My morning in the "slammer"

For those of you who don't know, in Uganda, I was able to teach a group of about ten condemned ladies in the prison there. I looked forward to Tuesdays and my times with them more than words can say, getting to go in there and have their smiles, hugs, worship, and although there was a HUGE language barrier, we just really had a good time studying purely the Bible. Well, today I was able to experience jail stateside. It's insane how nice it was, I realize they were still away from their families with limited freedom, but it really was a thousand times nicer than even the schools in Uganda.

I had the opportunity to speak with two different groups. The first one, was just a small group of ladies (about ten) who CHOSE to come and sit in this little classroom. It was great getting to encourage them to be lights there and when they get out and to just stay immersed in their Bibles and how they have an absolutely awesome opportunity to study their Bibles in a way that some people only dream of. We ended in a time of prayer and seriously almost every woman there was in tears, it was pretty awesome to just see how God was getting a hold of these ladies.

The second group was a bit of a different story. This time we had a speaker and I was able to share with the entire pod (about 80 ladies), and I won't lie, my little naive self was having a bit of a freak out with some of the people I saw. They were so hard and bitter and just angry, totally not broken at all. There I just laid down the Gospel and also went into how God isn't like the fathers, step fathers, boy friends, of their past, that He would NEVER leave them nor forsake them, and just how much God really loved them and how they could draw close to Him and that there was nothing they could do to make him love them any more or any less than He did at that moment. I also just shared how they were in jail for consequences for sins they had done, and if they didn't come to Christ, they would have to face far worse consequences that would last a whole heck of a lot longer than their jail time.

I went there with no agenda and no idea of what all I was really going to say. Along with those things I also was able to share about Africa, but it was awesome because I'm a Bible teacher, and so these opportunities were a challenge, but a welcomed one. I'm so stoked about how God brought this about and how it truly was all Him at work.

I just ask that you pray for those who are not only in jail, but also those who go to minister to the inmates. Just like in Africa, anyone and everyone is allowed to have their time in the jail. Pray that the ladies ears are closed to the false doctrines being taught and that they would look to who He truly is and His Word.