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GO Team –
Angola Prison 2007
What would
cause a person to enter a maximum security prison for a couple
of days and spend time with inmates that are sentenced to life?
The love of Jesus in our hearts, that’s what! Nine of our Bible
Center Church family traveled to Angola State Penitentiary on
September 6th and returned (thankfully) on September
9th, 2007.
Our mission was
to assist in the “Returning Hearts Celebration”, an event for
the inmate fathers and grandfathers, to spend time with their
children or grandchildren. We assisted families, ran a “fair”
type activity and participated in a very moving chapel service
that included the inmates and all of the volunteers. This
annual event was created by the rising concern of the inmates,
who have been changed by the power of the gospel of Jesus
Christ, who needed help and training in “parenting” their
children while incarcerated. Here are some of our testimonies
of what God did in our lives that weekend:
Louisiana State Maximum Security Penitentiary at
Angola
Paul Deakin 9-08-07
The prison houses 5100 inmates. The average sentence is 80
years.
In
1991 there were 495 assaults between inmates. Angola warehoused
the worst criminals. It was a jungle; the bloodiest prison in
the USA.
Prison guards told new inmates, “to survive, get a knife. If
someone bothers you kill them quickly. Inmates slept with a
magazine under their shirts to prevent being stabbed while they
slept. Many inmates have dads and other relatives in the prison.
Burl Cain, a godly man became Warden in 1995. He began a program
of “moral rehabilitation” the foundation of which, was clearly
the Word of God. Inmate assaults dropped to 60. One inmate told
me,” This is the bloodiest prison in the US. He then said now it
is covered with the blood of Jesus. If you know Jesus now death
row is life row.”
In
1996 Southern Baptist Theological seminary began teaching
classes on the prison grounds.
By
demonstrating consistently good behavior, over ten or more
years, an inmate can advance to the status of “Trustee A”. A
trust worthy “Trustee A” has many freedoms and privileges. He
can develop a skill and work as a mechanic, food service,
farming, making furniture, reconditioning wheel chairs and
bicycles, making leather goods. He can travel outside the prison
with a guard to speak, or perform concerts. A “Trustee A” lives
in an open dormitory with 50 other guys.
The integrity of a “Trustee A” is the most valuable possession
in the prison. One small mistake and the inmate may end up in an
8 x 10ft cell eating bread and water for months. It may take
15yrs to re-earn his integrity and his privileges. The warden
doesn’t take privileges away, a trustee gives them back by
making wrong choices. Trustees learn, ”I am my brother’s
keeper”. One mistake and privileges are often removed from all
prisoners indefinitely.
We
heard inmates repeat the similar stories, “I was young and
reckless, the drugs made me crazy, the alcohol made me angry and
the gambling made me desperate. I made a terrible mistake for
which I must spend the rest of my life behind bars.”
Of
the 5100 inmates about 2000 have made a profession of faith.
These guys are Daniel’s in the lions den everyday that they
live.
The Bible Center Go Team spent a couple of days with about 350
of these guys and 800 children. Most of these inmates are
Spirit fill brothers in Christ; they are meek and humble. They
demonstrate a deep abiding love for the Lord. They were very
hospitable. We felt safe among them. Within a few minutes the
line between black and white man, free man and prisoner
disappeared. We enjoyed worshiping with them in spirit and in
truth. Even in prison – In the presence of the Lord there is
fullness of joy. The Chapel Bibles were titled “Free on the
Inside Bible”. The inmates understand that they are responsible
for their crimes. They also feel a responsibility to mentor
their children.
A program named
“Malachi Dads” helps inmate fathers commit to the spiritual
development of their children to break the cycle of crime in
their families. Malachi Dads has development training in five
areas: fathering, spiritual, educational, moral and vocational.
The program builds well-rounded fathers who can make positive
contributions to their families. They write to their kids at
least twice each month. The Inmates treasure their kid’s
letters, carrying the worn notes with them, often sharing parts
of the notes with friends.
On Saturday
morning when the kids arrived at the prison there were long hugs
and many tears. The family I assisted included – the dad - Eddie
had a full football scholarship to Louisiana University. He got
with the wrong crowd, committed a crime and lost everything. JJ
was 8yr and Von was 15yr. Wow, could these guys play basketball.
