Peacealogy - January 26th 2026

day of January of the year or can you

believe it already? 2026.

This is our very first show for the

year. We actually now have a a calendar

of shows and I I will eventually tell

you I know that next month is going to

be the 9th of February. So, think of the

next of 9th of February for our next

show, you know, um, here at on the big

station Q95. I'm I'm I'm thankful that

you'll you're listening. Tonight, we

have a fascinating topic. Tonight, we're

asking the question, does it make sense

to do prison ministry?

Does it make sense to do prison

ministry? So as you start to listen,

I want you to get your minds calibrated

to discuss this topic. Does it make

sense to do prison ministry? So as we'll

go on, we do not have our host um

Patrice KB St. John. She's not able to

join us tonight because of prior

obligations.

So we will do our little introduction.

Um we in terms of just just introducing

the show I will play a little bit of

accordion. Our featured uh artist

tonight we are featuring um Rasmo again

tonight. Um the going through the music

of Rasmo. We are so thankful that Rasmo

um I was such a good collaborator with

us and after his passing we can

celebrate his music. As you know, we uh

feature one artist every show and we

will uh do another next next month when

we meet here again on February 9th. Uh

but we are very very thankful. Um Pastor

Douglas, I have not done this before,

but I know you're a man who is ready.

So, I'm going to ask us, if you don't

mind, to open us up with a prayer. I

actually have never done that on the

show. I've never done that on the show,

but I know at City Point, you know, the

brothers are always ready to go and I

know the Chicago pastors are always

ready to say a prayer, even if they

don't know the context very much about

what it is that they asked to pray for.

I know with three seconds, Chicago pray

pastors are ready to pray. So, you ready

to you ready to open us up with a

prayer, pastor?

>> Thank you for the heavy weight. Thank

you for the heavy weight. Yeah, we're

ready to go. We ready to We always ready

to go.

>> Go for it.

>> Dressed and warm. Dressed and warm. Uh,

Father in heaven, we thank you, give you

praise and glory right now in the

moment. Um, because it is in your time

span that we have been graced and merc

and mercy has been poured upon us. Uh, I

pray now, Father, for your hand of

knowledge, wisdom, and understanding to

be outpoured upon this broadcast.

I pray, Father, for every ear that will

hear that you, Lord God, would speak and

that we as listeners may receive what

the word of God has to say about

making sense to do prison ministry.

Thank you and we give you praise before

and not needing to see it done in order

to believe it done in Jesus name. Amen.

>> Thank you. Amen. Man, you pass the test.

I got I got to tell Pastor Davis, man,

you rocked it. You know, I knew you'd be

ready for it. That's how it goes down

the shai, man. The minister pastors are

always ready to go. Tell tell our

listeners, uh, you know, Pastor Douglas

and I and I and I warn I warned you that

people are g ask you if you're from

Dominica because Douglas is a is a is a

popular name in Dominica. But just just

for a brief introduction, just tell uh

Oh, I just see Pastor Joseph Benjamin is

here. I feel so happy to see that. So

tell tell our listeners a little bit

about you just a little bit about

yourself. You'll tell them some more

later about what you do. Just tell them

a little bit about who you are.

>> Well, yeah. Yeah. Thank you for asking.

Uh I'm appreciative that you uh when we

met yesterday, you invited me uh to come

on tonight to uh listen and to uh glean

a little bit. Um like I said, like you

said, my name is Pastor Donald Douglas.

I normally don't go by pastor, but

that's what they call me at church when

I'm at work. But uh yeah, we've been

I've been a part of City Point Community

Church now for 17 years. Uh we've been a

uh nomad type of ministry, so to speak,

moving here in there throughout the

Chicago uh land area. Uh we finally uh

set roots and and purchased a a plot of

land, so to speak, and now we have our

own building and that we're ministering

from. Um I've been uh over ministry

outreach ministries at City Point now

for over that duration of time. Um we've

been uh involved with outreach ministry

as far as uh the incarcerated, the those

who are homeless, those who are uh

naked. Uh we've clothed and had uh

pantries for food set up uh in those

particular periods of times. Uh this

year we're now in our own building as I

said and we are establishing and the

this is the first time we're

establishing a presence in our local

jail system um uh in CC DOC um through

City Point Community Church. And we're

in the process now collecting uh

volunteers, getting volunteers, getting

them trained up and reared up to get out

and get into the buildings and go out

and visit these men and women who have

been incarcerated now uh for years um

that are standing in need of um hope.

And we've been now visiting uh CCDLC in

this area now for uh approximately four

years. Uh, I've been going in myself,

but this will be the first year that

we're going in at under a church banner

of City Point Community Church. Um,

we're led by our senior pastor,

Demetrius Davis, and we're located at

4338 South Prairie Avenue, Chicago,

Illinois. Come by and visit us anytime.

>> Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so

much. And um you know I know you're

doing this for the with the City Point

Covenant Church first time and but

you'll talk about the experience that

you have had as you know even before

that um bringing that experience into

into the ministry. I see um you know

pastor uh Joseph Benjamin was on with

us. Um he's probably having a little bit

of a technical problem getting in. He

got you know he kind of disappeared. So,

as soon as he comes back on, we will be

able to to get him in. And and uh you

know, Pastor Douglas, I know you have to

leave and be elsewhere at 7 7:00 Chicago

time, which is 9, you know, 9 9:00 um

the local time. Actually, they're two

hours ahead. The people in the studio

here are two hours ahead of us in

Dominica. So when I I would have to

remember if I say the time to be saying

it and translating it uh in Chicago

time, central time and Eastern Caribbean

time u over there. This is an

international show. Uh people from

around the world listens to the big

listen to the big station. Um we go

across different time zones and I'm

pretty sure I can feel already pastor

Douglas that this is not the first time

you're going to be with us. Hopefully

you can visit Dominica uh sometime and

and see us there on the ground. And um

we have another the other guest that is

there with us that's already live

patiently Ninka. She's gonna but she's

going to turn on her her microphone and

intro and and introduce herself. Um

actually on the 5th of January she was

on another radio station Career FM with

me and um she may join in with us

because we know that when we talk about

things we want to have different points

of view. So Ninka good evening introduce

yourself.

Yeah, I'm N

from Grand.

I'm an electrician.

I do electricals. I do plumbing. I do

AC.

Yeah.

>> Well, thank you so much for introducing

yourself briefly. Later on, we'll come

on. Especially um you don't necessarily

have to follow up with Pastor Benjamin

Stuck, but he will. You have an

affiliation with him. His ministry

involves supporting people like

yourself. So what I want you the role

that you'll an important role you'll

play with us ninka as you hear pastor

Benjamin talk about his experience doing

prison ministry and whether he believe

that whether he believes that um

ministering to people in prison or

helping people in prison to build their

lives spending time to do that is worth

it or not because some people believe

it's not that people do did the crime

they did the time so they just you know

let them rot you know some people have

that point of view Um so you know

whatever you are contributing with your

own life with your own experience you

will be right there with us. Thank you

so much for joining us tonight for this

discussion as we go ahead and we will

continue to wait for uh pastor

you know Joseph Benjamin to be able to

join us. Um and we are also expecting

you know p you know the reverend deep

from the Hindustanic covenant church in

India to to join us on this topic.

Well around this time in our show and

can you believe it that we have already

consumed can you imagine we have already

consumed 14 minutes you know pastor

Douglas if my my daughter who's the

co-host was here with me tonight I can

play around because she's not there. She

would have told me I should have had a

commercial break already. That should I,

you know, I should have taken a musical

break already or something like that.

So, we got to kick it a little bit

different because Patrice is not here to

kind of keep us in order. But, I'll try

to do my best to follow Lid. Hey, Lambi.

Good evening. How are you, man? Thanks,

brother, for Lambi is in studio here,

everybody. Um, remember we're also live

on Facebook. Uh, the Q95 um FM on

Facebook. We are live also on Facebook

and the radio link, you know, for those

of you who are on there with us um that

that want to share. Pastor Douglas, if

you want to share the link, you already

have that link that you can give people

to see us on Facebook or to be able to

live listen live um right on the radio

station, big station Q95. And soon I'll

be giving out uh the numbers. In fact,

maybe Lambi can do that with me because

I for me and I the first time when Lambi

mentioned the numbers that we have to

call in, then I'll write it down and I

will be able to say for the other times

when I don't have it right here in front

of me. One of the things we do uh pastor

Pastor Douglas, you know what that is?

What's that? What do you call that in

Chicago? That thing in my hand.

What your mic your mic is off. You got

to turn it on. Tell us what you call it.

>> Is that a hop a hopsicord or a max cord

or

>> There we go. It's called an accordion.

>> Accordion. Yes.

>> It's called an accordion. You know,

there was a brother, man, that he looks

a little bit like you, right? Um um and

he was running a marathon, man. And I

was on

>> I was out there playing the accordion to

encourage people running the marathon.

And this brother was one of the last

ones running that marathon, man. and he

stopped and he said to me, "I think now

I could roll over and die. I'm seeing a

black man playing an accordion."

And I said, "Brother, you should be

careful when you say that, man." He look

like he was pretty tired. You know what

I'm saying? But uh yeah so I you know in

pysology the science and practice of low

stress and high joy

is embedded in we you know it's a part

of social science clinical mental health

counseling business science faith and so

on and and for me as as a therapist

it's very important to remind us that we

have two major things as human beings.

