Yuri, Rick, Gil, Natán, Yurí’s Christian grandma.

When Gil got out of jail, the guard called me to come and pick him up. We had been talking about going on a missionary trip together. I contacted another ex-inmate, Natán, who invited his friend, Yuri. They lived in a village near our city. Gil and I drove there and met Natán, his single mom, brother, and invalid grandfather. After coffee with them, we went to Yuri’s, whose grandma did not want him traveling with us jailbird. We convinced her that I was a missionary and that this was a mission trip. You can see her concerned-Grandma face.

I took my friends to another town. One pastor said we could not stay at his place because of who my friends were. It was understandable. But another took us in. They made us a feast, and we tied our hammocks on the porch. They locked the house doors at night, with us on the outside. My friends asked me about it. I said, “They probably do that all the time.”

I had a leadership retreat planned. They participated in the Discovery Bible studies, which we had already done many times together in jail.

We prayed together, and the guys were accepted and welcomed by the group, many of whom had been in similar situations or had relatives in those situations. That weekend led to the baptism above.

We had a lot of fun on that trip. The guys felt pretty awesome. But when we went into restaurants, the people looked at us strangely. The guys said often in scenarios like this, when an older guy with a nice vehicle has three guys like them, it is a rancher or logger on a mission.

I look forward to the day these guys, or guys like these, are on a single focused mission for the King of kings, creating disciples and communities of believers who delight in pushing back the darkness.

Today

The jail situation deteriorated significantly before covid, resulting in a much-needed reform. However, the process included no visitors for a long season and significant bureaucracy, which I never could get through with my foreigner status and all my travels. Even now, I don’t know how to help substantially, though social-transition-training farms may be effective. I pray for my friends and watch for an opportunity.

Yuri, on the right, messaged me through WhatsApp this week that Natán, on the left, committed suicide and informed me of the funeral. When I told him I was in Canada, he said, “I am just telling you because Natán really liked you. He always spoke highly of you.” It is hard to imagine a life of hopelessness without God, and when things start to slide, it is difficult to turn around. My best idea about a solution is to form as many communities of believers as possible.