Sometimes, you never know who you might impact. Early this year, I received the following letter from a former inmate, which blew me away.
“I was seventeen years of age when I was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, and four counts of armed kidnapping. I was sentenced to two life sentences and a forty-year sentence in the federal prison. I am home now after doing twenty years and ten months. My journey to freedom was up in the air, because I thought that I was going to spend the rest of my life in prison.
I started to search for a religion that I felt would sustain me, so I got involved in Islam. Yes, I became a Muslim. This was the religion that many of the young guys were gravitating toward, so I got involved and started to excel at a fast pace because I studied a lot. I progressed to become an Assistant Eman.
I had always been an athlete and played every sport, but softball was my favorite. I had been part of championship after championship. One day at Holmes Correctional Institution (FL), I was asked to play with some of our guys against an outside team from Kentucky. And of course, I accepted. But we got crushed by these guys.
They always wanted to talk about Christ, Calvary, and things of that nature. As a Muslim, I ignored the talk and would always walk away at the end of the game when they started to talk about salvation or Christ. I got transferred to Avon Park Correctional Institution and was able to play a different group of guys from Kentucky. That’s when I met this guy by the name of Craig. I don’t know his last name. but this is the guy who had an impact on my life and my future as well. He always would talk to me about giving my life to Christ, but I would disagree with him because I was Muslim.
One day, when they came to play, my mother was on her deathbed on life-support. He asked everyone to pray for her and see what God does. We talked a little more during the games. I initially was concerned about praying so my mom would get another chance in life, but later in the day on the softball field at Avon Park, I professed Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior without knowing whether I would ever get out or not. He changed my whole life. Talking to Craig changed my life forever. My decision to believe Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior was the best one ever.
The day after I accepted Christ, I took all my Muslim belongings to the chapel. I told him that he could give these things to the Muslim congregation because I felt like I was in the wrong place.
After I got saved, I was still straddling the fence by selling cigarettes and cell phones. But like three months later, I realized that I couldn’t keep mocking God, so I gave it all up and started to serve God totally. That’s when I received my breakthrough with the law changing in favor of juveniles sentenced to life in prison.
It opened the doors to freedom for me, and I stand here as a free man after 28 years and 10 months in the Department of Corrections. I have been free for two years now working two jobs and maintaining my family. I love the Lord with all my heart and soul. I just want to thank Craig personally for sharing the Gospel with me. It instilled a new life in me and made me a new person. I believe that Christ loves me more than anything in the world. Today, I profess that nothing is more precious than our salvation, because Christ is the reason for living. What He did on Calvary was enough. It is finished.
I would like to thank the outreach team from Kentucky for always inspiring me to love the Lord with all my heart and soul, even when it was hard. Thanks to Mr. Speer, Frog, and most of all, Craig. I love you guys, and thank you so much for inspiring me to be great every day.”
FINAL THOUGHTS
- He received his breakthrough when the law changed in favor of juveniles sentenced to life in prison. He was released in October 2021.
- His Mom is alive and 65 years old!
God’s Glory!
Robby
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