Prison Ministry on Tuesdays

Every Tuesday Jair goes to Rove Correctional Centre to do prison ministry. I used to go with him, but Theresa's at an age where she needs a lot of guidance and correction (maybe she should go;), the kind of guidance that our Haos Mere just couldn't give.

The main thing Jair does in prison is distribute and collect Crossroads Bible Institute course booklets with the inmates that are in the course. Around 60% of inmates in Rove are active in the course, and many of those that aren't, have already done the course. So, they're really receptive to it.

But he also meets with the guys, builds relationships, gives a devotion, prays with them, and runs a Christian book and DVD library. We've been blessed by people giving us money, so we buy DVDs for the prison library and give them to one guy who organises for them to be screened during the week (often multiple times), and then swaps it for another one the following week. It's a great little ministry as these guys have little to do all day, but love watching DVDs, and especially like the good, uplifting messages in them. Even the kind of "information" DVDs - 4wd driving, geographical type ones are a good way to give the inmates something else to do. (If you ever want to send DVDs to us for the prison library, don't hesitate! Just make sure they have absolutely zero violence and sexual content).

The guys also enjoy Christian biographies and the kind of easy reading Christian Living type books. Heavy theology doesn't go down quite so well with most inmates, whose educations levels are around Year 4 or 5. Having said that, there are some guys are interested in books like Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey. Anyway, they lap it up. I think they like a diversion from the daily grind of waking up, eating bread and drinking tea, sitting around for 4 hours, or jogging in your compound, having lunch, sitting in your cell, etc etc. You get the point.

So that's what Jair does on a Tuesday. Unfortunately, the Correctional Centre has limited the hours for us to 9-12, preferably 9-11! Eek. Sometimes Jair has to go in twice a week. Sometimes someone else is able to go with him, if they're available. We're praying for someone to be dedicated to join in going in each week with him.

But another thing we do with the prison is purchasing and distributing prisoner release packs.

SWIM received funding through the Compassion Catelogue for these prisoner packs and it's our job to put them all together. It's a simple way that we can help inmates who are released by providing them with some food and clothes for when they are first released after sometimes years of incarceration.

So that's what happens here every Tuesday morning. Jair is also involved with Tetere Correctional Centre, which is a farm maybe 38 mins drive from here. There he helps run a sports program, as well as the CBI and devotions, and has also organised for a basic computers course for the inmates.

Prison Ministry is a great little ministry, but it's tough going as well for Jair, so we appreciate your prayers!