So I Married an Ex-Con

Did you ever see the comedy "So I Married an Axe Murderer"?  

Well, this is nothing like that.

When we went to Virginia in 2009 for an 8-week training course with our company, we had a funny experience happen on the first day.  We walked in my oldest daughter’s classroom to find a piece of paper on the bulletin board identifying her place in the class.  It had her name, date of birth, and parents’ names.  The name and date of birth were correct, but her parents were listed as “Con & Kathryn Taylor.”

I have no idea where the name “Con” came from or why it was there, but we have laughed about it several times since then, and lovingly called Doug that on occasion.

Fast-forward to Nairobi, Kenya, October 2012.

My sweet husband offered to take my mother and the kids to a game park while I stayed home with the newborn.  They wanted to leave early to make sure they could get there when the park opened and have a chance to look for “cats.”  Usually a person’s best bet to see cats is early in the morning, after they’ve hunted at night.

I fixed lunches the night before, and they were packed and off early the next morning.

The drive to the game park was 2 hours from Nairobi. They had driven almost an hour when a policeman waved Doug down. 

He was told that a few kilometers back he had been “clocked” with a camera radar gun going 49 kilometers per hour over what he was actually driving.  Mind you, this would have put Doug driving over 90 miles per hour. Doug has never driven this fast in his life and though the speedometer goes above this, our car has never come close to this speed, even going down hill, while passing someone. Doug never drives that fast, but that’s what the man said. 

Doug had company, though.  The police were stopping many people, there were several other cars, buses, and taxis had also been pulled over.  They were told to wait and a police man would escort them to the police station. After thirty minutes of waiting the caravan of accused speeders traveled to the police station.

When they arrived at the Naivasha Police Station…

Let me pause here and ask if you remember my experience in Naivaisha last December?

That’s the town I was robbed in.

Classic!

Anyway, Doug got out of the car, and locked my mom and the kids inside while he went to pay the fine or whatever it was he had to do. 

Mom and the kids were parked next to a van that had about 30 chickens tied on top.  Also milling around outside were all the passengers from the buses, taxis, and other cars that had been pulled over.

Kylie had my camera for the day, and she took these lovely photos for you as proof.

 

 

Doug was led into a room that was already filled with people who had been stopped for traffic violations. The police pulled out more chairs to make room for Doug and his “new friends.” Here the officers were hand-writing people’s information on forms (they did not have duplicates, so they had to hand-write all of the duplicates, too). Then they wrote their information in a book that Doug says was as big as half a dining room table.

An hour later, after enough of the accused speeders had their paper work done, they were marched single-file by armed guards in front and in back. Doug likes to call this the “chain gang.”

My Mom and the kids, still in the car, saw Doug being escorted out of the room they had taken him into, but they had no idea where they were taking him or what was happening.

Doug and the other drivers walked a half-mile to the “court house.” Here, Doug and the other perpetraters were led to a large fenced-in area next to the “court house.” Doug likes to call this fenced area “general population.”

General population had two smaller fenced-in areas where more people were behind the locked gate of those smaller areas. Doug likes to call those areas “solitary confinement.” That where the really bad guys are held.

About 10 minutes after arriving here, there were two truck-loads full of men in handcuffs backed up to the gate. The first group of men were unhandcuffed as they exited the truck and were let into “general population.”  The second truck-load of handcuffed men were unhandcuffed and led into one of the solitary confinement cages and the door was shut, but this time they locked the solitary confinement cage with some handcuffs.

Doug said he quickly moved to put his back to a wall and keep an eye on everyone while waiting for who-knows-what to happen. As Doug waited in general population to be called into court, he knew he would have to plead guilty or the ordeal would just take longer.  Finally, they called Doug’s name and he entered the court to appear before the judge and a packed courthouse full of people, but they had gotten Doug’s paperwork wrong. That could have been bad – “Uh, yes it says here that you stole a car and killed someone.”

For two hours Doug was in general population at the court house waiting for his trial!

Once they corrected the paper work, they called Doug back into the courthouse, and he agreed to their terms of payment.

While in gerneral population with all the other drivers, Doug found, that on average, they had all been clocked going over 20 km/hr over what they had actually been traveling.

Meanwhile, Mom and the kids were stuck in a hot car.  They weren’t eating because they would get thirsty, and they weren’t drinking any water because they didn’t want to have to go to the bathroom.  

After appearing in court Doug was moved to one of the solitary confinement cages - the one next to the hand-cuffed locked cage. One of the men in that cage kept whispering loudly trying to get Doug’s attention and to get him to do something for him.  Doug knew better than to hurt his chances of getting “out,” so he stayed put. He knew if this is what he was experiencing for speeding, he was not willing to find out what would happen if he aided and abetted a hardened criminal. 

The officers asked him if he had a type of payment plan that people sometimes have on their phone.  He did not.

About this time, everyone in the car needed to go to the bathroom.  But Mom was wise and didn’t want to let them go out in a strange area to find a toilet, and they couldn’t all go together and leave the car unlocked because Doug took the keys with him, so they were busy devising a plan where Mom would take one at a time and leave the other two locked up, waiting.

Doug had to give his fine money to a police officer guarding the gate leading out of general population and out to freedom. On top of the fine, Doug had to pay for the police officer to take a taxi to town to give his money to a certain bank and get a receipt saying Doug had paid. Thirty minutes later the police officer returned,  and finally Doug could be released.

