Source: Christian Aid Mission, June 14, 2023
A crowd of murderers, thieves, and other violent men, women, and minors in Mali were incarcerated uneasily in the same prison when guards called them into the courtyard.
An officer told the inmates that Christians had come from hundreds of kilometers away to give them advice, and to please listen to them.
The hardened faces softened as the native Christian worker spoke of disobedience, sin, and salvation. The worker knew this might be the only chance the criminals from different tribes had of hearing the gospel, the ministry leader said.
Within minutes, a voice cried out, “I am guilty—this man is telling the truth. God help me.”
“You could see each of them whispering similar things to themselves; others had reddened eyes and tears,” the leader said. “As if a light had just burst forth in the midst of darkness, we saw some faces unraveling—certainly the power of God was there.”
As a spirit of repentance dissolved the prior atmosphere of misery, the prison officer also confessed to the inmates: “This word concerns me—I am guilty towards God. May God help me.”
“As he spoke, tears could be seen rolling down the cheeks of many,” the leader said, adding that the officer and inmates pleaded for the workers to pray for them.
Read the full story to see how this encounter changed the prisoners, according to the warden.