Something Spectacular happens whenever I visit the condemn section of Luzira prison, I get humbled and hear a fresh call to reach out to prisoners. When I look at these men, they look helpless yet so hopeful. These are men some people have already written off and counted among the dead. It humbles me when these men always clad in white(Uniform for men on death row) some of them the age of my father, bow to greet me and look at me as a savior, when its time to go out many of them rush to greet me and ask that i help their children. Sometimes I get overwhelmed with many hands reaching out to me for a hand shake,and others seeking to have a private talk with me.
When we go in they remove our shoes and brush them clean.When they begin to praise and worship God,it is as if Jesus is coming in the next minute,they sing as if they are part of a big choir in heaven, you can even feel the air around filled with power, they pray as if they are physically touching God’s throne,with wholeheartedness to God, others kneel,others cry. When they clap their hands,they do it unreservedly, sometimes its like pieces of wood being hit against each other.Its one place I believe service to God is sincere,because when they come to congregate they don’t expect to meet any friend other than God. There is no pretence here, Its not like in some of our churches where some people go to show off their new dresses, cars , family and other earthly ware. In this place ,its serious kingdom business.
There have been times I have felt like giving up because of the challenges we meet here especially when we need money to help and we cannot find, sometimes I am ashamed to write asking friends to give towards this work, but Whenever i am leaving the prison i hear a fresh voice saying go and serve these people, go and tell others to give towards this work. On those days when i feel like giving up, it is the voices of these desperate men in white that keep echoing and reverberating inside me. I am in no doubt that it is the voice of God, because it has come in the same fashion over the years.As I walk out of the prison gates I feel a new zeal and like God has given me a lot of resources to help. Actually its inside the prison that I get my energy reserves to refilled .I get the same urge to go out and help every time I walk out of the women prison gate. I see those women in prison some of them holding their babies with their hands out to me asking that i help their children that they left behind. There is a woman who told me that she had taken two years with out seeing her four children, meanwhile she has a baby,she bore in prison. She is so worried that they probably they got lost,she keeps crying, even the prison officers are concerned.
The children
There is something special about the Children of prisoners, when I look at these children here I see angels, When i look at the beautiful faces of children of prisoners, tears roll inside me, when they are calling me Papa,i hear another voice saying that I should be ready to sacrifice for these little ones, I quickly turn to this computer and I write to you about them. One of the boys called Julius sat me with my wife and requested that we become their parents together with his sister Rhoda .As if begging, He goes ahead to say that ,if he grows up he will pay us, quickly I tell him that he does not need to pay for the help they get and that God is the source. Every night before they go Bed, the children spend a lot of time to pray,they will sing and worship God and pray as if it is their last day on earth, they pray for the release of their parents, they pray for God to bless whoever has donated to them, they pray for new donations to come in, they pray for their relatives and also pray for Wells of Hope staff .
It’s God
If you asked me what drives me, it’s the voices and faces of the prisoners and their children. Its the voice and face of God. Its been the compassion of God working through to make love an action word.Matthew 25:36 makes us rise up every day to serve people in prison and look after their children.
The team
I don’t do this work alone, I have a dedicated and supportive team here at Wells of Hope (of 32 people), and it’s the plight of the people we help and love for God that moves them also to serve. They are kind and compassionate people. I think each of them was careful chosen by God to serve here .
Our Friends
I cannot underestimate the role of friends like you, friends who pray for us, friends who write and encourage us,its like a pat on the back,there have been days personally I have felt like throwing in the towel,then you get a new email from a friend saying he or she is praying for you. Some people’s lives have been changed by the work that God does through us here.There days when you don’t expect any money from any one,then some one you have never interacted with writes saying that he or she is sending money to help the children, normally such news at Wells of Hope is welcomed with praises and worship to God.Some times we have thought that some of our friends are tired of giving,but the God in them is not fatigued, they overwhelm us when they give over and over again,they remind me of the good Samaritan who gave and said he was willing to re-imburse any extra penny that would be spent to help the man who had been attached by robbers. Actually God amazes us the way He provides through his people. Every donation here is manna from heaven. Whenever this happens ,its like I had removed my shoes,so I put them on and get back on my feet to start serving ..
Making a Will
As if making their will, men on death row have given their children to us, yesterday one of the Men on death row, the father of Sylvia 14 ,told me excitedly, “Those children are yours ,I have given them to you ”. Its not the first time we have received such a message. In 2007 when we had just began helping children of incarcerated parents, a man on death row told me and my wife that he had given us his two daughters.
