Luis, now free and a member of our local church.
Oscar, trying to get past the guards.Our country is corrupt! It turns out that the guards were supplying drugs, alcohol, prostitutes, and “free” escapes for the prisoners. (One guy paid the guards $1000 to go to his "daughter's 15th birthday party". He was there for a while and then when the policemen came...he was gone...free!) The new Christians were confessing horror stories of the jail’s guards and directors. There stared to be tension between the Christians and the guards as these true stories started being uncovered.
We got donations from several Christian organizations for a Christmas dinner and half of the meat “disappeared”. We were taking a collection in church for blankets and mattresses and one of the ladies at church who works for the government said that new blankets and mattresses were just sent. Oscar said that the inmates are sleeping on cement benches. There are no mattresses. Oops! Once again, we stumbled on something strange and started investigating.
Oscar would come home disgusted with “The System” and every day there was more and more tension. I was pregnant (with Edson) and wondered some days if my husband would even return. Not killed by the prisoners, but by the corrupt officials. For a while, I was living in fear and distress and told Oscar that the prison ministry has to go! He and Christian were messing around with the Mafia, for all I knew. One of these days, they would not come back to their families. (Christian's wife was also expecting a baby one month before mine.) I begged him not to go back! Oscar broke down and cried…something I rarely see…and said, “No, don’t take this ministry away from me. I LOVE those guys, Karen, they need Jesus!”
Okay, so I stopped the nagging. I had to give up my husband to the Lord. Movie scenes of those set-up accidents or crazy shootings played in my head. I was grieved, but I gave up my rights. He was the Lord's, not mine. I let him go, and I went with him many times before Edson was born, and never again said a word about him leaving this ministry he loved so much.
We got donations from several Christian organizations for a Christmas dinner and half of the meat “disappeared”. We were taking a collection in church for blankets and mattresses and one of the ladies at church who works for the government said that new blankets and mattresses were just sent. Oscar said that the inmates are sleeping on cement benches. There are no mattresses. Oops! Once again, we stumbled on something strange and started investigating.
Oscar would come home disgusted with “The System” and every day there was more and more tension. I was pregnant (with Edson) and wondered some days if my husband would even return. Not killed by the prisoners, but by the corrupt officials. For a while, I was living in fear and distress and told Oscar that the prison ministry has to go! He and Christian were messing around with the Mafia, for all I knew. One of these days, they would not come back to their families. (Christian's wife was also expecting a baby one month before mine.) I begged him not to go back! Oscar broke down and cried…something I rarely see…and said, “No, don’t take this ministry away from me. I LOVE those guys, Karen, they need Jesus!”
Okay, so I stopped the nagging. I had to give up my husband to the Lord. Movie scenes of those set-up accidents or crazy shootings played in my head. I was grieved, but I gave up my rights. He was the Lord's, not mine. I let him go, and I went with him many times before Edson was born, and never again said a word about him leaving this ministry he loved so much.
5 comments:
For me, one of the hardest things I have to do on a regular basis is give my loved ones to the Lord (and our circumstances don't even involve corrupt guards and officials!). I worry about the kids' safety at the farm or when they're riding around with Grandpa on the golf cart or when I'm gone from them for a full day or countless other things. I worry about Tony's safety as he's working. When they have fevers, when we're traveling (crazy drivers!) you name it! But I remind myself that they are not mine anyway; God has blessed my life with each of them and they belong to Him just as I do.... as much as I love them, God loves them even more and has only our best interest at heart. For me, that's just the hardest thing to do -- let go of those fears. When I do, I have to give control over to Someone else (not that there's anything I can actually do to prevent freak accidents or illness anyway!). There are times I have to give them over daily, even hourly; and each time I do, a huge burden is lifted from me. Does that make sense? Maybe it's me. Maybe it's just a human tendency. Maybe one day God will take one or more of them unexpectedly back to Him which would be hard to deal with emotionally. But knowing we belong to God and always will, that nothing will happen without His allowing it to, helps the day-to-day concerns. And when "giving" God those loved ones results in bringing even more lost souls to Him -- how awesome!
Thank you for all you're sharing about the prison ministry. God can and does remarkable things, but when we allow Him to bless our lives by involving us as His hands, feet, heart, and mouth, it's even more wonderful and humbling. Keep up the wonderful service!
God bless Oscar, you, your kids and everyone else involved in this minitry! Lives are being changed, by God's grace.
NICE new pic of Edson, too--cutie pie! I want to give him a squeeze!
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind.
This verse plays in my head, too, when I'm plagued with fears. Just so you know, I pray for Oscar often when I think about him walking into that prison!!
Hey! i love the pics. mom just figured out that u had a blog! i will be checking quite frequently!
Hi Karen,
You and your family are in my prayers. I love all of you.
Cynthia
Post a Comment