Bridging
impossible I’M possible
Yet, for the youths in prison, this ideal is far beyond
reach. Most of their homes are shattered by divorce,
abuse, abandonment and neglect. Now incarcerated,
their future would appear as bleak as a winter that
never ends.
Right through their sentencing, up to the gates of their
release and even after, Born2Be (YWAM’s prison
a place to stay and a mandatory curfew to abide by,
freedom was no brighter than darkened prison walls.
The world may have forgotten them, but our Father who
sees the end from the beginning has not forsaken His
children. In 2007, God gave Eleana Ho, the founder of
Born2Be a vision of the Dream Home, where His people
would embrace His imprisoned sons and daughters as
significant, and be a father, mother, sister, brother and
with
In God’s original design, home is a place where needs are
met and dreams are nurtured. It is a safe space where hearts
find rest. Within the dynamics of loving relationships, homes
shape our godly identities.
ministry) pursues these youths in love by impressing
upon them that they are treasures and not trash; they
are born to be unique and priceless. But imagine these
prodigal children, ready to make amends and start life
anew, only to find that there is no home to return to. The
barrier to entry into their families, much less society, is
high for them. Their parents who have readjusted their
lives to cope with the prolonged separation may not be
prepared for their homecoming. Very often, all the
good that has been sown and dreams that they have
caught during their rehabilitation in prison come
unhinged when they return home. Without guidance
and the support of a loving family, the debilitating
sense of their inadequacy grows and the limits of
self-will quickly cave in to senseless comforts that
throw them behind bars once more.
In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in
homelessness and intergenerational offences amongst
these youths, where even young Christian offenders
have not been spared from this disconcerting statistic.
These ramifications have compelled us to be the bridge
of reconciliation that aims to “turn the hearts of fathers
to their children and the hearts of children to their
fathers” (Malachi 4:6). Confronted by this truth, we
remember girls like Selena*, who at ten years old, was
discarded to her grandparents by her divorcing
parents. She dropped out of school when she was
twelve and gave up her newborn baby for adoption at
fifteen, spending the next six years in a Girls’ Home and
prison. She returned to her grandparents upon her
release but this endless longing to be loved and
protected sent her spiralling to seek love in all the
wrong places. We also remember Helmi* who was
eighteen and angry when we first met him. He
encountered the Lord in prison and mellowed
considerably, but on the day of his release, he was
informed that his mother was incarcerated and her
boyfriend had taken over their home. Without a job nor
The road to redemption is
the bridge that God built.
Featuring the red bridge,
courtesy of the Dream Home.
*pseudonym
friend, to champion and nurture their hopes and dreams
so that they may live life to their fullest potential as
God intended for them. More than a shelter, our home
will welcome the return of these prodigal children
regardless of race and religion. Surrounded by a
supportive community whom they have learnt to trust,
each youth will learn to live and love as a family, in a
safe space that allows us to facilitate reconciliation
between them and their families.
Like a seed, this dream stayed dormant in the soil as
the seasons went by. For eleven years, we waited,
watched and worked, but not even the strongest of wills
and the noblest of intentions can bring about the
kingdom of God, for it is He who fulfils His vision. At the
start of 2018, God began to awaken the dream. We
went in search of a 3-room flat but God led us to a
9-room property. When our Father calls things into
existence, heaven is the limit. This brings to mind His
words to us, “From the beginning I told you what would
happen in the end. A long time ago I told you things that
have not yet happened. When I plan something, it
happens. What I want to do, I will do” (Isaiah 46:10).
As we embark on this journey to build God’s home, we
need the help of His family in every possible way. Our
dream is to see God’s tribe come together to foster His
sons and daughters, grafting them into their family, just
as how God has grafted us into His since the beginning
of time. Just as Jesus had commanded us to love our
neighbour as ourselves, we can love our neighbour’s
children as our own, in the most tangible and eternally
significant way.
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