One afternoon last week my team loaded up into two taxis with two wonderful woman from church and rode to the outskirts of Huanuco, up to the top of a hill, where stood a high wall topped in razor-wire. Outside this wall we got dropped off. We walked through a gate, then to a front desk where we handed over our passports and got our arms stamped. After that we walked through a metal detector, our stuff got scanned, and we got patted down. We were in prison.
Photo Credit: Haylee Butler
One of the women from church is very involved in prison ministry, and goes often to lead a church service for the female prisoners. This month my team has the great privilege to get go with her.
After getting into the prison we had to walk past the men’s section, then down some stairs past where the prisoners work, then down some more stairs before finally getting to the women’s area. Immediately after checked in with the guard we were greeted by a group of women from the prison. One women had a month old baby. As as she noticed me smiling at the baby she handed him to me to hold. This made my day, my week, possibly my month!
While holding the baby, I followed my teammates, our hosts, and a group of women from the prison into a little chapel. This chapel was soon filled to standing room only, and the baby I was holding wasn’t the only child in the room. There was a woman nursing an older baby in the front row. The woman sitting right in front of me held a 2 year old on her lap. There was a woman standing in the back with a baby on her back. I was a little surprised to see the children there with their mothers, but at the same time I was happy for the mothers that they could have their children with them.
Our hosts explained that we were missionaries from the United States and then the church service began with my team singing Amazing Grace. Following that our two hosts each gave a message. The first gave an object lesson about Jesus’ work on the cross. The second preached about the importance of forgiveness. When we ask God to forgive us, he does so. Thus, we need to forgive those who have wronged us. At the end of the service we sung a worship song in Spanish, then my team prayed over the women.
We prayed for them, and whatever they are facing. We prayed for their children, those with them and those outside of the prison. We prayed for the women not in that chapel, that they would come to know God. We prayed for healing of any injuries or illnesses. Our host prayed a closing prayer, then we gathered up the guitar and drum we had brought along and left the chapel.
Out in the yard woman after woman came up to us and asked us to pray over them So we prayed. After we claimed our passports at the front desk and left the prison, we walked down the hill to the main road to catch taxis. All the way down I thought of what we had seen at the prison, and I prayed for those women. I especially prayed for their children. I prayed that God would watch over, and bless each of those precious children. I prayed that their mothers would come to know God and raise their children to know him too.
Next week we will return to the prison, and I’m looking forward to it. Prison ministry was different than I expected, and it was certainly worth doing. Through the work of our host, these women are learning about God. I hope each one of them comes to know him personally, so that when they are released their lives will be different. They will be a new creation in Christ.
