Going to the prison yesterday was a surreal experience. We received a letter from the warden stating that we could not enter the prison so they brought some of the prisoners to us in the village church. There were 14 of them.
They came in and could not even make eye contact with us. They were full of shame and guilt and had no hope. You could just see it in their eyes and the way they carried themselves.
We sat down together and I got to share my testimony of how the Lord has worked in my life. I don't know if my heart has beat so hard in my chest before! I was so nervous. I had been praying all the way there about what I could share to these men. How I could encourage them. I don't have a clue as to what they have done or what they are going through, but I felt the Holy Spirit speaking through me. It was like nothing i've ever felt before.
I talked about choices and the consequences of my choices and how my choices not only effected me, but my entire family, my friends and my relationship with my future husband.
But I told them the hope that I had in the Lord and the relationship I now have with him. I told them that having him in my life doesn't make my life easier, but now I have the Lord to help me make better choices.
Josh then brought the gospel. He did a great job! By the end all 13 prisoners had received this free gift of salvation! It was incredible.
After we finished talking we handed out gifts to them, toothbrushes, toothpaste and soap.
Then, our translator, Pastor Timothy, whom you wouldn't want to get caught alone with in a dark road (he is a HUGE black man...but really a gentle teddy bear) gave his testimony of when he was in prison and how the Lord changed him. He shared in the most gentle voice I've ever heard to these men were in tears in the end.
What a wonderful day! We did some hut-to-hut when we got back to the village and got to hold some newborn babies and love on their mothers.
It is good to be here!
1 comment:
What prison where you involved with. I have been to africa with Gateway Ministries and the do prison work in uganda. I was wondering if you visited one of the same prisons they are involved with. I did prison work in Ghana and Kenya. What gets me the most is that the women can have their children with them. You see such precious children in horific places.
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