We as ambassadors of Jesus need to take the time and energy to stand beside and walk with all who are hurting or lost. After taking the step to allow Jesus to become both Lord and Saviour, it is important that we take the message of His reality and love to all who will listen.

There have been times in my life when I have been tired or depressed and just wanted to be left alone and not bothered. During these times as I made the effort and reached out to another, I have always been blessed and encouraged. God always has a way of touching lives if we will only be obedient and follow the leading of His Spirit.

I have enclosed a few testimonies of some I have had the privilege of ministering to in the prison systems. I hope you too will start to reach out to those around you. If you do you will be blessed as I have been.

Letters of Testimony From Inmates Doing Time

DEEPEST THANKS

I would like to send a letter of my very deepest thanks to Roger Gamble for his unwavering efforts at restoring my soul, my mind, and my heart and being willing to help me through the very lowest point in my life. Roger found me in November of 1995, at the Edmonton Remand Centre, filled with such incredible doubt, fear, sorrow, guilt and depression and without his continual ministering to me I do not know how I would have gotten to the point where I not only survived mentally and physically, but to where I actually have hope for myself, to where my spirit is renewed in our dear Lord, Jesus Christ. Inmate DB

DOIN’ TIME

John 10:10 (NIV) "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

MY LIFE THE WRONG WAY

I have been a petty ass criminal for exactly 20 years. I thought at the simple age of 10 it was really, really fun to steal anything that didn't belong to me. I have had a hard life. [I'm not looking for sympathy.] Since I was twelve years old I have lived on the streets, in and out of foster homes, group homes, detention centers, training schools, and finally jail. All these places have one thing in common. They stopped me from stealing for short periods of time. As I got older, I got worse. I have always told myself I could stop anytime I wanted to. As I got older I worked in bars [strip joints].I had booze all the time, women when I wanted them, and finally I thought I had met the only purpose in my life, a drug called 'cocaine'. Wow, what a high! It was the best thing that had ever happened to me in twenty-two years. I couldn't live without it. I needed it. Every day of my life I wanted some cocaine. I didn't want food, booze, or women. All I wanted was my cocaine. I went on binges, spent $10,000 at a rip, lost all my friends, my apartment, my money, and twenty pounds of weight in two weeks, but that didn't stop me. I'd do more crime, get more cocaine, and get high.

That's all that mattered to me and that's all I wanted in my life for the next eight years. I have four uncles that are Pastors of their own churches. I have an uncle that was on 100 Huntley Street for at least a decade. I have always had people trying to teach me the way of the Lord, but I was ignorant to them and the Lord. Like I mentioned earlier, I lived on the street since I was twelve.

I did everything on my own: fights, stealing, getting high, crying a lot of nights by myself with nobody to love or feel loved by. The Lord was never there, in my mind, to stop me from doing anything I wasn't supposed to do. No school, no job, no family, no life; that's what I had.

I came back into jail in 1995 looking at three to five years and I am a happy man for once in my life. I have finally reached my high of all highs without the use of drugs. On September 19, 1995, through a beautiful man, R.G., I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ into my life.

My life has changed so dramatically since this date that I wish to explain, not in so much detail but I have never felt good about myself in the last fifteen years as I do today. If someone would have mentioned to me three months ago that I would soon accept the Lord Jesus into my life, I would have laughed in their face and probably looked for a way to get high.

Well let me tell you, there is not a drug made that could ever bring me to the high that I get from praying to the Lord Jesus and waiting for what the Lord has in mind for my future. I hope it has to do with maybe counseling little renegades like I was.

I never had anyone that took time out of their life to show me the road to a better life when I was younger. If Jesus can do this for me after twenty years of being a petty ass criminal, I hope I can tell these youngsters about my life and show them an inside look that Jesus is the way of life. Being a criminal is not God's way; it is the devil's way. It's going to be the hardest thing I've ever done in my life to walk on God's path rather than the one I was on. But I have a few beautiful people in my life that will be with me every day in prayer. I know someday I will be an ex-convict and that the Lord will be with me every step of the way. Thank You, Lord Jesus.

