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THE MEANING OF FREEDOM
Addiction, war, and other life events keep redefining what freedom means to Jarell.
Jarell’s encounter with God stopped him dead in his tracks. His military base in a deployed setting was on high alert. He had his rifle in hand when God spoke to him.
“You’re thinking about taking someone’s life,” Jarell recalls God saying. “Why have you never thought about how I feel about them?”
The question struck Jarell hard. He realized he had made an idol out of his military uniform and service. His mindset shifted, and he credits God for helping him realize he didn’t need a uniform to serve.
FOUNDATIONS OF FREEDOM
That event while deployed with the Air Force National Guard in 2015 still resonates with Jarell as he gets ready to retire next year. He initially signed up following the 9/11 terror attacks.
“I remember [God speaking to me] like it still just happened yesterday,” he says.
Fighting for America’s security was just one step in Jarell’s lifelong quest to define freedom.
He traces that journey back to when he graduated from high school. He was looking at majoring in history and social studies. American history, specifically slavery, struck a chord in him. Jarell remembers the way God addressed the hatred in his heart toward slave owners.
“You’re going to let go,” Jarell remembers God telling him.
This freedom from hatred gave Jarell a fresh look at the present.
“[God] was reminding me that what you can do is make a difference now, and you can help to rewrite history with these brothers and sisters,” Jarell recalls.
Jarell’s hero is Harriet Tubman, who was born into slavery and helped to bring dozens of enslaved African American people to freedom through the Underground Railroad. Tubman’s ability to work with those of all races and beliefs during a time of great instability in the United States inspires Jarell.
“What a prolific leader [she was],” he says.
FREEDOM FROM ADDICTION
Jarell was angered by the nation’s history of slavery—but he was experiencing enslavement of another kind. He first tried alcohol before he was 10. It was ever-present while growing up, and adults let him drink at times. Jarell’s drinking only got worse as he went through his early teenage years, and he was addicted at 18. Despite that, he made it through military boot camp sober before relapsing at military tech school. He blacked out on his birthday, which prompted him to look inward and think about why he was doing this to himself.
“I think a lot of [the drinking] came through just really self-medicating, [and being] afraid to really be who I was,” Jarell admits.
Jarell says the Holy Spirit led him to ask some tough questions of himself. Through that process, he was forced to answer why he couldn’t function or be his usual fun, confident self without alcohol. He concluded he needed to get serious about ending his addiction.
One night, Jarell was studying with friends and poured a drink. However, this time, the sweet drink in his hand didn’t taste sweet at all. In fact, it suddenly tasted sour in his mouth.
He remembers saying, “This is horrible. I think I’m just done.”
That was the end of his addiction, and Jarell is now approaching two decades of sobriety.
Jarell was angered by the nation’s history of slavery—but he was experiencing enslavement of another kind.
FREEDOM FOR OTHERS
Freedom has a great deal of meaning for Jarell in his personal life, and it also extends to how he feels called to serve the Lord—specifically by connecting with those behind bars.
One of those people was Aaron. Drugs had consumed Aaron’s life, and he had been incarcerated for burglary before he and his girlfriend were arrested for bank robbery. Aaron was sentenced to more than 20 years, and his girlfriend gave birth to their child while serving her sentence.
Aaron cried out to God behind bars, and God heard his plea to break free from addiction. Meanwhile, Aaron’s parents were attending Jarell’s church, Eagle’s Nest Worship Center, in Omaha, Nebraska. Aaron would write letters to the congregation, describing what God was doing in prison and how he was reaching others with the Gospel. Jarell was overseas, but he still wanted to be part of connecting with Aaron, which he did via letters of his own.
Aaron was eventually released and able to finally meet Jarell. They ministered together in prisons through their church, and Jarell is grateful for their friendship and shared mission.
“It was just easy to get along with him,” Jarell says, “and we were both determined to just make a difference in the lives of people.”
Freedom has a great deal of meaning for Jarell in his personal life, but it also extends to his ministry.
FREEDOM FROM THE PAST
Jarell wanted to expand his opportunities for prison ministry, so he connected with Prison Fellowship® and learned about how he could pour himself into incarcerated men and women, especially those battling addiction. Jarell cherishes each opportunity to serve at a Prison Fellowship Hope Event®, which introduces prisoners to the hope of Jesus through yard events featuring inspiring speakers and worship.
One in particular left a lasting impression. Jarell was in Lincoln, Nebraska, and he came across a guy he didn’t get along with in high school. They had butted heads quite a bit and the young man got heated rather easily.
That person’s temper had come to a head one night at a party when he had gotten into a fight and shot a University of Nebraska-Lincoln soccer player during the confrontation. The soccer player died, and the shooter was sentenced to decades in prison.
Jarell almost couldn’t believe his eyes the day he saw his one-time rival on the yard during the Hope Event.
“You don’t look like you [have] even aged,” Jarell remembers telling him as they hugged and held back tears.
The incarcerated man told Jarell his appeal for a shorter sentence had been rejected, and it made him realize he would be in prison for a long time.
Their interaction brought Jarell back to high school, and he’s grateful they were able to connect.
“I got a chance to just embrace my brother,” Jarell says.
CHURCH-LED FREEDOM
Embracing others and coming alongside them in their battles is something Jarell’s church does that makes him proud. It works with local law enforcement but goes one step further by ensuring there are fewer weapons on the streets of Omaha.
“It’s common to see people come put their guns on the altar on Sundays,” he says.
The church is also a place where men getting out of prison often come to worship and be loved. Jarell has never been incarcerated himself, though he admits he probably should have been multiple times.
“We’re always praying for them, and they get a chance to bring their families [to church],” Jarell says. “We just want to encourage them to get rest, get restoration, and then get plugged in.”
Jarell has never been incarcerated himself, though he admits he probably should have been multiple times.
HOPE AND FREEDOM TOGETHER
Everybody has a “why” for what they do. For Jarell, “why” is an easy question to answer, and it helps define his mission in life.
“It’s to share hope” with as many people—in as many places—as possible, he says.
With hope being his reason, Jarell’s message is freedom, and his goal is to help incarcerated men and women. He’s focused on changing laws so they don’t serve excessive sentences. The amount of time some are serving baffles Jarell.
“You go in there and it just leaves you [stunned] to think that these guys and gals are in there [for] too long,” Jarell says.
Outside of sentencing reform, Jarell has a heart for human trafficking victims and solving issues he saw while going through a divorce.
Whether it’s the responsibility of raising his four kids, doing prison ministry, or seeking to right society’s wrongs, Jarell always has freedom on his mind, and it drives him every day.
With hope being his “why,” Jarell’s message is freedom, and his aim is to help incarcerated men and women.