When he reached the car, Mom and the kids were just getting ready to go to the bathroom, but they hadn’t left yet.

It had been three and half hours!

They did make it to the game park, but that wasn’t an easy task either.  They went to one entrance gate, and they were told they had to have a special pass to enter there.  SO…they had to drive another thirty minutes into town, and wouldn’t you know, the lady at the gate gave Doug a particularly hard time about his Uganda work visa.  She said he should let the Ugandan government know that he should have a certain stamp, not a sticker, like they had given him.

Uh…ok…I will…do that?!?

Anyway, they got home way after dark, and told me about the “Terrible, Wonderful Day,” as they called it. 

I had ordered pizza for them, but after one hour, I called to ask where they were.  They said that the Ugandan cell number I gave them wasn’t good for ordering in Kenya.  (Of course they didn’t tell me that when I ordered).  Anyway, I gave them a Kenya number, and tried again.  Another HOUR later, their dinner finally arrived.

What a day!

And that’s how it is that I married an Ex-Con.

More Praises and Prayer requests at the Prison

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On March 22, at the prison, we talked about all the sins of the world, past, present, and future, being put upon Jesus on the cross.  And when I asked them why God had turned His back on Jesus on the cross, the women did not know why.

It was another great week of discussion.  Some of these women are really thinking about the truths they are hearing and the seriousness of sin.

Even though a few women had been released the last week, there were two new women.  "A1" was very quiet, but the other one, "A2," shared that not only is she in prison, but one of her sons was on the men’s side.  Her second son was dead, and her last born is in P7 (6^th grade) and living at home alone.

There are so many stories like that.  I hope things like this don’t happen in America, but I’m sure they do.

*  "P" delivered the week I was gone to Kampala.  Florence and I didn’t even know she was pregnant.

*  Another one is pregnant, and we are taking her a Maama Kit when we return next week.

*  The new, quiet one, "A1," and "F," whom we prayed for because of her bad dreams two weeks ago, say that whenever they hear the Word of God, it makes them want to cry.  I think God is working on their hearts, and I told them so.  Pray for them to hear exactly what HE wants them to hear.

*  One of the ladies who is always angry and wearing a chip on her shoulder, said she wanted to give thanks to God for protection while she has been in prison.  Her sentence is over next month. 

*  "M" who has a vibrant personality,  said she was so scared when she was given her three year conviction, but with four months left, she also gave God thanks for His protection.

We listened to many prayer requests for children, mothers, brothers, etc, and Florence said, "Aren't any of you going to ask for prayers for your husbands?"  There was much laughter.

"S" said her dead child's spirit visits her, and she asked for prayers.

Many of the women talked about the Wizards that walk around at night and turn into animals.  They say they hear them, and they would like us to pray against them.  

As you can see, there is still a spiritual battle going on here, but I really do see things changing for the better, little by little.

If nothing else, the Truth is brought to them on an almost weekly basis.

Prison Praises

When we visited the prison on March 8 and March 22, so many women had been released.  Your prayers are helping these women.   I miss them, but I am SO glad they are free from those walls.

Also, on March 8, Florence talked to them about the denomination whose pastor told them to play no music until Easter.  She assured them that in that very church, every Sunday, they played instruments and sang, even during Lent.

The women had a long discussion between themselves.  It only got a little heated, and the next thing I knew, they had pulled out the three drums, the shakers, and EVERY single person was dancing and jumping as we sang.  Music really can bring joy to the soul.

I had visitors from southern Uganda with me that day, and they told me they could even feel how joyful these women were and what a wonderful time of worship and celebration they had had with these women.

Other praises:

*  One woman who had told us her file had been "lost," so she had no way to get out, informed us that her file was "found."  Interesting, huh?

Several more have "lost" files we are praying for.  You can pray, too, for them to be "found."  (I'm sure money will have to be involved somewhere).

*  They are so appreciative of the white T-shirts from that middle school in Arkansas because they have something clean to wear when they go to court.

*  I was walking through a neighbor's yard last week for a short-cut, and I saw a face that I recognized, but I had never seen her at this house before.  She recognized me and smiled, and when I saw the smile, I knew I was seeing Irene from the prison.  She's out.  She has a long hair weave now, and she's my neighbor.  Fun, huh?

*  One lady, "F," confessed two weeks ago that she was dreaming some awful dreams and hadn't slept in three days.  Since some young people read this blog, I will just say that her dreams involved her and dogs.  Enough said.   My friends from the south, prayed over her in Jesus' name, and she has since told us that since we prayed, she has been sleeping fine.  Praise Jesus!

I missed going to the prison on the 15th, because I was in Kampala.

That is a story for another blog.

Thanks for keeping these women in your prayers.  They are so thankful!

A few days combined

Well, here's one way to "catch up" on blogging.  

Reduce and combine.

February 9, 2012  “Addressing”

Doug was in town in the car, so he dropped Florence and I off today at the prison.  We didn’t see any prisoners, so Doug said he would wait until he saw that we were in. 

We saw a guard outside, and she told us the prisoners were “dressing” over at the men’s prison.  

We got back in the car, and I told Doug, I guess the ladies are trying on new uniforms because the guard said they are "dressing."

Florence said, “No.  She said, ‘Addressing.’”

It reminded me of Martyr’sDay all over again.

