I will never forget the day that I stepped inside “The Walls.” Missouri State Penitentiary is a maximum-security facility and the fifth oldest prison in America. I was all of 20 years old and didn’t have a clue as to what I was getting into. I signed up in one of my college classes for prison ministry and I don’t remember having any training when the day finally came.
Nothing will ever fully prepare you for walking into a prison. I was excited and nervous. I remember having a large group worship service. The room was vibrant and real. I remember sharing my testimony and the guys receiving me so well. I ate a meal with the guys and felt totally out of place and yet accepted. I was able to talk to a brother who had murdered 10 people but who had found a new life in Christ.
That was the first of many trips that changed me. I was a very sheltered Christian college student with limited experiences. I was worried about how I would be able to relate to the brothers on the inside, but I remember leaving that first day with a high like no other. I felt an excitement like I had never experienced before. To see the Gospel draw people together and to see the Christ-like love and joy pour out of these men was something I will never forget.
I have been doing prison and jail ministry off and on for more than 20 years. It is truly one of the highlights of my life. I have met some of the finest leaders that you will ever meet. They have taught me more about Jesus than I have ever taught them. I have witnessed two churches planted by men on the inside. I have seen brothers graduate in a full cap-and-gown celebration from seminary Bible classes. I have cried with, prayed with, and been blessed beyond measure by many brothers locked up. They have changed me. They have shaped how I view people and the importance of how I love the larger Church body. I am forever grateful for how that first trip inside prison changed my life. I am so grateful for the many brothers who have poured into me and helped shape me!
—
This year we are joining CCDA's efforts to create the space needed to listen to stories of people in our communities who are directly impacted, to learn about the greater impact of mass incarceration, to pray, and to engage public sector officials who have the power and position to impact change. Check out their resources here.
More Locked in Solidarity stories: