Shining Light in the Darkness

Volunteers packed 4,000 sacks to pass out to inmates in South Dakota.

Thank you for your faithful support throughout 2023 of Incarcerated Ministries with Grace Teams Ministries. We ended the year with an ecumenical collaboration to raise funds and deliver approximately 4,000 Christmas Sacks full of treats to inmates in South Dakota.

Due to skyrocketing costs, we budgeted $32,000 for the project. To be honest, I was nervous about committing to such a lofty amount. But God showed up in an incredible way, and we blew past our goal, raising over $45,000! The excess amount sets us up well for next year’s Christmas project. Praise God!

The day we handed out Christmas Sacks at the Minnehaha County Jail, I witnessed another example of God's love towards those who are incarcerated. Not only did he provide tangible treats, but he also offered the sweetest treat of all: Jesus Christ. I had a chance that day to sit at a table with several inmates and speak to them about the hope that comes with following Jesus. As I was about to leave the cell block, I had four separate men come up to me and ask for prayer.

My final conversation that day with a man named Colby stood out the most. I had never met Colby before, but he stopped me with a concerned look on his face. He told me he had overdosed five days before and was dead for 20 minutes before being brought back to life. He had heard of "near-death experiences” and others’ descriptions of a great light. He was concerned because all he saw was darkness. He wondered what that meant. Did it mean he was going to hell, or was there nothing after death?

I silently prayed for God's help as I pondered Colby's question. I asked Colby if he knew the definition of darkness. He answered that darkness was the absence of light. With that answer, I was able to offer him Jesus Christ, the giver of light and life. He left knowing he had a big decision to make in whether or not to follow Jesus. My prayer is that he chooses light instead of darkness and takes full advantage of his second chance at life.

To learn more about Converge Heartland’s Incarcerated Ministries, contact me at greg@convergeheartland.org.