Kairos volunteers include men and women of all ages and denominations. We are different in color and cultural background. None of us are rich, (as far as I know) but otherwise we represent various economic levels.

We are Christians who feel a call to visit the prisoners and share with them the love of Christ. Most of us have done this for a few years and almost all of us do it more than once.

Here are some thoughts and reflections from some of our volunteers.


My name is Kathy Michael. I am a teacher/specialist for children with visual impairments in the school system. I came to Kairos through Kairos Discipleship Weekend Retreat #4---or what is #2? I dunno, stop pressing me on particulars. I just know it was February 2000. Or was it 2001?

Anyway, I was working with the children's ministry at my church, teaching Sunday School to second graders and Children's Church to four- and five-year-olds.  I even had the Daisy/Brownie Girls Scout troop at my church---'cause that's what I do. I work with kids. Nobody was gonna convince me that my gift was beyond working with Kidville inhabitants. Nobody. Well, maybe art, too. But that was it. Art and kids. Go away 'bout anything beyond art and kids.

At the end of Discipleship, which was a mountaintop experience, I was still convinced that I should work with kids. I wanted to stay close to these wonderful people--especially my table family. [Go LUKE! LUKE! LUKE! Luke of Earl,] I still do, except for maybe one person. One of our hosts at Discipleship #2 or #4 was Brother Loris Wimberly--who played the guitar and talked about GRACE Camp for kids of the incarcerated. That sounded rather exciting. So I signed up to do that. But as we went into training, a little lady named Allison came along and changed from a tropical storm into a hurricane and washed away those plans. You thought you knew where this was going, didn't you?

One of my church members asked me to be on a men's Kairos team that he had to step into sorta last minute. We couldn't seem to connect that summer. I was working in a spring/summer kids program at the church and he finally caught me across the parking lot. It looked real country, him calling across the parking lot like he was calling pigs but I called back, "WHAT DO YOU WANT?" That's how I got on my first men's Kairos team. There was a seasoned (polite word for "old") sister there who was in charge of agape and she was told I was an art major. So she used the heck out of me. There was only about six of on the outside team so we all had double duty. So I knew what it was like to swim through chocolate chip cookies. I got to work with some folks I met at Discipleship and I met new friends!

After that, I was hooked. Been Slave Driving Agape Lady ever since. But I never wanted to touch taste or feel another chocolate chip cookie ever again in my life. And that is how Kairos helped me lose weight. No, I mean, that is how I got started in Kairos. I started a prayer and birthday chain and I tied to keep us all in touch. Then somebody (Brother Mark Lubbock) thought it would be a good idea to put me on the AC. Later somebody else (Brother John Brown) thought it would be a good idea for me to take his place as state newsletter editor. That's how I opened the message board so people could send news there at any time rather than trying to make a paper deadline.

Next Kairos I did with my friend Juanita was for a leader who became my FCC (Favorite Cartoon Character), Brother Bill Jacobs. One meeting, Juanita (AKA, WaNEEter) had to leave a meeting early so she looked for someone who wasn't doing anything to do one of the Scripture activities. That turned out to be David Michael. I told him to go away. About six years later we had a Kairos wedding.

The rest is rock 'n' roll history. Yep. Rock 'n' roll history.


Sanford  Wood
A bit about your family - I have 5 children and 11 grandchildren. Fortunately, none of them are at home.

Church where you worship. Trinity Episcopal Church, Crowley

How long in Kairos? Not long enough (about 3 years)

Why you do it? It is a Gospel imperative.

Kairos is Christianity in action. I am very active in my church, but I feel my Christianity the most when I am at Kairos.

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Name:  Todd Rossnagel 

A bit about your family:  I went from a thorny caterpillar to a happy butterfly when marrying my wife, Jennifer.  The good Lord has blessed us with two beautiful children, Abby and Blake. Both are smarter than Dad.

Church where you worship.  I worship at First United Methodist Church in Baton Rouge.  

How long in Kairos?  My first Kairos weekend was in 2009.  

Why you do it?  When the disciples asked Jesus, when will we see you again?, Christ answered "for I was in prison and you visited me".  For the longest time, I simply thought that meant we were being called to spread the word to those in prison.  I know realize that, during a Kairos weekend, I literally see the face of Jesus, feel His holy spirit, and grow closer to Christ unlike any other time.  To have that kind of experience is rich beyond description.
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I'm Morris Talley, the Agape Coordinator for the Kairos Angola Advisory Council.  I worship at 1st Methodist in BR and got involved with this ministry 3 years ago because I wanted to actively "live" my faith and not continue to just sit in a pew.  With a sense of humor I still find surprising, God has up ended my ideas about what would happen each time & then rewarded me abundantly in ways I was too dumb to know I needed.  You deserve a faith walk that includes something to feed you & fill you with light & also rip your soul just a little.  Maybe it's Kairos or maybe not.  Why not ask someone to get you into a "Closing" that ends each prison weekend?  Come & see the Holy Spirit walking around in this world.  It's awesome!!

Estorge "E.C." Sibille    Married for 52 years with 4 daughters, 13 grandchildren and 1 great granddaughter.  I am a Catholic and worship at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Lafayette, LA.  I began with Kairos in Feb. 2000 and as of this Feb. 2011 have participated in 9 Kairos week-ends.  Jesus said "I was in prison and you visited me."  I had never visited a prison and didn't know how to go about doing that, so when invited to attend a Kairos, I knew that it was something I had to at least try once.  Once was enough to "hook" me on the ministry and I now go to a Kairos once a year.