They wore me out. The kids played on inflatable obstacle course,
slides and bungee runs. We played AWANA games, did crafts, threw
freebie and football. We had a picnic lunch and listened to a
concert. The dad challenged the kids to memorize scripture with
him. Several times during the day dad would pull one of his boys
aside and have a frank conversation with them. I took this
chance to talk to the other boy. I asked JJ if he was a
Christian. JJ said yes. I asked him how he knew he was saved and
going to heaven. Eight year old JJ said, “I know whom I believe,
and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed
to Him until that day 1Tim 1:2.” Amen!
We were sitting
on some bleachers at the end of the day. Eddie was talking to JJ.
I said to Von. “Von I want you to take a good look at all that
razor wire and fences. Remember, for both you and me only one
mistake could put either one of us on the wrong side of that
wire, our freedoms gone forever. To prevent that you need to
surround yourself with friends who love Jesus. You need to read
God’s word every day.
The last thing
Von said to me that day was, Thank you Mr. Paul. I’ll never
forget what you told me Mr. Paul.
--------------------
I walked the
kids to the gate where their Mom was waiting. She wasn’t looking
at the kids. Mom was on tip toes trying to catch one glimpse of
Eddie.
When I walked
back into the secured area I stopped and watched for a while as
the Dad’s stretched for one last look, waving and blowing
kisses, their faces bright with smiles. For a few moments they
forgot where they were. Once the family was out of sight it
seemed the dads deflated back to the ground. Turned and faced
the penalty for their sin. A double line of convicts were herded
back to their life of heavily guarded incarceration, always
treasuring memories, pictures and letters from their kids.
Saturday
morning about thirty dads waited hours on the bleachers for
their kids to arrive. For some unknown reason their kids never
showed up.
Book – “Cain’s
Redemption” This is the story of how Warden Burl Cain’s faith
and respect for all men transformed America’s bloodiest prison.
A fascinating easy read about the transforming power of God in
the most unlikely of places.
The book
can be ordered at http://www.angolamuseum.org/gifts.htm
Jeff
Boyers wrote:
Chaz was the
(8) year old nephew of "Buddy" who was the inmate that I was
assigned to spend my day with along with his (2) daughters. He
was a very inquisitive young man who experienced a lot of
emotions throughout our day together. We enjoyed winning prizes
and riding ponies and Buddy used every opportunity throughout
the day as a "teachable moment". As we were listening to the
speaker at the arena on Saturday afternoon, I could tell that
Chaz was not at all interested. Not that the speaker wasn't
good. However, he was like any other (8) year old who was more
interested in the stuff he had accumulated in his bag from the
carnival and the frog we captured in the grass during lunch !
One of the things he pulled out of his bag was a tract provided
by AWANA. I began to read it with him and we talked about the
significance of Jesus in our lives. We read the verses and
looked at the pictures and I taught him the hand motions to I
Corinthians 15:3-4 to remember how Christ died for our sins and
was buried and rose again according to the scriptures. As I was
staring at the bench in front of me, I told Chaz what he needed
to do to have a relationship with Jesus. As I was talking, I
looked at him and his eyes were closed. When I asked him if he
wanted to pray, he said " amen" and indicated that he had just
finished praying ! He then informed me that he thought he had
prayed that prayer a couple of years ago but he couldn't
remember. I was able to share with him that Jesus will never
leave us once we invite Him into our lives and I challenged him
to remember this day at Angola State Prison when he asked Jesus
to be his Savior. He assured me that he would and we went back
to playing with the frog and looking at the great prizes in his
bag.
I
guess this story is so significant because it reveals God's plan
in our lives and proves that He too cares for those in prison
just as the scriptures suggest. It is amazing to think that
God reached Buddy in a maximum security prison who extended his
love to his fatherless nephew that he barely knew outside of the
prison walls and sent me from West Virginia to Louisiana to have
an opportunity to share the Gospel with him in a rodeo arena
surrounded by barbed wire and prison guards! I continue to pray
for Chaz and ask that the Lord will continue to send Godly
influences into his life and help him overcome his
circumstances.
The Prison Visit that Changed My Life
Michelle Thompson
At an Awana Conference two years ago I saw a very
moving video about the Returning Hearts ministry at Angola
prison. I decided right then and there that if I ever had the
chance to go, I would. So, when we first began making plans to
take a team from Bible Center to Angola, I was excited and had
no fear or misgivings about the trip.
