Thank you Gretchen for all the pictures of the Christmas Party! We are so thankful for each and every one of you! 

 The scene is the empty tomb. The women went to the tomb looking for Jesus dead body.
It was early Sunday morning.
“...two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, ‘Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He is not here, but has risen as He had said He would."
Luke 24:4-5 
 
Hello Brothers and Sisters, 
      I pray that you had a wonderful Resurrection Sunday. We don’t serve a dead God but a living God!!! We were able to proclaim that Gospel message throughout the week. I passed out small pocket Bibles with a tract that said "The Good News" and was able to hop around sharing the Gospel.  On Good Friday we were able to have special services.  We showed 40 minutes of the Passion of the Christ with music in the background, which was powerful. I was amazed at how attentive the women were.  Following the movie the Gospel message was preached and during worship the women had the opportunity to receive Christ. It is always beautiful to see so many respond to the Love of Jesus.  Please pray that those who received Him that day would grow in faith.

     We had Easter Sunday services here at the jail.  I want to thank the faithful volunteers who stepped up and came to serve. Everyone was prayed up and overwhelmed with excitement to be able to preach the Gospel to ALL.  I was able to teach on the Resurrection and the effects of it in our lives as believers. I was so blessed to be able to teach on such an important day. This year we gave the deputies and staff jelly bean eggs with 1 Peter 5:7  and in big letters , "JESUS CARES! No EGG-ceptions”.  It is such a privilege to be able to not only spread the gospel to the women of CRDF but also the staff! 

      The other day I was on the floors doing individual counseling.  I asked an inmate if she was "born again". She paused and quickly said “Yes I am." I asked her when that took place?  She answered “Back at Christmas time.  Someone slid a bookmark underneath my door with the steps to receive Jesus.  I received Him then!”  For the last 5 years at Christmas time a bookmark has been created with the title "How to be Saved”  and on the back have the steps to receive Christ. We pass it out on Christmas Eve with their candy cane. It was amazing to hear and see the fruit of how God used it to draw her to Himself.

     This  will be my 12th year serving as Senior Chaplain.  I have seen so many women. My prayer for them is that the seed that was sown in their hearts would grow.  My daughter and I were at a store when I saw an ex-inmate that I had counseled and met with regularly. I ran up to her and said “Hello”.  When she turned around she was so drugged up and weighed about 80 pounds. I wanted to cry. I said “it's me... Chaplain Evans."  Her response was “who cares”, and she walked away.  We know that God loves her and that is why we preach the Gospel in season and out, so that these women can have Hope.
    
     Please keep CRDF in your prayers, that we would all give Him our complete surrender. We have been experiencing a tremendous amount of changes. it seems that if it is not one thing it is another. We constantly stay in prayer and move forward trusting the Lord. We know that He is in absolute control at ALL times. The Lord is at work even in the opposition and in the changes and we stand firm in Faith and continue on in the work.

