RENY | India

Reny grew up the son of a preacher and was raised in a Christian home. He knew the Good News inside out. But he also knew that following Jesus was going to cost him and he wasn’t interested.

He was the black sheep of the family. All he wanted to do was have fun and enjoy life. His life of crime first started when he stole a quarter rupee from his father’s wallet, but soon progressed to smoking weed, stealing money, smoking dope and stealing cars. Reny needed a lot of money to cultivate his habits, so he decided to commit a crime. Him and a group of men went to his relative’s house under the guise of visiting them, but their true intention was to rob them. Ultimately, they ended up murdering them. Once his crime and name appeared in the newspaper, everyone quickly knew that he was a murderer and thief.

That day was the darkest day of my life. The day I was arrested, I knew everything was finished.

Reny’s heart was so hard, it seemed impossible that God’s word could ever take root. He was discarded by everybody. Everyone wrote him off because they didn’t think anything could change him. Once out on parole he intended to rob a bank for money to keep his habits up. He made the plans and recruited guys to assist him. Reny’s parents were totally broken, seeing that Reny had not changed, but Reny did not care for his people.

I was not bothered about a brother, sister, father, nobody.

On the day he was going to rob the bank, Reny’s mother told him that a young man had come to see him. Reny assumed the visitor was an underworld guy, but to his surprise, the man said, “Praise the Lord!” The man took Reny to a prayer meeting in the same town where he had committed the heinous murder. As the moments passed by, something started happening – Reny surrendered his life to Christ.

Like the prodigal son, Reny went away from home and the Lord but realized he was living a wrong, sinful life. He knew his Father had a beautiful home, so he came to his senses, got up from where he was and walked back home. Both his eternal and earthly dad were waiting for him with open hands, ready to embrace, kiss and receive him.

Thank you for your partnership with Prison Fellowship International!

Your generous gift will change a prisoner’s life as they are introduced to Jesus’ love and grace through The Prisoner’s Journey!

Would you consider making your gift a monthly donation and becoming a Lamplighter – an individual that brings light to the darkest of places and shares the hope of Jesus Christ with a new prisoner every month? Your monthly gift will ensure that prisoners around the world are enrolled in The Prisoner’s Journey to receive a personal Bible, an 8-week Bible study and opportunities to grow as a disciple of Jesus. With a monthly gift, you can have an eternal impact on dozens of souls every year.