Several well-intentioned believers tried to
convince us that maybe we women should not go with the team. I
realized they were expressing their concern out of genuine love
and that their concerns were not unfounded. This is one of the
most feared and dreaded prisons in the U.S. and all of the
inmates are there for at least forty years – most of them for
life. They do not see women very often and many of them have
committed terrible crimes in the past. But God had given me
such a desire to attend this event and see the change in these
men for myself, I just had to go.
Driving up to the gates Friday morning was a
pivotal moment for me. I will be honest and say that I did feel
fear as we approached the prison the first morning. The gates
are surrounded by two separate rows of high fences with razor
wire, large warning signs, and guards in towers with high
powered rifles. I knew that once we passed through security we
could not come and go as we pleased; I wouldn’t be able to leave
if I felt threatened or scared. We were entering at 7:30 a.m.
and would not be allowed to leave until 9:30 p.m.
As we sat there waiting to be admitted I silently
passed my concerns on to the Lord. As I did, I remembered back
to a camp speaker I heard as a teenager who challenged us not to
give God anything that didn’t cost us something. This weekend
was going to cost me my freedom (temporarily), my feelings of
safety and security, time with my own children, and a lot of
energy, both emotional and physical. I thought of the
missionaries who take their wives and children to the far
reaches of the globe. No one promises them safety in their
mission, but their desire to serve the Lord is their main goal
in life. Unlike them, I was only doing this for a weekend.
We spent Friday training, touring and preparing
for Saturday. We would have our first opportunity to interact
with the inmates on Friday evening during a joint chapel
service. We were told that we would be seated among the
prisoners and were encouraged to spread out and interact with
the men. This thought was also a little disconcerting, but I
was “game” at this point.
When we returned to the main camp chapel after
dinner the inmates had already arrived. As we looked around the
room I wondered how we would all fit in, there were already so
many in the room. The prisoners were so happy to see us. They
were truly the most humble, gracious, and hospitable group I
have ever been around. An older inmate saw that I was looking
for a seat and quickly stood and gave me his. I tried to
decline but he was so gracious and insisted that I sit. Several
times during the 2 ½ hour service I looked back to see him
standing there (he never found another seat) singing and smiling
- worshipping his Savior. During the greeting time, one man
approached us and shook our hands. He asked me if I have
children. When I told him that I have three boys, he looked at
me with large tears in his eyes and said “How can I ever thank
you enough for leaving your children and traveling so far so
that I can see my kids.”
I looked this man in the eyes and told him from
the bottom of my heart that it was truly an honor to be there.
And an honor it was. These men were some of the most genuine
Christian people I have ever met. In the state of Louisiana a
life sentence is truly that – life. There is no parole in
Louisiana. These inmates having nothing to gain by “faking it”,
their faith is so genuine and all encompassing.
The chapel service that night was one of the most
spiritual services I have ever attended. When these men sing of
God’s grace they sing it with such conviction and passion. As
we sang Chris Tomlin’s version of Amazing Grace I just stood
there weeping. The words “My chains are gone, I’ve been set
free…” still resonate through my heart. All of those deep voices
singing those words from the depths of their hearts will forever
be one of my favorite memories. These men have been set free on
the inside by the grace of God, but most will never be free on
the outside.
I could write for days and not think of
everything that blessed me during this trip, but seeing these
dads with their children on Saturday was priceless. In order to
qualify for this program these men had to have exemplary
behavior for an entire year. As one dad was saying good bye to
his children I heard him say “Don’t worry daddy will be perfect
this year so you can come back again next year.” I was so
humbled to think how much I take the daily things with my boys
for granted. I can go to parent teacher conferences, watch
their soccer games, and tuck them in at night.
The goal of this program is to try to help these
dads break the incarceration cycle. Many of the inmates we met
have had a dad who had also been incarcerated; some of them even
have a brother in prison with them. Their children have a 70%
higher chance of going to prison than their peers. This day
gave them the chance to play with their kids, talk to them, and
to tell them how the Lord has changed them.
I came away from this trip changed and amazed at
God’s ability to change lives. These men are convicted felons
serving long prison sentences – but they are also men who love
their kids! It was an honor to give of my time to allow them a
day of fun and bonding with their children. I praise and thank
the Lord for the privilege of being part of this amazing
weekend! Thank you all for your prayers!
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