SOC Director
for Argentina

Brian Larsen

Argentina Prisons

by Maximiliano Noriega   SOC Field Worker

We had the opportunity to visit prisons in the province of Buenos Aires in the month of September, from the 15th through the 17th.

These are the prisons in which the School of Christ Prison Ministry was introduced and established about seven months ago. With the collaboration of pastors and leadership that had been taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ to these places for nearly three decades, the work is producing an impact in the lives of those inmates that are willing to accept the Word of God.

The preaching of the Word is challenging and encouraging for many, as it was in these three days. On Thursday morning we had our first meeting at the farm where inmates are permitted to get out of prison to learn many things so they can be reinserted in society when their sentence is completed. In this setting, they have an average of two lessons a day, and they are now going through "The Holy Spirit" series. As the Lord led Bro. Brian Larsen to teach the students on abiding in Christ and let His words abide in us was noticeable the interest of the sixteen students that where present, though a few of them are not saved or don't have a relationship with the Lord.

That afternoon we went to prison number #18, which is one exclusively for drug addicts. We met the authorities of the prison and they explained to us that this place is unique in South America, since it is not just a prison, but rather a recuperation center and community, in which a group of professionals in different areas work to help the individual recuperate from their addiction. Well, it happens that in this place with a 380 man population, there is a Church of approximately seventy men that had been truly delivered by God from drugs. Where were to have a wonderful service with them, in which we shared again the intention of establishing a SOC class in that prison in a near future.

On the next day we had a meeting with former chiefs and authorities of the penitentiary system, sharing with them what the School is doing, and what it can do in the prisons of Argentina for the inmates. Talking about the human aspect, their living conditions, the emotional, but above all the spiritual aspect, which if touched by God, changes for good all the rest. They recognized the importance and necessity of such a work to take place in the prison system, because they had seen it with their own eyes. Even though they claim not to be religious, or at least they don't want to have anything to do with changing to another religion, which in their own words mean that they don't want a true relationship with God, but they do recognize that they have seen how the Gospel can change lives in the prison, even though it sounds, looks and seems crazy.

Later on Friday afternoon we went to prison #25 to meet the brothers in the first and only "Christian prison" of Argentina. They also have the School of Christ being run here, and their testimony is that the messages are very good and interesting, and that they have learned things they have never heard before. This year the government of this province had decided and did turn this prison from "Christian" (because all the inmates there were saved, coming from other prisons) to one for elderly inmates (from 60 y.o. and on). In a conversation with the inmates' leaders of the Church, they shared with us the difficulties in dealing with people that think that have lived their lives and have nothing to expect or hope for in the future; they told us that many of them do not receive visits, never. That makes it difficult for the prisoners there to be willing to live the rest of their years, some of them have to deal with depression and suicidal thoughts. Most in this prison are not Christians now, even though nearly forty percent the population attend services and demonstrate that they have a relationship with the Lord. The preaching of the Word that night there challenged them and inspired them in a way that was difficult for some to hide their emotional excitement out of the spiritual encouragement they received from the Lord's Word.

On Saturday afternoon we had scheduled to visit two prisons for women. We first went to unit #33, which is for mothers and their babies (up until 4 y.o.), where a SOC class was started several months ago. They are in the Holy Spirit series of lessons, but Bro. Brian preached a message concerning contentment, since they were having service at the time. Many women attended service, and almost all of them were so attentive to the message, that probably affected deeply each one of them. The sister that has visited this prison for many years and started the Church, Sis. Clotilde, told us that they are praying for God to give them the right sister to be in charge inside the prison. Why? In the beginning of the year, in the first visit to this prison with Pr. Brian Larsen and Pr. Pete Spackman, we met the church and the inmate sister that is the spiritual leader inside the prison, Sis. Claudia. She told us her testimony and asked us to pray for the Lord to strength her, because the fact of her having to spend many more years in prison (never said how many) was a hard thought for her.

Now in this last visit, we found out that she is leaving free at anytime soon, maybe in October. Yet, the way this sister directed the whole service, was not any different from every time we visited this prison. Right after, in a very tight schedule, we went around the corner because in the same block there is another prison for women where inmates are not mothers or at least they do not keep their children in the place. Though we had a short period of time, the Word was preached and an altar call was made and every sister prayed and was prayed for. This is the prison where the most recent school started, unit number 8. The sister in charge said that the messages are very good and powerful.

Pr. Daniel Tejeda was with us practically all the time in every place. He was once director of different prisons in the province of Buenos Aires; he has been in charge of the prison ministry once started by Pr. Juan Zucarelli for many years now, and told us that the School of Christ is making an impact in the lives of those attending classes and also in himself. He is excited with what God is doing, and has taken the burden to pray for Sis. Angie and all the Spackman family and the ministry to every prison he visits, and they are many. There are many praying for Pr. Pete and that the School of Christ may come soon to the prison where they are at. God is doing a work, and there is a lot more He will do.

In Christ,
Maximiliano Noriega