February 16, 2012

We told more stories today about the teachings and power of Jesus.  They answered my questions, but they had none of their own.  I think they were burdened with prayer requests and concersn.

The prayer requests were heavy: 

*dead relatives

*dead spirits visiting them in prison

*dreams of husband beating her children who are back home

*crying because she doesn’t know who is taking care of her children

*the judge has not shown up for any court dates in over three months

*wants revenge on her enemies

*dreamed her two children were nailed to a cross

*children sick at home

February 24, 2012

Today started off very subdued.  They told us since it was Lent, they were “feeling it with Jesus,” so they would not dance or play drums while they sang.  It was so sad sounding.

I wanted them to celebrate because Jesus is Alive, but alas, it sounded like we were at a funeral.

We talked about the demon-possessed man today (Mark 5:1-20).  I could tell a point of interest when a woman asked, “Did the demons really leave when Jesus told them to?”

The ladies enjoyed the discussion over the pigs.  One lady from another faith said, “We don’t eat pig meat because Jesus sent the demons in them and made them unclean.”  Florence said, “If you believe Jesus had the power to send the demons into the pigs, why don’t you believe in Jesus?”

The ladies thought that was funny, and they laughed and clapped.

When they got quiet again, I told them that the Bible says it’s not what goes in you that makes you unclean.  It’s what comes out of you (Matthew 15:11)...actions, words, etc.

They clapped, and said they really liked that, too.  Then the lady who started the conversation said, “I have facts.  Now I can eat pig!”

When the discussion was over, there was immediate sadness and downcast looks over the whole room.  Florence asked the ladies, “Why are you so sad today?  Some of you look angry, and some of you so beaten down.  Is it the heat?  Your health?  Your families?”

One lady spoke for them all:

“We’re sad because we’re in prison!”

Oh, how they need the freedom of Christ!

My BIG Mistake turned into a Bigger Blessing

(from February 2, 2012)  By the way, I know I am WAY behind, but I'm working on catching up....slowly.

Well, you remember Alice helping me make popcorn and roasting peanuts for the prison ladies for Christmas?  When I told Alice who it was for, she said, “Oh, I heard on the radio that they are asking people to bring food and clothes to the prisoners and not forget them.  D***** (a German company here that I’m protecting, because it’s not their fault) is collecting clothes for the prisoners, so you can drop whatever you have off with them.”

I was so excited, because I knew the ladies wanted a new outfit for Christmas…that is usually the one thing people get for Christmas (if they get a gift).  I had collected 15 dresses for the ladies (and I was way short), and on my last trip before leaving town, I told the ladies I had tried, but I didn’t get enough, but I assured them that D***** was bringing them clothes.

They were SO excited!

Crazy excited!

I went to D***** and took the dresses.  As I chatted with the lady there, she explained that the clothes were going to another prison outside of Arua.

Oops!

Big OOPS!

I wasn’t returning to the prison to be able to tell them, and I didn’t like that it looked like I lied.

I just prayed.

We spent Christmas in Mityana with some friends, and I mentioned this ordeal to my friend.  She told me that a visiting church had come with too many T-shirts last June, and after handing out all they needed to, they gave the rest to her…over 100 of them!!!

She gladly gave me 70!  (I got more than I needed because the experience at Christmas with the popcorn let me know, you never know how many will be there).

I felt so blessed. 

We left those shirts in Kampala, while we flew to Kenya. 

In Kenya, at the Student Camp, the volunteers from Florida informed us that someone who used to work for NASCAR had sent over 150 shirts of different sizes for all the kids to choose from.  Each student took 1 or 2 and some for siblings.  My family took 1 or 2 each, and they offered me ALL the little kids T-shirts and sleepwear if I knew anyone that could use them!

Uh….YES!

I took all 15 kids’ outfits/T-shirts, and I was hoping that with these, in addition to the other adult T-shirts, I could hopefully make up for my error and bless those women.

But the blessing wasn’t over.  The last day before camp was over, the volunteers started giving EVERYTHING away.  They didn’t want to take anything back that they had come with.  One of those “things” was 52 toothbrushes they had brought that had been leftover from one of their women’s retreats in Florida.  (By the way, the same lady who gave me her Kindle, was the same one who gave me the toothbrushes).

I took them with the hopes that I could locate a few more toothbrushes to add up to a full number for the prison.

Fast-forward to the end of January….our first week back to the prison…

The ladies asked about the clothes and told me that no one had come.  So I explained what had happened (but I didn’t tell them I had anything for them).

Fast-forward again to February 2nd (Groundhog’s Day).

Florence called and said she was suffering with malaria, and she would rather not translate today.  I didn’t want to push her, but I couldn’t stand it.  I really wanted to make things right.

I had saved the story for today about God being a provider, because I thought we could teach the verses in Matthew about how He provides for the birds of the air and how He clothes the flowers so beautifully, right before we "provided" them with some clothes, as a blessing.  I wanted to tell them how He would clothe them even more so than the flowers.  And I was going to bring out the clothes at that point, but even without Florence going, I couldn't wait.

Kylie and I went through our home supplies and found only 3 more toothbrushes in kits they give you when you fly overseas.  We went with only 55 toothbrushes with the idea that we would hold them back if it wasn’t enough for everyone to have one.

So, I hired two bodas.  One carried me and one of the Fusion girls, Abbie, and one carried Kylie and a BIG box of adult T-shirts from Mityana and tooth brushes and kids’ clothes from Florida (and Kenya).

