For years Charles has heard the testimonies from hundreds of inmates. Here is one of those testimonies:

“Hello, my name is Galion and I have 4 children. I was 43 years old and had been incarcerated twice before in my life, but this time something miraculous happened. I am now 53 years old and still in prison. To God be the Glory in all.

“I started out in life like a normal 19-yeal old and also started smoking marijuana at 19. Got married, had a job and a lot of dreams and hopes for the future. You know, get married, buy a nice car, motorcycle, boat and a house.

“In the next 33 years I was married 3 times and had 4 children. Two of the marriages ended in divorce and one marriage ended in my wife committing suicide. I cussed God, and blamed him for my wife’s suicide. I went in and out of the drug world and prison over the next 33 years. My children grew up without a dad and mother. I have been in prison for the last 11 years on 4 life sentences for selling drugs and 6 twenty year sentences for dru7g possession with intent to distribute. On March 19, 1993, about 4 months before I received 4 life sentences and 6 twenty year sentences, something miraculous happened that changed my life forever. Out of the clear blue one day I say clear blue, because I wasn’t looking for or expecting Jesus.

“A friend and I were smoking a cigarette out back of the prison, and I was telling him how I was going back to court on some 3-year old drug charges; but it would be no problem in beating those charges. I heard some music and asked this friend of mine where it was coming from, and he said, “Over there in the chapel.’

“I took a couple more drags off the cigarette, and felt something strange or maybe I should say unexplainable, come over me. I said to him, “Let’s go over there and listen to the music.”

“He said, “You must be crazy and I am not going to church!”

“I replied, “Come on man, I haven’t been to church since I was 12 years old and we can leave when the music quits.”

“My friend said, “No! Let’s go back inside!”

“But there was something unexplainable drawing me to that church. So I said goodbye to him and went to the chapel.”

“I walked in, sat down, and listened to the singing. A preacher named Tom Shaw Jr. started preaching on the ‘prodigal son’, and I started to cry and couldn’t stop. It was as if I was numb all over and my whole life of sin passed before me. I knew that very instant God was real and this Jesus was all I ever needed.

“I was crying so hard that I could see nothing; yet, I felt the presence of God all over me. I was now headed to the alter, and when I get there, Jesus changed my life forever, and He delivered me from drugs in one split second. The dare was burned into my soul forever: March 19, 1993.

“On July 16, 1993, I went back to the court on those old drug charges and threw myself at the mercy of the court and pled guilty before the judge. I told him I couldn’t lie because I was now a Christian and Jesus Christ was real. I stated that I did all I said I did and more. He gave me four life sentences for drug sales and six 20-year sentences for drug possession.

“As I lay in my jail cell floor crying that night, I said, ‘God I know you are real and Jesus is real too, but I don’t understand who will take care of my children.’

“The scripture that kept coming to my mind was, “I will never leave you nor forsake you. How true that has been in my life since March 19, 1993, the day that I was miraculously touched by Jesus. My children now all know Jesus Christ as the Savior.

“Praise and trust God in the valleys of your life and you will praise Him on the mountaintops. To God be the glory!”