VL - Issue 42 - January 2022

What I did not realize at the time was
that my dad had become a Christian on
the telephone right along with me. Just
like Nicodemus in John 3, we were both
born again. Dad had been observing the
unmistakable change in my mom’s way
of life and that night, he surrendered to
the one true God too. My father, Manolo,
was a mighty man of God from that
day forward.
God answered my prayer, and His Holy
Spirit gave me the courage to fly home to
New York with my family and take responsibility
for the crimes I had committed.
FBI agents were waiting for me when I deplaned
at Kennedy International Airport,
and they took me into custody.
They escorted me to a regional office
in Newark, New Jersey, where other FBI
agents booked and fingerprinted me and
confiscated my US passport. Then, I was
released on bond.
Because I had pleaded guilty, there was
no trial. Incredibly, the judge sentenced
me to only three years at Allenwood Federal
Prison in Montgomery, Pennsylvania.
God’s amazing grace was on full display.
And soon there would be more.
Typically, incarceration begins immediately
after sentencing, but I did not go to
prison right away. The judge allowed me to
go home for three more months and then
to report to prison on my own, unescorted.
I treasured this time with my family
and appreciated the opportunity to set my
things in order.
When the time came, my family drove
with me to prison. Once I was processed, a
correctional officer came to take me away.
Tears flowed as I hugged Cecilia, my parents,
and my children goodbye. Leaving
them was very hard as my future felt so uncertain.
We put everything in God’s hands.
I changed into prison clothes, and then
I was fingerprinted again and checked in.
My ID card proclaimed that I was prisoner
#07592-050. Humiliation does not begin
to describe the experience. My boots and
pants didn’t fit, and for the first two weeks,
I had no pillow. My top bunk was in a dormitory
with 74 other men. What a change
in lifestyle! But God was faithful to me.
Before prison, I had never in my life
cleaned a room or even made my bed,
so my first work assignment was a rude
awakening. I would be cleaning the bathrooms.
Now, I didn’t know how to clean a
bathroom, but I had traveled in high-class
circles, so I knew what one should look like.
So I set my expectations accordingly.
Colossians 3:23 says that whatever we
do, we should do it unto God. It seemed to
me that, as a Christian, my actions should
reveal my love for God. He deserved my
best efforts. I was His ambassador and
wanted to reflect Him positively everywhere
and in every way.
I quickly learned about work ethic and
principles like “hitting the corners.” A
superficial clean wasn’t good enough; I
wanted those bathrooms to be clean from
top to bottom, just like I wanted my life to
be pure before God.
It never failed though—just as I finished
cleaning, some guy would come in and
mess it all up. Nevertheless, I cleaned to
the best of my ability for eight hours a day,
and I did it for the glory of God. He had
ordained this work to humble me. What I
didn’t know was that God was preparing
me for a ministry of “getting dirty.” He
was about to call me to an up-close-andpersonal
ministry with people the world
didn’t want to touch.
I knew my salvation was real because
this unpleasant work didn’t produce a
com plaining attitude, not even hidden in
my heart. Only the Holy Spirit could have
brought about that transformation.
Manny (white suit) at
the Prison Fellowship
banquet where he met
many mighty men of God.
Apart from Jesus, I had nothing to bring
to the table. God was the only One who
could change my life; my task was to submit,
surrender, and let God have His way.
Sometimes I failed miserably because my
stubborn, sinful human nature resisted
change. But God, so rich in mercy, always
forgave me and helped me move forward
better (Ephesians 2:4–5; 1 John 1:9).
I was developing into a new person, and
I knew I did not want to go back to the man
I had been. I didn’t like him, so I aimed to
draw closer to Jesus. Only He could help
me develop godly traits and bear lasting
fruit in my life (John 15:1–5). I didn’t know
God very well yet, but I knew He was for
real, and that authenticity attracted me
like a magnet.
Several godly inmates and I began holding
daily prayer meetings to help other
inmates know God. Not long after, God
brought a new chaplain to our prison. We
worked together to organize the church
body, and the church began to grow.
Chaplain Cordero and I planned a weekend
marriage seminar sponsored by Prison
Fellowship. The men and I were excited
to encounter God in a new way with our
spouses. What a treasured opportunity!
When the time came, the chaplain and I
were at the door, welcoming the wives. I
was so excited...but grew concerned when
Cecilia didn’t arrive.
A phone call to my mother-in-law revealed
that Cecilia had left New Jersey and
gone to Miami with our children. I felt like
a bucket of cold water had been dumped
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