May We Continue to Extend His Love to Others ,
Sandra Evans 

“                                         Go into all the world and preach the God News to everyone”
                                                                                  Mark 16:15
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
     This verse is a command of the Lord. I want to tell all the Good News that is found in Christ by
His death and resurrection. Time is short and He is coming soon so let us be busy about our
Father’s business.
     It is hard to believe but last month I turned 50. My heart feels full of the life that Christ has
given me. My body doesn’t feel as young as my heart and it hasn’t slowed me down. There is a
work to be done and I press on.
     Last month a team of ten people from Calvary Chapel Norwalk and I did a drama at Men’s
Central Jail. About 100 men were in attendance who came out for chapel that night, it was a very
different atmosphere then with the women. It was amazing to witness men raising their hands in
praise to Jesus. The Gospel message was clearly given and men came to Christ. It was a sight to
see in this day and age.
     Here at CRDF we are not the only faith. There are many other beliefs and the women can get
very confused. The other day as I was doing my “one on ones” a woman came up to me. She was
very sincere as she opened up her Jehovah Witness Bible and our Bible. She had so many
questions about Jesus and who He was. I gently took her to the scriptures. She said “as a Jehovah
Witness we don’t believe what I am reading about Jesus.” I spent about 45 mins with her. I gave
her the Truth of God’s Word and directed her to continue to read the scriptures with an open
heart. She left and said “I just want to know.” I told her to keep seeking and you will find. We
know Gods Word will fight the lie. The open door of freedom to proclaim the name of Jesus is
quite amazing here at CRDF amongst all the other faiths. I saw an inmate that had been in many
different housing areas. She stopped me to thank all who come in and serve. She said “I speak on
behalf of all the inmates. We would be lost without you guys” With tears in her eyes she said
“Please let all your volunteers know how much we appreciate them.” Let us not grow weary
Saints, but continue to be a light in this dark place. There is a great work being done here and you
are doing an excellent job. THANK YOU!
      I am sad to say that one of our faithful volunteers, Christie  is moving. Christie is a
huge help doing one on ones during the week and will be greatly missed. . She has been a
tremendous help throughout the years. On the flip side we are excited to see what God has in
store for her next. Well done Christie for your faithful service for the past 7 years. You will be
missed and hard to replace. We pray for Gods direction and His will to be done in all that you do.
     Next month I will be taking my vacation. I will be doing an outreach in the streets of Detroit.
Some have said “Why Detroit?” My response is that they need Jesus. A team of us will be
ministering to those in need of Jesus. We are living in dark times yet an exciting time so saints
let’s Preach the Gospel to ALL. Until next month J

​Proclaim His Name to ALL
Sandra Evans

​“Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples”
Psalm 96:2

Happy New Year Brothers and Sisters,
    
     I am praising the Lord for who He is and the work that He has done. I am looking forward expectantly to what He is going to do this coming year. As I witness the works done at CRDF I want to proclaim them to all who have an ear to hear.
 
     Christmas is a very busy time as mentioned in last month’s letter. We take every opportunity to get the Word out and we did just that. We can’t see or feel at times the fruit that He is producing but by faith we step out of our comfort zones and sacrifice our time and families to do His will.
 
      Our Christmas card distribution consisted of passing out about 4000 Day Spring Christmas cards with Bible verses.  It took my lovely assistant and me, along with a faithful team of volunteers three hours to accomplish the task.  Then we ran down stairs for the next event...The Christmas party!
 
     The Christmas party this year was the best one yet. The food was to die for. Rayna had games and chose people to participate. It was a great time of fellowship and interaction.  We had an ex-inmate that was incarcerated a year ago share her testimony. She shared how she got saved while one of my Chaplains and her husband were teaching on the genealogy of Christ in Matthew. There is power in the Word and we never know when the Lord will move. I was in tears.
 
    At our annual candy cane distribution Chaplains Simmons and Hernandez sung their hearts out proclaiming the Gospel through the Christmas carols. On Christmas Day we were able to do eleven church services. It was an amazing time to teach on the birth of Christ. He was born to die to save us from our sins. Matthew 1:21.
 
     We are dedicated to getting God’s Word out like never before and taking every single opportunity to do so.  We received a request from an inmate in which she asked for us to pray that God would give her a fertile heart. That had to have come from the Word!
       Please continue to keep CRDF, the inmates, deputies, staff and volunteers in your prayers. God is at work in this place. Let us be in fervent prayer for Gods perfect will to be done in the lives and hearts of all. Until next month let us continuing to press on!!!

In His Name

Sandra Evans 

“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained.”
      2 Timothy 2:8-9‬

      Pray for the Chaplains and volunteers of CRDF that this year they would be washed by the Word, filled with the Word, guided by the Word, and sanctified by the Word. Pray that each and every Saint would desire the Word above all else, even more than our daily sustenance, as Job would proclaim. And that the natural outpouring of the indwelling Word would be a proclamation of the Word at every opportunity. May the Word drip from our lips like honey, may it be poured out in every crevice of CRDF to run its course, remembering that it could never be chained.