God answered the prayers of Southern Baptists who asked God for someone to work alongside International Mission Board missionaries in a prison ministry in Lusaka, Zambia. He didn’t just send one Zambian believer. He sent three.
Meet Charity, Florence and Ivey. Their hearts broke when Kimberly Windham and Jane Thompson, IMB missionaries, told them about the spiritually lost women in this prison. Charity and Ivey said no one ever thinks about those in prison. They knew someone needed to encourage the prisoners.
“These women often feel that no one loves them, but they are not outcasts. God loves them,” Ivey said. “How will they know this if we do not go?”
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The Baptist women and missionaries visit once a week, partnering with the prison chaplain. Thompson noted this prison is special in the fact that it is home to many who are mentally ill, have been abused or suffer from addictions. They receive care and counseling.
Many inmates dream about freedom, Florence explained. The ministry team teaches Bible stories and shares the gospel.
“Even when they feel incarcerated here, they can have freedom in Jesus Christ,” Florence said. “And some are responding. They accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They are free even when they are in prison.”
Charity pointed out the lessons go beyond the inmates but also apply to the guards, nurses and other workers at the prison. They hear the Bible stories and answer questions, too.
Ways to pray
The Baptist women and prison chaplain ask for continued prayers:
- Pray for the hearts of female inmates to open to the Holy Spirit. The goal is to introduce the gospel and disciple the women, so they make take the Bible stories back to their villages upon release.
- Ask God to send someone to work with the male inmates on a regular basis.
- Pray for more Zambian believers to see these men and women as worthy of hearing the gospel and respond to God’s call to share with all peoples.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Sue Sprenkle and originally published by the International Mission Board.