One thing is memory and the other is

imagination.

>> Memory is a good thing because it can

allow us to go back and think about

things that happened. Imagination is

great because it can allow us to kind of

teleport into things that have not yet

even happened. M

>> but the bad thing about memory is that

we can it can take us back to a spot

where it could be very difficult for us

to get out of and it can cause us to be

depressed over the things that have

occurred in the past. One of the bad

things about imagination it can cause us

anxiety or it can lead us into anxiety

because we can be overly worried about

the things that have not yet even

happened.

That is why in therapy we we we focus on

ex existentialism

and we talk about mindfulness to bring

people to the present because you cannot

change the past and you cannot change

the future but you can enjoy this

moment.

>> So with physology being the science and

practice of low stress and high joy, one

of the first things we need to be able

to do to have high joy is to center

ourselves to bring ourselves to the

moment. So, one of the things that I do

on every show that I'm able to do it,

sometimes I forget the accordion and I

have to I play the harmonica. Um, that I

play a tune. I composed the tune

entitled Know the Story of Our Peace.

And Pastor Douglas, we haven't said

that, but I wrote a book called Pockets

of Crime that was actually set in bit

213, which is just a little bit north of

uh of um of the area where the church

is. Actually the boundaries are Persian

Road to 43rd Street to C from Calumet to

Cottage Grove right very close to where

the church where where point is

>> you know and uh while doing the the

research there while doing the work here

doing a lot of work with the LSDs the

laws the stones and the disciples and

all the people in Chicago I really got

to learn about the importance of being

able to capture the moment because they

be so many surprises we get. Similarly

with my work in Buffalo and the like. So

I'm going to play a tune that is

entitled know the story of our peace

because we know a lot about the story of

violence on the south side of Chicago.

You know where where where your church

is. And uh we know a lot of violence in

other parts of the city. We know a lot

of about violence almost anywhere. But

very little do we know the story of our

peace. And if we really had to compare

the the presence of violence and the

presence of peace, there's a lot more

peace than violence. But sometimes the

tail is wagging the dog. Sometimes the

exception seems like

the overwhelming reality. So as I play

this accordion, know the story of our

piece. I'm going to ask you to just

listen to the tune. The tune may change

a little bit. just focus on the

accordion uh for a moment and then when

we are done we are going to go straight

into a song you know uh Lambi is going

to give us a surprise in the studio and

he's going to tune up he's going to

queue up a song for Rasmo and whatever

Rasmo he gives us we're going to take it

so this is I'm going to be playing it

here in C um the the in in the in the

cut of C I had I just noticed there's a

little there's a little imperfection in

my accordion and I have to do a little a

little appear to it. But nonetheless, I

think it's going to it's going to do us

good. I'm actually going to stand up for

this a little bit so we can hear it

project a little bit.

Heat.

Heat.

Heat. Heat.

Well, Lambi, you probably said, "Thank

you. Thank you. Thanks for your thanks.

Thanks for your cheers." Lambi, you

probably saying, "You never heard me

play this song the same way it is. every

time I want to add a little something to

it. And this is one of the great things,

you know, about playing music when you

are illiterate in music, right? Because

I'm not following music. I can play

it the same way of every time really,

but I'm like, why why do I have to play

it the same way every time? So, so

sometimes I bring in the bass a little

bit earlier, sometimes I bring in the

bass a little later, sometimes I play it

a little bit longer, but I figure out

since I don't know how to read music and

I'm not formally a musician, I'm free to

like do as I wish.

How does that sound to you, Pastor

Douglas?

>> Hey, that sounds wonderful, man. Music a

universal language.

>> It is like speaking. It is it is like

>> Acts two when Peter preached. M

>> and every recipient heard the wonderful

word of God.

>> So, have you ever been in a in an

occasion I know we're not live together

here where you see the accordion be

played live? We're not in the same room.

Have you been in occasion like this

before?

>> Well, yes. I've I've I've gone to many

occasions where instruments have been

played. Music, like I said, music is uh

the instrument of many languages.

>> Yeah. I'm not talking about where

music's been played. I'm talking about

where an accordion was played. A

specific question.

>> Oh, absolutely. This as well. And

>> okay, I got you as part of Well, thanks.

Thanks. You know, in Dominica, like

people wonder people some ask me what's

the connection in Dominic. Well, the

accordion, there's something we call

jingping, you know, and for

independence, you know, we have, you

know, there's an accordion, there's a

taboo, there's a boom boom, you know,

there's a gu, you know, and it's a tra

traditional way uh traditional music

that that's used for, but we can

improvise, use it in buo and other types

of music. So, thanks for for sharing

sharing our culture with us. Lambi, let

us have something from Rasma. When we

come back from the break, we'll remind

our listeners of who how they can call

in and what numbers they can use to call

and we will assist a little shout out to

some sponsors and then get in the depth

of some conversation. We introduce you

to some music from Rasmo right here on

the big station

95. Yeah.

I'm going to

find you.

I will make a gift for you.

I will

for you.

Rocking.

For you, for you, for you, for you, for

you.

for you

for you. For you, for you, for you. For

you. I bring the drunk.

the boo

my

Yeah. Pastor, are you are you able are

you having a lot of trouble? You were on

the you were on there for a brief

moment.

>> I said you were on in the studio for a

brief moment and then you came off. Are

you back in?

>> No. No. You were there. I mentioned you.

I mentioned Okay. Now get back in

because I saw you and I saw you w I said

welcome and then I didn't hear you.

Maybe we I don't know why you didn't

hear us but

is in there. The pastor is there with

the music break. Will you be back in so

I can introduce you

>> the way you did it last time when you

were there. It it worked because I saw

you there and then you just have to

unmute yourself. Yeah.

>> Did you see us when you were in there

the last time?

I'm going to get off the phone so you

can do it. Okay.

>> Okay. I I will look for you and then try

it again. And then

F I see Africa

Fa

Fa

Africa

for you. For you, for you, for you. For

you. I really

for

>> you for you. For you. I play this drum

for you. It's a It's a It's actually

Pastor Douglas, the gentleman who sings

that song. Uh he passed away um recently

and uh he

was, you know, Rasmo Moses is is what

his name was. And um he and I actually

first cousins a children of brother and

sister and that song the album is his

last album was called Beladau means a

beautiful gift. So basically in that

song he's saying he visit Africa and he

brought back a drum for you and that's

the gift you know he brought back a

beautiful drum for you. So that is also

our theme song you know that we use in

the bed for our studio and um thanks

Lambi for um for playing. We'll hear

maybe a couple more songs um from Rasmo.

Uh during the break, I was able to reach

uh Pastor Benjamin. And oh uh Pastor

Benjamin, another thing that I didn't

that we didn't do, I don't know if it's

possible for you. I'm going to give in

give the radio, give the the call the

numbers and maybe you can call into the

studio and join us um via Well, I know

he probably is not listening anyway, but

that's link. Can you text, please text

uh Pastor Benjamin and tell him um that

he can uh call in the studio. I'm going

to give the number because I think the

overseas number can be used and it could

be used maybe as a WhatsApp number, but

maybe he can join us or maybe Lambi we

can call him on his phone number and and

that's another way Lambi we can also

call him and um from the station and

have him join that join the show. Um

well Lambi can you please announce the

numbers uh so our listeners can can be

reminded of of how they could call in.

>> This is PL state. The numbers to contact

us are as follow. 4493095

4493096

4493097

6164257

those are all

local numbers. The overseas or

international number comes up comes up

now. 305

4329624.

Let me run those numbers one more time.

4493095

4493096

4493097

6164257

and 3054329624.

Back to you.

>> Thank you so much. Thank you so much.

Thank thank you so much Lamb B for

reminding people of the numbers that

they can call to uh speak with us live

and our etiquette is anytime somebody

calls in as much as possible we kind of

hear what they have to say because it

helps to uh to enrich what we do. Uh

before we we get get deeper into asking

um you know some questions or continuing

in this discussion and asking pastor

Douglas to give us a sense of whether he

believes it's worth it to do prison

ministry and and yes or no and how that

relates to his experience. I want to

thank SP our sponsors right and the

sponsors the sponsorship here um works

in a way that we give shout out to

people who help us out but I am still

giving gratitude to an event that we had

on the 20th of December of 2025 we

called episology could and we asked

sponsors to help us uh purchase some

items to repair the home of a young man

they call Shabbat Dennis Anthony. And we

ended up doing some repairs at a shop,

Mr. Selwin's shop in Trafalga. And then

we ended up there's a a wall close to

Mr. Selvin shop, close to Merl's M&G's

and uh nurse uh ClariS bedno Moransi. We

um uh powerwashed and painted her wall.

And we also did Miss Uni Uni Sanja in

Trafalga. We did some work on that wall.

And we also um were able to um actually

provide um some paint for another

another uh senior citizen who I am you

know for the painting of his home. So we

stretched we stretched what we got and I

just want to thank again maybe they they

think that the their gratitude is over

because it's a new year but I really

want to thank the following sponsors who

just stood out and decided that they

were going to to join us and to help us

in what we were doing. Leit parad which

is a this means a small paradise in the

village of Warton Waven. You know Algae

and Joan Ju run a wonderful business

over there. Um they're very uh uh well

frequented great food people great

atmosphere stepped up and helped us out.

Um Anthony St. John who happens to be my

only biological brother. Um Anthony

Newton Sanj resides in New Jersey.

