Mom, Dad- I went into prison. And no it’s not because I stole a Golden Retriver!
Yesterday me and 7 others on my squad got the opportunity to go into a prison to do ministry.
This was my first time ever stepping into a prison and I had a lot of preconceived thoughts of what it would be like but really didn’t know what to expect but was expecting anything. Preconceived thoughts of what it might look like due to what I’ve seen on TV. Yikes right?! Haha!
As we stepped out of the van that drove us to the prison, we couldn’t bring anything with us other than our passport. No phone, wallet, backpack, etc.
We had to go through two security check points where we were checked. Walking through the courtyard, it was pretty silent. We made our way into the building, walked down a hall with what I assumed was their cells. We were taken into this room and my first thoughts was- I wouldn’t of pictured this room in a prison. Looked like a class room from my high school.
Shortly , the girls that we were meeting with started to come in, they aged from about 14 to 22. But I was unsure if it was the right people. No hand cuffs, no jumper suit. They were in their own clothes. And again with my preconceived thoughts, i wasn’t expecting it.
Truth be told the entire time we were there, I forgot we were in a prison because it didn’t feel like it.
So there we were, we sang songs together, talked about Jesus, I got to share my testimony with them. Funny how God works things out because as we were walking in, my squad mate Genna mentioned how we should talk about shame because we feel like a lot of them live in shame here. With my testimony I got to talk with them about shame and the shame I felt when i was abused when i was little and how God doesn’t intend for us to live in shame. That he can take that away. He doesn’t want us walking around with that. No matter what the “world” may say. I got to share how there is freedom, healing and redemption for not only victims of abuse but also the offender. I got to stand there as an advocate for victims but also to say that there is forgiveness for the offender as well. I don’t know why my offender did what they did to me, but I do believe they are offered forgiveness. And that’s crazy from a worldly perspective. But see Jesus never operated from worldly standards. He operated from a kingdom mindset. Which is full of grace, mercy, love, redemption, forgiveness, truth etc.
God is never saying “shame on you”, rather He is saying “shame off you”.
The entire time there, I just sensed God’s love for them. I didn’t see that they were young teens who were in prison, rather I saw the heart of God through them. I saw that God loves them and wants them to know their worth and that they don’t have to live in shame. Even though God knows our sin, that’s not what He see’s when he looks at us. He see’s His son Jesus on a cross. The cross that took our sin, our shame, our fears, our guilt, etc and replaced it with grace, freedoms & love. He sees who we were created to be.
And that’s how we should see others. We shouldn’t walk around with preconceived ideas of things & people. I shouldn’t walk around with those preconceived ideas.
After we got done visiting and it was time for us to go, we all exchanged goodbyes with hugs. I think that was an awesome way to show love. It could be easy for someone in prison to think we feel superior to them or that we are better than them but with a simple embrace it debunked that thought and is an act of showing them “hey, we are all human. There is grace for you too”.
I knew coming onto the Race that I wanted to truly see the heart of God through face to face circumstances, this was one of them.
We have such a loving GOOD God.
So yeah, Prison wasn’t what I thought it was. At least at this Romanian Prison.
I would post pictures but I couldn’t take any because I couldn’t have my phone!
BUT this was just one of the ways we have been working in Romania! I have many pictures of everything else we have been doing here so be on the look out of that in a blog coming soon to a computer screen near you! Or phone screen, whichever you are reading this on ??.
Much love, T!
