Dec. 25 MERRY CHRISTMAS

Ministry Partners,

I don’t have the words to tell you what an amazing day today is been. In all my trips and all my prison visits at the last prison we visited today, Christmas Day, Jesus gave me a remarkable Christmas gift that made it the best Christmas I have ever had. But let’s start at the beginning of the day.

We had to make a decision at the place where we have been staying to either pay for my room and hold it and be gone nine days also paying for a room where I was going to be traveling or load everything that I have, all the supplies and all the things that will go to Kenya as well as the things that will be stored at the end of the trip at Alfred’s, into the van and take it with us. It would have cost far too much to just hold this room for nine days so we decided to take everything with us knowing that when I return in nine days to stay here for an additional two weeks this particular room which I really like, on the bottom floor, has already had a new reservation from other people. But saving the funds, I thought, was a wise decision.

Everyone was up early as we got the van loaded and went in to have breakfast. Even at 7:15 all of the breakfast was not quite ready to we ate what there was, juice, bananas, pineapple, corn flakes and toast. Since our lunchbox doesn’t have fresh bread we decided to make some toast to make PB&J’s later and take it with the bananas with us for our lunch.

By 7:30 we were off for a three-hour drive to her first prison of the day. 

 

It is hard to believe it's Christmas with people still just working hard even today to make a living. 

The OC was not happy with us because we had arrived “late”. He told us that we only had one hour even though we explained that Commissioner Elizabeth felt it was important that we have enough time to present our teaching on forgiving others, forgiving yourself and now teaching them how to apologize to each other.
We had just finished the part about giving them the opportunity to receive Christ when he sent one of the guards to tell us that our time was up that there were Catholics waiting. I was thankful that I had gotten to that part and watched almost everyone there received Christ as Savior. I can’t tell you how much my heart hurt to walk out not being able to challenge them about forgiving. 

The deputy CEO told us, as we were packing up, that it would be good for us to return and for me to spend some time sharing with women. I told him that that wouldn’t be possible and he said, “Oh but we will make time for you”. I toll him our schedule would not when permit and we were sorry. 

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It was hard driving away but I had no idea what God had in store for me at the next prison. It was only about an hour drive to that second prison and I was surprised to find the guards at the gate  socializing and drinking beer while on duty. Again, even this OC is not happy that we were, “late”. If anyone should understand driving here with traffic and roads the way they are you would think that these OCs would be a bit more understanding. But this OC was also not very happy that we had not brought more blankets and Bibles, he told me they were not enough and asked me, “What am I going to do with so few with so many men?” I tried to explain that although International Reconciliation Ministries sounded like a big organization it was really just one 75-year-old woman, me, who loves God along with some volunteers who also love God that were just trying to do all that we could. Then I apologized that the things I brought were not enough.

He told me I could only have an hour and a half but after little more conversation agreed to allow me to have two hours until four clock when they would be counted. We quickly set everything up and I got through every part of the crusade with salvation’s, discipleship time, forgiving someone else or yourself and then the time for apologizing. Oh it brought a smile to my face as I watch so many of them apologizing to each other and then watching them laughing and smiling with each other. It was a good time and I was glad that the OC had come and saw, first had, that his allowing me to have that extra half an hour was as important as I told him it would be. I thanked Jesus for giving me a great Christmas present as I watched them apologize which brought out laughter and smiles on their faces.

But that’s when things started getting interesting as the OC started preaching to them and telling them how important it was what I told them and what a gift it was to them that I had come to share Christmas with them. He reminded them that some of them had never had even a family member come to visit them since they been in prison but I came came to visit them on Christmas. Then he had the 14 blankets and the Bibles that we donated brought in. I was not prepared for what happened next.

He called forward 9 men who were old, sick and crippled and one young man saying that he had just arrived today and he had absolutely nothing. I thought he was then going to hand them out himself but I had been standing beside him and greeting each one of the men as they came up to the front of the group but instead he had the other prisoners who had brought the items in give each blanket to me. As I greeted each man and looked them in the eyes, shook their hands and then placed a blanket in their hands saying, “Merry Christmas Jesus loves you.” I could not help weeping and even now, I write these words there are tears in my eyes and they are falling down my cheeks again.

As I starter to pack up our equipment about 10 men came and knelt in front of me. They asked me about pray for them, some of them said they were dealing with pain and illness, one said that he had such bitterness but had just accepted Jesus and one said before he came to prison a witch doctor put a spell on him. I laid my hand on top of each ones head and prayed for them individually. 
     

Oh dear friends, I was overwhelmed with the opportunities Jesus gave me today as I prayed over those men. As soon as I finish praying prisoners began to form around me all extending their hands wanting to shake my hand with some saying thank you and thank you for coming but there were two, one with Aaron and one with me that slipped a crumpled 1,000 frw note into each of our hands. I told my prisoner that I could not accept it but he said he was not giving it to me, it was for Jesus’s work. Just how does it happen that men who don’t have enough to eat give what little they have to me for the work God has called me to do?

Oh Jesus, thank you for letting me celebrate Christmas with these dear broken men.

The attitude of the OC was quite different as I left and very welcoming. He kept saying, “You need to come back.” I’m please we were able to leave knowing that we had an open invitation to come back.

Within 10 minutes after leaving the prison there was a lengthy downpour. Jesus held back the rain again until we finished. Thank you Lord.

We decided to drive to Fortportal to find a place to stay because the prison there will be the first one of two that we will  visit tomorrow but with it being Christmas we had a hard time finding a place to stay. As pastor Aaron was running in and out of different places trying to find something available I was in the van going, “Oh my goodness, it’s Christmas and there is no room in the inn for these missionaries.” I guess finding humor bwhen I am so tired is a good thing.

After checking out a number of places I told him to just drive down the road and will see what we can find, all the time praying that Jesus would provide something. And then there one was, a place called the New Delhi Inn. Well, let me say at least there was a toilet with a seat and at this point I could care less about any frills, I’m SO tired. We had some Indian food for dinner along with some African tea. I just gave Aaron some earplugs as people are celebrating, very loudly. This is an interesting place to say the least, and I’m very happy that Pastor Aaron is next-door!!!!!!

It’s very late my friends and I need to go to bed. Please continue to pray for us, you know the list. I am trusting God for more great things again tomorrow.

That none would be lost,

Arlene