I recently returned from a visit to Thailand, where five countries from Crossroads International were represented at our summit. These countries make up part of the advisory committee of Crossroads International, and include Canada, Australia, South Africa, Kenya, and Singapore.
During the summit, each of the five countries were able to give praise for the work God is doing in their country, and we had specific opportunities to lift each other up in prayer. Cynthia Williams, Crossroads’ International Director, updated us on what’s happening globally with Crossroads.
These rare opportunities to connect with leaders from all over the world always remind me of how blessed we are to have such dedicated leaders. These leaders, in Canada and abroad, have a deep desire to see more students come to know Christ more fully through engagement in discipling relationships with more mentors, completing more lessons and inviting more prisoners to do the same.
This ministry has an abundance of leadership, for which I am grateful.
I was also extremely grateful for the opportunity to enjoy fellowship and prayer with other leaders as brothers and sisters in Christ. As we sat down during our meals, it was good to experience a glimpse of heaven: a place where different languages, cultures, and ethnic groups are able to come together as we serve our Lord and Saviour.
And for a brief moment, I remembered that heaven will also include all the prisoners the Lord saves along the way. Very often, it’s easy to think about the earthly ramifications of our goals as we focus on the restoring of prisoner’s lives and the redemption of their hearts, but let us remember that one day, each one of us will spend time in heaven with the students we mentor here on earth.
This ministry is not just about the immediate saving of prisoners, but about the eternal life and hope they have in Jesus. It’s about how, one day, we are all united as family. We will not be separated by prison walls. There will be no crime. We will be together in heaven praising our Lord and Saviour.
And what a glorious day that will be.