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Heavy_Laden wrote:
As the Primary song goes, “I hope they call me on a Mission”.. Sounds like both of us are on one. God bless you as you serve others.
Thank you, Heavy_Laden. When I think back to where I was a year ago (just about six weeks before receiving this calling), I can’t help but think God knew how close I was to becoming completely inactive. I am so often skeptical when I hear people say that we’re called to serve in certain capacities through revelation. I’ve always thought, “Yeah, right. They asked a half a dozen other people to accept this calling before they asked me and got turned down a half dozen times. So they were ‘inspired’ to call me.” Either that or, “Well, Katzpur doesn’t have a calling right now. Maybe she’d do this.” But in this case, I am genuinely convinced that God heard my prayers and actually did inspire someone to ask me to serve in this calling. I was about to bail and He caught me.
Spending my Sundays in the company of truly humble men who are entirely without pretense is such a welcome change. Nobody’s judging anybody else. Everybody’s just trying to live day-to-day, encouraging each other and developing a relationship with the Savior. Prior to this calling, I don’t think there was a Sunday that went by in the previous three years that my poor husband didn’t have to hear me how bad I hated Sundays. He doesn’t have to hear that any more. I never, ever, ever thought I’d look forward to Sundays again, but I do now.
As luck would have it.. A nice lady I help with her congregation’s Facebook page posted this.. She does Prison Ministry as well. She got an email from an inmate with a prayer.. Quote:Good Morning Everyone! This morning I feel moved to share something special with you, David’s Prayer. It was written by one of the inmates that I work with and encourage through e-mails. He is eager to share his testimony, so I’ll pass on any encouraging comments you may wish to send. He will be thrilled!
Dear Gracious and Loving Father,
We come to you right now in Prayer, we Thank You God, that even though we have made many mistakes in our lives, you are a God of forgiveness. Today we ask you to forgive us and we make a commitment to dedicate our lives to you, to do your will and follow your plan and purpose for us.
Father, we know you have forgiven us for all our wrongdoing, but we are having trouble forgiving ourselves. Help us, God to understand that we can’t change what has already happened but we can change what will happen in the future. By your Grace, Lord we will use this time of imprisonment as a time of study, prayer, and personal commitment to you. Instead of allowing this time of our lives to be the crushing blow of defeat, we will use it as a stepping stone to higher accomplishments. We also ask you to prepare us to face society and assume responsibility when we are released, as one who has learned our lesson and benefited from our mistakes. Most of all Thank You God for loving us and looking beyond our faults to see all of our needs.
In Jesus’ name, we pray Amen
Needless to say, as someone who has done wrong and needing a pick-me-up to forgive myself, this was the message I needed. I paid to have it boosted it was so meaningful to me.
Heavy_Laden wrote:
As luck would have it.. A nice lady I help with her congregation’s Facebook page posted this.. She does Prison Ministry as well. She got an email from an inmate with a prayer..Needless to say, as someone who has done wrong and needing a pick-me-up to forgive myself, this was the message I needed. I paid to have it boosted it was so meaningful to me.
What a beautiful prayer! This kind of humility is what I see every week at the metro jail. You can’t serve there without being profoundly changed by the experience.
I can’t help but think of Matt 25:36 Quote:…I was in prison and ye came unto me.
I always wondered how a person could do this or have the opportunity to do it.I’m glad the church has a program like this. If it doesn’t help the inmate it’s nice to know it’s helping you.
Please continue to report back.
Minyan Man wrote:
I can’t help but think of Matt 25:36Quote:…I was in prison and ye came unto me.
I always wondered how a person could do this or have the opportunity to do it.I’m glad the church has a program like this. If it doesn’t help the inmate it’s nice to know it’s helping you.
Please continue to report back.
For sure it’s helping me. I’d probably be completely inactive now if it weren’t for this calling. I think it’s really helping the inmates, too. All we’re trying to do is let them know that God hasn’t given up on them and that there is nothing they could possibly do to change His love for them. We try to give them hope and peace of mind. I know a lot of them will get out, only to end up coming back again, possibly many, many times. But at least while they’re there, they know that someone genuinely cares about them and isn’t judging them.
Well said. Katzpur wrote:
Minyan Man wrote:
I can’t help but think of Matt 25:36Quote:…I was in prison and ye came unto me.
I always wondered how a person could do this or have the opportunity to do it.I’m glad the church has a program like this. If it doesn’t help the inmate it’s nice to know it’s helping you.
Please continue to report back.
For sure it’s helping me. I’d probably be completely inactive now if it weren’t for this calling. I think it’s really helping the inmates, too. All we’re trying to do is let them know that God hasn’t given up on them and that there is nothing they could possibly do to change His love for them. We try to give them hope and peace of mind. I know a lot of them will get out, only to end up coming back again, possibly many, many times. But at least while they’re there, they know that someone genuinely cares about them and isn’t judging them.
I’m glad you maintain some realism but I greatly admire what you’re doing.
