Monrovia Central Prison

On Saturday mornings people from Mercy Ships go to the Monrovia Central Prison to spend time with the prisoners, and today I went along. It was really really good.

The prison is unreal. There are over 650 men and about 30 women. People are packed and locked into tiny cells. They are fed once per day, and the "meal" is a bowl of hard, dry grains covered in some sort of broth. The crimes that led to these peoples' incarceration were surprising and petty - many had been imprisoned for not being able to pay a debt or for getting into an argument. Many were thrown in jail simply because of an unsubstantiated false accusation.

I got to spend some time with the women prisoners, and it was amazing. They have such need. They need people to listen to their stories and to care. They need people to get in contact with family members on the outside, who often don't even know their loved ones are in prison. They need to know that God is steadfast and just and will meet all their needs.

I was particularly struck my a young woman named Thelma and her mother-in-law, Mary. They were falsely accused of kidnapping and were thrown in prison along with Thelma's husband, Jeremiah. Yet they have deep peace and joy. I read them Psalm 139, which continually gives me hope in hardship, and they received the message with thanksgiving. Talk about rejoicing in our sufferings. Though they are imprisoned, they continue to praise Him.

Please pray for Thelma, Mary and Jeremiah. Pray that the Lord would continue to be their hope and their joy. Pray that God would multiply the food in their stomachs so that they would not be hungry. Pray that justice would move swiftly and give them a quick release. And if it is the Lord's will that they stay for some time to be a light in Central Monrovia Prison, then pray that God would continually strengthen and encourage them and give them peace.