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| Jean Goemaat outside her home in Monroe, Iowa |
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I taught school
for 32 years in the USA at the elementary level. I'm a retired school teacher. I taught an additional 14 years in Belize for
a total of 46 years! I started in 1st grade
which was a blessing. When I went to Belize, I was able to teach reading. I love to garden - I like to get out and
really garden: corn, beans, tomatoes, zucchini and onions. I plant it all. I just love to be out in nature. I love music; I was a music major at Drake
University. Actually I had a double major of education
and music. I had a lot of choirs and
handball choirs at church. I enjoy my
family - I have two daughters and five grandchildren. One daughter is a deputy sheriff in Kentucky. Her husband works at Fort Knox. My other daughter lives right here in Monroe
and is a daycare provider.
2.
How did God help you to overcome some challenges with your health this
year?
I had to deal
with some broken bones and also pneumonia.
God helped me to overcome through prayer and through the Word. He has so many promises in the Word and I
cling to those. Mark 11:18 - If you
believe in your heart, then the mountain will be thrown into the sea. By his stripes I was healed (Isaiah 53:5, I Peter 2:24) I've been spending a lot of
time in Ephesians lately. That is
rich! (see especially Eph. 1:3-14) I focus on Psalm 91 a
great deal and I read it in the 1st person. There are so many promises in that Psalm. For example, "Surely he will deliver me
from the snare of the fowler ... under his wings I will take refuge." This is one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible. "He shall give his angels
charge over me." I pray this too
and remind God of this reality. I love
the promises in verses 14, 15, 16. There are many wonderful
Psalms but I really like Psalm 91. Psalm 103 is a good one too. It's fun to talk about the Word. I love the Word of God.
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| Her time in Belize was a huge highlight for Jean |
I started in
Prison Fellowship when I was still teaching.
It was in 1993. I began to work with women at the prison in Mitchellville.
Then I went to Belize to visit a missionary friend. I knew right away - I fell in love with the
hunger that those men in prison had for the Word. I
started a school inside the prison in Belize.
At first we studied the Bible and also basic education like reading. Later I got involved in IFI (Inner-change Freedom Initiative) at the Newton
Prison. I was a volunteer with IFI then later I
started the IFI program in Belize. There
were many challenges but God had his hand on it the whole time. Even though
I'm back here in Iowa, it's still going strong.
Belize is a third world country in Central America where poverty
reigns. They grow up on the streets and
they sell drugs. Drugs, poverty, and the lack of education are huge problems. My
time in Belize was probably the most rewarding time in my life. We had a great recidivism rate. I was a mama - they called me Mama
Jeanna. I still go down once a year. I leave for
Belize on September 26 and don't return until October 9. The goal of this particular trip is to tweak the
program, work on advice and give evaluations.
We need to update the criteria for graduation.
4. Why do you feel inspired to help
people who are in prison?
I get to see the
change come over the men. You can see
growth and that gives you the motivation to keep going. Jail is a different ballgame. I'd rather do the prison ministry because you have them
for a longer period of time. Their prayer life - they're not afraid to
pray any more. Pastor Rick has taught them how to
pray. This gives them the courage to
pray. Also their desire to get into the
Word - they expound upon the Word.
Without the Word they couldn't make it because that's their key to their life. That gives them hope for the very first time.
5. What do you enjoy most about your time
volunteering with New Life Prison Community?
God has a
purpose for every one of us. He put it
in my heart to serve in prison ministry.
That is God's purpose for me. I
learn as much as they do. It has to do
with fulfilling the ministry that God has for me.
That's why we're here: to be a tool for the Lord and spread the Good
News.
6. What positives do you see at New Life Prison
Community?
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| Jean loves volunteering for New Life! |
The men are
ready to accept responsibilities and help out at worship services by fulfilling
various roles. They want to share the
Good News with their families. They tell
in small group how they're getting their wives into the Word. It's a domino effect. The ministry also helps to raise their
self-esteem. Their body language
indicates that they begin to think more of themselves. It has to do with an openness to the Word - they have the reception to change.
