Jail Time

Last year about this time, I was talking to one of the girls (Annie) on my floor about a ministry that she was involved it: Mission Possible. Although they weren't actually able to go last year, the ministry focused on going in the Kankakee jail and ministering to the prisoners there. From that conversation, I was compelled to join the ministry. I think God pushed me in that direction. :) So, I decided I would go to the jail once just to experience it. Well, I started half-heartily attending the meetings at the beginning of this school. We were not allowed to go into the jail yet because they still had a couple of kinks to work out. At the end of the fall semester, we finally got the go ahead.

One Thursday morning, spring semester, two other girls and I went to jail for the first time. Jail: a place where walls talk and give you directions, doorways look like illusions, and every door is locked, but they open automatically for you. That first day I was nervous and did not know what to expect. It is hard for me to share about Jesus with other people. I am just not used to it; I guess. Well, Annie and I sat down with two girls on the B side. There are four round tables in a common area with four hard, stationary seats at each one. It is really hard to describe. Anyways, we started to talk to these two girls, Tiffany and Lisa. It turns out that they were in there because they separately robbed different places in order to get more money for heroine. I sat next to Lisa, so I started talking to her more. Looking at Lisa, you never would have expected it. She was saved last November and turned her life totally around in jail. Pretty much every week after that (when I went) I would find Lisa and talk to her while I was there. We got pretty close and her faith still amazes me. She has gone through a lot in her life and still has problems she has to deal with that were caused from her addiction, but she is strong in Christ. It was hard saying goodbye to her a week from last Thursday. Since that first day, Tiffany has left the jail and moved to a treatment center. Lisa is just waiting to be transferred to a camp where she will start treatment and finish out her time.

As some people know, it has always been more difficult for me to continue correspondence with people when I am not around them, but it is my goal to continue writing Lisa for a very long time. She told me in a letter that she is afraid of people forgetting her. I don't want to be one of those people. I don't know if I will continue going to the prison next semester. It will still make me nervous, especially since Lisa is no longer there, but I am very glad I went this past semester. I am very glad I met Lisa. She is a wonderful girl who is ready to start a new life in the real world. A life where she is free. I want to be a part of her new adventure and I am hoping God will help me remember that.