I m in a prison
I know most of you are not surprised ;)
Actually I m in here with a team and the guards will let me out when I want to go....hopefully. We are visiting a section of the prison that has 65 women. I didn't know what to expect. The last time I went to a jail that was in Thailand and that was hard to see....
A lot of the women in prison here are there because they fought back against the abuse they had endured when their husbands would beat them. Sometimes, the men would end up dead ...*ahem ahem*which totally disproves the silly Christian fact that men are stronger than women and therefore women are spiritually weaker. ;) Other girls were there because the other wives set them up and betrayed them because of jealously. Other ones had to do with land and fighting against people trying to steal land from widows. Others are there for stealing..mainly food for their kids. ... I m sure other girls are in there because of other reasons. Their kids and babies stay with them. They leaned that kids are usually safer with momma than other family members. Kids are allowed out for school and then they come back.
Remembering some of the stories and remembering the stories from other women in prison in the us (I used to go online, look up different profiles, and then be pen pals with inmate women) the strength and willingness to do whatever it takes for their children is just out of this world. No wonder Jesus had compassion when he saw the woman crying over her dead son. A mother's heart is just so precious. In micro loans, they have learned that there is a 90% chance the mother will pay back the loan and continue to make money while the there is a 90% chance that the husband will not pay back that loan. Interesting. Totally shows where the mother'a heart is.
These women were so beautiful. Hearing them sing, hearing them pray had literally brought me to my knees and I cried like a lil baby. I m telling ya, there is something so powerful about their prayer life that blows my socks off everytime. Literally. I have no socks. We were in the prison with them all locked up. There were these large rocks that made a line where the girls could not pass. They sat on this hill while we were facing them. Of course, like a Little sassafras that I am, it took everything piece of the fruit of the spirit I had to choke down in order not to step over that line. Lucky for me, I didn't realize that rule right when we got there so I went over to hug and greet the girls. Oops.
We got to pray with them. Watching again a reaction to having solar player bibles made my legs numb. They had a two bibles there that bibles were so torn and tattered. I wonder if it's because most of them can't read. Since the war here lasted twenty years, there is a whole generation that never was able to go to school. Now they could all listen to the Word, whether they could read or not and then talk about it together in groups.
We had so much favor with the guards. They allowed us to do things with the women that no one had ever been allowed to do. We were able to give them days for girls kits and then also a solar audio bible to share among the guards.
I wish I could have taped the reaction of the girls when we handed out and explained what the girls Hygiene kits were all about. They clapped so loud in honor of the arise! Women that made them. They laughed and covered their mouths when we pulled out the panties and described how the pads worked. If they hadn't taken my phone, I totally would have recorded it.
These girls had nothing and now they had something to help them feel like a girl again. Something to help them when they are released and go back to school.
We also brought out the nail polish. This time, the girls were allowed to pass that rock line over to us and we were able to paint their nails, while praying blessing over them, aaaaaand doing what girls love to do...get their nails done.
It went into full cray cray mode. It was so fun seeing them giggle and laugh while picking out their colors. They were quite particular in what they wanted. They would surround you, leaning in and watching as you did their friends nails. I would hear a group hum of approval when I did a good job or tisking sounds if I messed up. I got such a kick out of the girls. It didn't bother me at all. It made my heart smile. They actually got to be girls again. Who doesn't want pretty nails?! Through all this madness, I remember looking up and I caught this girl who was standing back farther from the girls who had surrounded me and she was looking intently at me. It felt like time stopped. The noise and commotion was silenced. The other girls around me blurred together and all I could see was this beautiful girl. I smiled and looked right back at her. She ever so quietly said " I wish I was your friend". My heart just broke. I realized that soon I would leave and she would have to stay. There was this unseen separation between us because of the prison she was in. I could feel her isolation and longing. All I could mumble back was that she was my friend and sister. I leaned over reaching out, grabbed her hand, and we just smiled at each other. I think the reason why it touched my heart so deeply was because it was her heart that spoke. Her words came right from her heart. I ve tried to come to recognize when people are speaking from the heart. Usually when it comes out, it's just a whisper or passing thought. It is such a valuable and precious voice.
