The most joy I’ve felt in awhile came to me while I was in a prison.
Part of our ministry here in Maputo, Mozambique, is making weekly visits to a juvenile prison on the outskirts of town. The facility is fairly new and houses a few hundred boys between the ages of 16 and 21, with crimes ranging from petty theft to sexual assault. Over the past week we’ve made two trips there to share testimonies, sing, preach and pray. Our first visit happened on our first day in the country, and none of us knew what to expect. As we waited for the boys to file into the cafeteria/ meeting hall, we all prayed for God to guide our words and move in the hearts of the men. We walked in, were introduced, and a few of us began sharing parts of our personal testimonies. As I looked around the room, at the many faces intently listening to every word spoken, I was overcome with a strange sense of hope and joy. NOT what I was expecting to feel in this place. There was an innocence about them that seemed so out of place. Before we knew it our time was up and we begrudgingly walked out the back of the building, shaking hands and giving as many ‘high fives’ as we could manage. We couldn’t wait to return.
Our next opportunity came the following Friday. This time we decided to share a testimony or two, preach a short message, and devote the rest of the time to praying with them or hearing their stories…which ever the security and staff would allow. The same sense of overflowing joy and hope filled our spirits as we walked in and took our places at the front of the room. Our team members who spoke were filled with powerful words that moved the crowd of young faces as they listened to the story of Saul/ Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus and heard the power of Christ’s love to redeem the most sinful of men. At the end of our talk we asked if there was anyone who wanted to accept Jesus into their hearts or would like to receive prayer for physical ailments or needs…One by one hands stretched into the air and heaven started rejoicing. We split up and began filtering into the crowd to pray. I prayed over five young men. One boy was named Mike (whew, finally a name I could pronounce!) who said he’d been suffering from pain in the right side of his head. I laid my hands on him and began praying. I can’t tell you if the pain left him right there, but I can tell you that the palms of my hands began heating up as I continued praying over him.
Lastly I came to Alberto. I introduced myself and asked his name and what he’d like prayer for, and he responded with “my life is bad”. So I asked “do you want to make it clean?”… “Yes” he said and shook his head enthusiastically. Quickly I called over a translator and one of the men on our team and began praying with Alberto for Jesus to come into his life. The coolest part is there were at least four other boys that, like Alberto, gave their lives to Christ in that prayer time. Souls have been freed, eternities have been changed, and I have five more brothers I will get to greet in heaven. The power of God moves in some of the most unlikely places eh?
Our contacts finally pushed us out the door and it took all our effort to compose ourselves. You could feel the joy and almost here the party commencing in the heavenly realms.
The group we accompanied to the prison has made repeated visits since the facility since it opened. They are an amazing bunch of young Christians and have received numerous requests and letters from inmates for prayer, continued visitations, and to share their stories and struggles. This is just a picture of a few recent letters.
