Set Free…But Still in a Jail Cell

Searching for answers, they wait and wonder what the future for their lives will be. In the United States state prisons and jails, Hispanic females are incarcerated at almost twice the rate of white females. Countless disappointments have occurred in their lives and far too many have lost the hope in their hearts for a life worth living…

Praise God for our Director of Spanish Precept USA, Roberto Bautista, whom God gave the opportunity to share Precept Bible study with Hispanic female prisoners during a recent ministry trip to California. On a stormy rainy day, the inmates at California prison willingly filled the Chapel to hear biblical inductive teaching.

Roberto writes: "I made my way to the Chowchilla Prison Center and met with Mary Alice and Nancy, our local Precept Leaders in charge of this Prison Ministry. I was concerned that no one would show up because of the rain. Even the Roman Catholic Priest told me that only a few would come. But to my surprise, I found the Chapel packed full of inmates!

I started teaching the ladies the 40-Minute Workshop Training. I was amazed that they were so attentive. It soon became obvious that some had limited knowledge of the Scriptures while others had not heard God's Word at all.

Maria was an inmate who had let us know she was going to be able to leave the prison the following day. I mentioned to her, 'Isn't it exciting that you're taking Jesus with you.' She said, 'I'm not sure about that.' This opened the door for me to share the Gospel with her. Moved with emotion and tears streaming down her face, Maria gave her life to the Lord Jesus Christ. I looked around the chapel and asked other women if they wanted to surrender their lives to Christ. I was overjoyed when 9 other women accepted the Lord.

At the end of the day, there were 49 women who made the commitment to continue with the 40-Minute Bible study, How Do You Walk the Walk You Talk and 10 made first time decisions for Christ! One request I heard many times while I was there, 'Please don't forget about us!' We have a plan to continue with these ladies. Mary Alice, together with one of the Hispanic inmates, Ana (a translator), will be leading the Spanish Bible Study every Thursday at noon. When they finish we will give them a certificate of completion. I plan to go again this fall to lead them in how to go deeper with our Inductive Bible Studies."

Rafael shared, "I'm 72 years old and for the first time my heart jumped for joy for what I am able to see in the scriptures. It's like they came alive to me!' El Señor Luna is a musician who had come to lead the music and had planned to slip out before the Workshop began. But something inside of him told him to stay. After the Inductive Study Training on the book of Haggai, he said, "This has been the most profitable day in my life!"

Amazing transformation is taking place through Precept's US Hispanic Team. This new ministry for the US was birthed through the enormous need in our country for the Hispanic community to hear and know God's Word for themselves.

This new outreach is possible only through the gracious gifts of our ministry partners. Prayerfully consider your part in helping touch the lives of people who are desperate to know Truth!