One of our wonderful Prison Fellowship partners shared this story about an inmate and his becoming a TUMI (The Urban Ministry Instititue) student:
Two years ago, having just been transferred into a new prison where we are starting up a TUMI class, Jose was already heading towards earning his way into maximum security prison. He was a violent, active gang member, and had been sent to the “hole” three times in the same month for fighting. That morning he had assaulted his cellmate and severely injured him. He was waiting in a cage (small confinement cell used to hold prisoners after incidents like this), when he saw the man he had injured wheeled out on a gurney for medical treatment. He heard a voice speak clearly inside his head –
“Jose, if you continue to live this way, you will die this way…”
Jose said that it was not what he heard that had an impact on him, but how it was spoken. He said that it wasn’t an accusation, or a stern warning, but was said with deep compassion and sorrow for him! He began weeping uncontrollably in the cage. A couple of his fellow gang members came by at that moment and were shocked to see this man weeping, and called to him, “What’s wrong with you man, pull it together.”
All Jose could say was, “I’m done; I’m not going to do this any longer!”
In the midst of his weeping, Jose spoke back to the voice, “God if you are real, you need to bring someone to me who can help me. I don’t know how to do this!”
Later, Jose was NOT taken to solitary, as he expected, but was returned to his cell. As he was cleaning up his cell from the assault, and wondering why he wasn’t sent to the hole, his cell door popped open and another prisoner was escorted in. After the usual introductions and trading paperwork, the man began to unpack his bag. The second item he brought from the bag was a Bible.
“Are you a Christian?” Jose asked the man.
“Yeah, what of it,” was the wary reply.
“Because God sent you to me!”
Jose shared that his new cellmate became his mentor and guide, discipling him for the next year. Since that time, Jose has been taking advantage of every opportunity to learn and grow in Christ. TUMI, for Jose, is another step along the way in this incredible and unexpected adventure as a follower of Jesus Christ.
Thank you for praying for men like Jose (and his cellmate) who are making a difference in their world.
