³¹ “But when the Son of Man^[a] comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. ³² …³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. ³⁶ I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ –Matthew 25: 31-34

GUIDED by this inspiring message from our Lord Jesus, the Light of Jesus Family has established and sustained Mercy Ministries — serving the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, and those in prison.

The LOJ Prison Ministry started with groups in random going to jails to minister to persons deprived of liberty.

Until an incident, though unfortunate, led to the establishment of a regular LOJ Prison Ministry.

In the early 1990s, Babes Zambrano was accused of an anomaly at a government office she worked for. As she waited for the court decision on her case, Babes found her way to the Light of Jesus Family. Here she is with LOJ founder Bro. Bo Sanchez who readily opened our home for her.

And here, she was embraced by one of the LOJ Light (Caring) Groups, comforting her, and sharing with her God’s Word. And in time, she experienced an intense spiritual awakening.

Eventually, Babes was given a 12-year sentence at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW).

And yes, her burden turned out to be a blessing.

Undaunted by the lonely if not harsh life in prison, Babes focused on sharing Jesus with the women of CIW. Long story short, soon she was leading a regular prayer meeting there inviting preachers and volunteer servants from LOJ to hold the gathering.

In 1998, Babes was released from CIW by an executive clemency.

Although set free, Babes continued the LOJ prayer meetings in CIW. And not a few experienced the spiritual renewal she experienced. One inmate also released from CIW, even came and served in LOJ.

Today, already in her retirement years, Babes serves as a spiritual adviser in our Anawim Home for Abandoned Elderly.

Is that a burden you can hardly bear? Jesus can and will turn it into a blessing.

This story was first published in the Feast Family Online News Magazine.

Published by THE FEAST MERCY MINSTRY (February 25, 2024)