Behind bars, but still women

Lalia writes about her December visit to a prison for women...

First, just to set the record straight, no, I am not in prison, and I don´t intend to do anything that will put me there.

Yesterday I went with two friends to visit a women´s prison in a little city not too far from São Paulo. This was my second visit to that facility.

Conditions are horrible. Too many women crowded in four little cells. One woman was by herself in another cell; she couldn´t stay with the others because she was incarcerated for killing her son, and was in danger of suffering harm from the other women prisoners.

Some of the women are waiting for a trial before a judge, others are waiting for their release papers. Some are there for theft, sale or possession of drugs, petty crimes... you name it. A couple of them are pregnant. One had recently given birth, and was thankful to God because she was transferred to a facility closer to the foster home where the baby was sent.

With all this diversity, they all have one thing in common: they were made in the image of God and are loved by Him.

Behind bars, but still women. When we arrived, one was having a manicure and pedicure!

It was all I could do to not cry when we gave them the few gifts we took with us. The women were so excited to receive a notebook, a pen, a hair barrette and a little devotional book (they all know how to read).

My friends and I were separated from those women by heavy metal bars, but we united our voices to sing to the Lord. Not all of them came close to us. Some stayed in their cells, others stayed by the door of their little cubicle, but they all heard the message that Jesus was born because God loves them all.

Some of the women have decided to follow Jesus since they were put in prison. The difference between these and the others is hope. They are free in their hearts. They know God will use their circumstances “for good”. They want to tell their families about Jesus.

The three of us spoke a few words to the prisoners. Then we sang some more. While we were there, the police came and took one of the youngest women (she was no more than 19 years old) to the doctor. She may be pregnant.

When we finished, one woman came very close to the iron bars and said: “I speak for me and for my friends. Thank you for coming here to speak to us. Thank you so very much for the gift of your time.”

The gift of time! I left the prison thinking about that phrase. For those women who can´t go anywhere, who aren´t too busy shopping for Christmas; for that young mother who has all the time in the world to hold her baby, but cannot; for all of them our time was the best gift of all.

Please, this Christmas, let´s not get so busy with shopping and cooking for our loved ones that we´ll not have time for them.

Ah, yes, I was so very thankful to get home to my beloved husband, my nice shower, my soft bed.

Next Thursday, we´ll visit another women´s prison. This will be a different type of visit, because we will talk individually with the prisoners, without bars between us. All of the women are close to being released from jail so they will not do anything stupid... we presume! We will see as many prisoners as the number of women we have from our church. So, pray that many will go. Honestly, I´m a little nervous about the visit. I´ve never been with a prisoner without the bars to keep me safe. I know the guards will be around, still... Pray that I will show God´s love for “my prisoner,” whoever she might be. Pray that many will be free from the hands of the Enemy of their souls.

A big hug.

Free because of Him,

Lalia