Falsely Accused
A man finds hope while imprisoned for murder.
I was a passive Christian: I never had a thought of engaging in evangelism, and I didn’t have the guts to read the Bible. I didn’t consider myself a bad person but I was addicted to the internet and pornography. I felt contented with the life I was living—until everything changed.
Rain caught up with me one evening on my way home from work. I found shelter and waited out the storm, but dark clouds covered the skies, and the night grew unbearably dark. Finally I had no option: I had to press on.
I stumbled and fell in the darkness. As I struggled to rise, my hands touched something that felt like the face of a human being. Hurriedly, I stood up and continued my way home.
When I arrived and turned on the light in my room, I was shocked. My hands and clothes were smeared with blood. The road had been so wet and muddy, that I did not realize this in the drizzle.
In the morning, I awoke to a knock at my door. Three police officers stood outside with a huge German shepherd dog. The officers grabbed me and put me in handcuffs.
I was taken to jail with two other suspects and charged with murder. I learned that I had stumbled on the dead body of a motorcycle-taxi driver who had been killed and left lying in the road a few minutes before I reached the scene. While staggering, I had accidentally touched his face and the sniffer dog traced my footsteps to my house. After my arrest, my fingerprints were found on the face of the dead man, and this was enough evidence for the court to list me among the prime murder suspects.
It was in prison that my life changed. Every room had a small pocket radio and every evening, I, along with other prisoners, tuned it to Messenger FM—a local radio station. We preferred Messenger FM to other stations because it played soothing Christian melodies with lyrics that restored hope to our broken hearts.
A Seventh-day Adventist gentleman preached to us every Saturday. He said that Messenger FM was a Seventh-day Adventist radio station. He studied the Bible with me, and I committed my life to Jesus and was baptized in 2019.
When the government imposed a COVID-19 lock down, the Adventist preacher could no longer visit. So, we listened to Bible study lessons aired on Messenger FM every morning and evening. Eventually, I decided to lead a Bible study class in prison. With the help of God, I have been able to win 26 inmates to Christ!
An investigation into the murder case ultimately proved me innocent, and I was released. On my way home, I passed by the Messenger FM studio to tell them that I had left a church congregation behind in the prison. They connected me with a Bible worker who will follow up with the 26 souls who await baptism behind bars.
I suffered in prison, but I am happy that I met Jesus there. I am now a new creature in Christ and from now on my lips will tell of His saving love and grace. Now, I will make money to support the construction of a church in the prison.
Location
Uganda
Author
Told by Ronard Arinaitwe to Herbert Tumwine, who is a Bible worker for the Messenger FM radio station in Mbarara.
How You Can Help
Pray for Ronard as he shares the message with the prisoners and for his new church behind bars.
Give to the work in Uganda. Needs include church buildings, Bible worker training and support for church planters. Send your gifts marked “Uganda Evangelism” or “Uganda Churches” to:
Mission Projects International
PO Box 151
Inchelium, WA 99138
To give securely online, visit:
www.missionspro.org/donate
Thank you. Your gifts sustain eight Bible workers who are bringing God’s last warning to the Ruhandagazi District in Uganda. Thank you so much for supporting these workers!