Traipsing along the trail in his loincloth, tukew (machete) sheathed and slung at his waist with a bamboo container for his arrows, Turing walked with his blowgun over his shoulder. Moving lightly through the jungle and with eagle-sharp eyes, he searched for anything that moved in the trees. Before too long, a flying squirrel squealed as it glided from a tall tree to a lower one. Turing took aim. Sugat! He hit it square on, looking forward to some protein with his rice later.

Although shy and often a loner, Turing and our eldest, Christopher, became good friends. Hiking and exploring together, they shared many adventures, the most life-changing being when they got lost and stranded on Mt. Victoria, northeast of our project base in Brooke’s Point (see “Rescue,” page 18, April 2001). After an emotional and miraculous rescue, Turing had truly become one of our heart children.

After Christopher went back to the USA to complete college and marry (not in that order), Turing, after two failed marriages, fell in with the wrong crowd and eventually joined a rebel group. For many years, we lost track of him. His family didn’t know where he was either, but we all feared he would lose his life.

A few months ago, our daughter Stephanie’s closest Palawano girlfriend visited me at the school office. She, too, had moved away with her husband and many children. It was so good to see her and to catch up. Before long, the conversation moved to the object of her visit: her older brother, Turing. Knowing I had been asking about his whereabouts since I had heard he had surrendered to the police, she told me where he was and that he was accused of dastardly deeds that she was sure he was too shy with women to have committed.

As we were leaving for furlough, I asked our lowland staff to check the prisons and try to locate him. After a couple of months, I received a Facebook call from another of our former students. When I answered, I saw Turing behind him! Though they are in prison, it was so good to see them and to know that they were okay, though they were going through the long, drawn-out court system. After finding out what they needed (food, clothing, blankets, etc.) I asked spiritually focused questions and discovered they were praying to Jesus and seeking to follow Him. They write me frequently now, happy to have contact and know we care about their physical and spiritual well-being.

Prison ministry is challenging because of the distance required to reach the prison, the protocols to visit them and the expense of supporting their needs. But even when our people make poor choices, we seek to have redemptive relationships with them and pray that one day, they will fully surrender to Jesus’ transforming love.

• Twitter