For some reason, all 5 guards were there today at one time, and they already had the ladies in a “fall in” position (sitting in 4 columns on papyrus mats on the ground).

I asked how many ladies were there, and I was told…..55!!

God is so amazing (and in the details)!

I didn’t leave the items with the guards to be passed out, because I’ve been told that things don’t always get to the ladies when the guards get them first, if you know what I mean.

I greeted the ladies and told them about Florence, and then I told them why I had come. 

When I mentioned the shirts, they smiled really big, but when I mentioned the toothbrushes, they all screamed, about 20 jumped up off the mats and started dancing around in a circle, and me….?

I felt like I was Oprah and I had just given these ladies keys to their own vehicles!

I don’t know if they were more excited about the toothbrushes or if the delayed excitement on the t-shirts was because it took time to translate to each other what I had said about them.

And they screamed and danced some more when I said I brought clothes for the children.

I had 15 outfits and there were 12 children!

Abbie helped pass out the baby clothes.  Sweet Kylie passed out the toothbrushes, was ONE short at the end, and was SO concerned about one of the ladies who took two.  I assured her that she was collecting for a sick lady lying down inside, but Kylie was distraught.  She thought this lady had denied someone the privilege of getting a toothbrush.

After a little searching, we found the lost one back in the box. 

I handed out the shirts, and the women thanked me profusely!  Some immediately put it on over their prison uniform.

Let me stop here and tell you about this shirt.

1)    It’s white.  No one here wears white because everything is so dirty, it’s hard to keep white things clean.

2)    It has the name of a junior high school from Arkansas on the front in black letters.  It is not a specially, designed shirt, by any means.

3)    The back is covered with ads from businesses in Arkansas who supported whatever this T-shirt represented.

4)    They all got the exact SAME one!

They were so thankful for THIS!  They truly acted like those women on Oprah who had been given a car (minus the tears, because most of the time, these ladies don’t cry)!  Would you have jumped up, screamed, and danced over this?  Would I?  I think not.

I received hearty handshakes, big hugs, and blessings poured over me like never before.  I’m praying that this act of love (on several peoples’ parts) will bring more women into Bible study next week.

Anyway, I should have had 15 shirts left over…10 after I gave the 5 guards one.  And I should have had 3 kids outfits left over….

Nope.

One guard, who was on her way out, grabbed 4 of my extras, and pulled one more out of another guard’s hands.  Then she took all the remaining children’s clothes.

In the South, we would say, “Bless her heart.”  (Because we’re really trying hard not to “bless her OUT.”)

Anyway, I gave the “robbed” guard another shirt and rode home with 5.

When we reached home, I asked my boda driver, Jack, if he would like one for he and his wife each to have.  He said, “I think I need four.”

O…K…

One left…

and here comes a man walking up to me outside my gate with a t-shirt that is barely hanging on his shoulders because of the huge holes in it.  It would have been a rag in my house.

He said, “Are you selling shirts?”

I said, “No, but this one is for you.”

I tossed it to him, and he walked away smiling.

Jesus' Cousin: Prison, January 26, 2012

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I really liked today’s story.  We talked about John the Baptist, his role in life, Jesus being baptized, and then Jesus being tempted by Satan.

Most of their questions after the story were about the temptations in the wilderness.  They really were bothered by the way Satan (sorry, I put "Jesus" earlier) was drawn in the picture, and I must say, I’m not too crazy about them either.  They, of course,  were bothered by his long nails and red skin.

I’m still not sure why we depict Satan that way.  Anyway…two of their questions…

*How did Jesus get down from the Temple once he was up there?

*Who are the mother and father of Satan? 

I had other questions about Satan for them, but it was my questions on baptism that were harder for them to answer

*Was Jesus baptized as a baby?

*Do you believe the Bible is true?

*Does it say in the Bible that to be born again, you must be baptized?

After that question, we had a long discussion, because they were SURE that it says in the Bible that you have to be baptized to be born again, when it, in fact, is does not.  I also told them to remember how Jesus was taken to the temple as a child to be dedicated to the Lord, but he wasn’t baptized until later.  So we got into the discussion of infant baptism, because there is no record of that in Scripture either. 

They really pondered these things.

The beautiful part of today was the welcome they gave me for my return.  They sang louder than I had ever heard them, and everyone that knew me hugged my neck, instead of just shaking my hand.

The four Fusion girls went with me today, and they got TWO "welcome to prison songs," in addition to all the praise songs they sang.

Some of the ladies we knew had been released, but there were eleven new ones that I met for the first time.

After the story, the ladies asked me to sleep with them at the prison for one night because they missed me so much.

I know you are disappointed, but I declined.

Then they asked if they could sing again at the end because they were so happy and wanted to rejoice some more.

Florence told me the words to one of the songs was, “My sister was gone, but You, God, returned her to us safely.”

I love the joy I see in these women!

Repentance and Forgiveness in Action!

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Well, even though my brain doesn’t work the way it used to (as I mentioned in the previous blog), apparently my OCD  tendencies and small gift of organization have saved the day.

I knew I had a Word document called “Prison Diary” that I had been typing notes in, but I didn’t know I had typed as much as I had.

SO…I have a two more stories I can share.

