irenehackett - Behind Bars

This past week has been extremely busy putting on 10 Christmas parties. My team and I plan games, face paint, provide gifts and food to the street kids and the homeless here in The Philippines. And, of course they always end in dance parties:) However crazy and chaotic it is-it is also beyond exciting, fun, and such a blessing to be able to do this. I love seeing the people we've been able to build relationships with these last 6 weeks, and getting to spend the holidays with them. Not only with my team, but also with the boys we live with and the street kids- I get this sense of Family feel. It is beautiful. It is real.

What sparked this thought and put everything we do in a new perspective for me was this last Thursday- where we held a Christmas party at a prison for the women we do bible studies with.

We go there every Thursday, we have bible studies, we talk, they ask us questions, and I always enjoy going. However, we never knew what they were in there for. Come to find out most of the women have been in there for about 10 years! 10 YEARS. For drug abuse. Not that drugs are a minor thing. They are awful, terrible and ruin peoples lives. Yet, to be caught when you're 18 years old, then to still be in prison when you're 34 years of age. It absolutely blew my mind, and broke my heart. These women shared a little of themselves. Of how they have children, they haven't seen in years. Of how hard it is to be in that place, and even though smiles are painted on their faces when they see us; at night their pillows are filled with tears.

I could not even comprehend how a stupid mistake you made when you're a teenager, completely changed the course of your life forever. How you miss out on your 20's...you miss out on your 30's. Your youth of having fun, discovering the world, and finding love...is compltely impossible to achieve when your life is behind a set of black steel bars.

You see life from a sectioned, small, closed-in capacity. Your thoughts on the world, and the outside are of only what you hear from inmates. They are what you might overhear workers talking about, eavesdropping. It is easy to be sucked into a dark place. A place of depression, anger, hurt and lonliness.

But these group of girls see beyond that.

They know there is a God. They know there is something more to this life. And, they know that their past sins do not count against them. That their Father in Heaven loves them with an unfailing love. It encouraged me so much hearing those women speak.

So, this last Thursday they sang "Amazing Grace" to us. For the first time in my life, I understood. I understood what that song meant. I saw clearly how because of The Lord, their lives are not fixated on how bad their life looks like. They aren't like the other people in the prison. They are beautiful women, with so much respect, and HUGE, huge hearts just yearning for love as quick as they want to give it.

They told my 4 other girls on my team and I how important it is that we visit them. Because no one else does. So, for them we are their Family. We are the people who they get excited to see. We are their sisters in Christ that they look forward hearing every week what God has to say about them.

They are my family. I am theirs. That got me thinking-- We are all the Family of Christ. It is a good reminder to treat everyone; a stranger, someone you know, a best friend- whoever it is with love.With respect.

Please keep the women in the prison in your prayers.

Thank you to everyone who supports me, I am so thankful! This is an amazing Christmas season here. I love all the out reach we're able to do.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! :)