Prayerful and Thankful!!!

Jesus said: 'If you are embarrassed about me, I will also be embarrassed about you before my father.'  What powerful words those are.  That is the type of verbage that motivates one to reach out and do as God wants you to do...

 

On Thursday, September 13, 2012, a few of the Flavour Sisterhood girls went to Dawson State Jail.  My thoughts leading up to this particular visit were entangled with prayer, nerves, excitement, and questions.  I know, without a doubt that there will be ladies who will not want to hear what we have to show and/or what we have to say, but on the other hand, there will be those who are believers and appreciate strangers coming in to minister and devote precious time to them.  When I arrived at the jail, the parking lot was packed full of cars and guys and girls dressed in uniforms talking loudly around the cars.  I assumed shift change, of course.  When I walked inside, I saw many people inside the waiting area and in the center of the room stood a security setup much like the one you see at the airport that you have to walk through and also, set your belongings in a bin to go through on the conveyor belt....only we are not in Kansas anymore, Toto.  So, I checked in and retrieved my Visitor's Badge and went across the room to sign in for Fellowship Volunteers.  Each time our group visits the jail, you have to get your badge and sign in first and then, you get with the leader that night to find out which group and what floor is assigned to you.  I was assigned to a group and 8th floor.  There were four of us...  After we all got through security, the guards have to unlock this heavy HEAVY door with a small glass window to get to ... the other side.  The other side, you ask?? The Dark side if you ask me.  Once you go through the door, there is a small room with vending machines and on the other side is the locked entry to the front guard's (receptionist essentially) office.  There is a small table with coffee if you feel thirsty and the elevators are in front of you...and that's why you need to know which floor you're going to.  You certainly don't want to end up on a floor that you're not supposed to be on.  Like the 10th floor... which reminds me...

 

FLASH FORWARD....One of the ladies who lives on 8th flr, She explained to me ALL the logistics behind the scenes and forgive me, but I may not remember it all.  She said each lady in the prison is classified with a number that guards use to identify them as well as being classified by J1, J2, J3, J4, J5 ~~ with J1 (the girls that have the best conduct) up to J5, yep you guessed it, the ladies who have the worst conduct and make "bad decisions" she said.  In addition, the uniforms they wear also are used to identify their behavior and sometimes, floor.  The white uniforms are for J1 - J4 I believe and the tan/beige uniforms are for J5.  And, their uniforms could be mistaken for scrubs unless I didn't look closely enough, well, the pants look like scrub pants, maybe the shirt was button up -I'll have to pay better attention next time.  There is so much to take in when you are there....

 

OK, FLASH BACK... So, we ride the elevator all the way up to the 8th and when we step out there is a short hallway that we walk thru and I see to the left some large glass windows and it looks like another guard's office (it has a TV with camera showing a hallway and two desks) which was dark, probably due to shift change.  We happened to see a guard walking by and we asked her if she would let us in.  So, then our team leader walked in front and pulls several times on this blue door and when she does it keeps sticking so I noticed the guard inside the office pushing this button and apparently that's how it is unlocked.  So, we all have to walk in at the same time and are in this tiny tiny space with another door in front that also has to be unlocked.  Finally, we are through and on what appears to be the main floor only when I look around I see a bunch of doors on both sides of hallway but I quickly realize that this is not where the girls live, this had to be some sort of common area.  I asked our team leader about what was in this area and there was a gym, a classroom, and few other rooms that they didn't know what they were for.  It was cold, and the door to the room that we were going to use was locked.  Finally, the door was unlocked by a guard, and the two ladies that had been waiting to help us set up went in and began grabbing chairs.  Someone had said to me, "Let the girls set up that's their job"  but they had to unstack 50 chairs and move several long desks so another girl and myself decided to help them.  I felt like I shouldn't stand around and watch them work, that would of been awkward so I asked them if we could help out.  They (being the two helpers sent early from the 8th flr) were so nice and openly communicated about some things.  We placed on each chair a card that allowed them to write a prayer request.  We showed a Flavour video and Aubrey spoke on Obedience, and the girls were very receptive and attentive.  Only did I notice a couple of girls fidgeting about.  After the 55 mins that we had them in there were up, the guard came and said "It's time".  I could tell the girls were heavy about leaving.  I made a couple of attempts to say a few encouraging words to a few before they walked out.  And, that was it.  Just like that, it was over.  It went so quick.  And, my heart, though elated about the time we had, was heavy too. 

One experience stands out to me...  One of the girls told us that the jails do not have enough staff on hand, are only fed twice on Saturday/Sunday and to boot, wanted us to pray over each of the dorms and said that the devil was present...said alot of ugly things have been happening and we are already inside here - "Why do we have to be disrespected even more?"  I could of cried.  But, I remembered that I'm not supposed to act surprised about anything that we are told...so I kept it together. That's on my prayer list and made me so thankful for the life that I have and will have...

 

Some terms that are used:

Church- which is from what I understand, always on the 8th floor.

Godpod- 9th floor where the ladies are involved in more than just church, have bible studies and have the opportunity to have a mentor.

Dorms- there are five forms on each floor (except 6 and 10)  with 54 women living in there.

Daycamp-they call there building the daycamp, I assume because LewSterrit Prison is across the street and apparently is much worse. 

 

It pains me to hear of such things that I came across in this article but believe that the volunteers make a difference and give them hope. Dawson News - from CBS 11 News.  Hope and Faith are all they need.  One person can make a difference.

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I don't know much, but I do know that if I lean on Him than everything will be great!  I pray that we will reach the unreachable, to make the impossible possible, and to love the unloveable...All is up to God and I'm doing my best to listen to his voice. What an awesome night of worship, and met a few great people.  I'm honored to be a part of this and look forward to the next time I go.

 

Blessings,

 

 

 

1 Peter 4:10