Behind Bars in the Philippines

 New Year, New Continent. This month, my team is serving on a large island in the Philippines called Mindenau. Supposedly it is very dangerous, but I have felt very safe the whole time I’ve been here. We are living in a town called Malaybalay at a children’s home with Kids International Ministries. Four other teams are staying at the location with us this month, so it has been a lot of fun having a large community and lots of people to hang out with and get to know better. 

 Our work here so far has mainly been taking shifts at the children’s home or doing construction/ manual labor. I work four shifts a week at the home, including two 8-hour shifts in the nursery, a shift 5:30-9 am with the boys getting them ready for school (often showering them in the sink out back or with a hose when the water stops working in the house), and another 3-8pm shift, tutoring and putting them to bed. Some of the projects we are working on include planting an Olympic size soccer field and building a church/parsonage. Though the afternoon rains and the very, very hot weather can be quite the adventure, we’re always up for the challenge.

(Photo by Jacinda Koziara; stamps from going to the prison every day)

 My favorite experience thought occurred today after church. Two of my teammates and I, along with our new friend Will and some locals, went to visit the prison down the way. Will has been building a prison ministry along with some other Filipinos, and it is incredible to see the relationships and obvious growth in the prisoners. I sat for a while outside a jail cell crammed with 9 women and got to hear one woman’s story. 

 Rosario’s story: She has been in the same prison cell for 5 years and does not know how much longer she has, though she hopes it will be just one more year. She is there for drug addiction and possession. In the Philippines this offense can land you in prison for years on end. Rosario told me of leaving her parents when she was 13, dancing and working in a club by 15, and marrying at 18. After getting heavy into drugs later on, her parents began caring for her 3 daughters. The grandparents treated the girls terribly, selling the 9 year old to a farmer and even trying to kill the youngest girl who became very ill and was racking up medical bills. The middle daughter, who is now about 16, is believed to be involved in a gang and just had a baby. The redeeming part of this story is that when my friend Will heard this same story last year, he was able to track down the youngest (Kim) and oldest daughter (Marla). Kim was literally skin and bones and had been lying on the same bench for 4 months. It just so happens that when Will went to go pick her up, Marla was at the house as well, having heard about her sister’s condition and not seeing anyone for 9 years. To make a long story short, Will bought a plot of land near the prison and was able to bring Kim, Marla, and Marla’s baby to live there in a little house, where they could also visit their mother often. The community outpour was amazing with the girls, and they were brought food and care around the clock. 

Will has been back in the states for the last several months, and today was his first time seeing Kim and Marla since returning. We were all shocked to find Kim walking around (no crutches or anything) and looking very healthy! Will told me it is truly miraculous to see her in such wonderful health and happiness. His face and comments repeatedly reflected his surprise at the change in her condition. 

It was hard at times to know what to talk about with these women, but somehow God gave me the words and questions to show them that I care. Some of the women have mental health issues and don’t make a lot of sense, but their faces light up if you just sit and listen to them. I could hardly make out what one of the women was saying to me, but I realized after straining my ear to hear her from behind the bars, that she really only wanted someone to sit and care about her. 

 The Minors: The next part of my visit turned toward the minors in the next cell over. In the Philippines it is illegal for minors to be in prison even if they commit terrible offenses, but there is a loophole. All 10 in this cell are multiple offenders and have been signed over by their parents. The only way for them to get out is if they have a guardian come and present their birth certificate. Some were addicts; one that I met murdered his professor and another raped a young girl. I looked around the tiny cell and looked into the faces of young boys. They looked so young and innocent- it was hard to believe. They didn’t speak as much English, but one by one I stuck my hand through the bars, shook their hands, and introduced myself. The youngest, a 14 year old named Ariel, was so cute and shy and kept trying to hide from me. I couldn’t believe that this adorable young boy could be in there.
One thing that Filipinos love to do is sing. The boys gathered around and sang a beautiful song for us in their tongue and then they began “Shout to the Lord” in English. We joined in and all sang together. Afterwards one of the boys stepped forward and asked to see Danielle’s Bible. He shared verses for both Danielle and I. Hers was Isaiah 41:10 and mine was Psalms 3:3. 

 • “Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 

• “But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” 

Psalms 3:3 

Please pray for the ministry at the prison. There has been so much change and openness. Throughout my visit I could hear prisoners suddenly bursting into loud and joyful worship songs. They are hungry for visitors to come and share the good news of the gospel with them and to teach them more. I am going to try to visit as much as possible before I leave the Philippines and I am hoping to hang out outside the cells next time in the visitation area. 

 As exciting as all this is over here, I want to encourage you with the fact that prisons are not isolated to the Philippines. There are prisoners just waiting for a visitor- someone to talk to- someone to be bold and share the gospel with them… maybe right in your own community or area. In whichever way, whether at a prison or elsewhere, I am excited for you to go love a stranger today ☺