Hello again everyone. Sorry I didn’t write more blogs this
January but our schedule was a little on the fritz. I also had quite a lot of
personal challenges this month that were prohibiting me from having clear and
concise blogging thoughts. If you’ve never experienced spasmodic brain waves you know how hard it is to get things done… so please forgive me for my inconsistencies. Now let’s get down to business.
As the month went along I found my head getting in the way
of my heart. As I finally let my thoughts go to the Lord He presented me with
the chance to go and minister to some prisoners at the Malaybalay City Jail. I
had always heard about prison ministry but never really thought I would come
across the opportunity. The jail was a brisk walk away from the Children’s Home
so I headed on my merry way over to see what it was all about.
The jail was unlike anything I could have expected.
Everything was very open and the prisoners were withheld by a few padlocks and
metal bars. I got a very home-like feeling as soon as I walked past the bamboo
guard-house. All of the prisoners waved excitedly and offered to sell me
hand-made jewelry and crafts. There were about 10 male cells ranging from 30
prisoners in triple stacked bunk beds to 3 prisoners sharing one small room and
one bed. The male prisoners have a completely self-sustaining lifestyle within
each separated cell (they don’t supply them with soap or toiletries!). The men also
lead worship sessions and continuously write new songs together in order to
honor the Lord. There was an outing area with one basketball goal and a bunch of
tables for visiting families and friends. The end of the row of cells revealed
one cell of minor aged males and one cell of adult women. I knew that the Lord
wanted me to speak to the women, little did I know that He would deliver the
exact lady that would rock my world.
I sat down in a plastic chair in front of the bars and
introduced myself to some of the Philippinas. The one who seemed most eager to
meet me was a very kind faced woman named Dawn. She was unfortunately
imprisoned for a lot of financial troubles with the government. Dawn fully
realized the mistakes she had made but was suffering from quite a good bit of injustice. Her entire family is currently living abroad in Norway, making it incredibly difficult to contact them and receive sponsorship for her basic needs. The thing that really blew me away, however, was how adamant Dawn was about her personal relationship with the Lord.
As she continued to tell me her story and show me a little
more about life as a prisoner I was continually rocked by how solid her trust was in our Father. She was in such a horrible predicament and seemed to be backed
into a corner. I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of mindset someone would
have in this position if they weren’t secure in the Lord. Where would I be if my eyes weren’t set
on Him? What earthly thing could possibly give me hope if I was trapped in prison so far from my family? I was initially so sad for Dawn… but I smacked myself in the head,
knowing that she did not need my tears. Her life may have seemed dismal
and dreary, yet her spirit was nothing but dazzling and matchless with the
light that is Jesus Christ.
For most of us, prisoners can sometimes look like hopeless cases. It is often our natural human inclination to pity the poor and write off sinners. As it is written in Matthew 26: 6-13, the disciples judged the woman for being a sinner but Jesus loved her regardless of her past. I read this story to Dawn and made sure she took it upon herself to spread this love to her fellow cell-mates. As Dawn remains a light in a place that can look so dark, I encourage you to exude the light of the body. I encourage you to look past what the rest of the world is telling you and see exactly where God is in every situation. If you carry his light, why wouldn’t you spread it to someone else? What is stopping you from being a vessel for the work of Christ?
P.S. I AM IN CHIANG MAI, THAILAND THIS MONTH!
