God,
You are here.
What I see:
-cement walls
-cement floors
-small cells
-crowded cells
-tattoos
-hopeful eyes
-art on the walls: Angels, demons, flowers, houses, naked women
Today my friend Julie and I went with a team to the prison here in Nicaragua.
A kind man with the ministry we visited showed Julie and me around.
“The conditions are not good,” he said in means for us to prepare our hearts.
The team comes here every week. They have church, they do bible studies, they give encouragement, bibles, compassion. My new friend told us we would stay with the women of the team that visits with the incarcerated women. He then invited us to take a look inside the prison walls.
My heart skipped a beat while my feet moved forward.
I walked back to a room with cells the size of a double bed. Arms hanging out of the cell doors. Over the speaker a man began to pray.
“They are starting church.”
Church.
Here. In prison.
Here. In the dark.
Hesitant to see too much, I turned and walked back towards the entrance. My new friend pointed to one cell that had many men inside….this is where I will do bible study.
I asked how big the cell was and before I knew it I was being invited in.
“Are you ready?”
….
…..
….”yes.”
Julie and I walked inside with our two ministry friends and the door shut behind us.
I quickly learned how small this cell was and was told to sit.
I don’t think I have ever sat quicker in my life!
Once my butt hit the cement floor I was offered a piece of cardboard to sit on.
Cardboard is used as beds here in prison.
This man, that has only the clothes on his back, just offered me some of the very little that he does have.
Immediatly I was comforted.
God,
You are here.
Our new ministry friends shared the gospel of John and gave testimonies for God’s everlasting love. Julie was moved to give an encouraging word and part of her testimony as well. Her words were powerful.
“I don’t know how long you will be in here but I do know that if you dedicate each day to the Lord that He WILL use you. I don’t know if you know who Paul is, but He wrote the entire book of Ephesians while he was in prison. God will use you.”
I thought about the art on the walls- flowers, naked women, demonic faces, angels- it was a battle of LIGHT and dark right there on the walls. The men sat still and listened to the words being spoken. They sang quietly to the songs being played over the speaker- “Gloria a Dios!”
God,
These are Your sons. I feel your comforting presence and Your endless love for each one.
As AMAZING and LIFE FILLING as that hour and a half was, I was ready to leave that dark, cement cell.
Ready to be in sunlight.
Ready to feel a breeze.
Ready to smell fresh air over urine and feces.
The darkness that surrounds these men is heavy…but I KNOW God is BIGGER and He is there.
Jesus is no stranger to the darkness. And He goes there willingly time and time again for His children.
Luke 4:18-19
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
