Harry: never forgotten

I ran across a neat story this week. It happens often when you're working with prisoners.

Back in the 1990s when I first got started trying to free a wrongly convicted prisoner, my day job was selling church organs, and my territory was not only the western half of lower Michigan, but the eastern tip of Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula.

In those days I made friends with the congregation of a delightful little church nestled in the Upper Peninsula woods at the northern tip of Lake Huron. If you're driving too fast on M-134 and if you're not watching for the tiny sign or the little building, you'll miss the DeTour Christian Church. I love this church and its members.

In making small conversation, I told two of the church leaders, Gladys and Frank Malette, about inmate Harry Bout. Harry is a citizen of the Netherlands and claims wrongful conviction. He also claims that his incarceration is a treaty violation between the US and the Netherlands.

That was more than 15 years ago. What I didn't know was that the church kept Harry's name and placed it on their prayer list.

My friend Frank Malette died some months ago, and Gladys and I have remained in constant contact. Gladys asked me the other day how Harry was doing. I was so touched that these wonderful people have been keeping this prisoner in their prayers.

I sent Harry a letter this week encouraging him to contact the church.

He's had a whole group of prayer partners that he knew nothing about! What a gift.

It's the kind of thing that happens in this business.

Harry Bout and DeTour Christian Church: divine partners.

Another one of those God things.

Comments

AP said…
Thank you so much for this positive news!
Harry Bout's supporters have a website with a summary of his case here:
Justiceforharrybout.blogspot.com
Thank you HFP and Doug for all that you do!

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