The Year 13 mission team to Fiji has landed in prison - on purpose.

A Youthworks team is visiting the island nation for the fifth time, with the month-long mission becoming a fixture in the student's calendar.

This year's contingent has increased dramatically from the 34 students who attended Year 13 last year to 83 this year.

As a result, the team had to be split in two for a visit to the First Offenders Prison at Nasinu.  The students were guests of Peter Schultz, the man behind Operation Foundation. He and his wife, Jill, minister to the inmates of prisons in the capital, Suva. 

Unlike previous years when students had the opportunity to share a program with the prisoners, this year they were able to hear the stories of the inmates, from the prisoners themselves.

Photo: The team listens to one of the inmates share his testimony (courtesy Operation Foundation)

"There were incredible stories - but the one that stuck with me the most was from an older man who is married with children.  In his words he made a lot of small compromises and before he knew it, he ended up behind bars.  But even through the language barrier and his broken English, he was very clear that prison has been the greatest chapter of his life" said Trinette Armitt, the Assistant Director of Year 13.  "Not because prison is a wonderful place to be ... it's not. But because it is here that he met Jesus, personally and intimately for the first time.  He grew up in the church, like many in Fiji do, but until he had the opportunity spend time in the Word and be ministered to in prison, Jesus was never his personal saviour.  Now, he is getting ready and looking forward to getting out of prison and being able to go in full-time ministry to prisoners himself." she said.

The students are blogging their reflections on the mission at the Bula Blog at sydneyanglicans.net.

The mission trip ends on July 20th.