Several years ago, Lonnie began serving his lengthy sentence in a Department of Corrections facility. We met together for several years at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent where I minister through Prisoners for Christ Outreach Ministries full-time since 2006.Lonnie's first language is Spanish and he maintained a minimal Roman Catholic spiritual background when we started meeting. I shared introductory Bible studies from the Gospel of John and prayed with him as he was seeking truth and a changed life when he first arrived in Kent.
One day, he inquired if I might teach him the Bible and answer his questions. We started with Galatians and session-by-session worked through most of the New Testament and several Old Testament books line by line, paragraph by paragraph and chapter by chapter. We continually focused not on religious labels but what the Bible teaches.
He was uncomfortable reading English so I did the reading and he followed along closely, and I became aware he was fully engaged. I provided a Spanish Bible and several Spanish books and articles. His a questions and comments were always completely connected to what we studied.
He often asked the question that mattered most to him within two minutes before I needed to leave. I humorously told him this was my "two-minute rule." People I meet with pose what really matters to them when we first start but more often when I'm just about to leave. It was always spot-on and told me he was "getting it." Early on, he made a clear faith commitment to Christ and continued to grow with some roller-coaster stops and starts.
His case plodded on. He balanced hopefulness and bitter discouragement. but it didn't look good to me. I didn't ask questions about his case with him. We shared a continuing discipleship ministry, innocent or guilty, as long as he was willing.
He grew deeply angry and disappointed over about sixth months and didn't want to meet but I kept coming in to be available to other inmates and him. The Lord gave me another man to meet with met with consistently. One day, he approached me almost out of the blue and we continued on. We met fairly regularly about Bible themes and his life change until he received his sentencing. He remained angry about his sentence because he claimed he was innocent of his charges and hoped to appeal.
Lonnie was virtually never openly expressive although he was thankful for our often twice weekly meetings. Close to when he left to serve his sentence, I was really touched when he told me he considered me one of his friends and brothers. I teared up and we prayed together.
At his prison site, I sent him Wayne Grudem's "Systemstic Theology," in Spanish. He actually wrote me once and acknowledged receiving the book. I even called the facility mail room to ensure he received it. He hasn't written again and did not respond to a letter I sent him later.
