Though one
of our fellow church leaders remains unjustly imprisoned, the Lord continues to
use him to minister not only to the Tlaxcala prisoners but also to their
families. With Osbaldo as our contact, we
planned an “Operation Christmas Child” event for the
prisoners´ children!
Osbaldo,
inside the prison, made a list of all the children of his prisonmates, and then
delivered invitations to the families during visitor hours.
The struggle
for the event was: where to hold a children´s event outside a state
prison? We asked surrounding neighbors
about empty, abandoned lots in front of the entrance. Unfortunately, we were denied
use of the
closest lot when the owners discovered we were Christians and were planning an
event to proclaim Jesus! However, the
Lord gave us favor and opened a neighboring lot for our use.
Even with
limited decorations and no electrical access for either microphone or music in
our abandoned lot, the event was a huge hit!
32 children and their families arrived, and enjoyed games, face-painting,
songs, a clown show, and the message of Christ´s love and
sacrifice for our
salvation. Each family received a bag
lunch, a New Testament, and the offer of prayers and church contact for anyone
interested in learning more about Jesus.
The families
were so grateful
for the love shown to them and their children. They seemed
worn-down after visiting their family members at the jail. One small boy was especially tearful; his mom
explained he always acted like that after saying goodbye to his father at
prison. However, at the end of the
event, he was happily
participating with the rest of the group! May the Lord continue to speak to and
strengthen these families in their need through His Word!
