One thing I have learned about being a Field Minister is that every day is not the same. Some days are awesome and you can see the light switch turn on, other days you might think you are talking to the wall. What helps me not get a super ego or become utterly frustrated is to know it is not me but God who is in control. I’m merely an instrument.
Our current situation is totally unheard of. We are in uncharted waters. I cannot do any of my normal Field Minister duties — not tier walking or anything that has to do with contact from one offender to another.
One blessing that has happened is that the wing I live on is the only wing cleared to work. So far, I have worked as a janitor in the infirmary, a helper in the commissary, and passed out water and juice to the officers. I have swept or mopped or picked up trash for what seems like miles of concrete in here.
I believe that when the officers and other staff, as well as the inmate population, see me working (cleaning toilets, too!), it allows them to see the other side of being a servant.
I’ve been told a few times, “I’ve never seen you do that stuff.” My reply, “It has never been my job, but it needs to be done now.”
I feel like a Samaritan’s Purse first-responder.
Trent L., Field Minster Class of 2015