Well first of all, I have things to say. In life you must live with God's way
and he will help you out. I know. Since I've been here on earth, I've been with
God. I went to church. I love to work. But I like helping people most of all. I
am someone who cares about people. I help some read and write. When I was out, I
took friends out to have fun to see the world. Not many people today get to see
the world. I have a friend who is in a foster home. He does not know life on the
outside.
What about people in nursing homes? You put your grandma and grandpa or your
parents there and forget about them. To me you should not. They brought you into
this world and you owe something to them. They're all alone, and always like to
have people visiting them. How do I know? I worked in a nursing home. You are
all a part of God's world. Look around you, there is someone that needs your
help.
I try to stay busy, busy. I work in the dorm as a porter, am active in
church, love writing letters, reading, and listening to the radio. I also listen
to church songs. I help this man that just got here. I knew him from the county
jail, and I thought I would not see him again. He got to go to the halfway
house, but he would not stay there. So they sent him here and put into my dorm.
To me God sent him to me to help and I have been doing it. I have a caring
heart. I help him read and write. Everyone wants to use him. He is handicapped.
Why laugh at people that way? It could be you.
Also one last thing. You are sent to prison to change your life. You might
change, but most keep doing what they did before. You might come to change, but
you learn to do something different. To me, if you turn your life over to God
and let him do the work for you and lead you, maybe you would not keep coming
back here. I will pray for all of you to help others out, your brothers. Just
think, you could help a person. You might just save his life.
There are people who care, if you just look or ask God for help. It doesn't
matter what other people are in here for, because we are all in God's world.
You might not have strength to get up here to tell all of us what you have to
say, but I want to let you know it will make you feel good about yourself if you
try it. No one should laugh at you; if they do they have a problem. Just believe
in yourself and you can do anything if you try.
I will let you go and may God be with you all. God is always here to hear
what you have to say. I also tell you if you need someone to talk to, God is
here and I am here. I am not like anyone else. I care about people.
I will let you go. But one thing: if you come to church, come because you
want to in your heart. Come to worship God and pray and you shall be saved.
This testimony is from a talk Mike Festi gave in prison. He enjoys reading
and would like pen-pals. Testimony Newsletter will forward his address on
request. ed.