Editor’s Note: Jester currently has the only trustee camp where we offer Malachi Dads. Other units have asked us to bring Malachi Dads into their trustee camps as well, but we do not have enough volunteers. Please pray that God will provide the men we need so we can expand into those camps too.
Now, let’s hear from John, our trustee camp leader.
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Malachi Dads has had a successful group at the Jester Trustee Camp for almost two years.
The men at the Trustee Camp are getting closer to the end of their sentences. Some may have only a few months remaining, while others may still have a year or two before release.
That creates a group that is always changing.
New men arrive throughout the year, while others leave as they move closer to going home. On a typical night, we may have anywhere from 11 to 19 men participating.
Because of that, we have learned that we cannot always think of Malachi Dads as a program that begins with the same group of men and ends with the same group months later.
We welcome men whenever they arrive.
We also try to recognize progress along the way, because some may not be with us long enough to complete an entire year of study.
And that is okay.
A man does not have to attend Malachi Dads for a full year for the ministry to have an impact. Sometimes a few meetings, a few conversations, or one lesson at the right time can plant something important in his heart—and make a difference in the lives of his family as well.
One thing we notice at the Trustee Camp is how attentive the men are.
For many of them, release is no longer something far in the future. They know they will soon be returning to their families and communities, and they are thinking seriously about what life will look like when they walk out those gates.
They want things to be different this time.
They want to learn how to become better fathers and husbands.
They want to become men of integrity who are grounded in God and surrounded by a supportive community.
They listen. They ask questions. They participate. They want to learn.
Some of our favorite evenings have also been our Christian movie nights.
We sit together, watch a good movie, eat some popcorn, and enjoy something together that feels surprisingly normal.
But there is something more happening too. For a couple of hours, it has the feeling of family.
Men are sitting together, laughing together, learning together, and simply enjoying fellowship. Those may seem like small things, but after years of incarceration, moments like that can mean a great deal.
It has been amazing to watch the growth and changes in these men.
The faces in our group may change throughout the year, and some men may only be with us for a short time. But every meeting gives us another opportunity to help a man prepare for what comes next.
For these men, going home is getting closer, and we want them to go home better prepared to be the fathers, husbands, and men God is calling them to be.
John
Malachi Dads — Jester Trustee Camp