Recent DU events, praise reports, and newsletters

Many letters and emails have come in reporting wonderful stories and examples of changed lives as a result of the conference in Johannesburg, South Africa in May 2002.  The impact of this outreach has touched hearts, minds, souls, and spirits for Jesus, and the results have been positive and far-reaching.  Linda, Terry Meeuwsen, and the other speakers took the message of the gospel to this African country and touched many church leaders, women at the conference, inmates in the prisons, and AIDS patients in the hospitals.  Thank you for your prayers and petitions on behalf of South Africa; God was honored and made real to so many individuals.

Cathy Leicher in South Africa wrote, "Come back again, please!  I have received so many positive reports of how much the women enjoyed both Linda's and Terry's ministry.  They were encouraged, blessed, and ministered to in such a wonderful way.  For us to have had this much feedback says that God has done an awesome work because of your faithfulness to minister God's word from your hearts."

Dallas and Linda have now been invited to participate in a conference in Capetown, South Africa, along with more prison ministry outreach opportunities.  They ask that you prayerfully lift up this invitation to return to Africa.

Discipleship Unlimited sees this request as a privilege and an opportunity to support the ministry of HeartLove Place though prayer, neighborhood outreach, conducting seminars, providing volunteers, and evangelism.  Dallas and Linda felt the confirmation of "like-mindedness" during their December 2001 Christmas Celebration outreach held at HeartLove Place.  This summer, DU plans to host several more one-day seminars leading up to a conference in October 2002.

HeartLove Place asked DU to pray specifically for its Parenting And Nurturing Services program.  This is a new ministry that will reach out to teens and young adults and provide education, materials, lessons, and practical life skills for handling the role of parenting.  DU feels this is a very valuable and worthwhile undertaking and realizes both the short- and long-term impact this type of program will have on individuals and families.

Please keep this endeavor in your prayers.  There are many needs that have been requested by HeartLove Place to get this program up and running, including supplies, teaching materials, resources, Bibles, volunteers, and computers.

The prison ministry trips to Gatesville, Texas (February), and Vandalia, Missouri (March), were awesome.  There was a mighty move of God in these prisons.  Hearts were touched, lives were changed, Jesus was "real," testimonies were shared, memories were made, and the inmates were encouraged and inspired to "carry on" with Jesus after Discipleship Unlimited left.  The team distributed 240  Karla Faye Tucker: Set Free books in Vandalia, and they want more.  The book is now is English, German, and French and is soon to be in Spanish.

You can see the update article in the Journal Sentinel's "2001 Postscripts" section—scroll down to the "LINDA STROM:  Prison minister sends faith behind bars" story.  (You can still see the original April story in the Journal Sentinel’s web site archives, titled “The Disciple:  A Minister and Her Mission.”  Also, look for the “Special Section:  Photo Gallery” link in the “On a Mission” box in the original April article.  If you click on a small photo, it will enlarge.)

You can see more about the article and its results in our May 1, 2001, update news below. 

Steve Walker and Spanish Publications, a nonprofit corporation, will be translating the book into Spanish and looking for a January 1, 2002, publication date.  Spanish Publications will give DU warehouse space in Milwaukee and provide copies of the book at 40% off the current publisher's cost.  The cost of making copies of the book available to chaplains and inmates is $15,000.  Your donations of any amount can make this happen for the ministry without financial stress.  A donation of $100.00 can help send 30 books to those behind the fences in prison.

Linda and Dallas report that so many wonderful things happened and that there will be more to come as a result of these outreaches.  Opportunities continue to expand as the ministry team goes out in response to requests.

Inmates, volunteers, and guards were blessed.  Great things happen as the spouses and inmates gather to work on their relationships and strengthen their family ties.

Linda Strom, Mary Stocking, and Carol Harris presented the program.  It was a wonderful opportunity for Linda to share the “Healing” message of Jesus.  Mary had the privilege of taking her “artistic” approach to the group through a creative experience with clay.  Carol stepped in for Patsy Casey, who was unable to attend, and ministered through song.  It was an awesome evening of watching women and men open up to the creative side of themselves.

Linda was able to share a powerful and meaningful message with the group.  It was a wonderful blend of women—we had a group of women from a halfway house in Madison, who were recently released from Wisconsin Correctional Facilities.

God blessed the inmates, guards, and volunteers.  It was a wonderful two days of sharing, praying, praising, and telling the Good News to those who were ready to receive from the Father. There were many who opened their hearts to Jesus and experienced a special touch from the Holy Spirit.

