Annie Goebel, president  of the women’s prison ministry Daughters of Destiny, met the son she gave birth to as a teen in 1973 earlier this month. “It wasan incredibly blessed meeting. He is a beautiful man with a sensitive spirit,” said Goebel in an interview with The Christian Post. According to Goebel, the day she met her adult son began when she was sharing her testimony before a group of women. Like the women she ministers to, Goebel had come from a broken home and had served time behind bars.“I told them of how records had been sealed and I would probably never get to see him. One of them stated that she had worked in the Department of Social Services in San Antonio where he was born. She offered to do some research for me,” said Anniel  “A couple weeks later she called me with a name and number of a lady who had worked with the unwed mothers home I was in. I called her and she happened to be the person who carried my son from the hospital to his new parents.”  Annie was told her son’s first name and that he had been adopted by a loving Christian family. Even after giving his adoptive mother’s contact information and receiving a handwritten letter from him, no further contact took place. She then decided to find him online, locating him on Facebook. Annie hesitated to friend him because she believed “he had chosen to not know me.”

However, Annie’s daughter Cathe learned of her long lost brother and friended him. In online correspondence, she learned that he had lost the contact information years earlier and was excited at the prospect of meeting his biological mother.

“We made plans to meet. I was coming to Texas for another Daughters of Destiny event at the women’s prison in Lockhart. He currently lives in Austin,” said Goebel. On Nov. 13, Goebel had lunch with Kendrick, her son. This was the first time the two had been together since January 1973.“He thanked me for placing him into a family who loves Jesus. He assured me that he knew it must have been a difficult decision and that I had made the right one.”

Praise God on Daughters of Destiny’s NEW program in which we will be leading Weekly Life Groups  using Cyndy Sherwoods, His Healing Journey at the Denver Women’s Complex. We will be starting the program this coming fall!! =) Thank You Lord for opening doors and the hearts of these women!

Cindy shares with Daughters of Destiny how her dream job of owning a boutique is also a way to bless women just released from prision.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011   

WANTED
FORMER CHRISITAN INMATE WOMEN
IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS AMERICA

Daughters of Destiny national women’s prison ministry is seeking women who once served time in a jail or prison to consider giving back to help meet the growing need of incarcerated women. Today, there are over One Million women behind bars!

Annie Goebel, president and an ex-offender herself said, “I was a school teacher in South Dakota and had completed my graduate degree. I was ashamed of my past and very few people knew I had been in prison. I had closed that chapter of my life and didn’t want to ever go back.” But God had other plans for her. While listening to a speaker one cold winter night she received a very unexpected invitation. God was calling ladies who had been in jail or prison at one point in their lives and were now walking victoriously in Christ to give back to help their sisters. “He sparked my spirit that night and I knew I was being called into action. The first time I went inside this was confirmed.” She realized that God wanted to use what the devil had intended as evil for good; for His glory. “One of the main lies that inmate women have believed since they were broken little girls is that they have no value. The ugliness of the sin they have been through beats that lie into them over and over again. But when God’s truth lights the way they begin to understand that even what lead them to where they are is of great value to the Lord. They are now perfect for reaching and discipling women who are still where they used to be. These women have the ‘roadmap’ to transformation in Christ. What a wonderful thing to share.”

I know there are hundreds of ladies just like me in communities across America leading productive lives. We need your gifts and talents to help us reach this army of broken women who are crying out for help!

To learn more visit:
www.daughtersofdestiny.org