Christa Belgium Baptist, you know, who's

a who is a a tourism uh professional but

also a real real estate uh professional.

Um Edgar George uh in in Trafalga uh uh

Papiat

um Wilderness Retreat, uh Brunch and

Munch, Sandrin,

uh Francis and the folks up there at

Munch and Brunch, just just beautiful,

tasty, delicious food. uh Pistologology

Acres um you know company that I own uh

also strictly itals that is if you go to

the village of Watven and you go up by

Tik Glow show you just pass to the left

side uh you will you will find Tabifer

and others here who will well she's the

main one that is there but uh they just

provide some great strictly ital just

means veget kind of vegetarian and no

vegetables or um and there's some great

food there. So for so anytime in Waven

for great fruit good juices uh uh

strictly it tells to support uh that

local business uh there who supported

our Kudme and back to Eden Tropical

Escape Rachel Russell who is actually

born for she's from Watton Waven and she

has a Airbnb uh where the home that used

to belong uh to Jeffrey uh right there

close to Muffet's area there in um in

Watton Waven and um she decided to step

up and to help us help us out so we can

buy the material to do this work. And

there's also there also two other

anonymous people, right? Two other

anonymous people who we can't say who

they are but who stepped up as well.

Well, we said it. We have a caller.

Caller you thank you for calling Pology

State. Um thank you so much

>> and Mr. Douglas and Lambert from

Maragot. He's a he's a tour guide. He's

a bird watcher. Lambert from Maragot.

Are you there with me, sir?

>> Yes, sir. Yes, sir. What you said about

Lambert from Maragot?

>> He's a tour guide, the bird watching and

horse trail venture.

>> Okay. What about him?

>> He work with one he work with one of the

top tour operators on the island, Mr.

Kent Tours.

These people bring people from all over

the world and get married at the

waterfall at Tari or by your area there

celebrities. So he have a knowledge of

what you're saying and I want to enforce

of what you're saying in tourism.

>> Thank you. So you're just giving a shout

out to him and thanking him for his work

and

>> oh well I I welcome this cause and the

small businesses man they run the world.

So, just thanks for giving him a shout.

And if there's anybody else who just

wants to call the show and give a free

shout out, business shout out to people

that you see that do good work that

promote peaceful nature is that pro

promote peace in our country, in our

world, and uh entrepreneurs that that

support tourism, that support good

business. Thanks, brother, for doing

that. We really appreciate you using the

space to do that. Thanks so much for

calling.

>> Yeah, because why support you? I from

Maragot and I do some work in tourism up

there. Even before a lot of people

didn't want to do it. Um I had a little

spot just after the de bridge coming

down on the on the on the left side

there.

>> Yes,

>> it was a site a waterfall. It had a pool

at the top and a cascading. So I do some

development there. But then

it was discouraging when I go up to the

authorities because I invest some of my

money there. I bring excavator dumpers

and

>> just before conquer it's called fishing

waterfall. It was a nice location in the

rainforest.

>> Okay.

>> And um at the time you know I I I didn't

realize our system was so tough to get

across you know like for I wanted it to

be on the on the tourism map. I tried to

get to discover Dominica. It was too

much of of tangalanga and I I not the

patient and I I was in farming and I

find those things it it's too much to go

through it and I I getting out of

patient you know when you have to work

for 7 months 9 months and you don't get

a return it's it's you can't keep

pouring money so I know what you're

talking about and I want to congratulate

you because I know the work screws and

those guys go up there in the in the in

the water and this is a brand of

>> Domica. Yes. Can imagine for the you can

imagine for the independent who who for

the carnival everybody in water women

decide to strike close down the doors

you know you know the impact it would

cause.

Yes, good point.

>> One or two times. I think schools do it

one or two times. The some cricket

international cricket and he closed down

and it was a very big embarrassment for

even the the the bus drivers. They

couldn't make money. So I know the

importance of what you're saying. So

that's why I support you and I'm in

small business. I do manufacturing. I

think I told you that already,

>> right?

>> I want to support you. I want to support

you. And what I believe the government

have to do is to listen to people like

you to help them to help the young

people on the block. For instance, you

see like the minister for roads who I

think you should have a good meeting

with her and give a give a road map in

into doing something for the young

people between Flight City and and ROS

especially the young guys

>> even involving tourism because you

having like five six thousand people on

island for a day cruise people.

>> Mhm. having two ships sometime free

ships and the volume of those ships

sometime is 3 4 thousand people

>> a as a as a as a youth development

officer like you Mr. decision. You

should have a road map to help the

minister sit for give a give a ideas how

to get the young people involved. Even

right on the block where the guys

sitting on the block, how they call

their stone woods right there, you can

get them to get to become small business

people, you know. Um even right on the

roadside there, you know, you come with

some little compact caravan and you

could get them because they want to do

business, you know, because the product

they're selling on the block is not even

selling. Nothing not selling nothing.

So you can help us. I believe and I

believe you the right person because I

know where you're going and I seen your

work even up in the Fly City,

>> Silver Lake. Silver Lake, not Fly City.

Silver Lake,

>> right?

>> Silver Lake. You see like how they set

up those little bars by the Bayront by

the bridge by the riverside.

>> Yes.

>> Set that up around Fly City there. It

have a piece of land

>> Silver Lake. Not Fly City. Silver Lake.

Remember that?

>> Silver Lake. Silver Lake. Sorry. So you

see right there that piece of land above

there you you you um you acquire the

government and you set up those little

shops with entertainment because the

tourists come here for entertainment.

Even on a Sunday, even on a Sunday, Roso

does the dread. You can have church

service in Roso to to because the

visitors come for that and the culture.

They come for the culture. Even the

church, the church open on a Sunday. The

visitors that come from the cruise ship,

they want to go to church. They want to

go into the gardens and have

entertainment. Mr. Aldin Bully had other

plans for the gardens, but they don't

take on those things. That's what I

find.

>> My brother, thank you so much. You have

so many great ideas. We have to we have

to we have to cut off in a minute, but I

just wanted to give you the time so you

could express yourself. You know, you

have such great ideas. I hope we

continue to be in dialogue and you

continue to work.

>> That's what I push in, you know, is

Dominica product I pushing. When I send

my products, the furthest place I send

my products is in Saudi Arabia. You

know, for the Muslim, the guys use it to

oil the beets. But I want you to

continue. I want to give you a break.

Have a good night.

>> Good night. What's your name, by the

way, brother? You tell us in your mind.

>> Ronnie. Ronnie. I tell you that already.

Ronnie.

>> Well, you may have told me, but I did

not hear. So, I ask again. You just tell

me again. You don't have to tell me. You

told me that already. All right,

brother. Thank you so much for calling,

man. I really appreciate it, Ronnie.

Sorry about that. Sorry about that.

>> No problem, Ronnie. Have a good night.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much.

you know, um, you know, uh, uh, Pastor

Douglas, you know, that's the that's the

beauty of of the of our show, a beauty

of what we do. Give people a flat

platform to tell the things that they're

thinking. I know that you have to leave

soon. So, I want to kind of get to you

and then we can talk about some other

things and take some more calls. So tell

us about your experience with youth min

with um well maybe did youth ministry

too but your just your motivation to

become a pastor but also the motivation

that you had um to the question we have

is it first of all is it worth it worth

the time to do p prison ministry yes or

no and why you say that?

>> Uh great question um emphatically yes.

Uh does it make sense to do prison

ministry? Yes. Yes. Yes. Uh the why is

enormous. Um just to condense the

answer, it's to give value back.

Value is something that um I have

learned over the past few years of uh

ministering uh in our criminal justice

system through our criminal justice

system and our department of correction

system.

The system is designed

to devalue human beings

and to place them into

a pocket or a set that they can utilize

them when necessary.

As we go into and as we enter into these

institutions and I've talked to both men

and and women in these institutions, the

number one common denominator

is lack of value.

Uh whether that has been they've been

devalued externally or whether they

devalued themselves internally.

And without

prison ministries without any

other source

feeding them, supplying them and pouring

back into them what true value is and

that they do contain still contain value

even though they have made mistakes

there they will have another lost

generation uh so to speak. It is is

vital not only uh

based on a human scale that we continue

to do uh prison ministry and the

importance of p prison ministry but even

biblically

it has been a mandate uh that we do

prison ministry. It is imperative,

I believe, that based on the words of

Christ, that we need to go visit people

that are in jail, that are imprisoned.

>> So, so, so, Pastor Douglas, thank you.

Thank you. And I'm I'm hearing from what

you have said, it is important to do

prison ministry because there is a lack

of value that people who are

incarcerated feel about themselves. And

one of the ways that you can bring hope

and life and value to them is to help

them, you didn't say it in those words,

remember who they are, kind of who's

they are. And to know that they are born

on value, their creator had value to

them. And you believe that just building

up that lack of value could have a lot

of effects. Did I understand you

correctly?

>> Absolutely. And you just preached my

sermon, brother.