On December 6th, Kylie went again with me to the prison.  The ladies were subdued and quiet.  My words for my Lugbara prayers have been limited, so God led me to the Psalms, to pray some of them in Lugbara.   I found great sentences to learn in Lugbara, “You are our rock and place of strength.  Help us because we hear the slander of many, but we say, ‘You are our God.’”

I didn’t realize when I prayed that, that they were, at that time, hearing the slander of many.

The story today was about Isaac and Jacob.  I added a lot to the picture book for this one.  I told some back story on Jacob and Esau:   how Jacob tricked him and later how Laban tricked Jacob (with the marriage of Leah).  In the end, the story concludes with Jacob returning home a little afraid, but he was embraced and forgiven by Esau.

After the story, I told them that even though forgiveness took place between the brothers, there has continued to be problems between Jacob’s and Esau’s descendants.

The ladies wanted to know if Jacob really went to meet Esau, and I told them he did, but since he was afraid, he divided his family and belongings in two, just in case Esau did something bad.  One lady said, “That’s just what a thief would do!”

Other questions:  “Why did Jacob sacrifice to the Lord?”

“Who worked at Isaac’s home if he was so old?”

One of the older ladies said, “Please pray for all the mothers here that we would not love one child over another like Rachel did in the story.”

Well, finally the ladies were ready to talk...and not necessarily about the story.  They had been unusually quiet.  They told me there is much anger at the prison, like between Jacob and Esau.  They are all fighting, stealing from each other, being over-sensitive, and she used the words “wanting to kill each other.”  They thought this story described them, and that is why they were so quiet.

They said my prayers must not have been reaching them.  Then…

One quiet lady said, “I am so angry, and I want to control it, but I don’t know how.  I stole a dress from this lady (and she pointed to the one), but I am sorry, and I want to ask her forgiveness.”

The wronged lady took some time sitting in silence, but she finally accepted the offer of  forgiveness.

Here I was, as I was telling the story, I was thinking that either I didn’t prepare well or the ladies just weren’t listening.  Little did I know (but should have known), the Spirit was working the whole time.

Thank you for your Word, Jesus, which is "living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."  Hebrews 4:12

Beads under a Tree

 

Well, as you now know, my backpack was stolen, and one of the items in there was my notebook that I take to the prison to write the ladies’ prayer requests, their court dates, their stories, my prayers, and questions that they ask.

I had a few more days to fill you in on, but the notes were written in the book.  So, as my husband can testify, my brain doesn’t work quite like it used to.

I’ll just blame it on the heat.

Anyway, I do remember two “events,” but not their specific questions.

In December, we went one day to show them how to make paper beads, like Florence makes for necklaces and bracelets.

A little over half of the women always join us for Bible study, but ALL but one of them came for bead making.

Go figure.

They were so excited!

That same day, the prison had arranged for someone to come and teach the ladies how to make soap, BUT they were charged a fee to go to the class, so….only one lady attended…in the room where we do Bible study, so….the other 60 of us, sat out in the yard under a tree, on mats, to make beads.

Florence had cut a lot of magazine pages. (Thank you to all of you who send me TV Guides, etc.  After I read them, they become jewelry and a money-maker for Florence!)

I bought two bottles of glue and a container of toothpicks, and we were set.

At first, we taught in groups of 10, but soon, all of them had toothpicks and were making beads, and they wanted more and more paper. 

I walked around with the paper to give them, and Florence and another lady walked around with glue for everyone.

I felt like a school teacher again.  As I walked around, they would show me their work, so proud.  Some would run to show me what they had done, looking for praise.  Some came to show me their whole collection of colors after they had make 7-10.   One lady didn’t want hers taken, so when she came to show me, she had to dig them out of her bra.  They were all like small children in their excitement, and it was a great “friendship” time with them.

Florence wanted to teach them so they would have one more skill to make money with whenever they get out.  As a benefit, it also showed them we love when we aren’t in Bible study, we have time for them, and we aren’t there just to teach the Word of God and walk away, but to invest in them.

It was a really fun day for me, and I loved watching them walk off with their treasures.

"Welcome to Prison"

This day, Kylie and Karis joined Florence and I.  I told them there could be no whining, no complaining of heat or walking, etc, and I wasn’t quite sure how Karis was going to do.  We first walked to the hospital to pray for a friend we had heard was there.  Then we walked to the prison.

It was pretty hot, and I didn’t let the girls bring water bottles because the women don’t have access to water so easily, and none of them ever has a drink while we are there.

We were all thirsty before we got to the prison, and Karis looked a little worn.  She also had a “deer in the headlights look” as the women all came to shake their hands.  All of the women spoke to them in Lugbara, and Kylie understands the normal questions, so she was able to tell them she was fine, how old she was, and her name.  I had to interpret a little for Karis, but she did okay. 

Again, the ladies sang a “welcome” song, but this time, they sang two.  The first was, “We’re so glad to have visitors,” and then they sang my favorite, “Wel – come to Pri – son.”  Now, both my girls had the “deer in the headlights” look.  I had to keep reminding them to smile, especially Karis.

I brought Peter Spier’s book “Noah” to show the ladies more illustrations of how the flood might have been.   This led to questions about what they ate on the boat.  I had already told them about Noah taking food on the boat for the animals, but maybe I didn’t mention about food for Noah’s family.  Peter Spier’s book also shows Noah gathering eggs, fishing, and getting milk from the cow.

