Christmas is a wonderful winter holiday when people gather as families, visit friends and enjoy seasonal traditions. For many this day is associated with the atmosphere of home, comfort and fun. On Christmas some visit godparents, some set a table with twelve courses, and some, following our Ukrainian tradition, greet their neighbors with Christmas songs (and get sweets as a reward).  Some are glad to have an extra day off and some are just glad to have another opportunity to eat and drink…

However, for us Christmas is not just another day off work, not just a continuation of New Year's relaxation, but a triumphant holiday for all creation, because Jesus the Messiah, the Savior, the King of kings came into the world brining love and hope for all humanity! The Perfect One has come to us! Unconditional Love was revealed to all the people in the world. The Inaccessible had become accessible for everyone!

Moreover, we want to talk about Him more, thank Him more, and praise Him more, because He is the One God worthy all praise and worship. We want to bring the good news of His birth to every house and every person.

On January 16, 2011, the prison ministry team and the worship team from Salvation Church visited two prisons near Poltava with a Christmas program:  women's prison #65 and men's prison #29. Forty two women came to the program in prison #65 and 33 men came to the service in prison #29.  Here are the thoughts of some of the team members:

Bondarenko Karine

 

“This Christmas event was an opportunity for me to bring at least a small measure of light, joy and love to a place where there is so little happiness, where people are full of hurt and angry at everyone and at themselves, where souls and hearts are paralyzed by sin and bodies are imprisoned.

In prison we were told that the women are repeat offenders. Those who came to the prayer room were of different ages: some were old, and some were younger than 30.  As I looked at the younger ones I thought, “When did they have time to commit so many crimes? How did sin deceive and corrupt this young person?"

It was painful to see these ruined lives. However, at the same time I was rejoicing that the Lord loves everyone with His perfect and unconditional love.  He came into our world for the sake of each of us: weak, imperfect, outcast, sick, disabled and unable to fight sin. He left the Glory of the Heaven, came to Earth, and shed His blood as the price for our sin and to give us His forgiveness. He is able to raise up those who have fallen. He is able to destroy Satan’s stronghold.  He is able to save and give life, and life with abundance! We hope that these people who have no physical freedom will find true freedom of the soul and spirit, freedom that comes when the Infant Jesus is born in their hearts!”

Varyanitsa Tatyana

“It was hard for me to see the people "doing time" in prison. I understand that many of them deserve to be in prison, but knowing the conditions of housing and life of prisoners in Ukraine, it is impossible not to feel great pain. It seemed that all of them were glad that we came, but who were we to them? We were just another group from some church. What can we give them? We can sing Christmas songs, hand out chocolates, a small calendar and a small package of tea… And still the tears were streaming from women’s eyes! I think that these tears were not because of our (I hope, good) singing, but because of Holy Spirit’s touch on their embittered and weary hearts. We hope that each of them will come to the One who is the source of eternal life and perfect love. It was nice that we got a small card signed by the women inmates at the end of our program. Who could hope for a better gift for Christmas or the New Year! I hope that God will somehow use our service to bring many more of those outcast and depressed people into His Kingdom”.

Pavlenko Pavel

“I was astonished by something I learned in prison #29, the prison for drivers at fault in fatal car crashes. I met a man who was born into a Christian family and has believed in God since childhood.  He was sent to prison as the result of an accidental car crash. I started to ask myself, “Why does God allow this to happen to believers?” The man told me that his sentence is five years. He invited us to visit more often. Yes, these things can happen in our lives!”

Perepelitsa Sergey: Coordinator of Prison Ministry in the Poltava Region

“When we were planning these events we set service to prisoners as our goal. I thought for a long time and came to the conclusion that this kind of Christmas service is necessary first and foremost for us. We usually chose to associate with people who look pious, have an open and sincere smile, and who don't have a shady past. But when you enter a prison, immediately you start to realize that your light can shine much brighter in the darkness. You start to understand the words of Jesus Christ: “you are the light of world”. At this point you start to feel that God is using you.

Events like this have become customary for me, so I don't have any new impressions to report after greeting the prisoners yet another time. Though I can say that as we were preparing, I was worried and wanted everything to turn out well. Of course, a visit by a singing group, and even simply the arrival of new people, had a certain effect on the prisoners and, to some extent, on me. In church I haven't always been satisfied with our worship team, but being listening them in prison I thought, “They are really doing well!” So, as you start to serve others you will see how God will start to transform your own life.”

 

Karine Bondarenko: