The last couple of days have been a little challenging. Around midday Monday we were hit with a blackout and it didn’t lift until very early Wednesday morning. I know many people around the world are without power, but it’s a different thing when you’re taken off guard. Needless to say, bedtime has come a little earlier the last couple of nights and we’ve been having to get a little more creative.
So, I’m glad for the timing and that I get to introduce these two together because they’re very rarely separated. Jonah and Lyndi are two of our student leaders involved with our Saturday fellowship and have truly been a Godsend the last couple of weeks. Ever since Jodi left a few weeks ago, I’ve been praying to have someone step in and fulfill her role as teacher of the minors. I would love to fill this role, but just can’t time-wise, so having these two come along was such a blessing.
The first time they came to the jail, I had my normal routine to walk through, but I wanted to make sure they were confident in their role, so I walked them around to the cells of the minors and women (separate, but beside each other). I introduced them to the group and just said, “OK, go.” They were very hesitant at first and didn’t know what to do, so I just told them to make friends. Both of them are very good at that, so after about a minute, they turned around to me and told me I could leave them now. I spent nearly two hours floating between the cells and never heard from them. When I returned to them, they were playing games and singing songs with the boys and knew all of their stories.
Originally I told them it could be a once or twice a week deal, but as we walked to he car, they asked if they could come back the next day. Both of these girls are out of college right now and since there are no jobs available, they became perfect candidates for our ministry. For the last two weeks, we’ve missed one day of being with the boys and teaching them, but every other day they’ve had their visitors. The girls told me about an acceleration test minors can take to skip the years of elementary school they missed and jump right into high school. So we’ve gotten some curriculum and taken off with the new mission of getting our boys prepped for high school.
These two have literally fallen in love with this ministry and have been such a blessing to my life. Not only do I have daily interpreters to join me at the jail, but we’re getting Filipinos to take care of and provide for their own neighbors. Our prayer has always been to empower the local church and encourage the ones that are serving and giving their lives to walk in the power and love of Jesus. When I see girls like Lyndi and Jonah (and Rose has been joining us regularly as well) spending their free time to just visit the neglected, it just encourages me that we’re doing something right. Jonah even had to opportunity to celebrate her birthday this week. We went shopping that morning and had a party at the canteen at the Malaybalay City Jail with nine minors that haven’t had too much to celebrate until now.
These two are running with our ministry and have been such an encouragement in my life. I’m so thankful to have so much support both abroad and right down the street…