>> Tell us. And and Ninka, as you're

listening, I'm going to ask you, but I

won't ask you why Pastor Douglas is

here, even if um I want him to hear what

you have to say, but because he has to

leave soon. So, Ninka, I want you to

tell us and Ninka um has is not

unapologetic about the fact that she has

spent some time in jail. She has seen

some things on the inside and part of

why she's here with us tonight is that

she's going to give a perspective to

say, well, are some of the things you're

saying kind of true. So, Ninka, I want

you to think about that one week because

after pastor Douglas, we'll have a

little more time to talk about that. But

pastor Douglas, can you give us some

examples of what brought you to

conclusion? So B, you don't have to call

any names if you don't want to,

whatever, but uh Eddie, can you give us

the circumstances of conversations you

had with people where you saw a lack of

value and how was your ministry able to

help them find value in themselves?

>> Oh, sure, sure. Um well while visiting

uh for example while visiting um the

men's division uh here in in Chicago

um interviewing individuals where

they've said to themselves

um that they're sorry but they don't

know if they've been forgiven

>> thaturd

>> yeah the burden that's a burden that

they're carrying you

>> the the lack lack of believing they are

forgiven. Um the the institution tells

them that being initutionalized for XYZ

amount of time is supposed to change

them. Mhm.

>> And unfortunately,

if there is not a third party or some

other entity stepping in to give value

to that stay while they are there, that

change or that manifestation of

rehabilitation never takes place.

There is a gap and they are struggling

to understand how to connect the dots.

And that's where

>> so are there so okay so if somebody but

there are a lot of people who are in

prison or jail who say they are there

for things they didn't do.

>> Um

>> true.

>> So how does how does forgiveness relate

to them if they think they're there for

things they didn't do

>> for that population?

>> That that's a good question. Um,

everybody's uh, everybody's innocent uh,

that we speak to on every occasion. But

what we try to do is to acknowledge that

we are all

sinners and we all fall short of the

glory of God. And that even though we do

sin and even though we do fall and even

though we do make mistakes that there is

hope.

There's always hope. And whether or not

we we we feel that we're innocent or

guilty or not, we are all guilty. And

what we have to do is come to that that

understanding and acceptance that we've

all fallen short. So, you know, pastor

pastor Douglas, to your point, one of

the things that people have told me when

I do ministry or when I visit or do

programs in the prison is that I got I

am here probably for something I didn't

do, but I did so many things that I

didn't get cut for. Maybe I'm here

paying for the things that I didn't get

cut for because I really did them, you

know? I mean, I mean, have you heard

have you heard that yourself?

>> Absolutely. Absolutely. And and I think

that that is uh that statement when a

when a person comes to make that

realization, I think that they're coming

to grips with uh this internal piece of

uh value.

>> Um because now we're looking at at

looking at guilt a different from a

different perspective. this is an

internal thing that I'm I'm

internalizing within myself that maybe

I didn't get caught for that, but I I'm

I did something

>> that uh landed me in this position. And

so,

>> and what I'm hearing you

>> and what I'm hearing you saying is

whether they did it or not, um, that

thought process relates to not having

value because whether it's not value

because of something you got caught or

something you didn't get caught, some

other still diminishes their value even

if they believe that they were

wrongfully accused. Um, I said I was not

going to do this, but I'm going to to

come to get back on my own word because

you did so well in short time and I

think you would like to hear what Ninka

has to say because Ninka herself has

been on the inside. Ninka, what do you

think about what uh Pastor Douglas is

saying? He's saying that uh it's

important to do P prison ministry

because a lot of people in prison have a

lack of value because they feel that

kind of they have not gotten or they may

not get forgiveness for the things that

they done have they done. Does that make

sense to you or do you have another

perspective on this?

>> Yeah, man. Because sometimes your past

does come back on you because the things

you do long time always coming back.

People always judging you like you like

they they like even if you change they

wouldn't see you for who you are but

they will see you for who you were.

project and they will you know they'll

talk about the person you were before

and they will not talk about the change

you have made in your life. M so I know

so what do you it may be you your own

self or somebody else while you were uh

incarcerated

um do you do you by the way that what we

said that a lot of people some people

get incarcerated because they think that

they in jail for something they didn't

do like they were innocent this time is

is that true or everybody that's in

prison basically guilty for what they

did. Oh, sometime you have innocent

people on remand for how many years you

know

>> you're not guilty unless you proven um

you're not guilty unless proven you know

>> right

>> so to me everybody that on remand

they're innocent until they proven

guilty

>> okay that makes sense and do you find

that they are treated in prison like

they are innocent until proven guilty or

they are treated like convicted people

>> yeah they treat you like you like you

like like he's the worst person like

they judging you.

They're judging you up there. They're

judging you like they don't know if if

you really do the crime or not, but see

that you're there for the charge,

they'll treat you like you do like you

really do it for sure. M so let's so na

let's let's build on what pastor what

pastor Douglas said that people in

prison unless in jail whether you did it

whether you on remand because on remand

means that your case has not called or

you are convicted if he's saying that

your value has diminished your value

goes down once you are incarcerated once

you behind those doors and even though

you did it even if you did it or didn't

do it do you think that has an impact on

the people who know who are in who are

on remand or only on the impact of the

people who actually are convicted in

terms of not feeling value for

themselves. What do you think?

>> I don't really understand my question,

you know.

>> Okay. What I'm asking is if you think if

well first of all you said you agree

that sometimes people feel one day in

prison as if they don't have value. It

makes themselves have less value. So I'm

asking if it's only the people who are

convicted that may feel they have less

value or does that also relate to the

people on remand as well that feel that

don't they don't have value?

Oh well you getting treated that making

you feel like that you know

>> go ahead

>> because most times the people that the

convicted people getting most mom

getting more privileges and you know

they getting more free up than rem

people

they getting more opportunity they

getting to go classes they getting to do

things they get to cook they getting to

go in the yard pull up in the yard for

the day and you know

>> women don't have all them thing.

>> Wow. So that so that could probably even

frustrate you more because if you have

not even known what your what your

outcome is and you don't even have a

hope to build yourself. That sounds like

it could be even more frustrating. Does

that make sense?

>> Yeah, man. That will always frustrate

you. You don't know when you're going,

you know. So you're just there waiting

for a day to come for it to go. You

don't know when you go in, but when you

convicted, you have a date. You know,

you know when to expect to go.

>> So, um, Pastor Douglas, I know you have

to leave us in a in a couple minutes,

but what are your thoughts about what

Ninka has said?

>> Uh, that's powerful. Um when we when we

look at it from that perspective

uh yeah it is very very easily done when

the populations are segregated like

that. Um you have issues with people

that are waiting uh uh for a case uh to

come up versus the uh individuals that

have already had their cases heard. And

there are there there are there is this

segregation within the population

sometimes that causes this divisiveness.

Um but nevertheless

both cases whether you are convicted uh

or not or you are standing in limbo and

waiting to be remanded to a case from a

case there is still an atmosphere

in that place where hopelessness and

value is not a premium

>> and it has to be brought in and

expounded upon. I do believe through

outreach. Outreach is without outreach.

I do believe that the

populations will be uh in positions

where value once they either are

uh cycled in or cycled out, that value

will help the person that that's in

those positions more. So,

>> wow. Um, thank you so much for adding

this. I want to be respectful of your

time. I know you have to join a next

meeting in about 3 minutes.

>> Um, so um, do you want to leave any

parting words for our listeners before

you leave?

>> Um, yeah. Uh, this issue um, that's on

my heart that's always been um, and this

is our mantra in going into the prisons

to visit men and women. It comes from

Matthew's 25 verse35 says, "For I was a

hungry and you gave me something to eat

and I was thirsty and you gave me

something to drink. I was a stranger and

you invited me in." You know, and it is

important to know that

Jesus feels that it is important for us

not only to feed those who are hungry,

not only to clothe those who are naked,

not only to visit those who are sick,

but also to visit those who are in

prison.

>> Yes. Thank you so much that this is a

mandate. This is a mand mandate from the

Almighty in that way. Well,

>> pastor Douglas, thank you so much. um

and representing um City Point uh

Community Church. Uh I will hopefully

you that won't be the last time you'll

join us. Hopefully next time on another

we have a show hopefully we can have you

join us. Thank you so much for joining

us.

>> Absolutely. Absolutely. Thank you for

having me. God bless.

>> Yes. Yes. Lambi, let's give us another

song from Rasmo and uh we'll also try to

see if we can get Mr. Dr. Benjamin,

sorry, Pastor Benjamin to join us. Uh

Ninka, thank you for for hanging in

there with us still. uh just give us a

surprise song for Rasmo as we continue

uh here on Pisto State today, Monday the

26th, the last Monday in the month of

January of 2026

here on the big station, Q95 radio.

We're going to listen to another song

from our brother,

>> the big station

95.

Yes, folks, you're listening to Pisology

State here on the big station. It's the

26th of January of the year 2026. 26th

of 26.

Lucky numbers for those of you who

believe in them. And um we are thankful

that we are discussing the question of

whether or not

it is worth it to spend time in prison

ministry. Let's take a break and listen

to Rasmo Small.

Foreign

speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech.

Let me

>> I don't know this is it. Do we lose the

music? We Well, it seems that we have um

we have a little a little glitch here um

with the music in the studio, but we are

we're ready to we're ready to go. So,

Ninka, what are some of the things that

stood out for you when you hear what the

pastor had to say? What are what do you

think about um how you make sense of

what he had to say? What pastor Douglas

said

>> like on what like

>> anything about anything he said? What

what are some of the things that stood

out stand out in your mind about what

you think or the probably the most

valuable thing you think he said to you

or what stands out in your mind from

what he said?

Well, I didn't really pick up person. My

internet was kind of dropping.