Inmate LG

MY ROAD THROUGH ANGER, BITTERNESS, PAIN AND MURDER TO SERVANT OF JESUS CHRIST

I used to think that life was pain and that pain was everything. That is how I lived my life, giving pain and receiving it. I was 29 years old, 1 month warrant expiring from a 4 year bit. Full of hate and failure, a failure at life, I abandoned my wife and children for drugs, booze and a criminal's way of life. When I got out in 9, I swore to change it around, and for 7 months I did it clean, worked hard, stayed straight or as straight as I could, no coke though. Till that 9 month point, by then I had enough of trying to feed myself and take care of bills.

An old friend came around, bag of coke in hand, "Let's go bro. Let's party down." Well, I chucked it all, had a real good time. Five days later, a man lay broken and dead. I was the one that did it. I got rid of the body, but I was all covered with his blood and disgusted with what I had become.

Three months later I couldn't go on. I had to give the body up. I had to let his family know that he was really dead, so they could put him to rest, and so I could get this burden, this horror off my chest. It was God's mercy that day - He gave me the chance; I see it very clear now. Mercy is receiving the things we don't deserve and being set free from the things we deserve.

Grace is finding His empowering presence to help us in our time of need.

God gave me mercy first. I took His hand and He delivered onto me the word, and I didn't turn away. I discovered Jesus Christ and found the answers to why we are all sinners, why we all act like we are dead. I discovered love, kindness, joy and peace; I was born again. It's been two years now since I gave myself up, gave my old life up to God. I was sentenced to life 14, and I'm free at last. Dr. Richard Lovelace says: "Four walls do not a prison make nor iron bars a cage".

John 14:6 "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father, except through me."

I was the story of Saul. I persecuted all, hated all. Now with God's Grace, I seek and find the ones who are lost. I help them find peace; I plant the seed of faith. I work for God now, and business is good. Grace is the empowering presence of God enabling you to be what he has called you to be, and to do what God has called you to do.

Do you feel all alone when surrounded with friends? Do you look off in the distance with a need you can't fill? Does everything you touch turn out wrong? Are you alone, and afraid of what's going to happen next? Are you well to do, and still feel something is missing? Do you feel you've done so much that you'll never be forgiven? Well, here's something, He forgave me and I have done everything, even become a killer.

This is how much God loves you, me, everyone. He loves us with out discrimination regarding your actions, your colour, or past beliefs or religions. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

May God bless you this day. Your brother in Christ, D

CORRECTIONAL CHAPLAIN SPEAKS ABOUT REV GAMBLE

This letter is written in hope that it might give you a better idea of who Roger Gamble is and what the Lord is doing through Roger and his ministry. Roger and a ministry team have been an active part in the ministry here at the Remand Centre. It was here that I met Roger and the other members when they came offering their support for our Christmas program in 1993.

As the Protestant Chaplain here at the Remand Centre, it has been my great pleasure and blessing to have this group ministering to the inmates with me as they conduct services every month in the Centre. Roger and I have ministered to many and to each other over the past few years as a ministry team. I know that the Lord has been and is doing a great work in and through Roger. I have witnessed lives being changed and many commitments being made as Roger shares the Good News of Christ with others.

Roger has come into the Remand Centre as contract volunteer doing follow-up for those who have made their commitment, helping them to grow in their faith. This confirms and shows the depth of Roger’s commitment to doing the Lord’s work.

I pray that you will not hesitate to welcome Roger and his ministry team to minister in your community. I know that you will be greatly blessed by the Lord through them as I have.

Captain David Lines, Chaplain
Edmonton Remand Centre
9660 - 104 Avenue
Edmonton Alberta Canada T5H 4B5

ROGER MINISTERING IN PRISON

An Inmate who said YES to Jesus!