Listen. Trust. Obey.   

It wasn’t until I was sitting in front of teenage girls who were incarcerated that I truly learned what those words meant.

When I first started going into Remann Hall I felt like I had nothing to offer. I was a 47-year-old woman from Gig Harbor trying to start relationships with teen girls who were experiencing homelessness, addiction, sexual exploitation, and physical/emotional abuse. Most all of them filled with fear as they anxiously waited to hear even the tiniest shred of information about what was going to happen to them. Their emotions were intense and all over the place.  

I quickly learned that I was extremely ill-equipped to engage with these girls and that nothing worthy (in God’s eyes) was ever going to happen in that detention center while relying on my own will, my own thinking, or my own agenda. I was insecure, hesitant, even fearful. I did not know how to do this work.  

But here I was, in this place, for such a time as this.

God is funny like that. We don’t know what’s ahead and He does not reveal much until we take a step forward into what He has for us. Are we brave enough? Do we trust Him enough? Accelerated spiritual growth was definitely needed if this was where God wanted me to be. 

I went to Remann Hall Monday evenings, so I cleared my schedule and devoted each entire Monday to prayer, reading God’s word, and really listening to what He was saying to me and wanted the girls in the detention center to hear. Because I asked, and He is faithful, God transformed my heart and my mind.    

I soon found myself engaging with the girls saying things I know for a fact were not my words, but God’s. As I spoke words of life and blessing to each girl, I became bolder. I was quick to jump at the chance to pray for each of them–asking God how He saw her, believing He would tell me.  And He did. 

Building relationships became easier, deep conversations came naturally, and so did laughter and silliness. Most incredible was that God gave me the capacity to love each girl beyond what I ever thought possible. 

After about a year, God opened doors and I was able to go into Remann Hall to meet with girls not just once but three times a week. I was undone! What a gift this was. It gave me the chance to have more conversations, frequent connections, and build solid relationships with the hope that they would continue after the girls were released from detention. 

And then God did something truly amazing.  

I met a girl named Brielle. She was facing felony charges and waiting for trial, meaning she would be in Remann Hall longer than most of the other girls. I met with her regularly for months. At first, she didn’t open up much. But I stayed consistent, showed up time after time,  always checking in with her. Eventually, she let her guard down, became vulnerable and shared her story. Our conversations focused on many things including God, the Bible, religion, and other hard topics. She had so many questions and so many doubts. We read scripture and she wrote out her favorite verses. And never could I leave without her asking for prayer.  

One Saturday morning I entered the pod and found her sitting by herself in the corner by the window. As I walked up to her I could tell she had been crying.  Sitting next to her, she shared how she was at the doctor this past week. She was experiencing a lot of pain. After tests were done the doctor diagnosed her with an STD.  She also had what appeared to be precancerous cells. She was devastated. She was already reeling from bad news about her court case and family issues. And now this. She felt defeated, hopeless, and confused.

There were no words I could say at that time to make her feel better and I was not about to respond with the standard Christian clichés.  So I sat with her as she sobbed, my heart breaking for her. 

And then I heard God’s voice say, “Pray for her. Pray for healing.”  

“Hold on!” I thought. “What? I don’t think I heard you right. Me?”  Insecurity and self-doubt flooded my mind. “I can’t do that. Other people do that. I am not spiritual enough, I don’t have the right words, and what if it doesn’t work? That wouldn’t be very helpful for Brielle.”   

OH MY WORD.  I knew this is what God was asking me to do and I would be terribly disobedient if I walked away.  God quickly reminded me of this past year, how He had equipped me for this ministry, and all that He has accomplished.  So I ignored the protests going on in my mind, took a HUGE leap of FAITH and said, “Ok, Lord. I will do this.” 

I asked Brielle if she would let me pray for her. I told her God wanted to heal her.  She just looked at me for a while and finally said Ok.

So I did it. I prayed for God to heal her. It was that simple. God put the words in my mouth. Afterward, I gave her a big hug and told her I would see her Monday night. 

I walked in Monday night and she ran up to me overjoyed, dancing around, and could not contain her excitement.  She had gone back to the doctor that day to follow up with more tests and get some prescriptions, except this time she had no trace of the STD and no trace of any questionable cells. The doctor was a bit perplexed, but Brielle was quick to say “God healed me.”

I was overwhelmed. I could not thank God enough! I was so grateful. He healed her and so He became real to her.  Soon after this, she gave her life to Jesus. 

My faith grew exponentially. Now, when I go through dry spells and I am struggling with unbelief, I remember what He did for Brielle and me.  

God has a way of showing up every time we say “yes” to Him. 

If you would like to learn more about our Juvenile Justice Ministry and how you can get involved, click here.