My life before Christ was out of control. I drank daily, used marijuana daily, cheated on my spouse, lied and stole. I was a lost soul living for worldly things and not caring about who I hurt or my future.
On April 26th, 2019, around 5 pm I was arrested. All my crimes and sinning had finally caught up with me. I was taken to jail where my bond was denied and the judge gave me a sentence of 87 months, 7 years and 3 months. I was shocked, destroyed, lost. I had just lost my whole world. My wife left me. My career was over, my new home gone, everything. I knew I had been a bad person, but I didn’t expect or ever think this would happen to me. I cried every night, could not eat, thought about killing myself.
But then one day in the El Paso county jail a prison missionary came and talked to me. That was nice but whatever. But then he came back and came every week just to talk and pray with me. I even got a prison Bible from the missionary. I started to find peace and understand why my life was so out of control. I read that Bible cover to cover and looked forward to seeing my missionary every week. But on one meeting he asked me to pray and ask God to take control of my life. And after that things got better. I could breathe again. I moved to FCI La Tuna after 7 months in the county jail to serve my sentence and while I was there, I went to church, signed up for Bible studies in the mail and kept reading my Bible. I can’t explain the power of God. I just know it’s there and it’s real. God saved my life, and it was all because that missionary took time out of his day to come see me and pray for me.
My life now, it’s not perfect, things are hard. I’m a free man, but I don’t drink or do drugs. I have found a partner who also believes in God, and I’m committed to being faithful. I am a member of a local church and love being there every Sunday. I even run their music slides during services. I have an amazing job. I owe it all to God’s mercies, love and the prison missionaries who guided me in the right direction.
Thank you for letting me share my story. – Isaac P.