Finding Freedom in Jail

Amelia and I take the bus to Mary’s house to chat and meet the new baby. We walk down the grey street surrounded by dingy high rise apartments, windows with solid bars in place and turn left into a non-descript entrance, walk past piles of bags of rubbish and up eight flights of unlit stairs. We are ushered into a small cramped room where we meet Mary and are given the baby to hold. I take him and look down at him – just one month old, what will his future hold? “He’s beautiful,” I say to Mary and she smiles, not understanding the words, but understanding my smile. “Thank you,” she agrees. The three of us sit and chat – Amelia leading the talk and translating so I can join in. Released three years ago from jail after serving seven years for drugs, Mary is being helped by Amelia and others with readjusting back into life in Macau. Mary found Christ while in jail, and now attends a local church where she is growing. She tells us that she prays over the baby and speaks Bible promises over him. At this moment we are disturbed as the babies’ mother arrives home – just turned fourteen and little more than a child herself, Sarah greets her mother. She smiles as she triumphantly opens her bag to reveal her bounty – seven comic books borrowed from the local library – school is now out of the question. Amelia and I pray for the small family and I am aware of the brokenness in the daughter and her brother (who we didn’t see) – losing their mother for seven long years in jail, readjusting to having Mum back home, lives that need ahope and future that only a relationship with Jesus can bring.

Please pray for the team in Macau as they reach out to those in jail, and those readjusting after release.

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