I can’t tell you how excited I was about heading back to the jail in Malaybalay yesterday. This place has been a true rock in my foundation of international ministry and I was almost nervous to head back there. As we walked down the road that led to the entrance, me heart was pounding. I knew what I was heading into, but as I tried to describe it to the team that is here this month, I couldn’t find the words. I told them a little about the history of the ministry, but to explain the experience is more than difficult.
Since this is one of my biggest ministries out here, I try to at least tell stories. If I can share the experiences, you can at least catch a glimpse of what goes on behind those bars. So, yesterday, I was able to meet Mark.
As some of you may know, ministry is such a gradual and relational process. While I have had some incredible stories of transformation, it is very rarely immediate. Each cell we’ve visited, there have been a couple of people that have responded on the spot, but most of the men just stare us down and wait for us to leave. When we bring out a guitar for worship, a couple may start, but most of the men just watch. Eventually, most cells have gotten to a point where they respond and join in. However, some cells have proven a little more difficult.
I don’t know what it is about cell 5, but they kind of intimidate me. I spoke at their cell a few times this summer, and a couple of the men would thank me for coming, but most wouldn’t even respond to me. With all the victories we had this summer, cell 5 was group that I regretted looking back. Mark is in cell 5 and he reached out to me this time around.
Mark was easily recognizable as one of the men that would just glare at me when I spoke. So when he grabbed my arm when I passed, it was one of those rare times that I was super anxious in the jail. We just stared at each other and after the longest pause, he just said, “Thank you for coming back, you will preach to us today.” I tried to stumble over my words enough to tell him that I was there to visit and speak to people individually, and I had other guys that would preach today. I could tell this didn’t please him, so I just said, “Why don’t I visit with you then, and hear your story?” Praise God this changed his mind.
He told me that he had been in prison here for six years this March. He didn’t know why he was there or how long his sentence was. In over five years, he had never been to the courthouse to hear his case. This isn’t rare for many of these inmates. In fact, most will have hearings that will be postponed for no reason once a month for years. So they just sit and wait.
Mark went on to tell me that there were many preachers that came in and out of the prison. Every time one came, he would listen, but he was still waiting to believe one of them. He said that their cell was good at scaring ministers away for a long time. Most of the men in this cell have some pretty heavy addictions, so they just try to pass the time until their time is up. Mark said that one day, a group of them were tired of doing that and decided to change.
Even though I couldn’t see them, the whole cell watched as we baptized the men of cell 2 this summer. They didn’t know what it was, but they said the men looked so joyful when they came out of the water. I left the next week and since then, cell 5 has been asking the Filipino pastors that I brought with me to explain this to them. Mark told me that they loved to worship together as a cell now, but they only know two songs, so they just sing them over and over. They don’t know how to read the Bible or worship, so they just mimic what they hear the other cells doing.
Finally, Mark told me he had hope. He had hope because he knew that there was a God that cared about him and he didn’t have to keep wasting his life. On behalf of cell 5, Mark asked me to bring more preachers and to teach them to worship. He told me he had so much joy in his heart that he wanted to learn how to express it. Then, he yelled something in Visayan and all the men gathered to sing. Nearly all 34 men stood to their feet and started singing the two praise songs they knew. It was sheer joy for these men that were silent four months ago.
Before I left, Mark asked me to pray for him. I asked him what for, and he told me, “I want to have my hearing soon for my case. But,” and then he paused for a while. “But, if I cannot have my hearing, I want to still stay this joyful.” Mark may not leave for a while, but he has hope. Praise God for hope…
