Ridgell's Originals

Jose was a captain in the police force. His wife was a faithful Christian, but Jose had no time for religion. He saw church as something for women and children, not men. Then he got framed for a crime he did not commit, then he got sent to prison. While there, he begin to attend church in prison. He came to realize the good news of Jesus was for him and was baptized by Rigo Vargas. When one of the local gangs put a contract out on his life, he was transfered to a prison in the north of Honduras. He was the only Christian there, so with only a Bible and a songbook, he set out to start a church.

Soon he had them remove his bed from his cell and slept on a mattress. He did this so there would be more room for church in his cell. They eventually had 16 new Christians meeting on Sundays in his cell (standing room only). The prison officials let the church build a rough shelter on the prison grounds so they would a place to meet. That church is still meeting and is led by those converted in prison by Jose.

He was released from prison last year and moved back to Tegucigalpa. He is attending law school and expecting to recieve a full pardon any day. And he works with one of the churches in the men's prison and with the one in the woman's prison. Jose says "going to prison saved my life...and while there I found life".

Our God is an awesome God. There are more Joses out there. Keep sowing seed.