After all the flood discussion, we started today’s story:  Abraham.

When I asked them at the end, why Abram and Lot had to separate, one lady said, “Because Abram and Lot hated each other.”  It made me realize they listen about as closely sometimes as a 2^nd grade Sunday school class.

They also wanted to know if Abraham had taken Isaac up to sacrifice him because he had been a bad son.  Again…is anyone listening today?  I did actually see a few eyes shutting.  Not only am I not thoroughly entertaining, they were sitting in a hot room after lunch.  Oh well.  Hopefully we discussed until they had a better understanding of the story.  I also ended it like the Jesus Storybook Bible does, comparing God’s Son who also walked up a hill for a sacrifice, carrying wood on His back.  But this time, God didn’t spare the Son’s life.

My girls were hot and tired when it was all over, and Kylie leaned over and asked me (a little worriedly) if EVERY woman was going to give a prayer request.  I assured her they wouldn’t today, but we DID get everyone’s updated court dates (if they had one) on the calendar I bring every week, so we know who to pray for, specifically, on what days.

When we got back to Florence’s container (an 8 ft x 6 ft metal box that serves as her “store”), those girls each drank 16 ounces of water more quickly than I had ever seen.

Different Skin Colors

We came to tell about the flood.

I had sick kids at home, and Florence wasn’t feeling too well, so we asked them to only sing two songs this day.  They repeat the verses over 20 times, so this was still an adequate amount of singing. 

This day was the story of Noah and the flood.  Every picture I showed them of all the water and Noah’s boat being alone on an expanse of sea, they all, simultaneously, went, “Tsk, tsk, tsk.”  That is what they do when they hear bad news or feel sorry for someone.

Their were many questions today, but the two that stuck out were “Why hasn’t God destroyed us because we are so much worse?”  It was a great opportunity to remind them of the covenant God made with Noah, and how God always keeps His promises.  I also reminded them that none of us is righteous enough to be safe from destruction, but God has given us a “Great Rescue Plan” (taken from the Jesus Storybook Bible) in Jesus.

The other question which stuck out, which I knew was coming, was, “If Noah and his sons were the only ones populating the earth, how come now we have people of all different skin colors?”

I know that many of us believe different things, and the truth is, none of us knows for sure.  I knew they wouldn’t quite understand an explanation of melatonin levels (especially where they live so close to the equator), and I didn’t want to add to God’s word, but we had a good discussion.  I don’t want to start a debate here, but I shared my thoughts with them, and it was another good day.

Back to Prison

Today, M*** (the ladies' leader) was gone.  The ladies miss her, and we prayed for God to be with her.  It was a little subdued today.   

The biggest blessing today for me was watching J**** leading worship.  She is the lady that I prayed for and brought medicine to.  She used to just lay on her side on the floor.  

Today, she was taking charge…M***’s job.  They all look to her for leadership now.  She is a whole new person, and is beautiful inside and out.

Today was the story of “Disobedience” in the Garden.  The ladies wanted to know if God built Adam and Eve a house or did they have to sleep outside.  Why were they naked?  Did they have physical intimacy?  (They didn't use that word, but they were curious because Eve didn't have children right away (in the pictures), which is what they are expected to do here).

The “sex” conversation was interesting.  I asked, “Is sex a bad thing?”  And the ladies said, “Yes.”   

It gave me a chance to tell them that God gave us the gift of sex for one man and one woman to share in the confines of marriage.  One of the ladies who is HIV+, was nodding along as I spoke.  

 So many of these women are appreciated only for “making” children (which are a sign of prosperity), and too many have to share their husbands with co-wives.  And I’m sure you have heard that one of the big reasons there is such a large orphan population in Uganda is because AIDS has killed so many of the young parents.  

The issue of physical intimacy definitely needs to be talked about in a biblical sense.  There is so much misunderstanding.  Looks like we have more topics for discussion after I finish this book series...

I love every minute we spend at the prison, and I hope that Florence and I are as much a blessing to these ladies as they are to us.

As good as a newly released DVD

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I usually go to Florence's to leave my cell phone, and then we walk together to the prison.  

On this day, I went to the drugstore before going to Florence’s.  I asked the man at the counter what the medicine that beautiful lady had showed me was for.  He said, “Ulcers.”  I asked him about the dosage the nurse had written down, and asked him how much that amount would be.  It was the American equivalent of 71 cents, so I didn’t even think twice about purchasing those meds.

At Florence’s, I met up with two ladies from America who were here with a team from Tennessee.  They were going to walk with us to the prison today, but first we had an errand to run.

There are now 10 babies in prison with their mommas, and they are allowed to be there because they are 18 months or younger.  In fact, one child had been born on Sunday, and we visited the mother on Tuesday in her cell/room.  (The baby was beautiful, by the way!)

Florence had heard from one of the mothers that they needed soap.  There are no diapers, of course, and during teaching, I have watched as a baby urinates on the towel that his mother holds in her lap.  

All mothers walk around with towels to “catch” things.  Anyway, their wash load is a whole lot larger than the other women’s. 

Florence wanted to buy the baby-mommas some soap, but I told her I didn’t feel right doing that and leaving the other ladies out.  So we walked to the market and inquired about prices on large boxes of soap.  We finally found one at a decent price (or so we thought), so we handed the money over. 

Apparently, we had misunderstood, and we owed more.  What a blessing to have those two visitors with us who chipped in money from their church to finish the purchase of soap.

