This blog post is part of a special series commemorating forty years of ministry. We invite you to join us in reflecting on our history and looking forward to the future of bringing the hope of the Gospel to men and women behind bars. Click here to view the full series.
Read part 1: Crossroads: Christ-Centered and Student-Focused from Day One
Read part 2: Shifting from Startup Energy to Stability
Read part 3: An Era of Removing Barriers
COVID-19: Crossroads Sustains Students Through Persistent Isolation
In March 2020, as schools and businesses began closing their doors, Crossroads staff agreed that continuing to serve people in prison through this season of uncertainty would be more important than ever.
“If we had still been using our old database, we would not have been able to remain open during COVID,” said Bernice Roshak, Crossroads’ director of operations.
Through the initial months of lockdown, the once busy building was occupied by four staff members who remained in the office to process mail and facilitate a contact-free lesson exchange system, making sure the lessons were processed and ready to send to both mentors and students each week.
What began as a three-week lockdown quickly turned into three months, but thanks to the dedication and flexibility of staff, volunteers, and mentors, Crossroads safely sent more than 35,000 lessons to students across the country.
Receiving Letters from Lockdown
For over two years, prisons and jails faced lockdowns, and some people were locked in lonely cells for twenty-three hours a day. Visits stopped. Programs stopped. Still, students and mentors were able to exchange lessons and letters. In September 2020, Crossroads published Letters from Lockdown, a special edition of their print newsletter offering a glimpse into the lives of people behind bars during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Letter by letter, lesson by lesson, students said Crossroads was their only connection to the outside world, and they were moved to tears when, despite major delays because of staffing shortages at correctional facilities nationwide, they received their Crossroads mail. While in-person ministries were forced to stop programming for a time, Crossroads’ mail-correspondence model thrived. Student enrollment increased, and hope-filled letters continued to pour into prisons through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Technology Connects Volunteers Across the Country
Another outcome of the global pandemic was the rise of the virtual mentor community gathering. Beginning in March 2020, these virtual gatherings have connected mentors across the United States, providing encouragement, discussion, and fellowship. At these meetings, mentors meet Crossroads staff, share inspiring stories, ask questions, and get tips on how to write letters or respond to situations shared by their students.
The pandemic challenged our creativity and forced us to innovate. These mentor community gatherings were a bright spot in a difficult year, and we remain incredibly thankful for our faithful team of mentors.
Crossroads Mentor/Chaplain Locked in Kenyan Prison During Pandemic Shutdown
More than 200 chaplains serve in the 146 prisons across Kenya. They are key partners in helping Crossroads Kenya reach the 52,000 men and women behind bars in their country. Many of these chaplains also serve as Crossroads mentors, walking alongside their students as they complete their studies. Because of the tireless work of these chaplains, Crossroads Kenya was able to continue its ministry behind bars, even during the long months of lockdown in 2020.
Pastor Margaret Ng’ang’a is the senior chaplain at Langata Women’s Prison, a maximum-security prison in the nation’s capital, and a Crossroads mentor. In March 2020, the prison went into total lockdown, and she was unable to leave the facility until late November.
For nine months, not even staff members were allowed out of the prisons; they relied on their friends and family to drop off groceries, clothing, and other basic necessities. As the months went by, Pastor Margaret watched the women at her facility, many of whom were incarcerated with their children, struggle. Without visits from volunteers and supporting ministries, many women at the facility lacked necessities like hygiene products, groceries, and Vaseline for their babies.
“It was not easy. It has been really hard for them and for us also as we talk with them and encourage them and let them know that it will be over,” Pastor Margaret explained. “We thank God that Crossroads Prison Ministries booklets have been there. At least we have been able to give them to the women so that they could find solace in those books, talking about the Word of God and finding hope in a situation that seems hopeless. We thank God that He has been gracious enough to let us in with the women.”
Pastor Margaret and her fellow mentors and chaplains continued to trust God, relying on Him for their strength and hope throughout the uncertainty of the pandemic.
“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which has greatly hit and affected our operations in prisons in Kenya, we have reason to thank God for His grace and protection. There is good news from our studies, who have spiritually benefited immensely from the Crossroads courses,” said Jefferson Gathu, regional director of Crossroads Africa, in April 2021.
Read part 5: Mailing Restrictions and Alternative Delivery Methods