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Getting involved in the prison ministry has been one of best things that has happened to my spiritual life. I always wanted to do something for God and now I am. I have done some other good things, teach Sunday school, usher, be in helps ministry at my church, but not until I started going to ICC did I really feel that I was part of an exciting, firsthand movement of the Spirit of God.
Week after week, I get to see anointed speakers reach out to desperate men and these men respond to altar calls and also, more importantly, in obviously changed lives. I get to use my gifts in the helps ministry and as an exhorter encourager). Sometimes I will feel led to speak to a particular inmate, and I have found, more than a few times , that God was dealing with him in the very area I am speaking to him about. It is a great honor to be part of such an anointed team of volunteers, of which I am the least.
The first night I went to the jail was one week after the prisoners received a Thanksgiving meal from a Sedalia restaurant.
I must admit that I saw mostly orange that night. I was not used to the jail garb as yet. One prisoner stood out to me. He had tattoos in a circle around his shaved head, with a prominent demon on the very back.
He was walking around to all the volunteers shaking their hands and saying "Thank you for coming, thank you for coming". Later, I heard that the week before he had not even wanted to go to the Thanksgiving meal, but was forced to as that was the evening meal. At that meeting he was radically saved. I looked forward to seeing him the next time, as I wanted to tell him that he had his testimony tattooed on his head, but he was gone on my next visit.
In an update to this story, the inmate, whose name is Mark, has since recycled through ICC twice. Recycled means, not on new charges, but just from jail to another. Last week he was at our meeting and I could tell, if anything, he was even more committed and enthusiastic. He stood and praised God and encouraged everyone around to praise louder and with more enthusiasm. I told a story about Phil, one of our volunteers who had been in eight different state prisons in California, before he got saved in the ninth. Phil is a powerful minister for God now. Phil is a good example for all of us, but someday maybe I will be able to say the same for Mark, as he is getting out in the middle of December, 2005. He seemed to be thrilled when I told him that I had used part of his story on this website. He told me his mother would like that. Mark, if you are reading this, stay strong and the jail volunteers want to hear good reports about you. You can contact us through the "Email" or "Contact Us" pages.
It is so neat to see some of the guys grow. One night we had a guy, who when it was his time to share, said "If I had a pencil I would have stuck it in the forehead of another inmate." The next week he was softer, and I believe he responded to the altar call. By the third week he was real soft and talked in a very loving manner. Sometime in here he told us that he made $10 in the kitchen and he wanted to give our ministry $2 of it, which amounts to a 20 percent tithe. What a change!!!
One night, after going to the jail for over a year, we had an unusual thing happen, actually the first time any of us could recall it happening. A couple of guys had spoken about how much better it was to choose heaven over hell by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal savior. We passed the mike around the room so the inmates could share. In the second roll, a man who was probably in his early 50's started weeping and said that he needed to be saved. That was about all he could get out, but he said it over and over. As it was not my usual night, I motioned that our group leader should immediately call him up for prayer. He did not seem to understand, as it was not the usual way things are done. I got up and told the man to come up front. His name was Victor, used by permission. I led him in the sinner's prayer. After we got back to passing the mike around, more than a few of the guys said that it was a great night, and that that event had been a real highlight to them, and that they were really glad they were there to see it.
At the next meeting, I was looking forward to talking to Victor, but he had been suddenly transferred out, where to know one knew. I believe that Victor is doing well wherever he is.
Janice, my wife was only able to go a few times, she stays home with our two teenagers, but I want to share a supernatural event that happened the last time she did go.
There was a lady in jail, who was obviously very upset. She would not participate at all. As the lady was in her small group, Janice stopped what was going on, and asked the lady what was wrong, and the woman proceeded to tell about how she desperately needed to be at home because of her children and grandchildren, but that she was not getting out until September 27 and this was July.
Janice said "Well, let me pray for you." She prayed that God would show her He loved her and that she was important to Him. Within a few minutes, a guard came to the room and motioned for this woman to come with him. She asked "Where am I going?" He said "You are going home". What an express answer to prayer.
All of the women's eyes, including the volunteers became great big. They saw the woman go by later with a big smile on her face.
What an awesome, caring God we serve!
Richard Abney
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