We carried the soap box through town, taking turns until we got to the prison, about a mile a way. 

We arrived at 2, and again, the ladies had not eaten.  But this time, there apparently was food coming.  Eight women walked over to the men’s side to pick the food, and then they came back and went and fetched water at the well.  

M**** (the lead prisoner) brought benches out for us to sit on under the tree, and we sat and listened to the ladies talk.  Florence jumped in their conversations and heard more of their incarceration stories:

*A husband brought a second wife into the home that this first wife had built, and so she burned her house down so they couldn’t live there.  The husband brought her in.

*A six-year old boy died of malaria, and the father blamed the mother and brought her to prison  (have I told you before that they believe that every death was caused by some person, either directly or indirectly by a curse?)

*One woman was pregnant with twins.  She tried to abort them, but only killed one.  She was put in prison, and then she delivered the second one while locked up.  He is 17 months old and he still can’t walk, and he has trouble breathing.

*Mob justice killed a man, and one woman was accused of arranging the mob.  She’s waiting for a date in high court, but people have been known to wait 5 years

*One lady was brought in for cutting / slashing the co-wife with a panga.

{Obviously, we can see, that God intended man to have one wife for a good, many reasons!}

Sitting under the tree was a nice time just to hang out and visit, even though their stories aren't so nice.

*Granted, a few were brought in for murder or some other crimes I won't name here, and I'm not naive enough to think all these women are innocent, but I do believe some are.

The food came.  They ate quickly.  We went inside for singing and Bible study.

They also sang a song for the two visiting ladies from America.  The chorus was, “Welcome to Prison,” and it cracked me up.  I asked them, when they were finished, how come I didn’t get such a song when I came, and they thought that was hilarious.

I prayed in Lugbara and then started the day’s lesson.  Immediately, a lady stopped and commented that she didn’t understand Lugbara, and she only spoke Alur (she hadn’t come in our study before).  So we arranged for a girl in the front to translate for her.

I would speak, and as Florence started her Lugbara translation, the other helper would start her Alur translation for the lady.  I’m just glad the lady cared enough to speak up, because I found out later there were over 8 Alur speakers in there, and none of them said anything.

I used Becky Miller’s illustrated book Creation today.  You would have thought I was showing a newly released DVD.  They were glued to the book.  They loved the illustrations.  God, angels, Adam, and Eve are all drawn as Africans.  It is really beautifully done!

Receiving the books last April!

At the end, I told them I had some questions for them, but Florence mis-translated me, and asked them if they had quesitons.  Boy did they:

*Were they really naked?

*What was the Tree of Life for?

*What did Adam eat?  We were told that food dropped from heaven, right in front of him, like chickens, and pigs, etc.

*We have heard that the fruit Eve ate wasn’t really a fruit, but a sexual sin.  Was it?

I finally did get to my questions, and they had fun raising their hands to answer.  I told them at the end, they all got a passing grade today, and they liked that.

Next, we told them about the soap.  The bars are about a foot and a half long, and we had determined to give the baby-mommas one-half bar each and everyone else got a third of each bar.  So Florence, the two volunteers and I broke apart the bars until they were all in a pile.

Florence prayed, and then one-by-one, they came up for their soap.  Most left after that, but about 12 remained because they wanted to give us prayer requests.  Seven of them were translated through an Alur inmate.  That whole process took about 20-30 minutes.

The last one to come up was the sickly girl who said that after I prayed over her last time she has started feeling better.  Praise Jesus!  She also thanked God for me, God sending us, and for the medicine I had brought her today.

We walked outside, and there seemed to be a frenzy of clothes-washing taking place.  A few of the ladies thanked us to much and told us that next time we saw them, they would be looking so “smart” in their ”new” uniform.

The food situation isn’t much better.  They are supposed to be fed at 1pm and 5pm (just twice a day), in their rooms after they eat, and then silence from 7pm on.  The nursing mothers are not getting enough food.  The babies pull on their mom’s chests during Bible study trying to get something, but they are flat and empty.

When you think about it, pray for these women to be protected from the evil spirits that enjoy hanging around in that dark place.  These women need a chance to hear the Truth and have some peace without always being tormented.

Beans Every Day

On our first Friday at the prison, after talking with the ladies, they informed us that no one came on Tuesdays or Thursdays, so the following week (and since), we have adopted those days.

As we were arriving (at 2pm) the following week, their food was also arriving (one hour late).  The guards started to yell to tell them to eat quickly, but we assured the guards we would wait as long as possible.  And truth be told, they were pretty quick eaters.

One lady made me laugh as she raised her hands and spoke to God saying, “ God, look at the beans we eat every day.  Can’t you change this.”  But seriously, I understand her plea.  Can you imagine having beans and posho (cornmeal cooked with water to a dough-like consistency) every day for the last 2, 3 or 5 years? 

After some amazing dancing and singing, I prayed in Lugbara, and then Florence gave her testimony to the ladies.  Then, before I finished C2C (Creation to Christ), we handed out the scripture cards.  The ladies were so pleased.  There was some arguing over who got which card when some ladies had the same name, but I was able to tell (from their requests), which card belonged to who.

Since I couldn’t learn all their names the first day, I had put some description of them in my book to help me remember them, and that came in handy. 

We finished the Creation to Christ story with the Resurrection of Jesus, and then I told the story of the Prodigal Son. 

