Sorry about
missing out on the last few days.
They’ve been pretty tough physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Today is the first in a handful of days
that I think I may make it to bedtime tonight. Thanks so much for your encouragement, support and
prayers. Those things really do
get me through days like the last few.
So, Minor #5 and
his “live in partner” as he likes to call her. As usual, for the sake of this being on the internet, we’ll
call them “Eric” and “Felicity”.
Eric is by far
our most advanced student in the cell. He’s one of the oldest boys and was actually on schedule to
start his first year of high school before he ended up here. He often apologizes for his poor
English, even when he just spent an hour translating for us and carrying on a
full conversation. He is
definitely a leader within the cell and we rely a lot on him to set an example
and reinforce the things we teach them each day with the short time we have
with them.
As far as
Felicity goes, her appearances at the jail have steadily increased since we’ve
been going. These two were
together before Eric was sentenced here, and she has chosen to remain by his
side. I haven’t heard too much of
her story, but it’s obvious to see in her a life marked by shame and a lack of
confidence. A week ago, she would
try and come as soon as visiting hours started because she knew when we got
there, Eric would join us for classes.
I don’t know when the shift happened, but one day when I returned to
pick up our team, she was joining in the classes and participating in the games
and exercises. She has always been
welcome to join us, I’m just glad she has realized that.
The last couple
of days have been tough on Eric.
Whatever it is has gotten bad enough to where he won’t even leave the
cell to join us for classes. He
has his hiding place in the back of their cell and he hasn’t ventured out of it
the last couple of days. The
longer we spend with these boys, the more I realize just how much junk we’re
going to have to work through.
They have a past and years of lies built up against them. They’re used to having people come in
and out of their lives with no intention of hanging around.
At times our
classes may seem “elementary” for Eric, but every bit of me believes even the
elementary scriptural truths we are telling them are fighting off years
abandonment and neglect. We remind
them everyday of their identity in Christ and that directly fights the words
they’ve heard their whole life that tell them they’re not good enough or that
they’re just bad people.
Like all of us,
Eric has a past full of things he’s not proud of. Often I think he believes those are the things that define
him as a man. The life he has been
living is on a collision course with the love of a Father, the power of the
Spirit, and the redemption of Jesus.
I’m just excited to see the man he will become and the future that
awaits…
