17,000 Cookies, Countless Acts of Kindness
The WPC Kairos team returned last Sunday evening from Kairos 89, a four-day prison ministry workshop at Greensville Correctional Center. Sixty-one prisoners and 22 Kairos volunteers participated in the event.
WPC members baked 109 dozen cookies, which were taken into the prison along with another 1,300 or so dozen. For those of you who don’t have your calculators handy, that’s more than 17,000 cookies!
We are pleased to report that the cookies and prayers from the congregation were well received and appreciated. Not only did workshop participants receive cookies, but Kairos volunteers also delivered a quart-sized bag containing a dozen cookies to every prisoner in Greensville S1.
Simple Gifts Send a Powerful Message
During one of the open-mic sessions, an inmate shared that his family had forgotten him and that he receives nothing from outside the prison. He said that knowing people who didn’t even know him had given him cookies, letters, and prayers meant more to him than anyone could possibly imagine.
He said these gestures had encouraged him and would help him overcome his feelings of shame and worthlessness. He now has new hope that he can become a better person.
And he was not alone. We heard similar stories throughout the weekend. Many now know they are blessed, even though they remain in prison.
The Kairos team will return every month to help these men grow in their faith and support their efforts to live better lives, closer to God.
–Joe Avellar
