Baptizing murderers and meeting film stars

Intense days.

Last Tuesday I went to the Bellavista prison in Medellin, the biggest prison in Colombia, where 7,600 prisoners are trying to fit into much too small and worn premises. Bellavista which not very long ago used to have two murders a day, has now changed to the better, and who knows, maybe thanks to Swedish Ankarstiftelsen, their partner Confraternidad Carcelaria (a part of Prison Fellowship International) and their missions work in the prison.

There I met Ruth, a radiant lady in her thirties who coordinates the evangelism work in the prison, the only female evangelist among 7,600 murderers, rapists, thieves and who knows what. "They have taken me to their heart and see me as their mummy" she says with a tender smile. At the end of our visit she asked our Swedish Christian friends if they knew a way to finance one thousand refreshments for a special week where they will do small theaters and festivities for the inmates. Within seconds one of our guests promised his church would finance it.

Pray for Ruth! and if you want to support her, let me know, her small salary depends totally on gifts.

During our visit we baptized around 20 prisoners who had decided they wanted to become Christians. I did the translation and it was powerful to say the words "I hereby baptize you to Christ, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen" and then see the person be pushed down under the water of the small pool and then risen up to a new life.

According to Ankarstifelsen, around 20,000 prisoners have decided to become Christian believers during their years of work in approximately 80 prisons in Colombia. People who leave their criminal ways and start a life of honesty, goodness and responsibility. No wonder Colombia is changing for the better!

During our visit the local coworkers of Confraternidad Carcelaria showed us a "restoration" program called Arbol Sicomoro, where the new Christian prisoners learn how to take responsibility, how to forgive and to ask for forgiveness, how to reconcile with their victims, how to restore their values etcetera. In a few words, they are helped to become good, whole and responsible citizens.

Well at the end of that rewarding day, I flew to Bogota to participate in a premiere event for the film Jerusalem Countdown produced by PureFlix, an American Christian film production company. I got to lunch together with the stars of the film as well as one of the producers. We were also inside of RCN, Colombians biggest TV network, where our American visitors were interviewed in live television.

Due to a job I had to finish, I flew back to Medellin today but I hope to be back to Bogota soon again.

Intense days, living the Film Adventure!

P.S Sorry for spelling errors... in need of English proof reader!