Prison laughter

I had envisaged that going into a prison would bring an oppressive feeling of clanging metal doors echoing through concrete corridors. So, when the Khmer pastor of CCOP invited us to accompany him and some staff members for their weekly prison Bible study, I was somewhat apprehensive. What a surprise as, once through the main gate, we walked through unlocked doors into a garden-like setting with trees and manicured plants and bright red flowers along paths between the various fenced-in housing units. The neatly-painted off-white buildings with low red tile roofs resembled more what I would have expected at a beach resort. But, this is a minimum security prison with around 1000 prisoners. CCOP has a weekly outreach to women here.

As we were getting set up in the covered open-air refectory, 30 women in blue cotton prison suits with white trim were marched in by a guard. Some seemed very, very young; others were definitely middle-aged; two young women carried babies about a year old, meaning they had been born after their pregnant mothers were incarcerated. During the hour and a half that we were there, guards in grey or dark green uniforms would come by to watch and then move on. A CCOP staff member accredited by the prison was the only one with us the whole time.

While we were there, we could hear another group singing and laughing in an area close by. The young men in a housing area behind the refectory came into their exercise area for an hour, doing group exercises and then playing soccer with a small ball. Several of them came up to the fence to try to hear what was going on in our area. Other than the mesh-wire fences topped with barbed wire separating the areas, you could have imagined being in a well-organized youth camp.

The pastor created an atmosphere that was relaxed and fun. For over half an hour he had the women play games, something like “hot potato”, as they were sitting in two long lines on either side of the picnic tables in the refectory. They were laughing and cheering as one or the other would get caught with the “hot potato” when the music stopped. The pastor brought his guitar and led a time of singing. Then he had asked Joy from Singapore and Bill to give their testimonies, which he translated into Khmer. He himself read the parable of the unforgiving servant who had been forgiven, parable which follows Peter’s question about how many times he should forgive someone else. Then, 5 women from the group were chosen to act out the parable, which they did with great enthusiasm.

The time ended with one of the women getting up to give her testimony. She told how her life had been so full of problems that she wanted to die. She was glad that she had come to the prison where she learned about Jesus and came to trust him. Pastor Hieng told us that last year he baptized 29 people in this prison. We all helped distribute plastic sacks of useful items to each of the women (toothpaste, laundry soap, a toy for those who have a child...) before they were led back to their unit. This weekly outreach by CCOP staff, done in a relaxed, friendly, and creative way, is clearly bearing fruit for the Kingdom.

(photo: our ministry team getting ready to leave the prison)