unCUFFED's Kim Turner has formed a partnership with Barbara Rowe from Christ for the City International Ministries (https://cfci.org/) to correspond with and disciple the Latino Boys at the Baltimore County Detention Center.
This in a except from Barbara Rowe’s most recent newsletter.
It was a chilly day in January when I first entered the Baltimore County Detention Center with Kim Turner, Area Director for unCUFFED Ministries in Maryland, which ministers to incarcerated men, women and youth in Maryland. I was there for a visit to supporting churches and ministry partners, and felt privileged to be able to join Kim in her work.
We were there to visit 2 Salvadoran teens who had been arrested in association with a gang-related murder. Both are primarily Spanish speakers, and so I was there to encourage them and speak to them about God in their native language.
Both teens were in the juvenile section, isolated from the other gang members charged with the crime. We were able to spend about an hour with each one individually. Both boys were eager to talk, and listened intently as I spoke to them about God, repentance and forgiveness, and how accepting Jesus Christ as Lord, as their ultimate and only authority would change their lives forever.
At the end of our time together, Lucas* accepted Jesus Christ and made the commitment to follow Him. Pablo* was very interested, and had lots of questions about being a Christian, but needed more time to think.
After returning to El Salvador, the Covid-19 crisis hit worldwide. Our local prison ministry has been temporarily suspended due to the quarantine. But God’s purposes can never be thwarted, and He has provided opportunities to minister in new ways to those who need to hear about Him.
Kim encourages people to write to the prisoners she ministers to, so I have been able to stay connected to these two boys through correspondence. Kim acts as a liaison, scanning and sending letters back and forth via email. With Lucas, it is an effort to disciple and encourage. He is experiencing deep depression and struggles with his current situation, as he continues to assert his innocence in the case.
In his last letter to me he wrote, “I understand that God is with us, but I have sought Him more than ever, and He has hidden His face from my eyes and my heart. It may be that I am not alone, but I can tell you that I have prayed more than ever, but I just keep on sinning and feeling sad. I cannot find happiness with Him or with anything.”
I prayed before responding, asking God to give me the right words to encourage this new brother in Christ, who is experiencing such a dark time in his young life. I mentioned Job, David and even Jesus; how each felt abandoned by God, but for whom God had His higher purposes to accomplish. I requested that he read Romans 8, the entire chapter, every day for a week and to journal about it.
In all of my letters to these two teens, I include Bible verses to encourage and teach them. After all, the Word of God is the best source of truth to bring light and encouragement in all dark places!
During this time of quarantine and isolation, I have continually been thankful for the technology that God has allowed us to develop in order to continue to communicate with others. The church buildings may be closed, but the work of the church continues on! Our ministries have had to make adjustments, but God will not allow His purposes to be detained.
I am so thankful for the work of faithful people like Kim, the unCUFFED ministry staff, and also those of us here in El Salvador working with Christ For the City International as we seek to be faithful to what God has called us to do for His Kingdom. To God be the glory!
*Not their real names.
unCUFFED's Kim Turner has formed a partnership with Barbara Rowe from Christ for the City International Ministries (https://cfci.org/) to correspond with and disciple the Latino Boys at the Baltimore County Detention Center.
This in a except from Barbara Rowe’s most recent newsletter.
It was a chilly day in January when I first entered the Baltimore County Detention Center with Kim Turner, Area Director for unCUFFED Ministries in Maryland, which ministers to incarcerated men, women and youth in Maryland. I was there for a visit to supporting churches and ministry partners, and felt privileged to be able to join Kim in her work.
We were there to visit 2 Salvadoran teens who had been arrested in association with a gang-related murder. Both are primarily Spanish speakers, and so I was there to encourage them and speak to them about God in their native language.
Both teens were in the juvenile section, isolated from the other gang members charged with the crime. We were able to spend about an hour with each one individually. Both boys were eager to talk, and listened intently as I spoke to them about God, repentance and forgiveness, and how accepting Jesus Christ as Lord, as their ultimate and only authority would change their lives forever.
At the end of our time together, Lucas* accepted Jesus Christ and made the commitment to follow Him. Pablo* was very interested, and had lots of questions about being a Christian, but needed more time to think.
After returning to El Salvador, the Covid-19 crisis hit worldwide. Our local prison ministry has been temporarily suspended due to the quarantine. But God’s purposes can never be thwarted, and He has provided opportunities to minister in new ways to those who need to hear about Him.
