We were not allowed to take any pictures here and the security in was tight. There were about 200 men in the prison and we reached them all at the same time. They all looked liked cops out of a tv show, cool, tough and together. They were a bit wary of us when we started and had no idea what to expect, but after we got started the realize we sincerely wanted to help them and encourage them and they completely opened to us and let us in.
They are all still currently cops, but had committed a crime and now are awaiting trial. The situation here between the police and the gangs is very complicated. Sometimes the cops are caught in a gun fire and may shoot, “civilians” who actually had a gun which they cannot later prove. Often cops take the fall for higher up government corruption, and sometimes they do take bribes for need of money or fear of gang retaliation. The situation is very complicated and all though some of these men have made bad choices, some are victims of bad circumstance. They were extremely grateful for our visit and for picking them up.
My father spent time to teach them some things from the Sacred Scriptures about our sin nature and how we have been completely forgiven once for all. My mother sang a beautiful moving song called, “Crying fro Your love”, that is about how the Father longs to show them His love. Many were in tears and really moved by it. At the end so many came up tell us their stories and talk one on one. One guy just said for the first time someone showed him compassion from all he had been through instead of condemnation. He asked if there was any chance we had a soccer ball he could possibly have. I actually had one in the car I was able to go get and bring to him. It meant the world and he was so happy.
No comment posted yet.