Florence then told the ladies if they would like their scripture cards read to them, she and I would have two lines.  One for those who wanted to hear it in English and another for those who needed to hear it in Lugbara.  I was surprised that I had more ladies in my line, but I quickly figured out why. 

Those who wanted me to read their scripture were about 5.  The last 5 had interpreters with them, and they came to tell me they had to leave to go get the food last time, and they had missed giving me their requests.   They too wanted to give me their requests in hopes of receiving a scripture card.

It was good to talk to the ladies one-on-one in this way, because not only could I stop and pray for each one individually, I also got to directly ask them about their relationship with Jesus when they were telling me their issues.  So many of them battle demons and bad spirits, so with the help of the Holy Spirit, I try to pray strategically for each of them.

The last girl who waited to see me was so beautiful and precious.  Everyone seems to care for her because she has been sick.  Her fellow prisoners all show mercy toward her.   Her blood has been tested twice, and nurses can’t find anything wrong.  She told me all her symptoms and that the nurse had given her magnesium (because it was free), but told her she needed a pill to take for 10 days, telling her she had an ulcer (a common diagnosis given by nurses here…along with malaria…you never know if you are getting a true diagnosis or not).  She showed me where the nurse had written what she needed, and I wrote it down, just in case it was something I could do.

It was a beautiful day of ministry.

Tougher Spot

After I took my last language evaluation, I began only attending "language class" three days a week instead of five. 

Florence and I also thought a good way to practice language was with other people (go figure), rather than sitting with pencil and paper, one-on-one.

We prayed about what God would have us do, and we BOTH felt God leading us to the same place, even though we had never talked about it before!

I'm in a tough spot because I can't tell you the names of these women, but I love them and I want to tell you their stories (the best I can), and the tougher spot they are in.

They are the ladies at the women's prison.

In orientation, I was told, of course, that I can't take pictures, use these women's names, take my cell phone in, or give them my personal info.

The guard told us there was only one day (Friday) when we could come, but a man higher up, thought there were three free days.

We decided we would take the Friday and continue praying.

Our scheduled time was set from 2-4pm, because they are fed one of their two meals at one o'clock.

But first...we visited on a Monday to see what other kind of ministry was being done, and to see the process.

When it's time to meet, they go into a designated room and either sit or stand waiting for 5 ladies to grab some instruments.

Their instruments are three goat-skin covered drums, a closed tin double tetrahedron (think 2 connected triangular prisms), filled with rocks, and an abacus-type shaker made with bottle caps.

Most of the ladies danced and sang joyfully. 

They are all made to come, so you can imagine some aren't too happy.

The lady that was teaching, the day we observed was from another country besides America.  She was a little difficult to understand and she had the lead-lady prisoner (the one who keeps the peace) interpreting for her.

Florence, who could understand the interpretation, said the scripture was not being repeated correctly.  Scary!!  Another great reminder how important it is to learn the language.

So, Florence and I left, prayed, and then I went home to ask God what plans He had for these women.

I know that two different churches visit the prison during the week, so I know they knew some things, but yet, I think God wanted me to start at the beginning.

When we arrived on Friday, the women still had not been fed.  13 of the 58 women usually walk over to the men's side, where over 600 men are, and bring back their portion of food and water.

Today, there was nothing.

Nothing.

I'm wondering if the men got fed...

I think that not feeding 600 men would create a riot situation, don't you?

Anyway, after 20 minutes the guards just told the ladies to go into the room for worship.

Florence and I felt awful. 

We didn't want them being made to listen when they were hungry.

Have I mentioned there are 9 babies in the prison, too?

[As I write this, there are now 10, because one was born two weeks ago].

The babies are sucking on mommas who don't have enough milk because they don't get enough food.

They sang songs with joy.  Beating the drums, and shaking the shakers.  The lead girl who had interpreted the last time, led them in what songs they were singing.  And she pretty much told everyone what to do, but not in a harsh way.  I liked her immediately.

I greeted them after singing, and then prayed in their language.  I then introduced myself in their language and Florence introduced herself.  I told them in their language I was going to tell them my story and then part of God’s story.

 

I gave my testimony in their language and then we started the Creation to Christ story.  

The only problem with "their language," is that I later discovered there were about 4 languages represented.

We got all the way to the prophets and 400 years of silence, and then we stopped and told them the story of the four soils and asked them to identify which soil they were.

Them talking about themselves led to prayer requests.  Some ladies left, but most stayed to give requests.  A lot of them were prayers for their children who were either back with family or whereabouts unknown.  Most of them are awaiting their day in court, and some have been waiting 2 years or more!  Many admitted to their crimes; some said they don’t love God enough;  a few said they didn’t have peace; and many wanted prayer that they wouldn’t wish revenge on the people that had put them in prison.

I wrote down every request and every ladies’ name. 

I went home, and over the weekend, I wrote a scripture in English and in Lugbara for every lady who had a prayer request, and I made sure the scripture could speak truth to the situations they mentioned.  I decorated each card so that they would want to keep and treasure it, and it was such a pleasure for me.

(It turns out that the ladies who left, went to see if food (from the men’s side) was available for at least one meal , but there was none, so they went without food this day.  Be thankful that our taxes insure that prisoners get fed in our country.  They are people’s sons, daughters, mothers, sisters, fathers, and brothers.)