Glory from a prison cell!

a story of light breaking forth in the darkness...

rhoda and oliver are a part of the all nations family. they are from malawi, but have been living in masi for a few years. they are a beautiful couple whose hearts overflow with kindness and fierce faith.

a few weeks ago, oliver went into immigration to sort out his papers. the next thing he knows he is being detained because they were expired a week. OH MY. we are told that he will be moved to pollsmoor prison, then to jo'berg and then taken to malawi (who knows how many months this will take.) the story of how oliver was finally released and all that happened this side of the prison cell is SO filled with the Lord's hand. so many testimonies of His goodness and faithfulness. rhoda's response of clinging to Jesus with victorious faith was so beautiful. but the story i am going to tell is what happened inside that prison cell at pollsmoor...

oliver was placed in a cell with 70 or 80 other men...prisoners. not just men who had been detained due to paperwork...but prisoners who were there for murder, drugs, crime, etc. i have heard bits and pieces of the horrific conditions that prisoners have to live under in pollsmoor because of gangs within the prison. especially for foreigners like oliver. the first day, two men came up to oliver, grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him to let him know just where he had arrived...

but oliver did not chose despair or fear. he chose courage, faith and joy in the Holy Spirit. he told us that he just wanted to encourage and strengthen the other prisoners. he began sharing with them about the story in acts where paul and silas are flogged, put in prison and chose to worship the Lord, and how they Lord acted on their behalf. he loved these men, prayed for them, and showed them the loving kindness of God. and hard hearts began to melt. people were touched by the love of God that oliver was pouring into their weary hearts. on the last day, as oliver was being released many of the men came up and hugged oliver goodbye. the two men that shoved him the first day actually came to him and apologized saying, "we are sorry, we didn't know who you were."

"draw near to God and he will draw near to you..." James 4:8 the nearness, favor and protection of the Lord are so real. i will choose to turn my eyes to Jesus in the dark moments...for thats when light breaks forth and His Glory is revealed! amen.