I suppose there may have been a dry eye, but my vision was so blurred from the overflow of tears that I couldn’t tell the difference.
We arrived at the prison here in Mokhotlong after a half an hour hike down the mountain. We circled up outside and prayed for our time there, that the Lord’s will would be done through us.
As we walk inside, the sound of a beating drum and singing voices get louder and louder. We stepped into an open courtyard and my eyes were instantly drawn to where the sound was coming from. There was a group of men dancing around in a circle, all wearing various colors of red, singing/ chanting in a language I couldn’t understand. It almost looked like a ritual and I instantly felt uncomfortable.
I set my mind back on my Rock, my firm foundation and decided to shift my mindset away from distancing myself from them.
There were several plastic chairs set up for us and the pastor who came with us invited to sit. He pointed out a few of the men clinging to their Bibles and told us about the fruit he has had the pleasure of witnessing in several of the inmates.
The pastor then started a song..
“Hosanna”
And all of the inmates followed
“Hallelujah”
The song was simple and easy to join in
Hosanna
Hallelujah
Hosanna
Hallelujah
Hosanna
Hallelujah
Hosanna
Almost everyone was dancing and singing and it eased me even more.
We then had one of the Racers share her testimony and talk about what Paul wrote in Ephesians 1, that we can be holy, blameless, adopted, and redeemed.
A second Racer stood up and shared her testimony on the power of prayer and how her and her siblings were protected while both of her parents were in prison through the power God and her mother’s prayers.
A third racer stood up and started her testimony about drug and alcohol abuse and how she understood what it felt like to be alone in a cell with nothing but your thoughts.. she paused and, speaking between heart wrenching sobs, shared her story of crying out to the Lord at 18 years old, begging for freedom, pleading for one last chance, and declaring his goodness and her promise to follow him with all she had. She then encouraged every single one of those men to cry out to the Lord, to accept that redemption, to submit to him, and to experience the freedom of new life now so that if and when they are released, they don’t find themselves back behind bars.
It was intense.
Finally, another Racer stood up to give a message. He started with a little back story on Moses, Pharaoh, the Israelites, and the several plagues. He then back tracked and highlighted the second plague, reading out of Exodus 8.
Frogs.. everywhere.
Frogs in bedrooms. Frogs in beds. Frogs in ovens. Frogs in kneading bowls.
Pharaoh called Moses and his brother, Aaron, knowing that they could ask the Lord and the frogs would go away.
v9. Moses said to Pharaoh, “Be pleased to command me when I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.”
But what did pharaoh say?
“Tomorrow.”
Our Racer shared about the many times he was convicted of his sin and the many opportunities he had to repent, to truly turn from the sin, and the many times he said… “ehhhh… tomorrow.”
Pharaoh knew that he had to go home, frogs in his bed, frogs in his kitchen. His situation was clearly less than ideal but he chose to say tomorrow instead of accepting the freedom from frogs today.
He then went on to encourage all of us who do believe in Jesus already, not to settle by saying “tomorrow” when the Lord invites us into something new. He then powerfully encouraged everyone who has never believed in and surrendered to Jesus to say “TODAY” and to not settle for the filth of yesterday.
The pastor stood up and invited those who wanted to say “yes, today” to Jesus, to come in the center and pray.
5 prisoners came to the center.
It was beautiful. It was a day where no one collaborated on their testimonies or sermons, they just got up and spoke what the Lord had spoken to them and, believe me, everyone who witnessed was blessed with the results of the unity and progression of the message that the Holy Spirit spoke.
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
Philippians 2:1-2
P.S. We have had plenty of water for drinking, bathing, and laundry! Also, I don’t know if I’ve ever felt as much peace and joy as I have been feeling lately. Thank you so much to everyone who has been praying for me! I am truly reaping the benefits and can’t thank you enough for your support!
