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Is there room? (2003-01-13)
Mid November 2002, I broadcasted messages inviting people to join the third
annual Christmas caroling organized by the Heart Renewal Chinese Prison
Ministry, going to SeaTac Federal Detention Center (FDC). Would people sign up?
Did my heart have room for a simple faith in God?
Not soon afterwards, Bosco Chan, one of the prayer warriors in the prison
ministry and my dear prayer pray partner and much war at work, said to me,
"Do you have room for the whole Seattle Chinese Alliance Church to
go?" My mouth dropped and the following words never came out: "the
whole choir?" Since the World Trade Center came down on 9/11/02, security
in FDC has been tight and there have been many new restrictions. Does our
ministry have room for God's provision?
Bosco continued that he, of course, had to confirm. He was just exploring the
possibility. Thus, with both excitement and also a prayerful heart, I said I
would also explore from my end.
A week later, Bosco confirmed that there would be about 15 choir members from
his church. Our prayers stepped up.
On Sunday 12/8/02, I handed to Chaplain the list of 26 carolers. Chaplain said,
"You are serious about 26, aren't you?" He was thinking more about 6
to 8, but he would look into it. Frankly I did not know who to take out from the
original list. Andee, the violinist from china, Steven who would lead the songs,
Swandi who would be the reporter and photographer for us, Roger who would share
a short message, the choir who would give a special presentation, and many other
brothers and sisters who were ready to touch the inmates' heart all had an
important role to play. Would there be room for more in this Caroling event?
I took a mental somersault and invited chaplain to join and he agreed. Thus:
8 + 1 = 9!
We went in for religious service. The inmates heard about our caroling plans and
were already touched by all these Chinese brothers and sisters coming in to
share the evening with inmates of all nationality, even though they need at the
end only a limited number of us could come in. They offered to pray for us.
Furthermore, the brothers and sisters inside FDC offered to join the caroling
team. My eyes opened wide and all the light bulbs in my little brain went on at
the same time saying:
8 + 1 + N inmates = Hallelujah!
The following day, I went back to my office. Chaplain's email was waiting for
me. It had been sent before I met him Sunday night. It talked about the 6 to 8
limit. I was glad that I had not read this mail before meeting Chaplain, which
might have turned my mental somersault into a U-turn expecting the worst.
Through several email exchange, I understood that Chaplain had to be with us all
the time in the prison premise and he could not physically escort 26 of us. For
example, when he took half of us up in the elevator, the other half would be
without an escort.
Finally, Chaplain was able to arrange another department to help out with the
escorting and all 26 carolers would be able to go in! As it turned out, the
female inmates who heard about the limit not only prayed for us. They actually
talked to the chaplain to lobby from within FDC.
Yes, I know what you are thinking:
26 + 1 + N inmates + another department + hard working angels = enough room for
jesus' awesome plans
Wait! There is more... Let's see the report from our Heart Renewal on-site
reporter, Swandi:
_______________________________________
Date: 12/22/02
Time: 4:30pm - 8:30pm
Venue: Federal Detention Center (SeaTac)
This is our 3rd year FDC Christmas Caroling. Same as last year, our
Caroling team was joined from different Chinese churches. We have 24
volunteers. This year is special because Steven Lee invited a professional
violinist to play the music and Peter invited the FDC Chaplin to join us as
well.
After filling up the forms and passed the highly secure gate, we enter the first
unit at 5:45pm. At first, some inmates remained to watch TV in the TV room
or stayed in their own rooms. But then after we sang the first song, many
of them came out and joined us. All of us knew that our goal is to tell
the inmate that God loves them. We were here to tell them that they are
not alone, God is with them.
The blessing from God is always with us. We understand it is hard to go to
the upper floors in FDC. Yet, this year, we can go to almost every
unit (except the segregation). Praise the Lord!!
Although most of us were tired and lost our voice, our spirit was recharged
again and again when we went units to units.
We were recharged by Chaplain Ellis supporting us all the way, singing loud for
us and with us. We were recharged by different sets of inmates joining the
caroling team in different units. One inmate even helped Steven direct the
carolers singing.
Cindy, the choir director, at first was shy about greeting the inmates who did
not exactly look friendly. As the evening wore on, she found out that the tough
guys actually had a hard front, but they also needed love and care - perhaps
even more than others. Cindy took the courage to greet these guys and they
softened. A long lost smile came back to their rusty face.
A group of female inmates said to us how deeply touched they were. Here they
were forgotten by society, but we did not look down upon them, hugged them and
showed Jesus' love to them.
After several group songs, the Alliance Church choir gathered themselves and did
their special presentation. "Will there be room? ..." Everyone became
quiet. Thinking back 2000 years ago, was there a room for Mary to give birth to
Jesus? In the evening of December 22, 2002, was there room in our heart for
Jesus?
Sister Carol quietly went to ask the inmates if their heart had room for Jesus.
There was a female inmate told us that she decided to accept Jesus as her
lifetime savior; an inmate was holding the phone all the time when we sang, she
told me that she wanted to share this good caroling with her granddaughter at
home, because her granddaughter was very lonely; Couple of other inmates willing
to open their hearts for Jesus. Encouraged by a native Indian lady whom Roger
recently baptized, a Spanish lady asked to be baptized!
____________________________________________________________
Christmas is not for Santa, not for Christmas present, but is for giving
Jesus love to the needs. We have no regret that we spent 4 hours in giving
Jesus love to the inmates.
Will see each other in the 4th year FDC Christmas Caroling!!!
Does Heart Renewal Chinese Prison Ministry have room for Jesus' awesome plans?
Does our heart have room for Jesus? These are the real questions of Christmas,
and I pray that the answers are unequivocally:
Our hearts + Our love for the inmates + room for Jesus
= "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine": (Eph 3:20)
Peter
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