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Published: August 1st 2010
The Hope Academy consists of about 25 players, ages 18-22, who all live in the same cell and have to follow the same rules and regulations. There are about 6 of us AIS staff who go into the prison every week. The AIS coach of the team is a local South African that can speak the same language of the prisoners. Most of the prisoners speak English, but some have trouble understanding us. The coach’s assistant is actually a former prisoner who was released and decided to join AIS as an intern. The other staff members are from America, Kenya, Japan, and South Africa. We have a very diverse group. Each day we take the team through an hour long life skill/bible study session, a fitness session, a technical session, and a tactical session. We are in the prison from about 9 am until 12:30 pm.
God has been working in my heart over these past couple of weeks and I just wanted to share a little about what I have experienced in the Hope Academy prison ministry. When I first arrived in South Africa, I went into the prison a couple of times before I left to join the playing tour. The playing tour also made a stop in the prison, playing the prison team on two separate occasions. However, even though I was familiar with going into the prison, I didn’t really successfully connect with any of the guys on my first visits. After learning that I would be permanently involved with the prison, I wanted to start connecting with the guys on a more personal level. These past couple of weeks I went into the prison with the mindset of opening up and trying to pursue closer relationships.
Two weeks ago, I was leading a small group discussion during the life skills session on the topic of brokenness. I was doing my best to ask the guys to open up about times that they may have felt broken or areas that we could pray about. After a long awkward silence, one of the captains of the team spoke up and in the nicest way possible said that they weren’t going to open up to a stranger, especially a stranger that didn’t know anything about what they were going through. At first I was taken back by the answer, but the more I thought about it, I realized that I would be the same way. I would not be the first to speak up and share my problems with someone I didn’t know and someone that couldn’t relate to where I was at. The answer also made me think of my overall impact and purpose here in South Africa, especially amongst the poor black community. What am I doing here as a rich, white American? How can I have an impact on these guys that come from places and situations I know nothing about? Are they just seeing me as a rich white person who is telling them to believe in Jesus and become more blessed like me? At that moment, on that day, I had nothing more to say.
Earlier this week, we were split up into small groups once again. Each group was assigned a different topic of struggles that the inmates face or may face when they leave the prison. Each topic related to a different topic, such as getting a job, crime, or having no food. My group was assigned with the topic of having no food. My group discussed the fact that often times they had to commit crimes and steal to put food on the table. We then got into talking about poverty in South Africa as a whole. I gave an example of a beggar off of the street that was taken into a church of an AIS staff and given a place to stay at the Salvation Army. However, the next week the beggar had returned to the street because there were “too many rules to follow”. I asked them about squatter camps and the elaborate setup of actual streets throughout the shacks and the amazing demonstration of community living. Obviously these people are not ignorant and lazy. I wanted to pose the question, “Is it a mindset that is keeping these people stuck in poverty and not just a lack of resources?”
An answer came from a prisoner, who has amazed me with his deep way of thinking. He said, “When you look at squatter camps, they all have shortcuts. Everyone thinks you can take a shortcut to get somewhere. When you look at suburbs, they have long streets with no shortcuts. Some people think that you can get through life with a series of shortcuts and without actually putting in the work. It’s not how life works.” He also said that people in poverty can only see one step ahead of where they are. People in squatter camps want to be policemen or trash collectors because it’s what they see. People in America want to be astronauts, even though they don’t even necessarily know what an astronaut does. I asked him if being in the Hope Academy has allowed him to see past where he is and establish goals. He told me that his goal is to go back into schools and tell the kids about avoiding crime because he will be the best person to tell them, after experiencing prison. He admitted that he went to school only because he was told, but he wants to be able to explain the importance and value of school to the youth. He also told me that having us come into the prison and tell them that we love him and most importantly that God loves him, changed his life. God had more to say on that day than I did.
On Thursday, we were again discussing the same topics but in different groups. The life skill leader for the day had given us verses to refer to about each of our topics.
I read Matthew 4:1-4
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: Man Does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
I also read Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
God did all of the talking on this day. Even though I may not know what it’s like to go hungry… Jesus does. Even though I may not be able to relate with the prisoner’s situation….Jesus does. I may not understand what I am doing in South Africa and what my purpose is….Jesus does. I pray that God continues to do all of the work and I continue to do all of the listening and following. I am beginning to learn how playing with a ball can bring two people from different worlds onto common ground. However, I long for the day in which we are all on common ground with Our Father in heaven forever, without suburbs, squatter camps, white, black, and everything else in between. Amen.
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Jana
non-member comment
Thank you Matthew. What a blessing your blogs are to me. Brings tears to my eyes. Be safe and I love you so much. Jana