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VONDA MAILEN, Ministry Director for Peace Officer & First Responder Prayer Partners International. (1997 to present) |
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I want to welcome you to the
International Peace Officer & First Responder Prayer Partner organization and give you some more insight into the plan of God behind it. God never does things in small, unnoticed ways. We are continuously amazed as the totality of His plan unfolds. Join me as I share my family's story of blessings through this program. |
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In the mid-'80's, my mother, Ruthie, introduced me to a prayer partner organization for police and firemen that was being started by her pastor, Danny Lynchard, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. My heart was drawn to this program. I wanted so much to be involved, and I desired to see a program like this enter our State of Kansas, as I heard this program was spreading to other States.
In the beginning, the burning desire for this wonderful program may have stemmed from the fact that I grew up in a "jailhouse." No, not the way you might think. My grandfather, a policeman for 12 yrs., served as a sheriff for two terms before retirement. One of my grandmother's jobs was to cook the meals for those in jail, and I watched her intensely. What I saw, through a child's eyes, was how my grandparents fulfilled their job with sincerity, integrity, and immense compassion. My grandmother, a wonderfully, strong christian woman truly shared the bread from her table with the prisoners in the jail. She was a fantastic cook! Whatever she cooked and baked for us was served to the inmates. When she passed their meals (like German dumplings and chicken) through the little window, she also passed the love of Jesus and his words to them. I can't help but believe that she touched and changed some lives. My grandfather spoke with a firm, yet soft manner and produced a beautiful smile much of the time. I remember the story of sadness when my grandfather had to tend to his father-in-law, accidently struck by a car in the darkness of night and who later lost his leg and died in the hospital. Peace officers are not exempt from tragedy and pain of loss. They cannot fix everything that crosses their path. With the passing of years, my children grew up and my oldest son went into the Air Force to serve his country. After his term ended, he returned to our home town and to my surprise applied and was accepted into the police training program through the University of Kansas Police Dept. Now I had even more reason to pray for law enforcement personnel. Ten plus years after desiring to be involved in a peace officer prayer ministry, I found myself on the frontlines of starting up a Peace Officer prayer ministry in Kansas. By the grace of God, Pastor/Chaplain Lynchard made himself available to guide and encourage me through the months of designing the program. Two WONDERFUL local pastors, police officer's wives, pastors from local churches, and concerned Christians pitched in and before we knew it, the program had expanded to include ALL first responders who serve with such dedication in protecting our property and lives. The word was spread quickly and prayer partners from local churches continued to join the ministry. My daughter, son, and I through University classes learned how to bring up a the P.O.P.P. and related websites, but the Lord engineered our pages. This site belongs to God and his son, Jesus. It is an outreach of LOVE to those who serve with LOVE and who know the meaning of SACRIFICE and COMPASSION for the well-being of others. They are there for "us" even when tragedy strikes their lives and their hearts are breaking. They need our prayers and encouragement and sometimes our tears. The BLESSING that has fallen upon this website is ALL of YOU! We have found a huge network of officers, chaplains, responders, and Christian prayer warriors that we had no idea existed! It hasn't stopped with the United States. We have officers and partners joining from across the oceans. There have been stories coming in of love and outreach to our officers and responders that touches us deeply. How awesome is the plan of God to shelter the defenders of truth and righteousness. How great is his grace and mercy when He opens the doors of Heaven and invites one in...He has every piece to the puzzle of life in place. God Bless All of You............ In His Service, Vonda and Staff |