Remembering Those in Prison
Operation Christmas Child brings a message of hope to the children of inmates in a Honduran jail.
Lilian Suyapa felt God calling her to reach out to prison inmates a few years ago. In response, she began ministering to the men incarcerated in the jail at El Progreso, Honduras. She knew they needed to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that when their sentences were over they could leave the jail with transformed hearts.
She founded and became president of the Progreso Prison Fellowship chapter, and helped start educational and technical programs to contribute to the rehabilitation of the 375 men incarcerated at the facility.
“There are many needs in this place, but most important is God,” she said. “Everyday we have the opportunity to give up our comfort to love and serve our neighbors.”
Recently, Lilian was able to work with the Samaritan’s Purse office in Honduras to show love and to serve the prisoners by bringing joy to their children and families.
Samaritan’s Purse Honduras held an Operation Christmas Child distribution within the walls of the El Progreso jail. The children, wives, and mothers of the inmates who live locally were all able to be together in the entry area of the prison compound.
More than 150 children played games, sang songs, and heard the message of God’s greatest gift, Jesus Christ. Then their parents looked on as the boys and girls, on the count of three, excitedly opened their shoe box gifts and gazed in wonder at all the treasures inside.
“It was interesting to see the guards, while holding machine guns covering our area, with smiles on their faces as they watched the children enjoy their time,” a staff member said.
Sgt. Bonilla Velasquez, the police officer in charge of the jail, said he was thankful to Samaritan’s Purse for remembering and showing love to children who, through no fault of their own, are growing up in difficult circumstances. He also said the atmosphere inside the prison will be better now that the inmates have seen that people outside the walls are doing things to bring joy to their children.
A central mission of Operation Christmas Child is to serve and strengthen the local church, and that occurred at El Progreso. The giving of shoe boxes to the prisoners’ children reinforced the ministry of Emiliano Ponce Paz, an inmate who leads an evangelical church at the jail. Sgt. Velasquez said that there is a service most evenings, and Emiliano usually has about 80 in attendance.
The lay pastor, who participated in the Operation Christmas Child activities along with his wife and their 5-year-old daughter, now can remind them of the evidence they have seen with their own eyes when he tells his growing congregation of God’s great love and concern.
WAYS YOU CAN HELP
PRAY:
* That the children who received shoe box gifts will know they have a heavenly Father who loves them.
* That Lilian’s ministry will be effective in transforming the lives of prisoners.
* That all of our programs in Honduras will point people toward faith in Jesus Christ.
GIVE:
Thousands of children are taking the journey toward a personal relationship with Jesus through Operation Christmas Child follow-up discipleship materials.
(Source: Samaritan’s Purse)
