From the putrid depths of maximum security prison comes a ray of hope ...
I am one of my aged mother's seven children and I am the second born in my family of four boys and three girls. I am 26 years old. I was brought up in a Christian family, though they were not very much committed Christians hence my faith also was not strong. When I reached 15 years I stopped schooling in grade nine and at the age of 16 I got married to a girl who was 16 as well. My father had a small farm where I used to stay and work as a farm driver and I was practising mechanics which was one of the sources of my income. At this age I was a beer drinker and I used to do many bad things in the sight of men and God without knowing that I was wrong. Satan was covering my face and my mind with his black cloth. In short, I lost direction of God and put my mind on the things of this world.
Briefly let me enlighten you how I felt God's love and protection to me a sinner. At the time of writing this, I am on death row in a maximum security prison for a murder committed with my brother. It was in April 1994 when my brother and I took sugar canes to sell at a bus station in northern Zambia, as we used to do most times since farm products were our sources of income. My brother doing his year 11, he just came for a holiday.
It was during the course of business that one man picked a quarrel with my brother (who was much younger than him) preventing him from selling sugar canes to the customers. This quarrel led to my brother being severely beaten when the man called for help from his friends. We were both drunk. In the course of the fight, I injured the man with the machete we had used to cut the cane. He later died in hospital. After the man's death, his family became very angry and started setting fire to the houses at our farm and damaging our property and vehicles. Their intention was to kill my family and us.
But by God's grace my family was rescued by the police and taken to another district 100 km away. That is where my wife and children are now. She is now married to another man. In maximum security prison it is a privilege to have preachers every week. In my previous prison, I hated the preacher with his message of repentance and salvation as a sinner. By God's grace I found many devoted inmates who assisted and encouraged me until I met God and was baptised.
During my five years in prison I have seen several incidents, some of which are good and some are detestable to look upon. One great thing happened in 1995, when the officers forced all the prisoners to attend a gathering which was being led by a pastor from Prison Fellowship Zambia. I cannot remember the scriptures he explained but I realised that I had gone far away from God. I even recalled what used to happen in the church where my aged mother was talking to me. As the pastor explained the scriptures I was touched by his words. I realised I was a sinner and I needed a saviour. After the preacher had gone that bell continued to ring in my heart.
I developed an interest in attending Christian gatherings of prisoners. In 1995 1 was convicted and sentenced to death by the high court and transferred to the putrid chambers of maximum security prison, condemned section.
Although I am on death row and facing terrible living conditions I am experiencing God's love. I am feeling God's presence, His power and protection and God's real peace!
Due to the Government's economy we live in poverty and tatters. The prison department cannot meet our needs because it is so poorly funded by the government. Most times we are without medicine at our local clinic, but in all these sufferings I feel God is with me. Because He first rescued my family and us, He is able to keep me from failing and protect against the attacks of the devil. I beg all of you reading this, brothers and sisters, to pray for us that God may continue to give us the strength to endure the miseries that we face. Pray also that the God of mercy may allow our republican president to use his prerogative of mercy to pardon me. I long to be free to take the message of repentance and salvation to all who are living and moving in darkness, so that many will come to the light of God. Most of all I would love to hear from you, as is written in the book of Proverbs 25 verse 25: 'like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a far country.'
Jesus said: "If you love Me, you will obey my commandments and I will ask the Father and He will give you another helper who will stay with you forever" (John 14 verses 15-16). He did this for me and He is still doing this for everyone who asks it with a repentant heart. Please, people of God, let us thank God for his Son Jesus Christ who redeemed us!
Written in 1999