Prison ministry

His face is indelibly burned into my memory. The deep pain in his eyes pulled me in. As I watched the looks of horror cross the faces of each team member, I realized that something incredible was about to unfold. The beige puffy and wide marking across his upper back, very near the spine was infection ... oozing, smelly infection. Reminiscent of our image of sin, it left you with the feeling of hopelessness and despair. As the doctor quickly summed up the situation, the rest of us began to pray as silent tears began to run down my face. A gunshot wound. Of all possible injuries to run across in a makeshift medical clinic in a far away land more than half way around the world, it’s a gunshot wound. How ironic. The very thing that killed him, I now stand by watching as the doctor begins to work. How interesting--in a prison. He came to set the captives free!

Details began to unfold. He was shot two weeks ago while breaking into a building. The makeshift X-style stitches stretch in three large marks over the gaping wound. The doctor begins the painstaking work of cleaning out the wound. First a little Novocain is injected around the edges. Rick hands the young man a Bible as he grimaces at the pain. He places both hands around the Bible and bears down to lessen the pain. The missionary takes off for town to pick up basic supplies to finish the job. Over the next 30 minutes, we all end up with watered-up eyes or tears. I know my teammates are also whispering prayers for me as they know the thoughts and images that are running through my mind. The young man silently watches us and concentrates on his pain. The doctor pulls out scissors and begins to trim away dead strings of skin and pours a disinfecting solution on the now open wound. He then begins to sew up the wound as our pastor places gauze over the wound to hold it together and wipes away the blood as it begins to spill over. He willingly becomes a surprised attendee to the surgery before him.

We have 10 minutes before the guards receive their break. The other prisoners sit outside and shift to see the work of the doctor. Luckily, the young man has his back to the crowd. Only two of us are witness to his face ... the look of fear mixed with relief. The missionary quickly tells us to go outside and give our testimony to the prisoners awaiting treatment. About that time, the guards start sending everyone back to the barracks. Someone dictates that the last few guys can wait and receive treatment for skin rashes, pain and vitamin deficiencies .. .the typical treatments in such a clinic. We quickly ask and are then allowed to stand outside the barred open windowed barracks and share.

As I tentatively and prayerfully start through a young interpreter named Lucky, I tell the young men ranging in age from 14 or so to around 50 that when I saw the gunshot wound, I began to cry. The reason is, my husband was murdered and died of a gunshot wound. I tell them of the forgiveness the Lord allowed me to extend to the man responsible for his death. I tell them of John’s struggles with alcohol and how it ultimately played a role in his death. I tell them of the love of Christ and of His acceptance of us if we are willing to repent and turn to Him. I tell them of the lifelong suffering that John endured and how Christ did make a difference in his life. I tell them that John is in a much better place and no longer struggles with sin. As I remember the passage in Psalm 66 that I studied for a month before traveling to Asia, I share that sometimes the Lord brings you to prison, puts burdens on your back and allows men to walk over you so that he can bring you to an abundant place.

I make sure that I make eye contact with those in the crowd as I feel it is important for them to know that I care enough to look into their faces. They quietly and hopefully listen. As I speak, the young man that I later learned was named Sankel, has quietly joined the crowd. When I ask if anyone has questions, one young man stands up and asks, “What do I need to do to go to heaven?" The tears begin to stream down my face again. Rick begins to share the gospel with the men. At the invitation to accept Christ, one young man steps forward and as we finish praying, hands rise up all over the two story building with a total of eight open windows when we ask who prayed that prayer. As I look up, Sankel is smiling and the look in his eyes is different--no longer pained and hollow, but filled with love and hope! I finish by telling them that the Bible says that when one person repents and turns that all of heaven celebrates. John is among those celebrating and that means his death was not in vain. The Lord has truly brought many of these young men to an abundant place in relationship with Him.

The doctor tells us on the way home that had we not shown up, that young man would not have lived. Just like the Great Physician, the doctor skillfully handled the situation that came to him along the way and made an eternal difference in the life of many. The wound is now clean and antibiotics will finish the healing. Now the young man also has eternal life and life more abundant and free because his sins have been cleansed. Praise to God! Something incredible has and will continue to unfold!