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The authorities in Prison 62 have turned to Hope Now for help. Nine years ago when Hope Now built a church inside the prison it included, to the rear of the building, an education wing. The prison officers would now like to convert three of these rooms into a counseling suite where prisoners can come for help.
Over the past few months, I have worked with the prison warden and a designer to create a concept of multi-sensory décor and equipment to provide a relaxed and peaceful environment in the rehabilitation center. This will stand in marked contrast to the grey harshness of the prison barracks where prisoners are cramped together in tri-level bunks with barely enough room to stand between them. Prisoners will be free to come to this new area to read, listen to music and share their concerns with sympathetic officers who are committed to preparing prisoners for release. In December when I met Andrii Strizhov, Deputy Chief of Prisons for the Cherkassy Region, he agreed to write something himself to encourage our Partners to give to this project. This is what he wrote:
“There is a city in Ukraine called Cherkassy, and within its boundaries there is a prison, number 62, to which the Lord in His way brings many people, because of different circumstances. Those who do not put cross of burden on themselves, re-examine their lives, and come to conclusions by taking a sober view of things. The ways of the Lord are not finished, they lead a man further: first of all to a religion (for one can’t be without it), and then to knowledge, work, and so on.
For those who made the first steps, the administration met them halfway and favored the building of churches. There are now two churches meeting in Prison 6, a House of Prayer, (Freedom Church, built by Hope Now) and an Orthodox church of Saint Anastasia that, with God’s help, will be finished in 2010. As the Orthodox Church is not yet finished, the number of the visitors to service varies. However, the House of Prayer is “mature” so to say, and has regular services, where it gathers more and yet more new Christians around the saving hearth.
The House of Prayer territory includes additional buildings such as the center of physiological work (from study to prayer, from prayer to work). There are computer classes in the rehabilitation center where both administrative workers and prisoners have a chance to study. Charitable organizations “Insight” and “School of Health” are doing health-education work there.
There is now more understanding and confidence between the administrative workers and the prisoners both in religion and physiological-training.
For the last few years there have been more prisoners going the way of reformation, than for the last decade. 70% of these are Christians. That is because of the work of prison officials, pastors, visiting preachers and priests. Praise God He gives a chance for the lost to come into the light out of darkness.
May God give happiness and health to all those, who helped in building the House of Prayer, in building new Orthodox church and now the new rehabilitation center and to those who stand in prayer.” Andrii Strizhov, Deputy Chief of Prisons
With such a ringing endorsement of the power of the gospel to change lives, I would encourage everyone to pray and those who are able, to give something toward a project which can only serve to create an even greater level of trust between the authorities, the prisoners and workers such as Anatoly Perepilitsa and Sasha Tarasenko. The total amount needed is between around $5,000 depending on the quality of the equipment, which includes DVD/TV, Music center, aquarium, special lighting and power point projector.
Vic Jackopson
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