behind the bars

in honor of prison awareness week here in the philippines, thought i would share this article with you by Joseph Ross:

Our involvement with the issues of our time can lead us into study, analysis and opinions–all of which are important. But a danger for those involved in the struggles of people who suffer is forgetting that it is precisely people who suffer. We can easily treat the injustices of our world like issues, forgetting that such wrongs are injustice only because they are done to people. When we lose sight of the human, we can miss the essential reality of the hunger and thirst that Jesus knew. By getting to know the people who suffer such wrongs, we can begin to experience its reality and yearn, like Jesus, to change it.

For four years I was a volunteer chaplain at the Indiana State Prison. I came to know many of the men on Indiana's death row. They know injustice well. Here is one of their stories. 

Read more:  Living and Dying on Death Row: An Eyewitness Account

received: today.

love is like a jungle, sometimes you get lost before you find right way, and in this journey, great suffering and hindrances you may face, and your struggle to pass through these trials may lead you in search for someone to help and be with you, but i tell you, you'll never know whether they'll be friends or foes and may turn things better or worse, but be not afraid of failing or losing, for there you will find the answers you seek, then you'll know what's for better and understand what's truly right and wrong and hopefully won't make any mistakes again, and that will lead you out of this maze, then there you'll find true happiness...and you call that...what?

that's all.

prompt: write something (a poem, a few words, some sentences) about someone that you look up to, someone that you are inspired by...here's their thoughts:

i love me. and my family except my mother.
my inspiration is my little brother.
that's all.

--

mahal ko ang aking pamilya kasi
kundi sa kanila wala ako dita sa
mundo kahit anong pag kakamali ko
nandyan parin sila at
hindi nila ako pinababayaan

translation:
i love my family because
if not for them, i would not be here
in the world, despite the wrong things i've done
they are still there
and they do not just leave me

--

my inspiration in my life
is my mother because she is the
one who teaches me for the good
things i do and admire me all
the time

--

a very special person to me,
is no other than my family,
i love the way they treat me,
and the times and day they spent with.

they are my good inspirations,
and i love their every instructions
in every most important thing with them is all about my education

i love my own life together with them
its because i am very happy when i'm with them
so that's why they are very important
cause everytime, i feel like a flower
that is ever always pregnant

--

i'm looking up to my mother because she is such a wonderful person, and some reasons why i can say this things is because she is always there for me, whenever i need her or i'm sad or in any way i need anything or someone to be with. and other is because of her great personalities such as being so caring and loving, and understanding whenever i've done something wrong, and supporting me always or whenever i need her, and her perseverance in everything, but specially in taking good care of me and us.

understanding

this is what happens after i give them paper on friday. this is what i got back on sunday.

---

alone in the dark, with no one to stay by your side.

alone in a cold restless night, with no one to comfort you.

and have no one else to lean on through the days

of pain and sorrow and in times of weak.

but be not afraid, for our father in heaven will give

you light and will stay by your side when you are

alone and in times of darkness, and will comfort you

through the cold and restless nights.

and will carry you through the days of your pain

and sorrows and will give you strength when you feel weak.

---

he brought me here

he brought me here!

it is by his will that i am

in this difficult place

and in that will i rest.

he will keep me here in his love

and give me grace in this trial

to behave as his child.

he will make this trial a blessing

and teach me lessons he intended for me

to learn by working in me the grace

he means to bestow.

in his good time, he will bring me

out again, how and when he knows

and in his knowing i trust

---

So now i tell you, we that have sinned should

not loose our hopes and faith or feel lost and

condemned.

for all we need to do is repent and ask for

forgiveness, and we will be pardoned.

For the scripture says;

Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the

door will open to you. for everyone who ask will receive, and anyone

who seeks willf ind, and the door will be opened to him who knocks. Mathew 7;7-8

so it says here that if only you ask, seek and knock, the Lord will give you.

just accept the Lord God into your heart, repent from your sins,

ask for forgiveness and believe he will. No sin of yours will not

be forgiven...

---

what matters most

for this week, i assigned them to draw pictures based on what they hear throughout their day...whether that be guards walking up and down their cells, the bell ringing, music playing, what is it that you hear all day? on the other side, they had to illustrate what they would rather be listening to and what they would rather be surrounded by. what are the things they can do, to bring positivity to all their senses, amidst the chaos?

mindfulness.

he really wants to be with his parents again and listen to their rules and be under their discipline.

faith.

apparently the pad locks are really loud.

every morning, he imagines the church that he goes to - listening to the bells, and the whole church being lit up through music. the flowers signify the beating of his heart to the tune of the music and how that provides him with strength every day.

* thank you ate rochelle and JD, for your help with brainstorming this activity!