>> Okay. So, internet was kind of going in.

Well, let's just take a point by point.

Um, we said that he he said that um, you

know, the value that people have about

themselves become worse in prison. You

already answered that. You already told

us that the value that you have relates

to whether you are in remand or whether

you are whether you are convicted and

you said also that people who are

convicted seem to get more more

opportunities to build themselves than

people um who are who are on remand.

Right? He said something

like like you want to be convicted

because of the way the convicted are

getting treated are being treated.

You want to be on to be convicted too

because it's like you don't know when

your date coming as a rem person but as

a convicted person they know they dead.

So it's like it pushing you to go to go

to to um guilty and and be a convicted

person. You kind of want to get that

over with and just because is that

because you might believe that the

person might believe that may not win

their case. Why would they just why

instead of thinking that best I just get

that over with and because convict

become convicted so I can go serve my

time. Why would the mindset not be well

why don't I get my case so I could beat

the case. Why do you think that might be

the mindset?

>> Because sometimes the they taking so

long to call the cases.

It's like you you can stay the amount of

years they might give you for the case

>> as you guilty. You might stay all that

years on man waiting for the case to

call in.

Do you know people that that happened

to?

>> Well, there are people that happen to

people that take how much years jail,

how much years for murder or kind of

thing. And when when you watch they they

didn't have a case, they had to kill the

case. They had to let them go

and they still

>> How did these people behave after after

that?

>> Well, I never really um them. I never

really watched them to say like, you

know,

>> monitor them to see how they behaving. I

never

>> Well, what have you spoken to any of

them that told you anything that you

know that you that

that makes like he taking it lighter?

It's like he just checking like you know

he just innocent and you know one day

God will make him be free.

AJ

>> so we asking this question linker about

whether p prison ministry is important

and I know that your tell us a little

bit about with um your I don't know if

you met um pastor Benjamin when you were

inside when you're in stock farm or if

you met him afterwards tell tell us

about you know whether you believe that

the work as a person who has received

the work um you know the relationship

with the church Is that what do you

understand the work that his church is

trying to do and is it important work?

>> Well, I understand the work that the

church is trying to do is the work the

government not doing or maybe some

people like the let's say the government

cannot help everybody I know you check

>> but there are some people the government

not seeing and they're not helping them.

So the church now taking over. They

doing what the government not doing.

>> Like what specifically? Like

>> like helping helping poor people,

helping homeless people?

>> And like what kind of help? For example,

if you don't mind telling us what kind

of help has the church given to you?

>> Let's say if you haven't got a home,

they will try their best to put you

somewhere to sleep, to stay. They will

pay somewhere for you to rest until they

try and get a job for you until you can

be able to pay your rent and them

things.

>> Mhm.

>> Yeah. They helping people. They're

helping homeless people and people that

cannot help themselves. You check.

>> Mhm.

And the pastor was saying that that is

part of the work that we need to do the

church you know pastors but the church

or good people should do as people

created uh uh created by God. Do you

believe that

>> the pastor said that this is the Bible

says that this is what we should be

doing or we should just be doing that

because we are good human beings. Do you

believe that that's the case or we

should be doing this for some other

reason?

>> Helping people doing it because

that is what we love to do. We enjoy

doing it. That is why we should be doing

it.

>> Yeah. So if you were to give um some

advice to government people who may be

listening now or listening later on to

the show about you said that the

churches are doing are stepping in to do

what government is not doing. Um the

somebody from the government could be

listening and say well the church the

church is not stepping in to do what the

government is not doing. the the church

is stepping in to do what it should be

doing because government should not be

the only one to help people

um in in who are in jail. Would you

agree if somebody if the if a government

minister said that would you agree with

that? You think the church has a

responsibility and it's not doing what

government is not doing it is doing what

the church should be doing because the

church church should be doing that.

Would you agree with that or not?

Are you there? I don't know if we I know

if we lost her if a call got dropped.

Oh,

you know

who can do that?

>> Okay.

>> So, you think the church can compare to

what scary can do.

>> Huh? Or the government can do.

>> Okay.

>> Can compare to that. The church can do

what they can do. They trying. They

trying their best.

They trying their best but they

struggling just like us.

>> Just like they need help and they

helping people

>> that I try and show you they need help

too and they helping people.

>> Mhm. But you're thinking that the

government has more resources or have

more access to res resources so they

should be doing even more. Is that the

point?

>> Yes. as I think I think I think the

government should should be helping that

a lot of poor people outside there you

know the government not seeing it like

everybody saying you go to this prime

minister go to the prime minister but it

not easy to see the prime minister first

of all is the same set of people seeing

the prime minister over and over again

if he's a new face it hard for you to

see the prime minister it's not easy to

go and see the prime minister I don't

say the prime minister don't want to

help you know

>> but he doesn't see he He doesn't see

everything. He doesn't hear everything.

>> You check. Let's say like let's say I go

and I bring an invoice financial center.

Somebody that don't like me can just

take it and throw it in the garbage bin

and I think it the prime minister and he

don't do nothing about it. By the time

the prime minister don't do nothing

about that, he never get no letter. He

don't get no invoice, nothing.

And they blaming the prime minister

saying the prime minister greedy and the

prime minister this and that. By the

time he's not the prime minister now,

it's somebody inside there that throw my

letter that from my invoice and I think

he is the prime minister

and poor the prime minister they're

getting blamed

for them people nonsense.

>> There's a calypso called gatekeeper that

that that explains that. Have you heard

that calypso that song for this this

year? Have you heard that song?

>> No. Okay, I I'll send it to you because

I thought I thought it's actually the

song that you hear like you're saying

that but it seems that the reality

exists to you outside of the song. But

I'll send you that song. Um

>> and we we want to we want to invite we

want to remind callers that you're here

listening to Pistol State right here on

the on the big station uh Q95 radio here

in Dominica uh and otherwise on

overseas.

We want to remind you that if you want

to call in, it's 4493095

4493096.4493097.

You could use the cell line of 616

41 sorry 6164257

or over overseas line is 305432

9624.

And anytime you call with good reason,

we will take uh we will take a call from

you. Um I um I asked and if anybody

knows uh Pastor Benjamin somewhere here

I could text him or so ask him to call

us to the station. A as a matter of

fact, Lambi, um let's let's let's let's

ceue up another Rasmo song and I'm going

to text you a number Lambi for um Pastor

Benjamin so that you can call him from

the studio to see if you can bring him

in live because I know that we would

like to hear from him. I know he's had a

great diff a good amount of difficulty

um um reaching us here um not without

his trying. is a man of great patience,

but anything can kind of wear you out um

when you feel this elements of trial and

error. So, let's get another song,

another surprise song from Rasmo. Uh

we're going to take a little break and

then we will try to see if we can get

Pastor Joseph Benjamin to uh to join us

here on our station pistol state on the

first of the the first month 26th day of

the year 2026. Let's let's get another

song from Rasmo. Thanks in advance.

Teams

teams

>> teams

power ball power

wall

power

Power

shall

power

the

My power

PT

follow

my wall. Power

wall. Power

to go.

power. Power ball.

Power.

When I say then you

>> When I say then you say

We

team up team.

Let me tropical.

>> Yes. Yes. Yes. Well, I believe um we I

think we have uh made some make contact

with Pastor Joseph Benjamin. I think

he's on the line. Ramby, is that right?

And Pastor Benjamin, if that's you,

thank you so much for taking our call

from the studio. Good night. Uh good.

Thank you. Sorry we had this technical

difficulties on uh on the internet, but

thank you for joining us by telephone.

>> Yes, good evening. Good evening, my

brother. And um good evening to

to be here tonight. I am so sorry I was

unable to get on earlier. Tried my best

to get there unfortunately,

but I'm glad that I'm here tonight.

>> Well, you know, with God's will, we'll

find a way. We'll find a way. So, so,

so, so, Pastor Benjamin, what we are

discussing tonight is the question of is

it worth it to do prison ministry? Is it

worth it to do prison ministry? Yes or

no? And why?

>> What's your answer to that?

people who in life go through certain

challenges

and sometimes we are

not sympathetic in understanding the

kind of challenges that people go

through. Most people make decisions in

life or they find the wrong side of the

fence because of certain background

experiences that each had in life. And

um when when these individuals get on

the wrong side of the law and end up in

prison,

they would need to know that somebody

cares for them.

That is the fact that they have um have

gone through certain challenges and

certain

that it's not the end of life. And so we

have to somehow see how we can bring

hope to them. As a matter of fact, um my

my my approach to visiting people in the

prison is is is the understanding that

even Jesus himself said that when he

came, he came to set the prisoners free.

Not only that, but he said if we if we

um

if we touch the lives of those persons

in the prison, we are doing them a

service. we are visiting him like

so pretty much Jesus is in the we have

to find him and see how we can really um

you know have interaction and fellowship

with him through the process that he

that he um manifest himself in in the

>> well thanks thanks thanks pastor

Benjamin for uh for for that explanation

and I I we just jumped right into it and

we assumed like we act like you were

there that you introduced yourself.

Everybody knows who you are. Lambi,

shake your head up or down. Yes or no?

Do you know who Pastor Benjamin is?

Lambi, do you know that Lambi? So if

Lambi doesn't know, maybe our listeners

do not know as well. Can you please

introduce yourself to the world?

Introduce yourself to our listeners,

please. Pastor Benjamin.

