I’ve been praying for more time with Junard before he leaves Malaybalay, but today brought a bittersweet answer. I’m excited though to finally tell you this story.
On my first Sunday in the jail back in March, I instantly connected with Junard. It was obvious from the way he stood and the look in his eyes, he was not only the leader, but he was a good leader. Every time I spoke with the men in cell 2, he would stand right up against the bars on the front row. After a couple of times speaking with these men, I began to feel more comfortable with them, so I began to prop myself up on the bars as well, right beside them. The moment I decided to do this, I was in the middle of speaking with them all and Junard put his hand on my forearm, and instead of nerves, I felt encouraged.
Up to this point, I hadn’t spoken with any of the men individually because Benhard saw me as more of a preacher and wanted me to connect with all the men from a distance. On my last day here in March, I received a present from the leader of cell 2 and a man I greatly respect as a friend. Even though his letter was in all Viscayan, I got the message of how thankful Junard was for my time in the prison. He wrote down the lyrics of one of the worship songs he and the men had written and placed inside a beautiful hand made bracelet and necklace with my name on it. The only way these men can make money for their food is by making these items and selling them to any visitors. He gave me his latest creations as a gift, even though the profit they could have made would have provided a lot for the men.
The one regret I had was that I never got to say goodbye to this man I had never really spoken with individually, even though we already had a great impact on each other.
With this in mind, I knew where one of my first stops would be when I returned to Malaybalay, and I was welcomed back as a brother the moment I walked into those prison walls. Junard quickly reached out his hands and wanted to present me with some of the new songs they had written, as well as some of the ones I remembered from last time. As usual, Benhard wanted me to preach, but when I finished up with the last cell, I made my way back to try and connect with the man I couldn’t get out of my head.
When I called Junard over, I realized how difficult it would be to speak with a man who knew no English, but was blessed when John offered to interpret for us. During the conversation, I found out a good bit more about this man’s life and while he was ashamed of his past, it was obvious he knew he was a new creation. I learned that he was the oldest of a few boys and was the breadwinner for his family. One of his younger brothers became sick and was forced to stay in the hospital for a while, and Junard was at a crossroads of how to provide for his family. At this time, Junard thought he knew what he had to do, but was caught and sent to prison.
Seven years later, Junard is a new man. He was not a Christian when he walked into this prison and didn’t have much of a moral compass. Over the past year, Junard has heard the word of God and has begun to minister to his brothers by writing them letters and teaching them about the love of God as well as being the spiritual leader in his cell. He is very anxious for the day he will get to make the 7 hour bus ride home to be the big brother he was always supposed to be.
At the end of our conversation that day, I asked Junard about his hearing that week and who would be there to support him. He said his family was several hours away and that he would go to the hearing alone and get on the bus shortly after. Up to this point, John was interpreting, but he didn’t need to interpret my next words. I told Junard that was unacceptable and that I would be there to be the first one to celebrate his freedom. John didn’t need to interpret because Junard immediately started weeping.
Through his wet eyes, he told me how thankful he was to have a brother look out and provide for him for once. He knew the love of God through how I loved him and now it was his turn to play that role for his younger brothers. This man is ready for freedom and will be just as powerful a tool for the Gospel outside the prison walls as he has been inside them.
So yesterday, we prepared for his hearing by cleaning him up, getting a haircut, and shaving. I showed up to the courthouse this morning after having the time pushed back most of the morning, but it was finally his turn. When we were waiting outside, we met an officer that was curious why we were there. As we told him the story, without hearing his name, the man knew we were here for Junard. This man is the chief witness in Junard’s case and was there to either renew or drop the charges against our brother.
He told us that he would drop the charges and that as soon as possible, Junard would be a free man! Unfortunately, there is one more step in the decision making; the judge. We waited with anticipation, only to find out that even though charges were dropped against Junard, his final hearing would be pushed back for another week. As soon as we heard the news, Junard, obviously shaken and disappointed, walked down the steps and embraced me in a hug for the first time. It was short lived however, because he was quickly pushed on to get back in the prison van.
I have to admit, it’s hard to not be a little disappointed. It’s hard to fight the rejection he must be feeling, but I trust God knows what He is doing. We have been praying over his best friend John, that he would be ready to take Junard’s place, and maybe we just need one more week. So at least we have one thing to celebrate in that. I’m headed back to the jail in a few hours and look forward to meeting with these two men.
It’s hard to not see God’s plan but still trust He knows what’s going on. I feel like I fight this a lot in my life, especially now. I can’t wait to see Junard as a free man and welcome him back to freedom. Until then, we’ll keep training and teaching the word and love of God with the time we have together. Thank you for your prayers. We’ll need them again on June 29th…
