I have been a prison minister at Folsom State Prison in California since February of 2007. I have ministered there with Darren Greenfield. We both met a very special inmate there, Terry Sowell, who is now our Blade of Hope President. He had become a Seventh Day Adventist, (SDA,) while in prison long before we met him. He was a Bible worker inside prison being instrumental in several men’s baptism into the SDA church. The three of us began discussing the need for a SDA transition home. The need was and is still real, because a good portion of our SDA Bible study contacts in prison have not remained faithful after paroling due to the challenges they faced on the outside without the fellowship and nurturing we provided them in the prison. After 25 years in prison, Terry paroled on 11/27/2017.
Personally I was not sure if being part of organizing, starting and running a SDA transition home was God’s plan for my life. I had been praying about it but did not have clarity on what to do. I want to tell you how God made it clear.
As I had gotten older, I wanted to use my remaining time on earth working for God and not just working to pay the bills. Being a carpenter, I looked at my other talents and decided to let God make the choice between 3 options I thought to be possible. A prison parolee transition home was one of the options, but to be honest it was my 3rd choice. All three options were things that are definitely considered God’s work. I started praying for God to show me which one. Many times in my life I have just chosen instead of seriously seeking God’s approval. So this time I wanted God to make it clear what His will was.
During the many months of praying, I attended a prison ministry training day sponsored by the Northern California Conference Prison Ministries Director. (NCC) In the afternoon session, I publicly asked if anyone there had ever heard of a SDA transition home. The NCC director indicated there was one in Tucson, AZ.
Six months latter, I had the opportunity to be in Tucson. I talked to the director, saw his facility and received all of the paper work they use for policy, programs and applications. I was still praying about God’s leading.
A few month latter, my wife who knew I was praying about what to do, pointed out a two part mission story in the Sabbath School lesson quarterly about a SDA transition home in Anchorage, AK. I did some research and found the man who started this home. I called him and had a long talk, and received all of the paper work they use. I was still praying about God’s leading.
Some months later, my wife was watching the ASI convention who told me that one of the recipients for the annual offering that was divided up between several of the worthy ministry projects, was for a SDA transition home for women in Florida which received $25,000.
I began to realize that God was speaking to me. Get this: In my whole life, I had never ever heard of or thought about such a thing as a SDA transition home for prison parolees, and now, with little to no effort on my part, 3 SDA transition homes had come to my attention within a matter of months, and nothing was coming my way from God or anyone else about the other 2 options.
After sharing these experiences with Terry and Darren, we wanted to be sure about what we now thought God was asking us to do, so we called a meeting in Sept., 2018 to share our ideas with what the Bible calls a “multitude of counselors.” Prov. 24:6. 16 of those we invited came, including church leaders, pastors, business men, a lawyer and many prison ministers; several of whom are now board members.
After the presentation of the idea and concept of starting a SDA transition home for prison parolees, a vote was taken, resulting in a unanimous yes!
We moved forward in faith watching for God’s providences. We went to work with what spare time we have had from our regular jobs.
We received enough generous donations to pay for our non profit status in July of 2019, our business profile, filming, and website development in 2020. The pandemic slowed everyone down, but providentially a 77.7 acre country property came to our attention when we were not even looking for property. By April, 2022 very generous donations totaling $153,000 had been given, ($5,000 of which came from the North American Division of Seventh Day Adventists Adult Ministries Department,) enabling Blade of Hope to purchase 17 acres of the 77.7 acre country property. God, through our donors, has provided.
With a secured country property in place, we now need your help to purchase a well, septic system, and housing structure in order to receive parolees. Along with the volunteer labor we have at hand, will you please help us open Blade of Hope’s transition home doors for those who need it most?
Any gift is a generous one. We issue tax deductible receipts for all donations given to Blade of Hope Inc. Please pray and see our donation link here.
Or mail your donation to: Blade of Hope Inc., P.O. Box 4, Applegate, CA 95703
May God bless you!
Loland Moutray
