As an avid fisherman, I love Jesus’ command in Mark 1:17, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” One of the basics of being a successful fisherman is to go where there are fish and where they are biting. As I go to the Valley State Prison each week in Fresno, it is my joy to gather with 30 men who are hungry for God’s Word.
Let me share the story of Berry—a trophy of God’s grace. His story is different than many of the men I work with. He was successful in his business, owned his own home and lived on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. He was raised Catholic and thought he had a relationship with God. Berry said, “In actuality my relationship was with a god I had made in my own image. I was not what people thought me to be and I was not even what I thought myself to be.”
In 1997 he was arrested for crimes which he did want to disclose. While in prison, Berry began to take classes from The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI). I asked Berry to share how TUMI has helped him:
“I joined TUMI in order to expand my knowledge of our Lord, the Scriptures and the Church beyond what I could do on my own. When you teach, especially in a different manner as the Lord has used me for, you get stuck on what you are familiar with and you need to work to expand your knowledge of the holy things of God. TUMI requires me to read books I normally would not read, to examine and write on Scriptures I normally would not look at so deeply, to form relationships I normally might avoid, and to seriously re-examine doctrinal teaching which I have rejected earlier in my Christian walk. As such it has expanded my understanding and in turn, increased my usefulness to the Lord. I have shared a lot of what I’ve learned in TUMI with students, both in and out of prison.
I was extremely surprised and have been blessed to discover the work my TUMI satellite does for its members with the Parole Board, seeking to help us to make the transition to Parole easier. I did not even know about this aspect until I had completed three modules. The friendships I have formed with the other participants and with the teacher/coordinators have been a real blessing. I have also had some opportunities to teach within the class setting, and I am always pleased to serve in this manner, TUMI has been nothing but good for me, and I can see the hand of God in the whole program.”
