Article Display
Email  |  My Account  |  Donate
Maranguita Juvenile Detention Center
Lima, Peru

I wish I could fully describe their faces, as they stood in line waiting for their name to be called so they could approach the pool we had set up in the “San Martin” pavilion’s courtyard. 37 youth in total, none older then 18, that were there serving time for severe crimes. Many we were told hitmen contracted to kill people, others for drug related crimes, all of them standing in front of the remaining 113 inmates in their pavilion who sat in formation on the courtyard floor waiting to witness their declaration of faith.

I wish I could describe the spark in all their eyes as we met before the baptism service, with just the guys who would be entering the pool. We wanted to be sure they understood what was happening. We wanted them to know that Jesus was their savior, not the waters of an inflatable pool. We wanted them to know how powerful it was that they were making a public declaration of a reality they already had with Jesus as their savior.

They all understood they were forgiven by his blood. They all understood that old things had passed and all was being made new.

I wish I could describe the patio. Freshly painted by volunteers from our church Camino de Vida a few months earlier, after having been burned up by a mutiny carried out by a handful of the inmates back in July. They took control over that very pavilion and burned all the mattresses and busted their beds up to make metal weapons to confront the guards. That pavilion had been held for several days before order was restored.

And where once there were flames and ashes and smoke and chaos, there were now 37 youth ready to publicly declare the freedom Jesus had brought to their hearts.

One by one, they approached the pool, amidst cheers from our volunteers, and a mix of cheers and mocking from the inmates that sat there to watch.

And all 37 in our pavilion were baptized, joining with the same scene being played out in three other pavilions of the detention center. In total, across the 4 pavilions, 179 youth made a public declaration of their faith through the waters of baptism.

And among them was one of the guys from my Saturday morning breakfast small group. Renato, who has been faithfully serving in the prison ministry with another guy from our group. He had decided that he wanted his baptism to take place there too. So he stood in line, right with his friends that he shares the Gospel with weekly, and he too stepped into that same pool.

I am overwhelmed by what I saw. The men and women who faithfully serve in the prison ministry were so incredibly loving with these boys. They brought them toilet paper and toiletries being that the detention center only provides inmates with food. They brought them snacks and played games with them. They walked about as if they were in their own homes sitting with these kids. The baptism of these 179 boys was the fruit of the seeds this group of over 50 volunteers have been planting and diligently watering over the course of the last few years.

I wish I could describe how grateful I am to have been able to participate in that moment.

www.dannygutierrez.org
All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Author Biography

Danny Gutierrez
Web site: Danny Gutiererrez
 
The Gutierrez family has served together in Peru since 2011. Danny and Stephanie serve on the pastoral staff and executive team of Camino de Vida, a growing church with 5 campuses located in the capital city of Lima.
Read more...

About Us

The online ministry of cfaith has been helping people discover faith, friends and freedom in the Word since 2000. Cfaith provides a unique and comprehensive collection of faith-building resources for the worldwide faith community.

At cfaith, you can strengthen your faith and deepen your understanding of the Word of God by digging into the vast collection of teaching articles, streaming audio and video messages, and daily devotionals. No other website offers such a unique and extensive collection of spiritual-growth resources aimed at helping you grow in your knowledge of the Word.

Read More...

 

 

Support Us

Why support cfaith?


(All contributions are 100% tax deductible)


SUPPORT CFAITH WITH ONE CLICK!

For every Internet search you make using
goodsearch, cfaith will receive one penny!

GS Logo 250x38

Contact Us

Business Hours:


Monday—Friday: 9 a.m.—5 p.m. CST
Saturday & Sunday: Closed

Phone:

(763) 488-7800 or (800) 748-8107

Mailing Address: 

CFAITH.com
9201 75th Avenue North
Brooklyn Park, MN 55428

 

Login Form

Please ignore the “Secret Key” field; it is not needed to log in to cfaith.

Login Change Article

Spring360x442
You need to enable user registration from User Manager/Options in the backend of Joomla before this module will activate.