Kris Sanchez, one of the younger members of the KJM mission team, and myself had to go into the jail on a Saturday very recently: this is Kris’s normal time each week that he comes in to work for KJM, and I had to finish up some areas in the jail. Kris and I made a few stops around the jail, having some very positive ministry interactions with inmates in some of the dorms. Then we went up to Kris’s normal wing he serves every Saturday for KJM, called the A West wing. Kris often sings hymns with the inmates, where the jail walls deep within the jail are vibrating with praise to GOD!!
Kris reminds me a little of myself, when I started in jail ministry in 2017: I would do anything, as long as it did not interfere with my family, to do jail ministry. I see brother Sanchez much in the same way, such as in coming in on Saturdays each week.
So, we started on Kris’s wing. We were at two adjacent cells, he at one, and I at the other, about ten feet apart from each other. The first fellow I talked to had a difficult time talking:
“I hah! Hah! H-h-have a neurological problem, so it might be difficult for me to tah! to, tah! To, t-t-t-talk, some t-t-times.”
He was making jerks and stutters while he talked, almost as if in pain at times, his eyes closing tight during the times he had trouble talking, which was very frequent.
The other men of the cell did not have much interest in talking. So, I started talking about some verses with the fellow who had such trouble talking. GOD gave me the words to share with these him, in commenting on several verses I brought up with him, but he and the men in the cell did not have much to say back, and they did not seem too interested.
After a bit, Kris and I happened to go around the corner to our cart to get some supplies. Kris jokingly said:
“Yah, that cell you are at is not real talkative, so that’s why I wanted to get here before you to get to the other one,” he said laughing. Kris is constantly joking around like this, which makes is really fun to work with him in jail ministry.
“Oh man, I hear yah!” I said, laughing back.
Suddenly, the man who was talking with some impedements said to me:
“I-I-I… want to s-s…”
He cringed, and paused. Then:
“To, s-study, theos.”
“Brother,” I said, do you mean, to study theology?”
And with great excitement, he yelled:
“Yes! That’s it!”
He slightly jumped up, and it was as if he yelled it though his difficulties in talking.
I told him I had a great book for him. It was a book about systematic theology. I went and got it for him, and when I returned, everything quickly, and inexplicably, changed. The men literally erupted in excited discussion about Jesus, about Bible verses, and about how they feel GOD with them, in their souls. This conversation grew and caught on to the entire cell. The men were asking questions, saying “praise GOD,” smiling, laughing, clapping their hands.
This went on for some time, but then finally, when it was time to leave, I noticed that the man with speech difficulties was speaking completely normal!!!!
Interestingly, it crossed my mind multiple times that, during the rowdy celebration in the jail, a celebration of GOD and His Word, would, and should, heal the man who was having difficultly talking. I have seen this sort of situation in jail before multiple times through the years in jail ministry, where mere reading the Word leads to healing: the sick are healed by hearing the Word of GOD! This reminds me of Philipin Acts:
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city.
The Gospel message had healed him, by the creator-GOD (YHWH), GOD of Good News, miracles, charity, joy, and service. Only a GOD like this could be the creator of all things (Revelation 4:11): only a Creator of infinite sacrifice. We are blessed at KJM to sacrifice ourselves to Jesus/GOD, to serve Him with all our being.
