She has participated in the fight against human trafficking as part of the International Visitors Leadership Program of the United States Department of State. In addition to her role with the prison ministry, Nourhan is also the coordinator of Christmas and Easter programs for local television and radio stations. She is married and has two children.
The vision of the Evangelical Prison Ministry is to have a monthly visit to prisoners, to provide for their basic needs, to communicate and assist their families while the prisoners are in jail, and to care for the special needs of domestic workers. Most of all, their hope is to pray with and share the Good News with each prisoner and their family. They also mobilize churches to be involved and to help prisoners return home after their release.
Meeting Jesus Inside Prison Walls
“I thank you for your care and visits to us, for sharing the word of God with us, especially because our families don’t come to visit us.” (Lebanese prisoner)
“I thank God today that in spite of my prison sentence seven and half years ago, I met God here inside the prison and was especially blessed through the team that comes and hold meetings inside the prison. The topic that blessed me the most was on God’s forgiveness quoted from the book of Psalms chapter 103.” (prisoner from Peru)
“Though I have worked in high social positions all my life, these past ten months inside the prison helped me to learn lessons I could have never have learned outside, particularly in the respect to spiritual truths.” (Jordanian prisoner)
Context
People imprisoned in the Middle East come from all over the world. A number of them are trafficked women from the Philippines and Sri Lanka who were arrested in the Middle East for lack of proper papers or other minor infractions. Some come to the Middle East to work as maids, but flee when they are beaten, taken advantage of, or dismissed without cause.
With no money, no local connections, and often little understanding of the local language or legal system, they don't have much hope of being released. Others are there because they are admittedly guilty of crimes. But they all have one thing in common - they need the hope of Jesus.
In 1997, God put on the heart of one young Middle Eastern woman to care for the needs of prisoners in her home country. That Christmas she asked local authorities for permission to visit inmates in a local prison. At first she met with just the prisoners of Christian background, encouraging them and distributing basic necessities.
But soon, with special grace from the Lord and the permission of the Public Security Department, the door was opened to visit prisoners of all backgrounds.
Today, the team has access to 12 prisons with more than 6,500 prisoners.
You can help this ministry to continue by using the button below.
