Friday was our firs full day in Ware State Prison for Kairos 38. A total of 30 Kairos team and 42 inmates make up the population for this weekend, and it is an eclectic group for sure.
One interesting thing happened the day before we got there on Thursday. Three of the dorms in the compound were locked down and we lost a total of 11 residents for the weekend. Fortunately, we were able to get to the alternate list and get 11 replacements for a full grouping. Who knows what kinds of men were held out and how the weekend might have been different if they had been included. But you have to think that God was not surprised and that the 11 new ones were the ones that He wanted to be in attendance.
Regardless, it has been a good session so far. The men are participating well, the singing is good, the attention is good and the schedule has progressed without a hitch so far.. Since we have all of our activities, from the opening prayer to the closing one, in the same building, there is not problem with weather, although we could hear rain on the roof throughout the evening hours before we dismissed.
I have six inmates at my table along with two other team members. These guys come from Griffin, Bainbridge, Browntown in Camden Co., Gainesville, Lafayette and Chicago, IL. They are all pretty quiet, but participate in the discussions well. I'm sure they will all say that they are Christian, but we have not gotten that far in the program as yet. We will have much more time to assess all of that tomorrow.
We are eating good. In the old days when we ate with the residents in the chow hall, it was not good. It seemed like we took our life and stomachs into our own hands when we ate there. Now churches from the outside bring in delicious food and we all eat good, probably too good.
Tomorrow at 7am we will go in again. It will be a full day and will come too early for almost everyone.
Before I go to bed, I need to tell you about one man in particular, that I had a chance to visit with as we were waiting for the count to clear tonight. His name was Cesar, and he was from Mexico City. He came to the US when he was 18 and had been incarcerated for 8 years. I don't know the crime or the sentence, but it must be for some major crime. As we talked, I could see the tears forming in his eyes as he talked of home in Mexico and how much he missed it. My heart went out to him. Here was a man who was very articulate in his faith, serving time here and not knowing when he would be released, at least he could not tell me. Of course I do not know the whole story, whether or not he was an illegal or not (if that matters), or the crime. All I could see was a lonely 26 year old.
What could I say to him that had any meaning? That God was in control, that He had the best in mind for him whatever that meant, that I would be praying for him? It seemed like so little to a man who wanted so much more, yet I know it was true. Maybe if I knew the whole story I would not be so sorry for him. Maybe I should not have seen those tears in his eyes. That would have made it easier.
What if I had been his dad, waiting for him in Mexico?
What if???
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