Heaven in Prison
It wouldn't be much of a stretch to equate jail in Goma, DR Congo, with a prison sentence in hell.
Read MoreIt wouldn't be much of a stretch to equate jail in Goma, DR Congo, with a prison sentence in hell.
Read MoreIn the dusty, parched outback of southern Kenya an oasis of new life has sprung up. It’s called Philemon House, and it's a place of both refuge and rebirth for Kenya’s youth who were once incarcerated (aftercare), or beforehand if their probation officers believe they can be rehabilitated—and to avoid making they into hardened criminals as a result of prison time (this is mainly done for the girls).
Read MoreGraduating from high school, or even receiving certification for a vocational training course, is a significant achievement for most young people. But for Abedi—whose future had once seemed so dark, so unpromising—many had said such an accomplishment was impossible. That's because Abedi had been rescued from a life of abandonment, drug use, mental/emotional problems and, finally, incarceration in the prison system of Kenya.
Read MoreA certain communist Caribbean island off the coast of Florida may bring to mind lush beauty, white sands and clear water. But behind the mask of alluring beauty, the rot of many lost souls putrefies.
Read MoreYou may recall that Carole and I went to Israel last September. I love what my partner, Dov Bikas, is doing among the addicts and homeless, and the Prison & Rehab Ministry is supporting his work there as God provides. I thought you’d appreciate another testimony from the land of our spiritual forefathers.
Read MoreI wonder what Abraham, David or Elijah would think about the Promised Land today. The truth is, modern Israel is not the romanticized place we learned about in Sunday School. On the contrary, I've learned it's a messy melting pot of people who often carry a lot of pain—many of whom have found various self-destructive, addictive ways to numb it.
Read MoreAbraham liked to hang out in Beersheba, a southern city in Israel situated in the Negev desert. So do some recovering drug and alcohol addicts.
Read MoreModern Israel, I've come to find out, is not just the romanticized land of the Bible, but it's also a messy melting pot of people who often carry a lot of pain, and have found various self-destructive, addictive ways to suppress it—at least for a few hours. Take away modern technology, however, and life is not all that different from Jesus' day—instead of Samaritans there are Palestinians; instead of lepers there are drug and alcohol addicts. And then there are the women who, just like 2,000 years ago, feel they have no option for survival but to sell their bodies by the hour. For many Jews and Christians, these kinds of people are to be avoided.
Read MoreStealing food was a basic instinct for young Samuel—he had to survive. He had no mother, no home, and, like his father, lived on the crowded streets of Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. The future looked hopeless for Samuel, and it became even bleaker when he was eventually caught and imprisoned at the Shikusa Juvenile Centre.
Read MoreMary told her harrowing story of how her husband and five of her seven children were murdered during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Then, remarkably, she told about how God has healed those wounds and filled her heart with His mercy and forgiveness.
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