Going BACK In: Tak’s Story

Tak Okabe, has been a dedicated CIC volunteer for 15 years. He recently shared about how he got his start in jail ministry and what it’s been like to return to serving inside. Tak was one of CIC’s first volunteers to come back inside as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. 

My ministry at Elmwood began around 2006 when a friend from my church asked if I wanted to join him in the Bible study he was conducting in one of the dorms. As a result of this experience, I committed to the ministry by applying for a permanent security clearance. When I was cleared, Dave Robinson (now retired CIC Executive Director) assigned me to help with a Bible study that was conducted by two fellow Christians, Tony and Conrad, in dorm M-8-F. So there were three of us going into M-8-F dorm on Wednesday nights. 

God works in mysterious ways. Perhaps 2 or 3 months after I started to work with Tony and Conrad, Tony suddenly passed away. He was healthy and very active, so I have no idea what caused his death. After Tony’s death, Conrad told me that he and Tony were questioning why Dave Robinson had to assign me to their Bible study when there were two of them already, but he speculated that it must have been God’s plan all along as He had a plan for Tony.

During all the years of my involvement with Bible studies at Elmwood, God has used me in the ministry all these years to share God’s Word and His love to a countless number of men who had been incarcerated in the Elmwood facility. My experience in conducting the Bible studies in Elmwood has been a growth opportunity for myself. 

I tell everyone who asks me about my involvement with the Bible studies in Elmwood, ”It is the ‘easiest’ place to teach the Bible because the men who attend the study are seeking some spiritual change in their life since they know that things that they did in their “physical life” had not given them the fulfillment they were seeking. 

After 18 months of being away from conducting Bible studies in Elmwood, it took some “mental preparation”, thinking of the men who have not been able to take part in CIC Bible studies, it was an easy decision to resume the ministry once again. Rewards for returning were immediate as men were eager to participate and share their past experiences as we gathered in group reading and discussing of God’s Word. It is encouraging to see the group coming back every week with new anticipation. 

For those who are considering serving Our Lord in the CIC Ministry and in Elmwood, there is no better time than now.  There are men and women in Elmwood seeking to know Jesus Christ and experience His loving grace, but there is no Bible study for them to attend and grow in His Spirit. If you are not sure that you will be able to lead, guide, and help, I can assure you that you can count on the Holy Spirit to give you the wisdom, strength, and words to share with whoever you are with.” 

By Tak Okabe, Volunteer Chaplain