>> Okay. So my name is Joseph Benjamin. I

am originally from the beautiful island

of Dominica of course from um Port Mouth

um to be exact village

I migrated from Dominica um in the late

70s

I um spent some time in Antigga

Monat that's my

pastoral ministry in Monserat and um

that's in 198 198

there about I migrated I came back to

Dominica um in 1994

and um the Lord making a long story

short

directions to start a ministry and um we

have since established reconciliation

and deliverance ministry um for the past

27 years

and um I am the I am currently a senior

pastor at that local fellowship adjacent

to national bank of Dominica that's

important of course and um we have been

established for the past 27 years our

our goal our mission to really um touch

the heart of the next our community to

ensure that the gospel of the kingdom of

God is at hand in every nation of the

in a nutshell.

>> So, um part of why um

you are on the show tonight obviously is

because I invited you. Part of why I

invited you is that someone introduced

me to you because unless we we just

introduced you to some people who do not

you don't know you. I'm sure there

probably a lot of listeners who know you

but some who do not. And um and I the

person who introduced me to you is

actually online here with us. Ninka

Ninka Lewis um and she had some

contributions to give to the question of

what

uh what is it is it important to have

prison ministry. Uh so she gave her

insights on on some of those things. Um

and we actually had a pastor uh Donald

Douglas from Chicago who had to leave at

the top of the hour. So, he left um you

know at 9:00 your time, 7:00 Chicago

time. Um and I don't necessarily want to

repeat his answer to you. I may ask you

later on um what is you know what what's

your take on what he said, but I wanted

you I wanted to ask you again

to tell well just tell me a little bit

about the history of how much or the

experience of what type of prison

ministry you've done. Have you actually

been in the in the jail? Have you inside

or you mostly work with people who who

are outside after they incar after they

were incarcerated? Let's start there.

>> Okay. So um that was before um Hurricane

Maria. I think at the time was the was

the um of the of the prison um the state

prison here in Dominica. Um

there was a there was a gentleman

that we met. I would not his name. I

would not call his name. There was a

gentleman and um who have been pretty

much at the street and we were doing

evangelist

um reach out outreach in our evangelist

ministry of the street and one of the

small local this young man and this

young man had been um in and out of

jail. He had been thrown out of the

prison for for some time. And so um the

young lady realized that he was a person

full of potential and that um she would

like so much for for me to you know make

contact with that young man

>> and

maybe 14 years prison. So um my wife and

I we have decided to go visit him you

know make connection with him and um we

have

um

with him I think he probably had roughly

about someone

from the time that we were and really my

wife and I we actually took some time we

went across Mr. chat and ask him if he

can give us the permission to come to

this from counseling session with the

English um especially

we really um um um selected those from

the from the north area and and the

reason for so um it's not that we're not

concerned about the the index but um we

want to ensure that the come from the

from the prison that we can have a

followup session you know to so to see

how we can connect with them and see how

they're doing, how we can accommodate

them. Um so we have been pretty much um

doing that for four years. Um we have

reached as far as um there was another

young man that we were able to um to

take to 30 points and then share you

know um our fellowship our ministry um

paid for for his time at point and um

also while he was in turning point

institution

um we were taking care of his family

here you you know, ensuring that his

family is okay until he was able to come

off the street. And we are so grateful

to God for the fact that he

we have not been um um as active

currently from St. Maria. We have had a

few setbacks. We have not been as

active, but we do go to prison time and

again, but we're looking forward by the

grace of God to um continue our weekly

session at the prison.

Okay. So, so it's Yeah, go ahead. Well,

thank thank you for explaining that and

it sounds that that was that that's kind

of the initial inway that you had uh

with with with this with that

experience. Can you tell us now I I know

I know that you know as you said there's

need to to protect confidentiality and

know people name but we have a we have a

case here with us that is a situation

well not case or situation a person a

human being you know who is here with us

but a scenario where there is someone

that you actually know uh a ninka who's

on the line um here with us and we are

speaking quite openly about her life but

quite openly um so I wanted I wanted you

to um either you or her can tell me the

story. You guys Ninka you can tell him

which one of you can give us a sense of

how did you guys get connected because

there might be other people like Ninka

that can be connected to your church.

She has spoken very highly about um the

type of work you do, who your your

organization is and sometime we hear

those things aside but to have the

person who received the service and the

person who give the service to be there

in conversation I think it'll be good

for our listeners to get a sense of how

you get connected um why you know why

are you helping her how did that

situation come out so I think you want

to be the one to tell us maybe if you do

that that would be easier so that way it

doesn't seem like he's talking your

business you can talk your own business

how did you come across a pastor

Benjamin and the services.

>> Well, the thing is I had a a house fire.

Somebody else was burning and my house

caught fire, right?

>> I lost all my things. I lost everything.

And imagine I was sleeping on a old bed

for how long? A broken bed. My wasted me

for how long? My no it

set up my house. Nice. That is when my

house burn if all my money good. Now I I

the government was renting somewhere for

me. I go jail. But while I the

government was renting for me for was

renting there for me for a whole year

and plus they never give the person a

dollar for the house. When I go jail

they put me outside.

When I go jail they put me outside the

house because the government wasn't

paying the house and government not put

me there. They say they will help me.

They give me a house when my house when

I was born

give me a house. I see house build I

don't mind my name calling on list and

everything there.

So

now my grandmother give me a little

place to stay but now it was my is my

cousin place

>> which I couldn't stay there for long.

>> So me and my brother get a little

problem. I had to leave there and I was

on the road sleeping in bus stop and

sleeping up and down house to house and

going all about looking for place to

stay and so I get in contact with the

pastor and the pastor started helping me

get a place some to stay where he buy

shopping for me he you know he get a job

for me and things started working for me

while I was on the road like a parro

still in parro Ready?

>> I still have nowhere to stay. I sleeping

on bus stop raining me. I nowhere to

sheets. I want to bathe.

>> Yeah, pastor help me and take me out on

the streets, you know.

>> So, how explain that first encounter to

me. Where did he meet you and how did he

approach you and how did you respond?

>> Well, somebody gave me somebody when he

called me. Well, actually somebody gave

me his number, my model

>> and we get in contact and

he s another pastor

is through another pastor, you know.

>> I didn't contact that.

>> So another pastor linked you up to him.

>> is is a set of them together and they

working together to help people.

So, so what

you think about the fact that there are

people who are out there looking for

people like you who were in the kind of

situation that you were in that you just

explained to us clearly that there are

people out there looking for people like

you to help you. What do you think about

that?

>> I think them people they deserve they

deserve a trophy. They deserve a reward.

They deserve something.

Is for the good work because sometime

people helping people you don't know

what they going for to help you they

might need help too and they helping you

know so pastor right down pastor helping

me and pastor write down pastor walking

alo pastor need help

>> to get his part to start back rolling

again

I don't mean like don't have more, you

know, but maybe he don't have ways to

get the parts and them things there and

his help. He need help.

>> Yeah. Your your point is that it's not

like he has everything perfectly done

and he has a bunch of excess and a lot

of extra time.

>> He's going through his own struggles as

well. While he's helping while he's

going through his own struggles. That's

what I'm understanding you're saying.

>> That I trying to see.

Pastor Pastor Benjamin, what are your

thoughts about what Ninka is sharing

with us?

>> Yes. Um

there is

>> pastor pastor I don't know if I don't

know sorry I don't know if you are I

don't know if it is my the internet or I

don't know if you are speaking on

speaker phone or not but if you are on

speaker phone and you could put not have

it and you can speak closer to the phone

that may be helpful unless it's just a

matter of the internet but if you could

do that make sure you're speaking

directly into the phone that'd be very

helpful to prevent us from going in and

out a little bit. Go ahead.

>> Okay. So, I I I have a Bluetooth.

>> Oh,

>> so I am not sure.

>> Yeah, that would be good if you get off

the Bluetooth. I mean is well I don't

know if you if you must have it and it's

in your ears remove it and speak

directly into the phone because we're

getting a second generation type of

sound that if you do not have the

Bluetooth and you're speaking it unless

it's absolutely necessary that will give

us a lot better quality in the in the in

the in the broadcast because I can hear

that second generation space uh in the

Bluetooth. Is that all right?

>> Okay. No problem.

>> Yes. Yes. That will that will

>> great.

>> Awesome. That's much better. Thank you.

>> Okay. Great. Wonderful.

>> Okay. So, so there is a there is a

there's a brother Matthew Ois um another

colleague pastor.

>> Um he he called me and he told me that

he has this friend of his

um who is Ma's mother. They actually

went to school together for some time

and um she has a daughter who have had

some challenges

and she moved down to Portmo. She's in

the Portmore area and you would like you

know to see how she can be you know she

can she don't have a place to sleep that

particular that particular um um

evening. She don't she doesn't know

where she's going to sleep because um

some she she was probably renting

somewhere with some friend by some

individual she knew who eventually took

advantage of her, you know, um actually

stole her money based on what she

mentioned to me. And um and so and so I

mean I was not even in the country. I

was pretty much in the British Virgin

Islands and I was doing a crusade. I had

a prison um accused within the in the

prison system down there and um by God's

special grace when I got the information

that this young lady was here so

challenged my heart was so moved. I

called back to Dominica to a young lady,

Beverly George, who actually works very

closely in, you know, um a part and path

of the ministry that I'm that I'm that

I'm leading. And um I tell her, look,

get in touch with this young lady and

get a place for her to stay and um you

know, take care of whatever she need.

