DAVID'S POV
While we were preaching one afternoon, a commotion broke out in the yard. We immediately turned our attention to the noise. As we moved closer, we saw Goro kneeling on the ground, holding a smaller male figure in his arms. Goro was shouting, his voice cracking with desperation.
"Adam! Adam, don't do this!" he pleaded, tears streaming down his face.
I could see the man in Goro's arms Adam—was barely conscious, trembling, and on the brink of despair. The situation felt heavy, thick with urgency. Goro, usually a towering figure of intimidation in the prison, now seemed small, vulnerable, his usual hard demeanor gone.
Without hesitation, I knelt beside them, my heart aching for both men. "Lord, please, touch this man. Bring him peace. Let your healing power restore his strength," I prayed softly but firmly, my hands extended toward Adam.
To everyone's amazement, Adam's trembling body stilled, and for a moment, I thought it was just a fleeting calm. But then, slowly, he began to rise. He stood up, eyes wide with shock, as if he couldn't believe what was happening.
Goro clung to him, sobbing. "Thank you... Thank you!" he cried, as he held Adam close. "I thought I was going to lose him."
Adam, still disoriented but now fully standing, looked around and whispered, "I... I feel... different. Peaceful. I haven't felt this way in years."
Goro turned to me, gratitude written all over his face. "David... thank you. You didn't just save him; you saved me. This... this is what I've been looking for."
The Change in Goro was so great.
Days passed, and Goro continued to approach me, his demeanor softer than before. One afternoon, as we sat together during free time, he came up to me with a hesitant look on his face.
"David, I've been thinking. The peace Adam felt... I want that. I want that peace too," he said, his voice quiet but steady. "I've done so many terrible things in my life, hurt so many people. But I can't live with this anymore."
He paused for a moment, as if trying to find the right words. "I want to give my life to Christ. I know I can't undo the past, but I want to start fresh, with Him."
My heart swelled with compassion as I looked at him. Goro had once been a source of fear in the prison, a man who intimidated even the hardest of inmates. Yet now, here he was, broken and humble, asking for the same peace that Adam had received.
I placed my hand on his shoulder and smiled gently. "Goro, it's never too late. Jesus will forgive you. He forgives all who come to Him with a sincere heart. Let me pray with you, my brother."
We prayed together, and as I led him in prayer, I felt a surge of hope and joy filling the room. Goro's once hard heart was now open, ready to receive the love and forgiveness that only Christ could offer. He repeated after me:
"Lord Jesus, I come before You today, broken and in need of Your mercy. I have sinned, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins and rose again, and I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Please come into my life, heal me, and transform me. I give You my heart. Amen."
As he finished the prayer, Goro's face seemed to radiate with a new light. It was as if the chains of his past had been broken, and he was now free to walk a new path. Tears of relief filled his eyes, but they were different now tears of joy, not regret.
"I feel... lighter. I feel free," Goro said, his voice trembling. "Thank you, David. I'm sorry for everything I've done. I don't want to live in that darkness anymore."
A Transforming Prison
Over the following weeks, the change in Goro was undeniable. He became more involved in our Bible studies and prayer groups. He helped us preach to others, sharing his story of redemption with anyone who would listen. The other inmates began to take notice, and slowly, even those who once feared or despised Goro began to see the change in him.
One day, Goro approached me, his eyes full of gratitude and humility. "David, I just wanted to thank you again. You saved me, and now I see that I can help others too. I've been praying for the strength to help the guys in here, especially those who are hurting like I was. I want to share this peace I've found."
His transformation had not only impacted his own life but was beginning to affect others as well. It was clear that God was using Goro in ways neither of us had expected.
As we continued our ministry, word began to spread through the prison. The stories of transformed live like Adam's and Goro's gave hope to others who had once felt that they were beyond redemption. Inmates who had hardened their hearts, who thought they were too far gone, began to show up at our gatherings, seeking the peace that only Christ could offer.
One evening, as we finished a powerful service, Goro stood up in front of the group and said, "I used to be the one who broke others, the one who made them feel worthless. But now, I'm the one who wants to build others up. If God can forgive me, He can forgive anyone."
The room erupted in applause, but it wasn't just the applause of men; it was the applause of the angels in heaven, celebrating every soul that was turning toward Christ.
And so, the ministry continued, growing not just in numbers but in depth. Through letters, testimonies, and prayers, the message of hope and redemption spread across the prison, and even to other prisons in the region.
The power of Christ's love had broken through the walls of steel and stone, and with each soul that was saved, we saw the true freedom that comes from knowing Him.
God was moving in ways we couldn't have imagined, and the story of transformation continued, one heart at a time.