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Leading Prisoners to the Savior...
 Renato (not his real name) had served more than 11 years in a Texas maximum-security prison--10 of those in segregation (solitary confinement) because of a botched escape attempt. And upon his eventual release, all he had to look forward to was deportation to the impoverished streets of Guatemala.
During an Operation Starting Line campaign one April, volunteer speaker James Guerra made cell-to-cell visits to inmates banned from the big yard of musicians, athletes, and testimonies. He met Renato and, in the Guatemalan's native Spanish, explained why the volunteers were there: to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Renato said that he had never had anyone explain the Gospel to him "and that frankly he had never given it much thought," James remembers. But with some gentle probing, he did admit that he had always felt a void in his soul, wondering where it came from and why it never went away.
James knew this feeling, having spent time in prison himself during his "before Christ" days. Sensing the inmate's hunger and openness, James shared the Gospel of salvation through Christ, who alone could fill a person's inner void--what Pascal termed the "God-shaped vacuum."
Finally, says James, "the moment came when I point-blank asked, 'Are you ready to accept Jesus?'" After a long silence, Renato exclained, "Yes!"
"The rest is eternal history," James enthuses, "as I was privileged to pray with him the sinner's prayer."
...Then Building Them in Conviction and Character
During Operation Starting Line a few years ago in Arizona, inmate Adam--a young Christian who had tried disastrously to "serve two masters"--determined to make a fresh start in his faith. At the end of the event, he signed up for free correspondence Bible studies through Crossroad Bible Institute, one of OSL's collaborating ministries.
Since 1984 Crossroad Bible Institute (CBI) has sent Bible courses to thousands of prisoners. When the prisoners complete each lesson, they return it for evaluation and correction by a trained volunteer instructor. The instructor then returns the corrected lesson along with a personal letter of encouragement and discipleship.
From 2001 on, Adam faithfully dug into CBI's in-depth studies of God's Word, "whic hhelped me get closer to God," he wrote recently. That relationship, in turn, caused a visible shift in his character and behavior.
In February 2004, Adam went before the Parole Board--armed, in part, with a letter of support from CBI, lauding his excellent work and steady maturity. "It is my joy to tell you," Adam said in his letter to CBI's president, "that by the grace of God I was granted early release" by a unanimous vote. "God is good!"
On the other side of prison walls, Adam continues his studies with CBI, continually becoming better equipped to understand and live out God's word. |
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