Because of their helplessness and the mere thought that any time they might meet the hangman, the men on death row make their will and inform anyone they have trust in to take charge of their property and children.
Francis Ssuubi
When we go in they remove our shoes and brush them clean.When they begin to praise and worship God,it is as if Jesus is coming in the next minute,they sing as if they are part of a big choir in heaven, you can even feel the air around filled with power, they pray as if they are physically touching God’s throne,with wholeheartedness to God, others kneel,others cry. When they clap their hands,they do it unreservedly, sometimes its like pieces of wood being hit against each other.Its one place I believe service to God is sincere,because when they come to congregate they don’t expect to meet any friend other than God. There is no pretence here, Its not like in some of our churches where some people go to show off their new dresses, cars , family and other earthly ware. In this place ,its serious kingdom business.
There have been times I have felt like giving up because of the challenges we meet here especially when we need money to help and we cannot find, sometimes I am ashamed to write asking friends to give towards this work, but Whenever i am leaving the prison i hear a fresh voice saying go and serve these people, go and tell others to give towards this work. On those days when i feel like giving up, it is the voices of these desperate men in white that keep echoing and reverberating inside me. I am in no doubt that it is the voice of God, because it has come in the same fashion over the years.As I walk out of the prison gates I feel a new zeal and like God has given me a lot of resources to help. Actually its inside the prison that I get my energy reserves to refilled .I get the same urge to go out and help every time I walk out of the women prison gate. I see those women in prison some of them holding their babies with their hands out to me asking that i help their children that they left behind. There is a woman who told me that she had taken two years with out seeing her four children, meanwhile she has a baby,she bore in prison. She is so worried that they probably they got lost,she keeps crying, even the prison officers are concerned.
The children
There is something special about the Children of prisoners, when I look at these children here I see angels, When i look at the beautiful faces of children of prisoners, tears roll inside me, when they are calling me Papa,i hear another voice saying that I should be ready to sacrifice for these little ones, I quickly turn to this computer and I write to you about them. One of the boys called Julius sat me with my wife and requested that we become their parents together with his sister Rhoda .As if begging, He goes ahead to say that ,if he grows up he will pay us, quickly I tell him that he does not need to pay for the help they get and that God is the source. Every night before they go Bed, the children spend a lot of time to pray,they will sing and worship God and pray as if it is their last day on earth, they pray for the release of their parents, they pray for God to bless whoever has donated to them, they pray for new donations to come in, they pray for their relatives and also pray for Wells of Hope staff .
It’s God
If you asked me what drives me, it’s the voices and faces of the prisoners and their children. Its the voice and face of God. Its been the compassion of God working through to make love an action word.Matthew 25:36 makes us rise up every day to serve people in prison and look after their children.
The team
I don’t do this work alone, I have a dedicated and supportive team here at Wells of Hope (of 32 people), and it’s the plight of the people we help and love for God that moves them also to serve. They are kind and compassionate people. I think each of them was careful chosen by God to serve here .
Our Friends
I cannot underestimate the role of friends like you, friends who pray for us, friends who write and encourage us,its like a pat on the back,there have been days personally I have felt like throwing in the towel,then you get a new email from a friend saying he or she is praying for you. Some people’s lives have been changed by the work that God does through us here.There days when you don’t expect any money from any one,then some one you have never interacted with writes saying that he or she is sending money to help the children, normally such news at Wells of Hope is welcomed with praises and worship to God.Some times we have thought that some of our friends are tired of giving,but the God in them is not fatigued, they overwhelm us when they give over and over again,they remind me of the good Samaritan who gave and said he was willing to re-imburse any extra penny that would be spent to help the man who had been attached by robbers. Actually God amazes us the way He provides through his people. Every donation here is manna from heaven. Whenever this happens ,its like I had removed my shoes,so I put them on and get back on my feet to start serving ..
Making a Will
As if making their will, men on death row have given their children to us, yesterday one of the Men on death row, the father of Sylvia 14 ,told me excitedly, “Those children are yours ,I have given them to you ”. Its not the first time we have received such a message. In 2007 when we had just began helping children of incarcerated parents, a man on death row told me and my wife that he had given us his two daughters.
Because of their helplessness and the mere thought that any time they might meet the hangman, the men on death row make their will and inform anyone they have trust in to take charge of their property and children.
Francis Ssuubi
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