One of the days I had the opportunity to go on a prison ministry trip with Brad Burton, one of the other guys on a different team and a couple from the Swazi staff to lead us there. For me whenever I get to go on an adventure I jump at the chance. I’m the type of person who can go stir crazy when I can’t get out and explore. So I absolutely love when we get to go on an adventure and a long drive to get to our next destination.
I was excited for the day and had great expectations from the Lord for what he had in store. I have a big heart for the incarcerated, and I think it’s a great privilege to go and encourage them with God’s Word and the love of Christ.
There was a couple that had been locked up for abandoning their little baby girl. They dropped her in a toilet and left her to die in a toilet. As I mentioned in a previous blog this kind of thing happens all the time for different reasons, I think the main reason people abandon their babies is because they don’t have the means to take care of them. A lot of times people get away with this offense but this time was different.
The couple had been caught and convicted of the crime and put in a Swaziland Prison. My intell going in was that these people were not believers and didn’t have a relationship with Christ. So I really started praying that I could give them the message of the gospel clearly and that they would understand and turn from their sins and trust Christ.
Some may think those environments are scary to minister in, but that’s where I really thrive, is in those face to face uncomfortable interactions with inmates. Christ is glorified in those instances because that’s where we are out of our comfort zone and weak and we have no other option but to be available and see the Lord work in
Their hearts.
As we were getting our passports looked over and getting checked in, I was praying to the Lord for a fruitful visit and that these individuals would be saved and transfer from the kingdom of darkness to the marvelous light of Christ. When we were waiting to go into the prison I was taking in the surroundings of the prison and watching the guards escort the inmates. There are days on the world race when I feel like I’m living out a movie. I felt like the Apostle Paul going into set the captives free with the message of the gospel.
Our visit was very quick and only had 10 minutes to talk with the inmates so I got right down to business and asked if they knew God through a relationship with Jesus Christ. It turns out that both of them were saved and became Christians shortly after they were locked up in November of 2012. Praise God that brought great joy to my heart knowing that they had been forgiven and set free with Christ.
I encouraged them with Romans 8:1 and reminded them because they were now in Christ, that they have been completely forgiven and they were adopted children of the King of the Universe and completely loved. Then our time was up and we had to leave. I believe they walked away lifted up and encouraged. God’s love is amazing and nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.
Matthew 25:36
I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you came to me, I was in prison and you visited me.