Kim encourages people to write to the prisoners she ministers to, so I have been able to stay connected to these two boys through correspondence. Kim acts as a liaison, scanning and sending letters back and forth via email. With Lucas, it is an effort to disciple and encourage. He is experiencing deep depression and struggles with his current situation, as he continues to assert his innocence in the case.
In his last letter to me he wrote, “I understand that God is with us, but I have sought Him more than ever, and He has hidden His face from my eyes and my heart. It may be that I am not alone, but I can tell you that I have prayed more than ever, but I just keep on sinning and feeling sad. I cannot find happiness with Him or with anything.”
I prayed before responding, asking God to give me the right words to encourage this new brother in Christ, who is experiencing such a dark time in his young life. I mentioned Job, David and even Jesus; how each felt abandoned by God, but for whom God had His higher purposes to accomplish. I requested that he read Romans 8, the entire chapter, every day for a week and to journal about it.
In all of my letters to these two teens, I include Bible verses to encourage and teach them. After all, the Word of God is the best source of truth to bring light and encouragement in all dark places!
During this time of quarantine and isolation, I have continually been thankful for the technology that God has allowed us to develop in order to continue to communicate with others. The church buildings may be closed, but the work of the church continues on! Our ministries have had to make adjustments, but God will not allow His purposes to be detained.
I am so thankful for the work of faithful people like Kim, the unCUFFED ministry staff, and also those of us here in El Salvador working with Christ For the City International as we seek to be faithful to what God has called us to do for His Kingdom. To God be the glory!
*Not their real names.
This in a except from Barbara Rowe’s most recent newsletter.
It was a chilly day in January when I first entered the Baltimore County Detention Center with Kim Turner, Area Director for unCUFFED Ministries in Maryland, which ministers to incarcerated men, women and youth in Maryland. I was there for a visit to supporting churches and ministry partners, and felt privileged to be able to join Kim in her work.
We were there to visit 2 Salvadoran teens who had been arrested in association with a gang-related murder. Both are primarily Spanish speakers, and so I was there to encourage them and speak to them about God in their native language.
Both teens were in the juvenile section, isolated from the other gang members charged with the crime. We were able to spend about an hour with each one individually. Both boys were eager to talk, and listened intently as I spoke to them about God, repentance and forgiveness, and how accepting Jesus Christ as Lord, as their ultimate and only authority would change their lives forever.
At the end of our time together, Lucas* accepted Jesus Christ and made the commitment to follow Him. Pablo* was very interested, and had lots of questions about being a Christian, but needed more time to think.
After returning to El Salvador, the Covid-19 crisis hit worldwide. Our local prison ministry has been temporarily suspended due to the quarantine. But God’s purposes can never be thwarted, and He has provided opportunities to minister in new ways to those who need to hear about Him.
Kim encourages people to write to the prisoners she ministers to, so I have been able to stay connected to these two boys through correspondence. Kim acts as a liaison, scanning and sending letters back and forth via email. With Lucas, it is an effort to disciple and encourage. He is experiencing deep depression and struggles with his current situation, as he continues to assert his innocence in the case.
In his last letter to me he wrote, “I understand that God is with us, but I have sought Him more than ever, and He has hidden His face from my eyes and my heart. It may be that I am not alone, but I can tell you that I have prayed more than ever, but I just keep on sinning and feeling sad. I cannot find happiness with Him or with anything.”
I prayed before responding, asking God to give me the right words to encourage this new brother in Christ, who is experiencing such a dark time in his young life. I mentioned Job, David and even Jesus; how each felt abandoned by God, but for whom God had His higher purposes to accomplish. I requested that he read Romans 8, the entire chapter, every day for a week and to journal about it.
In all of my letters to these two teens, I include Bible verses to encourage and teach them. After all, the Word of God is the best source of truth to bring light and encouragement in all dark places!
During this time of quarantine and isolation, I have continually been thankful for the technology that God has allowed us to develop in order to continue to communicate with others. The church buildings may be closed, but the work of the church continues on! Our ministries have had to make adjustments, but God will not allow His purposes to be detained.
I am so thankful for the work of faithful people like Kim, the unCUFFED ministry staff, and also those of us here in El Salvador working with Christ For the City International as we seek to be faithful to what God has called us to do for His Kingdom. To God be the glory!
*Not their real names.