established it on the seventh day
17:05 when everything was done,
17:07 He said, this is my day of rest,
17:09 everything is good and very good.
17:11 And that number seven was the day of completion,
17:14 the day of perfection.
17:16 All I want to tell you about a lady
17:19 who had an encounter with the master of grace.
17:22 When Jesus had left Judea and He was going to Galilee,
17:26 He took the short route one time
17:28 and He went though Samaria.
17:30 I don't know if you know much about the Jews
17:32 and the Samaritans,
17:33 but the Samaritans were kind of--in the Jews eyes,
17:39 the Samaritans were half breed mongrels.
17:42 They practice heathenism and they practice
17:45 kind of an apostate Jewish religion,
17:48 and the Samaritans hated the Jews,
17:51 the Jews hated the Samaritans.
17:53 But Jesus took the short route
17:55 and He was going through Samaria
17:57 and He was weary and He send His disciples
18:00 on ahead to get some food and water
18:02 and He stopped at the well of Abraham.
18:05 But He didn't have a pot and a rope
18:07 to get water from the deep well.
18:10 So He was sitting there resting
18:12 and here comes a woman at high noon.
18:14 She was a Samaritan woman
18:16 and when she came to the well,
18:19 it was an unusual hour to come to the well
18:22 because most people, because of the heat of the day,
18:25 most people would come in the morning to get water
18:27 or they'd come in the evening to get water,
18:31 but this woman had five husbands,
18:35 she was living with man number six,
18:37 she wasn't married to him.
18:39 But she was living with man number six.
18:43 And she came at midday to avoid
18:46 the wagging tongues of the villagers.
18:49 The ones who pointed and said,
18:52 ah, she's living in sin.
18:54 So here she comes not expecting to see anybody
18:58 and she runs into Jesus.
19:01 Now, you know, Jews do not talk,
19:04 Jewish men do not talk to women in public.
19:07 And so she sees this man
19:08 and she recognizes his features
19:10 and she knows he is a Jew
19:12 and so she goes on about her business to get some water
19:15 and Jesus startles her with a request
19:18 for a drink of water.
19:20 And she says to him, in John 4:9,
19:24 "How is it that You,
19:26 a Jew, can ask a drink of water from me,
19:30 a Samaritan woman."
19:32 I am very moved by what Jesus did next.
19:36 He didn't go into a sermon
19:38 to explain their doctrinal differences,
19:40 the way they believe.
19:42 He didn't start telling her about her sins.
19:45 You know what He said to her?
19:48 He said to her,
19:50 if only you knew the gift of God
19:55 and who it is that is speaking to you,
19:58 you would ask Him and He would give you
20:02 a drink of living water.
20:05 And you know what?
20:08 In my active imagination,
20:11 I see Jesus standing like this,
20:16 if only you knew that this is God.
20:22 He spread his arms in a welcoming embrace
20:26 and He spread his arms like He would on the cross.
20:29 He was telling her, I am the gift of God,
20:35 if only you knew who it is that stands before you.
20:40 Ladies, we are all sinners saved by grace
20:44 and you know what, God doesn't look at your sin
20:47 any worse than He looks at my sin.
20:49 He knows that we need grace
20:54 and Jesus Christ is the number one gift of grace.
20:59 You know, this woman,
21:01 her heart was parched and thirsty.
21:05 She'd been looking for love in all the wrong places
21:08 and when she came to meet Jesus,
21:12 you know, the Samaritans believed in Messiah,
21:15 they knew that they was gonna be a coming Messiah,
21:18 but she wasn't looking for the Messiah that day.
21:21 You may have come today
21:23 and you weren't looking for the Messiah,
21:25 but you know what,
21:26 the love of God will chase you down.
21:29 He will you chase you down
21:31 because that's how much He loves you
21:33 and she came face to face with the master of Grace.
21:37 He told her all about her life
21:40 and she knew He was a prophet
21:41 because He knew all the details of her life
21:44 and, you know what she did, she dropped her water pot
21:46 and she ran off to the village
21:48 and she told everyone I've met the Messiah.
21:51 And she's telling everything
21:53 and they come running out with her,
21:55 all of these villagers and this woman's parched
22:00 and thirsty soul was stimulated by Jesus.
22:05 He aroused within her a desire that was there all along,
22:11 because the Bible says,
22:12 that God puts eternity in everyone of our hearts.
22:17 And did you know something
22:19 that hole that you've been trying to fill up,
22:22 that emptiness, only Jesus can fill it
22:26 and when God gives us grace.
22:30 You know, what is the definition of grace?
22:33 Unmerited favor, what does it mean?
22:38 All right, let's think about this.
22:40 Unmerited, it means you can't earn it,
22:44 you cannot-- You don't deserve it,
22:47 favor is gifts of God but we've got to look at grace
22:52 more than just the gift of salvation.