Whatever she needs, make sure she's

properly taken care of. When I get down,

then I will, you know, take care of what

I need to take care of my

responsibility.

And so that's pretty much how we

connect. When I came when I came back,

when I was done with my meetings, my my

criminade, I came down to to um to to

Dominica and I just came right across

and get in touch with her. Apparently

the gentleman um we have had to move

from his place. So I had to get another

place for her so she can be a little bit

more permanent because the guy was only

renting on short-term basis. So um I met

with Ninka then and we had a talk and um

she was very open, she was very polite,

very respectful and so I mean she's a

young lady I see that that um I mean has

a lot of potential. She very pleasant

person and um so I mean my heart was

just moved. I mean I have daughters. I

cannot just imagine that any of my

daughters having to be sleeping on the

street, having to be sleeping on the bus

stop. I can't just I cannot pardon that,

you know. So, I mean, my heart was so

moved and um so I just get in contact

with her. I didn't know her nor her mom,

but you know, based on the pastor making

that request and understanding the need,

I I jump right in along with my wife and

I use the resource that I had to take

care of what I need to take care of to

ensure that she's comfortable. That's

pretty much how we connect.

>> Pastor, thank you so much. We really are

glad that we have this space that we can

allow the story to be told because as we

talk about building a more peaceful

Dominica, as we talk about becoming

people who are more loving and beloved

people, as we talk about f being good

Christians or Muslims or atheists or

whatever, we need to have those kinds of

stories that can grab our hearts and

grab our minds and to let us know that

they are different type of people out

there with resources if needed with lack

of resources with need with good hearts

to help and those types of things. Um um

I know that that's not what you're here

for. Um um but and I know as Ninka said,

you know, nobody's life is perfect and

um nobody has perfect need and we all

are going through our own struggles. I

remember when I was by at your church,

you know, you were there, if you don't

mind me saying this, you know, because

at your church different people take

different turns to clean the church and

it was your turn and you were there with

your little young son and you were there

doing your duty to clean. Um, you are

doing construction, you know, you have

your own family, you have your own your

own circumstances, even if you're you

run the church. So, we all need even

those with a lot of resources need

resources. So if there's somebody with a

deeper pocket and a good heart or now or

later who would like to reach out to you

to provide financial or resources to

help you in this great work, would you

please mind sharing some information

that people can use to contact you? Is

that okay?

>> No problem. Um no problem. And um Peter,

I must say to you, man, um you know,

there there are people out there that we

know that um they're really crying in

the sense that really need somebody to

touch them very deeply. And we I mean

Christianity as far as I'm concerned, it

is really being a servant is to serve

people. It's a community supposed to be

church church life supposed to be a

community based program to reach out to

the individuals

that need to know and understand how

much God loved them. And we express love

not by necessarily saying that I love

you but basically by demonstrating in a

very practical way the love of God. And

so that's why my heart is moved to do

that. I want people to see in what I do

to see Christ in what I do.

Yes. All right.

>> Is there a number you can share with us

or you rather not do that in terms of

anybody who wants to reach out to you to

provide any help or to know how they can

help? It's not always money because they

might be able to help if kind they may

know somebody who has a home because

there might be people who are overseas

overseas who have a home that they can

entrust someone like you uh to be able

to have people like Ninka to be able to

be there and and so on. Um, do you have

a number that someone can reach you or

you rather not do that?

>> Okay, sure. I I can do that. That's not

a problem at all. That's not a problem.

Um,

so the name of our ministry is

reconciliation and deliverance. I'm

holding a tabernacle. That's the name of

the ministry and we're located in

Glennia Portsmouth.

Um, our account our account is um 315

National Bank. No, no. Don't don't I

don't know if you if you can give just

your your phone number so they can talk

to you.

>> Yes, because I don't think I'm Yeah,

>> no problem. Yeah, my phone number is um

767.

>> Yes.

>> 345

>> 345

>> 245 Uhhuh.

17

88.

>> Okay. That is 7672451788.

>> That's right.

>> Yes. And and the name uh again of his

organization is the Reconciliation and

Deliverance Holiness Tabernacle, better

known sometime known as R&D Ministries.

Right.

>> That's right. That's right. That's

right.

Yes. So um so so sponsors um you can

reach him or you can reach me. Uh you

guys um my number is also uh a public uh

business number. 716603992

is a number that someone can reach me um

uh on on WhatsApp. 716603992

because it's very important that we

bring build a critical mass of of of uh

of support for people like that. and the

the come off of Dominica police force

has a community policing unit. Um I

participated recently um last year in uh

some activities in Silver Lake and I was

impressed with the work of you know

Corporal Moses, you know, Sergeant

Andrews, ESP again and the four um head

top brass of the Dominica Police Force

were also there and um there was uh uh

Luis Joseph and some others there were

three um dynamic women who were helping

in uh along with the names of the men

that I called. And one of the things

that the community policing unit is

trying to do um after you know you guys

some of you may have heard honorable

ribbon Blackmore with me on this show

and also on uh Kyrie FM of our show

peaceful nature is part of the idea is

to be able to have churches

uh businesses and so on engage as part

of uh the the community policing

initiative because what part of what the

people in Silverlake said is that they

once had opportunities to have a

pastor's come to their community and to

share the word with them. You know,

there was a song that um that lady sang

that says that even the church is absent

from some of those communities and

Esther Bellow and her daughter Edister

on the same show with me um a few times

said that please do not be afraid of us.

do not be do not look at us just like

the way that the news seem to castigate

our community and it seems that even

people whether they're not in the

community of Silverlake u they they

might be wherever they are and they want

people to know them for who they are and

from my understanding and my interaction

with the community policing unit is that

they would like opportunities to

collaborate with people like yourself to

see how uh what kind of support they can

give and how they can help to connect

the dots between the people who are

willing to help and the people who

actually need the help, right? To make

that connection. Is that is that a is

that a is that something you'd be

interested in because I know they have

interest in pots. Is are you open to

collaborating with people such as those

in the community policing unit and so

on? Uh Pastor Benjamin,

>> I don't have any problem with that. Mhm.

>> I don't have any problem with that. Um I

I understand that um the vision for

really touching the lives of these the

the um the um the inmates, it is

it is um it requires a lot of support

and it requires a lot of um um

connections. I mean we need people on

every facet of life to address different

areas of of of the lives of these

individuals because I have also

connected with persons who who who have

experience in psychology who will be

able to help give um special counseling

and stuff. So whatever whatever support

that I can get to help um individuals

that are have been challenged or have

had um um challenging situations that

I'm making, you know, um I'm looking

forward to recover. We're looking

forward by the grace of God to really

work along with whoever that is making

themselves available to assist us in

ensuring that these individuals

um experience or have a better life. Are

you are you only servicing people in the

north in the pos of Grand Via area or

are you willing or are you involved

otherw elsewhere?

Well, currently currently I mean if I in

going to the prison I'll be able to

connect with individuals

>> um through Dominica but I would prefer

to ensure that I have a hand on the on a

follow-up system until we probably might

be able to to have other individuals

outside of Portsmouth to assist us with

that particular program. I would prefer

to focus primarily

um on the persons from the north.

>> That makes sense. So you can have ready

access to them and not spread yourself

too thin.

>> Right. Right.

>> Yes. Well um so tell us a bit about the

past, the now, the future, the vision

you have. How did this vision come

about? And if you had it your way and

got all the support that you can provide

and all of the support does not

necessarily mean money, it could mean

access to land, access to resources,

access to human capital, to people. What

is the vision in terms of what you see

the need to be and what type of effort

you would like to lead if you got the

resources and the support that you see

yourself as needed?

>> Good question. Very good question.

>> Um

I I would like so much this is my vision

what what what we have un documented for

a few years now. Um we we we would like

to

um address a a an issue that we we see

have been happening consistently that

people are leaving the prison system

and um they keep on returning back to

the prison because the support outside

of the prison is not there. So, so

even if an individual

um leaves the prison or or or serve

their time, when they get outside of the

prison, they've been stereotyped.

And so to to get them um synchronized

back into the to to to the system, you

know, to to be living ordinary in their

own community will send them a it's a

big challenge because people don't

accept them, people don't trust them,

people stereotype them. So, so, so what

what we what we have in our vision is to

ensure that we can get a portion of land

where we will be able to do like

short-term crops and um um livestock,

rabbits, goats, sheep,

etc. Um we would have those individuals

to be able to work within that that that

that environment. would be also helping

them to to recover um um mentally,

emotionally. So be able to give them the

kind of counseling that they would need

to help them to to um to to recuperate

from some of the challenges or the

trauma or the mishaps, misfortune,

setback, broken spirit that they may

have had experienced, you know, while

being incarcerated. And so we'll be able

to

help them to to um to get some funds um

showcase their talents and their

giftings, you know, cuz cuz a lot of

those individuals are very skilled and

um you know, sometimes they learn so

many skills even at the within the

prison system. We can help to showcase

that so they can you know and help to

market whatever it is that they are able

to to to to make so as to allow them to

get funds in their in in their pocket.

So they'll be able to develop themselves

and um give them a certain time frame in

which that they can be recuperated back

into society. So that's pretty much in a

nutshell.

