Herasmo and Nora - How did these passionate people get involved in prison ministry?

I (Gary) asked both Herasmo and Nora, our Honduran support team, how they got into the prison ministry and/or how they got involved in this program.  It's good stuff  - God stuff. Here's are their stories.

Herasmo's Testimony

From the age of 14 years or earlier, Herasmo Ramirez had worked alongside his mother and father and sisters in their work in the prisons of Honduras.  Both his mother and father were the leaders of the Confraternidad Carcelaria de Honduras (Prison Fellowship) work in Honduras.  He explained that it was almost a family calling if not obligation.  

Approximately a year and a half ago, Herasmo was in a period of testing.  His mother and father had this ministry to the prisons and he participated but it was not his own. One day, when he was really not in a state of prayer, he felt or heard in his mind, Jesus asking, "When I stand before my Father and all the angels and the saints and ask why didn't you serve me, what will you say."  Herasmo said he replied, "Before you, Your Father and the angels I will answer, because Lord, You never gave me the volunteers, the tools and the direction."  

Shortly afterward, he began hearing about the possibility of the Capacitacion y Plantacion program from OMS and that Honduras might possibly be the target country for introducing the program outside of Colombia.  Herasmo feels certain that this program was a direct and specific response from God regarding that conversation and represented God challenging him to serve faithfully.

Nora's Story

Norah recalled that on her first trip into the prisons, she was very frightened - not only of the prisoners themselves, but the whole idea of prisons.  She went in with another group of volunteers and stayed in the background and tried to avoid involvement at first.  One inmate, noting her discomfort, slowly came up to her and he told her, "I can tell you are afraid to be here, but you have nothing to fear, I know that God has brought you here today and will bring you back again and again."

Nora said from that moment on, the fear was gone. She, of course, is very aware of where she is and acts appropriately, but she knows that she is serving God exactly where He wants her. She wants to be there for Him.