This article was originally written by Vine & Branches, Rachel's Vineyard Retreat's national newsletter. It can be viewed here.
Do you remember walking with your parents when you were a child – how your little legs had to gallop to keep up with each of their steps?
That’s an everyday occurrence for Carrie Mann and Debra Morrall, who have been lengthening their strides to keep momentum with God. “He is definitely on the move,” Carrie says, laughing, “and we’re doing our best to keep up!”
As Abortion Recovery Director and Assistant Director at Hope Pregnancy Center in Texas, Carrie and Debra are running two abortion healing ministries in their local area and in a women’s prison: Rachel’s Vineyard Retreats (RVR) and “Forgiven and Set Free” (FSF), a Bible Study for women who seek healing after their abortions.
One of the many blessings of Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries is that our team members are comprised solely of volunteers. Some people on our teams work at their local Dioceses within the Office of Marriage and Family Life, others work at crisis pregnancy centers, and still others work in completely unrelated fields. Yet they all give their time freely to their Rachel’s Vineyard Retreats, helping women and men heal from past decisions they made about their unplanned pregnancies. And nearly all our team members have seen miracles on retreats. Many, if not most, have experienced miracles themselves.
“What keeps me going is what I see God doing in the lives of all the people He has entrusted to us,” Carrie exclaims. “He is doing for them exactly what He did for me! That drives me to continue providing these programs for others and being the voice that speaks for those who suffer silently, just as I did for over 15 years. I am so thankful that God uses all our terrible choices, traumas, and pain for His good – and to help others find hope, healing, and salvation in Him.”
Working at a place called Hope is a good first step. Yet Carrie and Debra are running full speed ahead to help as many people as they can – and to keep up with all that God is doing in the ministry. Both women recognize the innate need we have to walk alongside others in our paths of healing, so they’re diligently providing community for the women who attend their programs.
“When the women go through RVR first, we offer ‘Forgiven and Set Free’ as an Aftercare program,” Debra states, “And then we keep in contact with them; we continue to build that relationship. They need to know that we genuinely care. There’s no hidden agenda here.”
In May, their RVR team enjoyed a reunion with the April retreat participants – gathering to talk about what God has been doing in their lives and how they’ve been feeling. The women still share the special bond they developed over the course of their RVR weekend (something common for RVR participants) and they didn’t miss a beat greeting one another, rejoicing in the blessings God has poured into their lives, and showing genuine concern over any difficult situations any of them might be experiencing. In one sense, they have a truly familial relationship.
But, like many families today, most of the women don’t live close enough to get together over coffee or tea. Some women drive from out-of-state to attend a Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat. And they can be in different places spiritually, too, so having a local Church community is important.
Recognizing this, Carrie and Debra are partnering with different Churches in the area to help their local retreat participants get established in a Church home if they don’t already have one. “If they’re not part of a Church community, we can get them connected with one that is willing to disciple them, walk alongside them, and teach them how to walk with Christ daily,” Debra explains. “It’s discipleship. It’s the practical.”
For women who are not comfortable in a Church community, Debra and Carrie get them connected with other women who can encourage them and help them continue in their spiritual growth. That requires a commitment on both sides to ensure a faithful, healing journey is built on a solid foundation. “It’s like a Paul and Timothy, or a Mary and Martha, relationship,” Debra states.
Or like a Carrie and Debra relationship.
Their friendship is solidly based on a deep love of God and Scripture. They’re enthusiastic about Rachel’s Vineyard and the healing they’ve witnessed in so many women through the ministry. They are honored to be servants of God and to help bring Him to the women and men who participate in their retreats and Bible studies.
Yet, had a last-minute change not occurred, they never would have met.
When Carrie was attending a Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat three years ago, Debra was on the team as a prayer warrior (someone who prays for each of the participants throughout the weekend).
“There was a part on Saturday where I was ready to share my story,” Carrie states. “I tried to talk, but I could not get it out. Literally, something had my tongue. Debra came by and whispered, ‘I’m praying for you.’ And I looked at her and was able to say, ‘Can we pray together?’ At that point, everyone took a break, so we went into the back room where Debra prayed this amazing prayer over me. That gave me the courage and boldness to go and speak. So I went back in, and I got it out. And Debra’s been part of my life ever since...” Carrie’s voice fades out, and tears well in her eyes.
There’s a moment of silence, and then Debra gently says, “And now I get to serve alongside her, and I get to hold her arms up as she leads this wonderful ministry.”
But Debra was not scheduled to be on that retreat. A last-minute phone call made two days before it started ensured their paths would cross that Saturday afternoon.
“That’s how we know it was a God-thing,” Carrie utters.
Eventually, they both ended up at Hope, where God, once again, intervened to ensure they’d be working together.
“You do not call yourself,” Debra states, “because then you have to depend on yourself. It’s not our ministry. It’s God’s. We’re partnering with Him; we’re just the vessels.”
Vessels, yes. But God uses vessels “for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.”[1]
And His “good work” is pouring through them.
Rachel’s Vineyard is growing in leaps and bounds – both, in the prison ministry and outside of it.
Hope Pregnancy Center also refers women who have had abortions to Rachel’s Vineyard. Between Hope, Church, Bible Study, and the women they meet while running errands, Carrie and Debra have helped more women than they can count discover healing and freedom.
“We have had women and men in their early twenties all the way to 90,” Carrie adds. “One 90-year-old lady had been suffering from her abortion for 50 years. She came to Rachel’s Vineyard and got healing. It wasn’t long after the Retreat that she passed.” Fighting back the tears, she continues, “It was amazing to see what God did for her. She was holding her little bitty angel that she got from RVR when she passed. It meant the world to her – and to be freed, finally, at the age of 90.”
Debra slowly nods and relates that she’s been approached by a number of grandmothers lately, too. It’s never too late for healing. And God wants to reclaim their hearts for freedom, for love.
He also wants to reclaim and transform the places where their trauma and devastation occurred. And He’s working miracles there, too. Within the past month, God helped Hope Pregnancy Center achieve one of their dreams: the former abortion clinic that had been closed was up for sale. And Hope was able to get the funding to purchase it for their Abortion Recovery Ministry.
They’ve already prayed over the building and blessed it. After cleaning and refurbishing it, they will open the building for renewal, healing, and growth.
“How much more redemptive can you get?” Carrie asks excitedly.
The momentum of God is clear and undeniable. Neither the walls of abortion clinics nor prison can prevent Him from touching hearts and rebuilding lives—especially through people who are willing to be His vessels.
After their most recent Rachel’s Vineyard Prison Retreat, Carrie and Debra told the women they would have a graduation ceremony after the last retreat. The women were overjoyed just thinking about it. Then they were asked if there was anything they would like to eat afterwards. One of the women, who is finally discovering God’s love and healing after two decades in prison, asked for guacamole. She hasn’t had an avocado in 20 years.
We take the simplest things for granted.
Working with women from such varied backgrounds, Debra, Carrie, and their team do not.
“The only difference between me, on the outside, and the ladies inside could be nothing more than environment – or something as simple as being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Debra says. She smiles and adds, “This isn’t meant to be easy work, but that’s okay, we’re trained and have the curriculum – along with the Holy Spirit. And there’s such a heart behind what we do.”
With Carrie and Debra at the helm, that heart is as big as Texas.
[1] 2 Timothy 2:20-21
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