Joyce Meyer Ministries, through its Hand of Hope prison outreach ministry, reached a prominent milestone in its history with the distribution of its two millionth prison gift bag. The milestone bag was among one of hundreds given out by Joyce and Dave Meyer and the ministry’s prison team to inmates at Harare Central Prison in Harare, Zimbabwe. The event coincided with the ministry’s “Festival of Life” conference which was held June 4-6 in Zimbabwe.

“We’re overjoyed at the opportunity to continue to bring an encouraging word of hope to men and women incarcerated in prisons around the world,” said Joyce Meyer. “Disenfranchised and all too often a forgotten part of our global society, through these prison gift bags, we just want to remind them that God still loves them and healing and hope are still available to them through Jesus Christ.”

During the prison visit, Joyce spoke to approximately 400 inmates gathered in the courtyard about having hope in Christ. She was joined by the award-winning recording artist Darlene Zschech who sang an acapella version of the gospel standard “Amazing Grace.” Outreach goals were met as the meeting helped bring a sense of renewal, joy and hope to the inmates’ lives.

Since 1998, prison teams from Hand of Hope have been visiting prisons across the United States and around the world sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and distributing these hygiene gift bags. What started with just one gift bag has grown into a worldwide outreach effort to visit and minister to prisoners around the globe.

Signifying a previous milestone, in December 2004, Joyce visited the Farmington Correctional Facility in Farmington, Missouri, where she presented Winston Redmond, an eleven-year inmate, with the one millionth hygiene gift bag.