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In the women’s prison where we minister, most inmates are incarcerated for “moral
reasons.” They have been convicted of prostitution, adultery, deserting their husband, or
failure to obey/submit. Some are serving a sentence in the place of their husbands and
others have been convicted of murdering their husbands. Such women are outcasts in
society and most will not be welcome at home even when released. Their children can stay
with them in prison through age six, if not wanted by relatives. They share the food on
their mother’s plate, and all they see is the inside of a prison cell. We try to meet basic
physical needs and focus on hygiene materials and the necessities of newborns. Just
recently, we were able to provide hygiene materials for mothers and logistics for healthy
lunches during the winter. Handing each mother a bag, I prayed a blessing over her in the
name of Jesus. All responded gratefully and looked me in the eye, as if to say, “really?”
After we gave out the gifts, other women came up to us, sharing their needs, and although
I had nothing more to hand them, I was able to pray over one of the ladies and lift up
her request.
“Suzy” was sentenced to prison for killing the man who raped her. She arrived at the
prison with her two children and is now being trained in tailoring and microfinance,
allowing her to sew projects for money while still at the prison. It has given her hope. When
released, she will be able to open a tailoring shop of her own to support her family. The
opportunity to bring living water to thirsty souls is thrilling!
WOMEN (& CHILDREN) IN PRISON
My husband and I teach English in a very conservative country that forbids
proselytism, but being teachers clearly identifies us with a position in society, and
is a natural way to connect. Education is viewed as a way to overcome oppressive
poverty and shame. Many have said we taught them much more than English and
this is what we want! Our highly-motivated students show up for early-morning
classes before going to university or work. They are not free to ask many questions
or come across as seekers, yet some ask about our faith, and some have found
helpful websites on their own, and shared them with fellow students. The Good
Book is available to download in their language and we can talk about our faith
in a general way when discussing Christian holidays. Just being here is a witness.
We routinely get asked why we left our homeland to come here, and that sacrifice
speaks to them. Someone once asked, “You don’t beat your wife, do you?” Our lives
are an open book and read on a daily basis.
MORE THAN ENGLISH
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STORIES THAT MUST BE TOLD
CIU Today
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