Prison Outreach
By Lois Semanision, MAF Papua New Guinea
… I was in prison and you came to me. (Matthew 25:36)
Jesus encouraged us to care for the prisoners in this world, to visit and support them and show them that they are not alone. MAF Papua New Guinea’s Lois Semanision knows this and shared her incredible experiences with us about a prison outreach she will never forget.
It was a Tuesday in March 2016 and the MAF group got ready to leave for Mt Hagen prison. Swiss volunteer Dan Bärtschi initiated the trip, and was accompanied by ministry team.
“I trusted the Holy Spirit”
Mt Hagen prison is located outside the city in a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains. When they finally arrived after an incredibly uncomfortable car journey on bumpy roads, they saw the inmates sitting in groups on the lawn. There were 360 inmates, the majority of them were men, about 27 were women, and there was also a small group of juvenile prisoners. Some prisoners had gathered to sing songs and play the guitar, and afterwards four of the MAF team members spoke to them. Lois was happy about the opportunity to speak in Tok Pisin, the most widely used language in the country. She also shared some Bible verses the Lord had put into her heart. Lois reported: “I trusted the Holy Spirit to direct in this matter, as He knows the needs of each one.”
Responding to God’s Call
At the end, the group invited people to come forward to be prayed for if they felt God’s call to surrender their lives to Him by accepting Jesus as their only saviour. Lois was grateful for the chance to pray with each woman that came forward. Then, each prisoner and guard were given a gift of a sweet roll and a package with an English New Testament provided by the Gideons, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and a tract in Tok Pisin.
A prison prayer
Since some prisoners are illiterate, it is difficult to tell how many of them are able to read the bible. However, God had already taken care of that: The group found out that a pastor and his wife from the Evangelical Brotherhood Church (EBC) are visiting the prison every week to lead a Bible School course.
Lois was very moved by her experience during the prison outreach and prayed that she could visit a different prison in town as well, which is where people are locked up initially when they first get arrested.
A prison prayer – answered!
Only five days later, her prayer was answered in an amazing way and Lois was overjoyed! Lois went to the prison in town and asked whether she could visit the prisoners. She was told that she could come back to visit all 48 inmates the next day.
Lois was excited to prepare the next prison outreach and exclaimed: “We had enough care packages and I thought it would be nice to take a baked treat, too. So, I baked some muffins, got our bags together, the team came, we prayed and loaded up and went.”
Proclaiming liberty to the captives
The following Sunday they went to the prison in town, taking some extra care packages from their trip to Mt Hagen prison. After they were welcomed, they were taken to see the women first. There were three female prisoners. All the cells were locked tightly and the guards did not have the keys, so they had to talk to the inmates through the bars, which were high up. After Lois and the MAF team spoke to the women, they continued by talking to the male prisoners in about six different cells. The groups of men in the cells climbed up on the gate, so they could see them. Dan saw that the prisoners had no beds, only a squat toilet and shower. Lois recalls: “The men’s cells were dark. We shared the wonderful news that Jesus loves them and they could find forgiveness and a new life through acceptance of the salvation provided for them through Jesus’ death and resurrection.”
Breaking Every Chain
Lois cared for the prisoners like Jesus told us to. She prayed with them and most of the prisoners repeated the sinner’s prayer. They shared the care packages, and as they shared with those in the last cell, they heard music coming from a cell that they had already visited. She clearly heard the praise “Hallelujah” in the song. Lois exclaimed: “God is so awesome. These inmates had a divine appointment today with the Almighty God and God invited us along to enjoy it with them. Praise His holy name.” She also reported that since the police sergeant is a follower of Christ he invited them for another visit in future.
Lois was amazed about the opportunity to share Jesus’ love with unreached people in the prisons of Papua New Guinea. Lois and the MAF team have been able to visit the prison three times so far. Let’s pray for Lois and the MAF team as they seek to support and share God’s love with those incarcerated. Please pray for strength and protection for the team whilst they invite prisoners to change their lives through Jesus and especially thank God for this fantastic opportunity to serve Him in such a beautiful way.