Donna Sampson of Operation Starting Line (OSL) in Fort Worth, Texas, trained specific Discipleship Unlimited volunteers for the Chuck Colson vision of bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ into every prison in every state within the next five years.  Discipleship Unlimited will be a part of this outreach in July 2001.  The OSL staff will be in Wisconsin in July to present a two-hour program in each prison.

This was another wonderful time of sharing and touching lives as Linda ministered to the group.

There was a great turnout, and many were blessed as Linda shared the “Set Free” message.  About 250 people attended and 60 books were sold.

A group turned out to have Karla Faye Tucker: Set Free books signed, and Linda was able to share the story, read from the book, and visit individually with people.  It was a wonderful evening of fellowship.

Linda was able to share her prison ministry experiences and look at options and opportunities for future ministry in Ohio.  The warden of the prison is a Christian.  Linda was able to attend a play put on by inmates; approximately 700 community members also attended this play.

Three hundred women gathered to receive healing for their hearts and learned how to forgive past hurts and people in their lives.  Many accepted Jesus as their Savior and made new, fresh commitments to the Lord.  The conference began with many overwhelmed with life and a sense of drowning in the day-to-day routines and problems of living.  As the conference went on, many were ushered into the presence of God and felt the burdens lifted off of them; they were rescued by Jesus.  The infilling of the Holy Spirit brought hope, healing, and encouragement to so many of the women.

Reports are in that the seminar was again a meaningful time for all that attended.  The husbands and wives feel blessed to have this special opportunity to work on their marriages before release time comes and their family will be reunited.  This is an excellent time to begin to transition and build a life together as husband and wife as they prepare to live outside the prison walls and back in a community.  God uses the volunteers to really challenge the inmates and their wives to make genuine commitments to each other and to their children.  It is vital that the inmates take seriously their new life in Christ as they prepare for release dates and a return to society.

About 60 volunteers, pastors and local representatives gathered to pray and organize details for the conference.  Linda was amazed that so many men and women attended and are so invested and committed to the ministry of the conference.  The prayer meeting went late into the night.  There was a special bonding and unique interaction between all involved that was evident from the start of the evening.  There are many local ministries that will be a part of this event.  The team in Virginia is doing an excellent job of preparing the way for the Discipleship Unlimited Team to walk right in and minister.  Thank you to this group of volunteers for making all the arrangements.  We are praying for unity, peace, and a smooth transition for all of us to come together and enjoy this wonderful “God” happening.

Reports are in that this was a very wonderful evening.  Linda held everyone’s attention with her blessed style of teaching, preaching, and storytelling.  Pat Jones reports that you could hear a pin drop because the audience was so focused on the message and teaching by Linda.

Linda reports that the past weekend was again a confirmation of the need people have for the message of Isaiah 61.  There was a prayer time of several hours Saturday morning.  This was a blessed time for all involved.  Eighty Karla Faye Tucker: Set Free books sold.  Pray that people continue to be ministered to through the power of the Lord’s message in Karla’s story.

Prayer was lifted up for funds and financial blessing for this event, and God provided a sum of money to open up a bank account specifically to help offset the costs of this conference.

Canceled because of a snow storm in Wisconsin.

Linda received a thank you note from the manager of Barnes and Noble in Freehold, New Jersey, where she did the book signing of Karla Faye Tucker: Set Free .  The note said it was the “most inspiring one they have ever had at that store”!  There were many individuals that were fulfilling a divine appointment in attendance.  Both Linda and Dallas had a wonderful time talking to, sharing with, and praying for hurting, wounded, and lost people who were hungry for Jesus.

Linda was comfortable and at ease with the interviewer.  The two of them clicked from the start, and there was a wonderful work of God as they talked and shared the amazing story of Karla.  There were other great things that happened before and after the show, too.  Linda was able to minister to many and be an awesome witness to so many lost and hurting people on the set.  She was even able to minister to Christians who approached her and identified themselves as believers.  We will never know all who had their lives impacted that day through this TV interview.

Donna reports that the meeting with Carole Ross, Volunteer Chaplain, went well.  The plans are set for the team of almost 100 volunteers to minister in Gatesville on February 22-25, 2001.  Plans are to enter all of the Gatesville prisons except one.  This means there will be people going in different places at different times.  We will stay at two different hotels to accommodate so many volunteers.  Pray for coordination of transportation from the Dallas Airport (DFW); it is about a three-hour car ride to Gatesville from Dallas.

The team reports a wonderful day was spent with the inmates and wives.  Stories and reports continue to come in about how these seminars have blessed lives.