GabiVolunteer: Januar 2018

Gerne möchte ich euch die Posts von

Father Eli Lumbo SJ - von Facebook - weiterkopieren!
Father Eli ist der Priester der NGO - PJPS und schreibt immer wieder seine Geschichten über die Begegnungen und Erfahrungen mit den Menschen im Bilibid Gefängnis!

Lies selber, was er für berührende Erfahrungen macht.
Herzlichst Gabi

PS Deine Spende ist immer willkommen (in bar, per IBAN, siehe unten!

Bilibid Stories from Father Eli Lumbo SJ:
20. Jan. 2018:
One of the most consoling experiences I have had in the prison ministry through the almost 7 years I have been in the Philippine Jesuit Prison Service has always been the celebration of the Mass. There have been so many Eucharistic celebrations which has left me overwhelmed and teary eyed. I believe one of the reasons is the participation of the inmates in the Mass. I feel their intensity. When they sing "Panginoon, kaawan mo kami," I can feel the inmates' sincerity and desire for forgiveness. Some of them shed tears. Some with eyes closed, beg the Lord not to forsake them. There are some who I have observed pray at a distance, feeling unworthy of entering the chapel. But they all participate. They join the singing and the responses with so much passion. They listen to the readings and the homilies. They laugh at jokes. They shed tears. They PRAY. Really pray. I have seen how a number of elderly inmates, despite the difficulty in walking and moreso, in bending their knees, still choose to kneel especially during consecration and even when receiving the Body of our Lord. When I observe this, I recall a text message I received many years ago that says, "the distance between heaven and earth is a man on his knees." In prison, with the inmates in prayer, I truly feel God's presence. God feels so close, very present, and very real. I feel God will not and does not withhold His mercy and love. This I felt once again a few days ago when I celebrated Mass in front of the inmate students' building dormitory. With perhaps more than 500 inmates in attendance, I could really feel the the emotions. I could sense the prayerful atmosphere. I could feel the power of prayer. And I could sense the presence of God. And as the inmates thank God in song, which they always do before the end of each Mass, I could only praise and thank God for His abiding presence. The inmates always sing "Salamat, salamat, Panginoong Diyos.
Salamat, salamat sa pag-ibig Mo..." or "Salamat po O Diyos, Ika'y laging tapat, pag-ibig na wagas handog Mo sa lahat..." because there is always something to be grateful for. May we learn from them. They may have many reasons to complain, but they choose to focus on the one and only reason to be thankful for and contented: God is with them.

Jan. 9, 2018: Bilibid Stories: Late last year I talked with an inmate in the camp. I had a letter for him from one religious sister whom he had the occasion to interact with. He was so happy. Not even happy. He was jubilant. He said this is the first time he had received any letter from any one. And it was not just any letter. It was a letter for him because the letter had his name on it. He said he felt remembered and tears fell. I asked him if he had any visitors. He turned sad and dejected and said he had no one. He said no one has ever visited him ever since he got imprisoned. I asked him where he was from. He said his parents were down south. I asked him if he yearned for them and he said yes, tears once again forming in his eyes but he added, I am okay. I asked him he he wanted to see them. He said he honestly wanted to but he said he had stopped hoping to see them years back. He has learned to move on. He said in his more than 5 years in prison he has learned not to rely on anyone and just to survive on his own. He added he has learned not to expect any visit or letter from people as it will just hurt him when no visit or letters arrive. No one has remembered him he said ever since he got incarcerated. He has accepted his fate, he said, and he has learned to accept that no one cares for him. But I told him, "Someone cares! This sister wrote to you. She cares! I care! People do care for you! God cares! " He then hugged me and said, thank you and cried. I added, "What if your parents wanted to visit you but they do not have the means? What if they long for you and did not know how to get in touch with you? He said he did not want to hope as it will just open old wounds, pains, sadness. He said, "nasanay na ako mag-isa." I said, what if we in PJPS can bring his mother or father for a visit? He said, "huwag na, father. Baka masaktan lang ako. Mahirap na ang umasa muli. Mabibigo lang ako. Masasaktan muli." I told him to pray about it. A few days ago I got to talk with the inmate again. He said he was opening his heart again. He wanted to hope again. And he thanked me for being instrumental in this. And he thanked God for remembering him. He then opened up and said he has child whom he also wanted to see, and if it was possible for his mother to bring his child. He said, he is tired of being alone. He said he wanted to re-connect. He said he wanted to remember that he has a child, that he has a family, that someone, some people care for him, and he wants to care again. My friends, the little things we do can transform or change people. The simple letter from a religious sister opened this inmates' otherwise closed heart. He is willing to hope again, to love, to be loved. Today I saw the inmate again, and he approached me and said thank you. His smile is more genuine; his eyes has more life in it. He has hope back in his life. He said he is praying more now. He has allowed God back in his life. This made my day. I smiled and I know God is smiling.

Dec 20, 2017:
Bilibid Stories: Today was one of those days where I just felt the hand of God: of answered prayers and of being blessed. One answered prayer was mine. Some years back I thought of wanting to have something like a prayer concert inside the camp. It became a reality today inside the Medium Security camp. Entitled, "Ang Unang Pasko," the concert featured mostly inmates belonging to the different education units in the camp. The concert had 2 parts: the first had performers (angels, Mary and Joseph, shepherds, and 3 wise men) singing songs which focused the first Christmas (on the birth of our Lord more than 2,000 years ago) while the second part was after the first Christmas (modern day songs and dances as well as scenes inside the prison). The concert was simple but the blessings received by those who were witness to the performances was beyond grand. It truly moved me to prayer; it moved people to prayer. I was moved to tears several times by what I saw and heard. Many shed tears at several parts. One could not help but feel the loneliness and pain of those behind bars as they celebrate Christmas away from their loved ones. One could not help but empathize with those who yearn for the love, for the presence, for the embrace of a beloved mother, father, wife, or child. One could not help but understand and appreciate Christmas celebrations inside the prison camps/cells. One could not help but recall the simplicity and miracle of the first Christmas. Another answered prayer was of an inmate. Before the concert, I gave a letter to him. It was from a religious sister who was able to interact with the inmate some months back. The inmate was so touched by the gesture. He felt remembered; he felt important; and he felt loved. He told me that he read the letter several times and each time he read it, tears just fell. He said it had been years since he received any letter from anyone. His family and friends did not send him any letter. He felt forgotten. But when he received a letter today, a letter which was really for him, addressed to him, he felt remembered, he felt special, he felt loved. He thanked me profusely for handing him the letter and for being an instrument to an answered prayer. He cried as he thanked me. He said for a long time he has learned to rely on himself, to survive through his own efforts, to live alone. Yet in his heart he yearned and prayed that he be remembered and loved. I felt his pain but I was thankful that this Christmas he felt the love of God. Many other prayers were answered like that of a lady guest to the concert who met her beloved cousin inside the prison (her cousin is an inmate). I am sure the inmate's prayer was also answered. Both of them were surprised to see each other inside the camp. Sadly one was an inmate. But still they were both happy to see each other. They both cried. They both thanked God. People who knew of the incident thanked God. As we draw closer to Christmas, I pray that we all will feel the hand of God: of prayers answered and of being blessed.

GabiVolunteer

Mittwoch, 31. Januar 2018

Bilibid Storys

Montag, 1. Januar 2018

Wishes for 2018 - Annual report 2017