You know, I think that's what Jesus would say to us when we would be in our own bondage or prison locked away and isolated (whether it's a spiritual prison or another type of prison). I can see Him looking over and longing to be with us.... Saying that precious sentence, "I wish we could be friends"
*sigh*
I know most of you are not surprised ;)
Actually I m in here with a team and the guards will let me out when I want to go....hopefully. We are visiting a section of the prison that has 65 women. I didn't know what to expect. The last time I went to a jail that was in Thailand and that was hard to see....
A lot of the women in prison here are there because they fought back against the abuse they had endured when their husbands would beat them. Sometimes, the men would end up dead ...*ahem ahem*which totally disproves the silly Christian fact that men are stronger than women and therefore women are spiritually weaker. ;) Other girls were there because the other wives set them up and betrayed them because of jealously. Other ones had to do with land and fighting against people trying to steal land from widows. Others are there for stealing..mainly food for their kids. ... I m sure other girls are in there because of other reasons. Their kids and babies stay with them. They leaned that kids are usually safer with momma than other family members. Kids are allowed out for school and then they come back.
Remembering some of the stories and remembering the stories from other women in prison in the us (I used to go online, look up different profiles, and then be pen pals with inmate women) the strength and willingness to do whatever it takes for their children is just out of this world. No wonder Jesus had compassion when he saw the woman crying over her dead son. A mother's heart is just so precious. In micro loans, they have learned that there is a 90% chance the mother will pay back the loan and continue to make money while the there is a 90% chance that the husband will not pay back that loan. Interesting. Totally shows where the mother'a heart is.
These women were so beautiful. Hearing them sing, hearing them pray had literally brought me to my knees and I cried like a lil baby. I m telling ya, there is something so powerful about their prayer life that blows my socks off everytime. Literally. I have no socks. We were in the prison with them all locked up. There were these large rocks that made a line where the girls could not pass. They sat on this hill while we were facing them. Of course, like a Little sassafras that I am, it took everything piece of the fruit of the spirit I had to choke down in order not to step over that line. Lucky for me, I didn't realize that rule right when we got there so I went over to hug and greet the girls. Oops.
We got to pray with them. Watching again a reaction to having solar player bibles made my legs numb. They had a two bibles there that bibles were so torn and tattered. I wonder if it's because most of them can't read. Since the war here lasted twenty years, there is a whole generation that never was able to go to school. Now they could all listen to the Word, whether they could read or not and then talk about it together in groups.
We had so much favor with the guards. They allowed us to do things with the women that no one had ever been allowed to do. We were able to give them days for girls kits and then also a solar audio bible to share among the guards.
I wish I could have taped the reaction of the girls when we handed out and explained what the girls Hygiene kits were all about. They clapped so loud in honor of the arise! Women that made them. They laughed and covered their mouths when we pulled out the panties and described how the pads worked. If they hadn't taken my phone, I totally would have recorded it.
These girls had nothing and now they had something to help them feel like a girl again. Something to help them when they are released and go back to school.
We also brought out the nail polish. This time, the girls were allowed to pass that rock line over to us and we were able to paint their nails, while praying blessing over them, aaaaaand doing what girls love to do...get their nails done.
It went into full cray cray mode. It was so fun seeing them giggle and laugh while picking out their colors. They were quite particular in what they wanted. They would surround you, leaning in and watching as you did their friends nails. I would hear a group hum of approval when I did a good job or tisking sounds if I messed up. I got such a kick out of the girls. It didn't bother me at all. It made my heart smile. They actually got to be girls again. Who doesn't want pretty nails?! Through all this madness, I remember looking up and I caught this girl who was standing back farther from the girls who had surrounded me and she was looking intently at me. It felt like time stopped. The noise and commotion was silenced. The other girls around me blurred together and all I could see was this beautiful girl. I smiled and looked right back at her. She ever so quietly said " I wish I was your friend". My heart just broke. I realized that soon I would leave and she would have to stay. There was this unseen separation between us because of the prison she was in. I could feel her isolation and longing. All I could mumble back was that she was my friend and sister. I leaned over reaching out, grabbed her hand, and we just smiled at each other. I think the reason why it touched my heart so deeply was because it was her heart that spoke. Her words came right from her heart. I ve tried to come to recognize when people are speaking from the heart. Usually when it comes out, it's just a whisper or passing thought. It is such a valuable and precious voice.
You know, I think that's what Jesus would say to us when we would be in our own bondage or prison locked away and isolated (whether it's a spiritual prison or another type of prison). I can see Him looking over and longing to be with us.... Saying that precious sentence, "I wish we could be friends"
*sigh*
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