Contact: Jill Griffin, 858-774-0179

MEDIA ADVISORY, July 17 /Christian Newswire/ -- For many 07/07/07 was truly the perfect day in God's glorious kingdom. In Santo Domingo it was a historical day that brought hope for a better future and the healing of forgiveness. On July 7th, 2007 Chaplain David Walden, president of MOTE, was on day two of his four day workshop to train over 300 local pastors on effective prison ministry upon the request of Dominican Republic prison officials. "This gathering of pastoral leaders from all the different evangelical denominations is a first for our nation … the hand of God is moving in our country" said Rev. Carlitos Trinidad Campechano, Presidente Nacional Association Nationalde Iglesias Penteniarias.

MOTE is known for the effective prison ministry model developed by Chaplain David Walden (more commonly known as Chappy Dave). MOTE's prison ministry model has proven itself effective at La Mesa prison in Tijuana Mexico for over 12 years resulting in the rehabilitation and changed lives of thousands of inmates, and is now expanding to the Dominican Republic.

Chappy Dave's training workshop was attended by Senator Celeste Gomez Martinez of the Senado De La Republica Dominicana. On July 7th Senator Martinez arrived with a photo of her brother and a story of love, respect, honor, and murder. Her brother was a former senator that was loved by the people because he stood for honesty and stood up against the drug cartel. Six years earlier her brother was assassinated and she, as an attorney at the time, prosecuted her brother's murderer. Senator Martinez was soon to experience a blessing that would bring spiritual healing to her and her brother's murderer.

Soon after the senator's arrival an inmate approached Chappy Dave asking to receive prayer for courage. Serving a thirty-five year sentence for the murder of the former Senator Martinez, this inmate had surrendered his life to Christ and has been taking steps to turn his life around. After praying with Chappy, the trembling and sobbing inmate turned to Senator Celeste Gomez Martinez (a Christian woman) and asked her to forgive him for the assassination of her brother. The senator, filled with the Spirit of Christ, met her brother's assassin face to face and took his hands. "This truly was a Corrie Ten Boom moment" said Chappy Dave. The senator forgave her brother's assassin for his crime, and spent an hour with him on her knees in prayer. "It was God who sent her there and only God who could put forgiveness in her heart" explains Chappy Dave.

The goal of the MOTE four-day workshop was to edify, equip and strengthen believers' in their faith and deed focusing specifically on connecting the local churches outside the prison walls with the churches inside the prison walls of La Victoria Prison in Santo Domingo. There are fourteen little churches inside La Victoria prison, each of them struggling with the excessive violence within this very large maximum security prison. This particular workshop was Part II of a four-part series and was centered on the topic of Creating-Sustaining-Expanding Effective Prison Ministry. Chappy Dave said "It is evident that we are moving with the authority of God, so we just keep moving as He leads us. Our goals are being met and God is throwing in miracles that we would never have anticipated. What an incredible joy to witness."

The budget for this four-part workshop series is over $35,000. If you would like to be a part of this effort to help change a nation through effective prison ministry please contact MOTE for more information.

About MOTE

MOTE stands for Missions On The Edge. MOTE, a 501(c)3 non-profit Christian organization was founded in 1995 by Dr. David Walden (aka Chappy Dave). MOTE ministries include a lay chaplaincy training program for state hospitals and convalescent facilities; faith-based after-school home-work clubs; inner-city Christian sober living facility for men; homeless feeding programs; and cross-culture prison ministry programs in La Mesa State Prison, Tijuana, Mexico and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Chappy Dave is also a teacher and faculty associate professor at Bethel University and Seminary San Diego, and author of the book Wipeout, a true story of winning. For more information about MOTE visit www.mote.ws or call (858) 613-4848.