Page 46 - BOOK inside pages as at Aug 8

To Kajang for Life

the wardens decided to let us use the community hall again as
a regular venue for worship. Praise God!
A sense of God’s awesome holiness motivated me to do
things that I could not have done in my own strength. I also
faced many challenges as there were some prisoners who
were jealous of our growing numbers. They accused the
newcomers or freshies of joining the chapel service not to
worship God but to smoke. I was called up to the warden’s
office and questioned.
“Sam, I understand that newcomers are using the chapel
service as an opportunity to smoke. Is that true?” the warden
asked. “There have been complaints. If it’s true, we have to
ban freshies from joining the chapel service.”
“I cannot deny that a few of the newcomers are taking
advantage of the time to smoke,” I replied.
“I am sorry, we have to lock up the newcomers,” the officer
said.
I then requested to visit the newcomers in their cells one
at a time. The officer was surprised and asked why I would
want to do that. I explained to him that newcomers faced a lot
of personal struggles, including coming to terms with being
locked up for years.
“Cikgu,” I said, “most of these newcomers who are thrown
into prison need God’s Word. I want to spend time talking to
them about the Bible. I believe if Jesus can change my life, He
will also change their lives if they are willing to accept Him.”
“If that is what you want, okay, but we will have to keep
the cell locked until about one o’clock, when they come out for
lunch.”
That was how I began ministering to individuals. During
that time, there were many prisoners who gave their lives
to Jesus. God was very much at work inside the prison cells.
Some of the prisoners told me that they could not accept being
in prison for 10 or 20 years. I told them: “Look at me, I have
a life sentence. How is it that I can overcome the anxieties
within me?”
The change in me extended to my speech, and I found
myself rejecting vulgar language. That was surely God’s Holy

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