>> It sounds like a like a good uh vision.

um what type of support are you getting

or what type of of of blockage or what

type of hurdles are you getting uh in

that in that to to implement that

vision?

>> Well, currently currently as I said from

since um Mariel a lot of that a lot of

things have changed. Now I remembered I

was given a promise for a portion of

property land and that did not

materialize. So I think the first and

foremost would have to be that we get a

portion of land and we can get to

develop our agricultural system on that

particular property. So we'll be able to

help to even do like what we call

halfway housing on that same property as

well to to help individuals to one have

a home and two have a work environment

to help them to to recover. So we really

need those sort of resources.

>> Yes. Well, hopefully um in your prayers,

the Lord can deliver the opportunity for

you to have the land uh access to be

able to do this work and the other

resources to make this vision um

continue to grow. Uh and you know, you

just continue to do the good to do the

great work and continue to align

yourself with people um who who are

helpful. Now, I said that I didn't want

to preempt you and say too much about

what Pastor Douglas said

um when he was with us, Pastor Douglas

from the City Point Community Church in

Brunswale on the south side of Chicago.

He was there with us for an hour. What

he basically said, and I asked him, "Is

it is it val is there value in doing

ministry, prison ministry?" And he said,

"Yes." And he said, I said, "Why?" And

he said that basically when people from

his experience of working in the prisons

in Chicago and the jail in the prison

and jail in Chicago that when inmates or

people who are incarcerated are spending

that time they lose somewhat of a sense

of value

uh in themselves. they lack value

because of their circumstances, because

of the past, and whether they're in

prison because they got caught for what

they really did, or whether they're in

prison for something that they were

accused of and did not do. And Ninka

added that some of them are in prison

because they're on remand waiting for

their sentence and some of them are in

prison because they are actually uh they

have been um adjudicated, they have been

sentenced, and they are serving their

sentence. He said that this lack of

value is a common denominator among the

inmates. And part of the the charge of

Christians and all good people are to

visit the list of these and to serve uh

the biblical scriptures um mandate or

recommend that we do that. But he said

that one of the things that prison

ministry can do is to help bring value

to these people. And he said that a very

important avenue to getting value is to

be able to receive or to feel

forgiveness.

>> How does that resonate to you? Does that

make sense to you or not?

>> That makes a lot of sense.

That makes a lot of and I think I I

mentioned earlier that we we we want to

ensure that we have counseling session

for those individuals

which is very very helpful in taking

them back into into looking back into

themselves and really

not just not just um um receiving

forgiveness but also forgiving

themselves. M

>> he allowed them to see who they are in

the sight of God irrespective

to their own challenges and misfortunes

because it doesn't matter it doesn't

matter what you may have committed what

you have done in life until you have

come to that place of forgiving yourself

then going forward for you is going to

be a a challenge because you're going to

keep looking back and keep condemning

yourself which will make it very

difficult

for you to move on.

So getting you to even forgive yourself,

you know, allow you to even add

put perspective on who you are as an

individual

which I find is very very very very

necessary and important.

Yes, that is I'm I'm glad you added that

piece because sometimes when we talk

about forgiveness, we forget that

forgiveness is their self forgiveness as

well. And sometimes people cannot

forgive others because they have not

even thought about

the possibility of they needing

forgiveness from themselves.

Because if others are stigmatizing you,

you are also stigmatizing yourself

consciously or subconsciously.

And perhaps even after others have

forgiven you, you may still be

incarcerated inside because you have not

forgiven yourself, because you may not

have come to terms with who you are,

who's you are, whom you are.

And to think about the fact that you

were not created to be in the state

where you are. And the very beginning of

the new future

is the realization of that reality and

the forgiveness of yourself.

>> Most definitely.

>> And it's very seldom that someone can do

that by themselves because if they could

do that alone, most likely they would

not be where they are.

Pastor Benjamin, can you imagine? Time

flies when you're having fun. Lambi, can

you imagine we have less than 10

minutes? A few minutes. We almost have

just a few more minutes to wrap up. I

really want to thank um the sponsors for

our Kudme um Pipit Parody Anthony Sanj.

We spoke about about Strictly itels and

Christopher Christopher John Baptist and

others who helped us to be able to do

the Kudi that we did and allow us to

continue to be here even if they are not

providing any sponsorship funds to for

this show. Um that is not the point.

They're providing sponsorship points by

do um giving good services to the

community and helping us to fulfill the

mission of reducing suffering and

improving quality of life and helping us

to spread the news and the efforts of

pistol that I define as the science and

practice of low stress and high joy.

Pastor Benjamin, I am so excited to have

met you. Um I am so glad that you're

helping and I will be unapologetic to

say it because Ninka is my second

cousin. a father and I are children of

brother and sister. Um but beyond that

um I guess because we are family, she

trusts me to that she can talk to me

openly. She trusts me that she can say

things and she says it to me in a way

that I believe and I understand. She

knows that I'm a scientist. I'm a

clinician. I'm a business scientist, a

social scientist. So, she knows that

when she speaks with me, um there's

certain things, of course, I'll keep in

confidence, but she knows that I I will

appreciate being able to have her story

serve to help others and to be able to

connect with someone like you. And it is

because she almost insisted politely

that it in fact what she told me is how

how she would regret or how sad she

would be if I didn't meet you. and I was

living the following day and I decided

that I could not travel without meeting

you. So I put a lot of things aside to

drive from Trafalar to Portsmouth and to

be able to spend the hour or so that I

spend with you on the ground. Um, so I

just want you to know that when you do

this type of work, there are people that

you provide the work to that have great

appreciation for you uh to continue even

if you might be working on fumes uh

because we hardly have enough resources

to do the type of work we need to do.

But God is going to continue to help you

along the path and I hope that some

people some of our sponsors or some

people of interest will listen to you

will continue to keep their hearts open

to help in that effort. So, I'm going to

give you the opportunity to in a in a

minute or so to give any final words.

This is not going to be the last time,

sir, that we come together. You I'd ask

you to join me um next Monday, but you

have a a prior engagement, but to uh uh

to join me uh at Kyrie FM because um I

have a show there uh on on on Monday,

but you were not able to join me, but

you able to join us here uh at the big

station at Q95. So, what are your

parting words you have uh to say to our

listeners? um even if that's not the

last time they get a chance hopefully

God's grace to speak with you.

>> Yes. So let me let me first of all again

say thank you for for inviting me to the

to to your program. Also want to say to

Linka thank you for um introducing me to

to to Dr. Peter. I I am it's been also

very pleasure um a pleasure of mine to

have met with you and I thank God the

day that he have connected us. I want to

say to the listeners, I'm so grateful

that you have taken the time out to

listen to us. Um I pray and trust that

um your your passion and your endeavor

to help and to assist the people in our

own community that that are that are

having different challenges that you you

know God will grant you the grace and

move your heart to be able to touch in a

very deep way and may God bless you as

you do that. Um Jesus said or the sheep

that I have which have thought of this

for them also would I bring on. So

sometimes we think the people that are

you know on the street looking good have

everything going for them are the real

people of our community but there are

other people within our communities that

are going through a lot of challenges

and wish they could just get one

individual to just you know just give

them that second chance you know just

give them that second chance. somebody

that just believed in them and give them

the opportunity to recover from wherever

they at, you know. So, um you know,

thanks again um Peter for this

opportunity and um God bless you and um

I pray that God will continue to um give

you wisdom, direction as you keep doing

what you're doing. Blessings on you.

>> Well, thank you. Thank you very much. It

appeared that um uh Ninka, are you still

with us or are you gone? Ninka, I don't

see you on the screen. She says that

she's there, but I don't Ninka, are you

there? Um, can you say some final words?

Um,

as we leave,

>> I don't know if you can hear me.

>> Oh, I didn't No, I I can hear you now.

Go ahead. What are the f What are your

thoughts? Give us some quick thoughts of

what your thoughts from what the pastor

said and what the what do you want to

tell the listeners before you leave?

>> Oh, boy. I want to thank pastor so much

and pastor and the rest of the team and

his wife. I want to thank them so much

because they don't know how much they

help me. They know they help me know but

they don't know how much they help me.

You check me. It wasn't easy know cuz it

wasn't easy.

It wasn't easy. Trust me. I was on the

road to being a parro.

I looking for jobs. I wasn't getting

jobs. I was looking for help. I wasn't

getting help.

You understand?

>> And pastor come to my rescue. My come to

my rescue.

They help me. They save me. Take me out

on the streets.

I was suffering.

>> Remember my mother

seen

me by myself.

me doing my thing. My all my tools burn

in the fire up to now get to buy back my

tools and

you check. I can't even go to jobs.

All my tools been all my tools. All my

tools been drills. Everything.

>> Yeah. Well, Linka, um I I'm going to ask

you again and we'll talk some more about

it on the show. I go back to Ky FM and

on and the fifth

>> of course I want to thank you too cuz

Yeah,

Jack and to thank you.

>> Well, much love man. I have nothing but

love for you sis. Nothing but love for

you.

>> So hopefully you can join me next time.

But now we have to go. Um it's 8:00 and

good night Lambi.

>> It's all yours. All right. Good night.

Thanks again pastor. Thanks again Ninka

join.

>> Yes pastor. Thank you.

>> Good night. Yeah. Good night. Good

night.

>> Good night.

>> All right.

>> Yes, Lambi. Thank you. Good night. Uh,

take us out and

We need to win.

He needs to