Despite her imprisonment, Rina has discovered peace and purpose in Jesus Christ.
Rina knows what it means to endure heartbreak. She is several years into a 20-year prison sentence, which means being separated from her son and family.
She used to work as a nurse, traveling from Liberia to other countries to help hurting people. She had saved for years to create a bright future for her child.
Yet, when she was arrested and imprisoned, she spent her life savings on legal defense—then lost her case.
Rina has seen her incarceration as an opportunity to get to know God better and to encourage fellow female inmates.
“It was shocking,” she said. “I didn’t know about the court process. I had never been to a police station in my entire life.”
Confined to a place that threatened to break her, Rina has instead experienced “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).
Other women in the prison come to her when their despair is at its deepest and darkest. Rina listens, cries with them, and prays for them. She tells them that this peace isn’t her own—it comes from Jesus Christ.
God’s Word Brings Encouragement
Several years ago, Samaritan’s Purse began helping meet the needs of inmates and staff at many of Liberia’s prisons. Our teams provide food, cooking supplies, hygiene items, and vocational training.
When Rina is released, she’ll have useful skills thanks to our livelihoods tailoring classes.
We are making clean water available by rehabilitating wells and installing solar powered pumps to fill reservoirs. Our hygiene training is helping inmates and prison staff to guard against waterborne illness, and our agriculture team is teaching inmates gardening techniques so they will have more nutritious diets.
“We are grateful to the Almighty for Samaritan’s Purse. Under very difficult conditions, they’re still helping,” said Roosevelt Varney, superintendent of the Monrovia Central Prison.
Samaritan’s Purse staff and local pastors are also leading a discipleship course to encourage people with the truth of God’s Word. Rina joined the discipleship classes because she desperately needed to be reminded of the eternal hope of Christ. Although she has been a Christian for a long time, her days in prison were marked by despair, overwhelming boredom, and dread.
The Holy Spirit worked through our discipleship program, and Rina’s heart was opened to how God could work in her life—even behind bars. “They gave us a Bible. I didn’t know how to study the Bible, but they taught us how to read and understand it,” she said.
Samaritan’s Purse hosted a ceremony to celebrate Rina and the other students who graduated from the program. We provided a hot meal, a special time of worship, and encouragement from God’s Word. Rina’s faith was strengthened by the testimony of other inmates who shared about freedom in Christ during the ceremony.
“I didn’t know how to study the Bible, but they taught us how to read and understand it.”
The more she reads the Bible and talks about it with our staff and other inmates, the more God reveals Himself to her. Rina’s confidence is growing as she teaches other women the Scriptures.
“Many of the inmates do not think they have a future. But I encourage them. I tell them that they still have a future,” she said. “We still have something waiting for us.”
Superintendent Varney is thankful for our staff who are investing in the lives of Rina and other inmates. “This job is about people. We have to treat people with dignity,” he said. “From a distance, people judge inmates. But when you come closer, you realize that they’re human, too. Amazing things happen when you get that close.”
Rebuilding from the Inside
Hope for brighter days is one reason we provide vocational training classes such as baking, soap making, and tailoring. Rina and other inmates are learning practical skills that will help provide sources of income when they return home.
A blackboard depicts stitching patterns to follow.
“I have something to do when I get out,” Rina said. “I have a trade and I can make money. Samaritan’s Purse is helping us build a future while we’re still inside the prison.”
Every training course creates one-on-one opportunities to minister to inmates and prison personnel who are struggling to thrive. During the courses, many inmates have expressed their desire to give God ownership of their lives and, as a result, have prayed to receive Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
Like many of the inmates, Rina has experienced renewed purpose in her life behind bars. She longs for the day when she can leave the prison and reunite with her family, but until then, she is devoted to helping other inmates flourish in their relationship with Jesus Christ.
“Samaritan’s Purse has been a help to so many, and I’ve learned a lot,” she said. “Through them, God showed me that my purpose—whether I’m in here or out there—is to study and teach the Word of God.”
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
