Nakuru Prison Visit

 By Anthony:

I had the privilege of visiting Nakuru prison this January with a missionary friend from Nakuru, Joel Beauchamp.  I have had always had a passion for prison ministry.  I used to lead jail ministry in Grand Rapids, Michigan with Madison Square Christian Reformed Church.  Actually I have always had a fascination with prison, which explains my huge collection of movies about life in prison.  In my daydreams, I imagine being put in prison during a time of persecution, and leading a simpler life focused on reading the Bible and ministering to others.  Sometimes I think there would be something comforting about having limited options, and less decisions to make.  More things doesn't mean more happiness.  See my old post - The paralysis of too much freedom.  However, I'm sure actually living in prison would be super tough.  But if I ever end up there, I'll just become a teacher and pastor there.

Anyway, since Joel does regular prison ministry as his main missionary work here, I jumped at the chance to visit, during the holiday break, just to see what prison ministry is like here in East Africa.  With my schedule at the college, this could only be a one time visit, but perhaps sometime in the future, somewhere in East Africa, I could do prison ministry part-time.

The prison has about 1000-1500 men, besides the women in their separate facility.  Life is hard for them, with limited food to eat, and no soap, toiletries, and things of that nature unless given as gifts by missionaries or local churches.  What is most interesting to me is that the vast majority of the people there have not been declared guilty or innocent yet. They are awaiting court dates and trials.  This means that many of them are actually innocent, and yet they can sit in these prisons for years waiting for a verdict.  Terrible suffering for those who don't deserve it.  Most of Joel's group that he teaches are these men waiting for their verdict.  Yet despite the challenges they are full of the joy of the Lord.  Here is a video of their worship:

I got to witness something very special that day.  They were at a part in their curriculum where they had to speak the truth in love to one another.  They do this every so often.  They each have to identify others in the group that they can say something positive about their spiritual growth, and identify someone to give constructive criticism to.  Iron sharpening iron.  There were other categories as well like work ethic, and how they deal with others in relationships.  They are not allowed to give defenses or say anything, except to accept the encouragement or criticism.

What made this whole session the most beautiful to me was that before each encouragement or criticism, they all would say, "Jacob, I love you my brother." And then Jacob would say, "I love you too."  Then they would say what they would have to say.  Then they exchanged words of love again at the end of their statement.  I could tell with so many of them that they really deeply meant those words of love, and they were criticizing out of a spirit of love to try to help each other grow.  For example, "Michael, you had a court date last week, and you didn't value prayer enough to tell us about it.  Next time you need to tell us so we can pray with you and go to God for help."  Or "David, I noticed you went to chapel to pray and that was the first time I had seen you do that.  You are growing in your walk with God."

These are the types of things that I think are critical to have real fellowship and community in our relationships and in our churches.  Yet unfortunately most of us are content to just make small talk and speak niceties and white lies.  These men are learning skills of love, communication, and spiritual growth, that I would say most Christians around the world are lacking.  They challenged me personally to be more intentional in seeking out constructive criticism, and also being willing to speak the truth in love to others.

Here is Joel teaching:

I was mostly just there to visit and see how things went.  But I had the opportunity to give them some encouragements, and they also encouraged me.  They laid hands on me and prayed for me before I left.  It was such a privilege and joy to have these brothers in Christ care for me like that.  You can pray that God continues to use Joel and this ministry, providing for him, giving him guidance and patience, and pray for these men that they would keep learning and growing in Christ, and that those who are innocent could go free, and those who are guilty would be comforted and make use of their time in prison to more deeply depend on God.