We had an even better day at the jail today than usual, if that’s possible. We taught and talked to so many amazing men. I can’t believe how much I’ve grown to care about them. When we were in maximum security, where we are just allowed to go cell-to-cell to teach and visit with the inmates, we spoke to Ali, a Muslim inmate from Pakistan. He was in his bunk reading the Koran when we were walking by his cell, and jumped up when he saw us like his bed was on fire. He was so excited to see us, and we had a great visit with him. He opened his Koran to the first page. It was in both Arabic and English. I read the first page out loud. It was really beautiful and I told him so. He was so appreciative of our visit and so appreciative that I’d shown an interest in his scriptures. We asked him if he’d like us to leave him with a prayer, which we did. We typically take turns offering prayers, just depending upon which one of us feels like we’d like to do so. I prayed the LDS way, i.e. to our Father in Heaven. I said that we could feel the goodness in this man’s heart and asked God that, regardless of how Ali might address Him, he would be able to feel God’s love and concern for him and that he might be blessed to be able to make good choices once he was out of jail. It was a great visit. We were in max for close to an hour and forty-five minutes today (having already taught a class of six men in a medium security Sunday School class). We still didn’t get to everybody who wanted to talk to us. They were standing at the doors of their cells, trying to get our attention so that we wouldn’t skip them. (We only go to the cells where one of the inmates actually wants to talk to us, and it’s easy to see which ones they are. We could have stayed another hour and would have still not been able to talk to the men who wanted to see us. Sure, they enjoy just visiting, but they always say, “Do you have a message to share with me? Do you have a picture of Jesus to leave with me? Can I get a Bible? Can I get a Book of Mormon?” It is SOOOOOOOOO fulfilling!
On the way out of the jail, we were turning in our badges and signing out and there was another couple nearby. The woman said something to the man that I didn’t hear, but he said, “Yes, dear.” It made me laugh and I made some little comment like, “Sounds like you know the right answer.” They both laughed and we got started talking. Their names were Rhonda and Russ. They were wearing lanyards that said, “Good News” and were also there to leave a non-denominational Christian message with the inmates. The woman volunteered some information that her husband may not have wanted us to know, but he really didn’t seem to mind. Apparently he was in jail as an inmate himself at a prior time. He had decided while he was there, to go to an LDS Sunday School class and was just blown away by the joy he said the couple teaching the class obviously were feeling. He said he wanted to feel that kind of joy himself. On the way back to his cell, he’d said to himself, “God, I’ve been doing things my way long enough. I’m ready to start doing them your way.” From that day on, his life changed. Now he’s teaching other men who are where he once was. His wife said, “If you guys ever wonder if you’re doing any good, you are. This change in Russ is the result of one LDS couple’s work.”
Seriously, before I started doing this service (it’s been 10 months now), I was starting to hate Sundays. They were so boring, and everybody was trying to out-righteous everybody else. There is absolutely no pretense at the jail. None of the men we talk to are trying to do anything but improve their lives. Jesus Christ truly does walk through the cells of the Salt Lake Metro Jail. You feel His spirit there like nowhere else!
I love your posts Katzpur. You make me wish I were in jail to hear your message. I never thought I would say that.
Minyan Man wrote:
I love your posts Katzpur. You make me wish I were in jail to hear your message.I never thought I would say that.
Awww, that’s so nice of you. But I’m seriously glad you’re NOT there to hear my message!
Katzpur wrote:
Minyan Man wrote:
I love your posts Katzpur. You make me wish I were in jail to hear your message.I never thought I would say that.
Awww, that’s so nice of you. But I’m seriously glad you’re NOT there to hear my message!
I have friends, one LDS, one not, who help run the AA meeting in our local jail. I also have acquaintances who have spent time behind bars. One of them told me recently that he hated Facebook’s spyware, because it keep suggesting his former internees as friends.
😆 Not because he hates them, but because he’s trying to be a businessman these days and he wants to keep his FB acct looking respectable. I did find that funny. (Facebook’s spyware is also suggesting AA colleagues as “friends” too)One day I intend to try and write crime fiction. In order to do so, I’m going to have to speak to more actual crims, or people who know crims. My experience of that world is pretty low level, thank God, but I could see an alternative universe in which I would be much deeper into it.
I just wanted to post this AMAZING video that we showed to our Sunday School class at the jail last Sunday: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/inspiration/latter-day-saints-channel/watch/collection/christmas/infant-holy-infant-lowly-music-video-mormon-tabernacle-choir?lang=eng#__prclt=RF9ZbZ4J ” class=”bbcode_url”> https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/inspiration/latter-day-saints-channel/watch/collection/christmas/infant-holy-infant-lowly-music-video-mormon-tabernacle-choir?lang=eng#__prclt=RF9ZbZ4J I don’t know where I’d be today without this calling. If not inactive, I’d be the most miserable person in the congregation each Sunday.
Katzpur – thank you – I work with the homeless community in my area. A number of the women and families have spouses, dads, who are serving time. I can’t go into details but this piece mirrors so many of their wishful conversations. I was thinking about you today. I’m glad life is going well for you. What an interesting & inspirational calling you have. I’m going to send the link to my friends & family. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing. I don’t talk much on here about what I do. I work with incarcerated youth. This is my third Christmas at this facility, but the kids are all different because we have them for less than a year (minor crimes). But only the names and faces are different. It’s really tough for them being away from their families and even though most of them really haven’t had the greatest of Christmas memories you can see and feel their hurt. They are not permitted any gifts. We do activities with them this time of year, mostly Christmas crafts like gingerbread houses and decorating stockings. Despite all the other hard exterior gangsta attitude we see every day, we can see the little kid in them as they participate in the activities (often for the first time in their lives). Unfortunately as employees we can’t share religion with them. But I think I can see what our Heavenly Parents see in us.
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