22:54 Jesus Christ is the number one gift of grace
22:58 and you know what he said,
22:59 He said when He was talking about that living water
23:02 later on in John Chapter 7, he was talking about
23:05 the Holy Spirit is the living water.
23:08 And the Holy Spirit is the second gift of grace,
23:12 greatest gift of grace,
23:13 and this word is a gift of his grace.
23:16 And when these are operating in your soul,
23:18 Ephesians 3:16 I'm gonna read to you
23:21 from the New Living Testament.
23:23 Paul writes to the Ephesians, he says,
23:25 "I pray that from His glorious,
23:27 unlimited resources He will empower you
23:31 with inner strength through His Spirit.
23:34 Then Christ will make His home
23:36 in your hearts as you trust in Him.
23:38 Your roots will go down into God's love
23:40 and keep you strong.
23:42 And may you have the power to understand,
23:44 as all God's people should,
23:46 how wide, how long, how deep,
23:49 how high is the love of God.
23:53 May you experience this love of Christ,
23:55 though it is too great to fully understand.
23:58 Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life
24:02 that comes from God.
24:04 And he says, now all glory to God
24:07 who is able to do exceedingly
24:12 more than you will ever imagine
24:15 because of the power,
24:17 the Holy Spirit that's living in you.
24:21 I know that the Bible says in Isaiah, Chapter 54,
24:26 "your maker is your husband."
24:29 I want to encourage you everybody longs to be loved,
24:34 let God be your husband and when you--
24:37 If you're getting out of here
24:39 start praying for a godly husband,
24:42 but start praying that God would make you
24:45 a scriptural wife, a scriptural mother,
24:49 that he will prepare your heart.
24:52 Thank you.
25:00 The importance of programs coming in like
25:03 Free Indeed is huge for the women here
25:05 and for myself personally.
25:08 We had this wonderful day
25:11 and all these people came in from Free Indeed
25:14 and we were able to pray and worship with them
25:17 and some of us able to sing and,
25:23 Pastor Vega was able to preach
25:25 and it was a wonderful coming together of people.
25:29 And I love when volunteers come in personally
25:33 because of their openness and willingness
25:36 to share their lives with us.
25:37 They don't treat us as if we are junk
25:40 or garbage or throw away
25:42 or castaways or outcasts people
25:47 and we are people.
25:49 We're people who need to hear the word of Lord,
25:51 we're people who need to find our way
25:55 back to God, so I don't think--
25:57 'cause I don't believe there's any real separation
25:59 between ourselves and God.
26:00 He is always present, always in our lives,
26:02 ever present in everything.
26:04 And sometimes we need to have people come in
26:09 who can help us remember that
26:11 and have opportunities to express that in a open way.
26:15 To pray and worship
26:17 and shout and say thank you in an open way.
26:20 And when Free Indeed came in,
26:22 there was such as spirit revival
26:24 and women were raising their hands
26:28 and clapping and standing up
26:29 and testifying and crying out to God.
26:32 And so whenever volunteers come in
26:35 like that with their hearts open,
26:37 ready to share, ready to worship,
26:39 it's transformational, it's transformational.
26:42 Some of you may know my name is Lemuel Vega.
26:45 And I work with Christmas Behind Bars Outreach Ministry,
26:48 which carries the gospel message
26:50 literally around the world, 365 days a year.
26:53 We've come to a really critical point,
26:56 we need Bibles at this point,
26:58 and we are asking for your help.
27:00 Do you have any ideas
27:01 how we can get 700 Bibles every month
27:04 to put in these people's hands.
27:06 We have a warehouse, it's been donated
27:08 and we have skids of material in that warehouse,
27:12 for Bible the skid is empty,
27:14 700 every month and we need your help.
27:16 A new Bible costs $3,
27:18 three simple dollars to put a brand new Bible
27:21 into these people's hands.
27:23 Is there anybody here that would like a Bible,
27:27 but don't have one?
27:34 We're trying to get more Bibles, brothers.
27:37 So we say thank you, we need new Bibles,
27:40 used Bibles, we just say thank you
27:42 for seeking the word of God in your own community
27:45 in your Bible study group,
27:46 and for sharing it with brothers like Sydney
27:49 who are in prison and who don't have the opportunity
27:52 to receive a Bible other than through your sponsorship.
27:55 God Bless you and I'm sure you'll see
27:57 many people in the kingdom of heaven
27:58 because you were willing to give,
28:00 you were willing to serve.
28:02 God's blessings to you and your families.
28:05 I would like thank the administration
28:06 for bringing the program to us,
28:08 because it brought quite a highlight to my life
28:10 and I will always remember it
28:11 over everything that I've experienced and--
28:13 that they need to keep bringing it back
28:16 for the other people.
28:17 When there was no hope they brought hope to us.


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Revised 2014-12-17