The Prison Ministry

 

From Mark:
Last week I went to a local prison with 7 other men, 3 westerners and 4 African crew that are regulars on the prison ministry.  A group of ladies also went to an adjacent women's prison.  This was my first outing to a prison but the prison ministry group had been to this prison once already a couple of weeks earlier.  Sorry, no real pictures as we are not allowed to take cameras into the prison.  Also, Guineans are very touchy about pictures of locations like prisons.  This prison houses some political prisoners so our leader asked that we not bring cameras at all.  I tried to find pictures on Google that reminded me how things were.

First, a little description is in order.  This is not a prison like in the western sense with a lot of bars and high security.  This prison is basically a walled compound with with rows of tin-roofed rooms.  The prisoners seem pretty free to move around, there only seemed a couple of places where guards were placed.  It look more like an old-time frontier fort.  A few chickens ran around.  I think the prison only provides a bowl of rice per day, so prisoners have to get other nutrition as they can, from family, friends or what they can grow on the inside.  Inside there is a Chapel, roof and benches, no walls; with a large wooden cross and old picture of Jesus.  If I had my guess I would say this was a catholic chapel but it's simplicity did not give a lot of clues.

We arrived and we were required to wash our hands with very heavy bleach solution that I was told not to wipe off on my cloths because it would bleach them.  This is an attempt to prevent the spread of Cholera into and out of the prison.  The eight of us filed into the chapel and after several minutes of waiting and no one coming, we just started to sing.  After about 4 songs the place began filling up.  As to not bore everybody I will just give some of my thoughts.

This is where our faith was designed to be.  I was surrounded by perhaps 40 men who, for just a few short minutes, were free from their prison. 

If there was ever any question that God is everywhere, he was there.  Yes, God can be found in prison in west Africa.  More than His presence I felt his hand moving.

The Word was spoken, the Word was sung.  The power of hope came.  The Love of God, the Truth of the Gospel was poured out on the dirty ground of this prison.

While sitting and worshiping with these men I came to the realization that apart from the Holy Spirit that we receive through the blood of Jesus we are all in a prison.  Our prison may not look like the one these men were trapped in and the bars that hold us are not always as visible, but it is a prison.  Dirty, confined, lost.  I began to see that the true power of God is, that even in a prison, God can come.  I know that if those men can embrace the Truth that we told them and make their prison a prison worthy of God and the sacrifice of His Son, they will be free, even in prison.  What's more, if our prison truly reflects the Gospel, other men will fight to break in, to come into our prison, just for one touch, one feel, one glimpse of the Glory of God, Jesus Christ.