Icy and cold ...
Icy and cold ...
I'm excited but yet have jitters. Today is the first day of my new Field Education Placement program, where I will get to enter into the Prison and meet with some inmates.
As I drove to Changi Women Prison, I was really both excited and scared ... excited because I have always wanted to have an opportunity to meet and minister to the inmates; yet scared because I don't know how they will react - will they be icy cold ... will they be violent ... will they be hardened ... will they ..... when I finally drove into the premise of the prison, I could feel butterflies all over ...
Finally, I met my supervisor at the waiting area, registered ourselves with the police at the counter, deposited all my stuff into the locker they issued me, and take my first step into the "forbidden" boundary of the prison - which I believe would not be accessible easily by people of the public. It didn't occur to me that security in the prison would be that strict - just beyond what I've thought:
- everything we bring in has to be declared (how many pens, how many songsheets, how many packet of tissues, are the pens cap with covers, etc, etc) and everything that is brought out has to be checked to make sure all quantity tallies - so if there's a missing cap from a pen, the cap has to be recovered somehow and can in no way be left inside any room in the prison ...
- from one door to the next, they are all locked ... a police officer would accompany us up and down where we need to go, so we had to wait for her to open the door that leads from the ground floor staircase to the second floor ... then wait for her to open the door on the second floor staircase ... next waiting for her to open the door that leads to the second floor corridor ... and finally to open the door that leads to the room we are meeting the inmates for a time of simple service ...
- the entire place is just icy cold ... you don't see anyone in the courtyard, or anyone walking up and down the corridor - it feels like a dead city. I think one would probably easily hear a pin drop if it really does ... not a nice feeling ... and to top off that, everywhere in the prison there are grills around - not those grills with some spaces in between where you can sneak a finger or two out and wave at someone - the design of the grills are such that the metal bars are so "compacted" ... not a nice feeling ... =(
Finally, we went into the room where about 20 inmates were waiting - for a time of worship and hearing the Word of God. They were not as "scary" as I expected them to be - in fact I thought they were rather friendly and open and willing to smile back at your when you gave them a smile of yours. I guess I was more ministered by them than they are by me - I see their discipline (guess they have no choice) - sitting in an orderly manner, squatting outside the toilet (which is within the room) as they wait for their turn, greeting us all with respect before chapel begins, etc. And they are very responsive too - eagerly and attentively hearing the Word of God as Pastor shares with them. The least I expected was their earnest response to an altar call and ministry time - and how they shed their tears as they longed for the touch of God, and for the Loving One to draw near to them.
Their lives are very simple in the prison itself ... and the things they gave thanks for are things we often took for granted - shame on us!! One inmate shared how thankful she was to God for touching her father's heart that he came and visited her recently - her father has never cared and loved her since she was young and had always thought of visiting the prison as something that is bad on luck. Some of them shared how God helped them to be better persons and how they are just thankful to God for accepting them the way they are, despite the wrong things they had done. My heart just goes out to them - so simple faith, so simple love to the Almighty One ... and my heart aches as I felt the Lord speaking to me about their desire to feel love and to be cared for. I was glad to be given time to pray and minister to some of them - and I really think they touched my heart more than I touch their lives ...
As the service came to a close and we prepare to leave, I just felt my heart so much drawn to them - I can't describe the feelings in words, but it's a painful feeling ... I guess I have no regrets choosing this place as my learning opportunity, and I pray that the good Lord will use me in His intended ways for His glory.
I'm excited but yet have jitters. Today is the first day of my new Field Education Placement program, where I will get to enter into the Prison and meet with some inmates.
As I drove to Changi Women Prison, I was really both excited and scared ... excited because I have always wanted to have an opportunity to meet and minister to the inmates; yet scared because I don't know how they will react - will they be icy cold ... will they be violent ... will they be hardened ... will they ..... when I finally drove into the premise of the prison, I could feel butterflies all over ...
Finally, I met my supervisor at the waiting area, registered ourselves with the police at the counter, deposited all my stuff into the locker they issued me, and take my first step into the "forbidden" boundary of the prison - which I believe would not be accessible easily by people of the public. It didn't occur to me that security in the prison would be that strict - just beyond what I've thought:
- everything we bring in has to be declared (how many pens, how many songsheets, how many packet of tissues, are the pens cap with covers, etc, etc) and everything that is brought out has to be checked to make sure all quantity tallies - so if there's a missing cap from a pen, the cap has to be recovered somehow and can in no way be left inside any room in the prison ...
- from one door to the next, they are all locked ... a police officer would accompany us up and down where we need to go, so we had to wait for her to open the door that leads from the ground floor staircase to the second floor ... then wait for her to open the door on the second floor staircase ... next waiting for her to open the door that leads to the second floor corridor ... and finally to open the door that leads to the room we are meeting the inmates for a time of simple service ...
- the entire place is just icy cold ... you don't see anyone in the courtyard, or anyone walking up and down the corridor - it feels like a dead city. I think one would probably easily hear a pin drop if it really does ... not a nice feeling ... and to top off that, everywhere in the prison there are grills around - not those grills with some spaces in between where you can sneak a finger or two out and wave at someone - the design of the grills are such that the metal bars are so "compacted" ... not a nice feeling ... =(
Finally, we went into the room where about 20 inmates were waiting - for a time of worship and hearing the Word of God. They were not as "scary" as I expected them to be - in fact I thought they were rather friendly and open and willing to smile back at your when you gave them a smile of yours. I guess I was more ministered by them than they are by me - I see their discipline (guess they have no choice) - sitting in an orderly manner, squatting outside the toilet (which is within the room) as they wait for their turn, greeting us all with respect before chapel begins, etc. And they are very responsive too - eagerly and attentively hearing the Word of God as Pastor shares with them. The least I expected was their earnest response to an altar call and ministry time - and how they shed their tears as they longed for the touch of God, and for the Loving One to draw near to them.
Their lives are very simple in the prison itself ... and the things they gave thanks for are things we often took for granted - shame on us!! One inmate shared how thankful she was to God for touching her father's heart that he came and visited her recently - her father has never cared and loved her since she was young and had always thought of visiting the prison as something that is bad on luck. Some of them shared how God helped them to be better persons and how they are just thankful to God for accepting them the way they are, despite the wrong things they had done. My heart just goes out to them - so simple faith, so simple love to the Almighty One ... and my heart aches as I felt the Lord speaking to me about their desire to feel love and to be cared for. I was glad to be given time to pray and minister to some of them - and I really think they touched my heart more than I touch their lives ...
As the service came to a close and we prepare to leave, I just felt my heart so much drawn to them - I can't describe the feelings in words, but it's a painful feeling ... I guess I have no regrets choosing this place as my learning opportunity, and I pray that the good Lord will use me in His intended ways for His glory.
Comments