Liam Doyle Smyth arrived at the Statesville Prison Facility sentenced to serve twenty years for the crime he committed against the church. Liam was about twenty four years old and was not afraid, because he had seen the inside of many penal institutions long before he arrived at this one. He knew we would be challenged as a man. He knew the inmates would try him as many were possible to see what type of man he was. He was not an Muslim. He was not associated with any of the gangs anymore. He would tell all that he was a born again Christian, as he had seen others do. This wouldn't stop the challenges, but most would respect him for his stand. He also knew he would be watched because of it.
After being processed and moved in, he shared a cell with Ernest Wayne Johns a thirty year old businessman. Ernest was not a dealer, he owned several warehouses and was caught up on a drug bust that implicated him in on the crime. He claims he knew nothing about drugs being in any of the six warehouses. Ernest wasn't particularly religious, but grew up in a very religious home, where he and his siblings were forced to go to church. He vowed at an early age, he would not go to church after he left home. It wasn't that he didn't believe in God. He didn't believe that a child should be forced into something they did not want to be forced into.
From the first day Liam and Ernest formed a great bond. They were like brothers.
Liam began telling his story to Ernest of how he went from terror to Jesus. At the end of his story he told Ernest how happy that things turned out the way they did. He is here in prison, but his mind is finally free. Ernest began calling Liam, Bird. Liam began calling Ernest, Ern.
The thing that gets me is that preacher was not afraid of us coming in to kill him. He acted as if; his life means anything to him. He looked at us like he was looking through us. How was this so, seeing we had the guns turned on him?
Eyebrows raised and head tilted, Liam looking at Ernest as if to say, I know you are not going to believe that next part.
Every round we fired got stuck in the air.
STUCK IN THE AIR!
I wanted to run out of there. My legs felt like a million pounds of lead. I couldn't move. Our leader Eric could not move either. We fired so many clips of rounds. With all three automatic weapon no more than twenty feet from the pastor, at least seven other automatic weapons there had to be at least 500 rounds stuck in the air.
He invited all of us to the front and my legs that wouldn't move carried me to the front of the altar. When we got there, he yelled something that knocked us all unconscious for a moment. When I came to, I was speaking in a different language that I didn't understand. He preached to us about our lives and how they would now change. He looked at us and addressed each one of us individually and told us things about ourselves that no one knew, but us. I cried the whole time in front of my friends. Some of them cried. We before that time would never let another see us cry.
Pastor Mitch started coming to see as many of us that would let him. I let him talk. I knew there was a change in me. I didn't know how far it would go. He gave be a bible that had highlighted passages. I began to read about this man called Jesus. I asked him to come into my life and forgive me of all the wrong things I committed against him. I begin speaking in that language I didn't understand. When Pastor Mitch came around I asked him what was happening to me. He told me that God was sealing me and preparing me for his work. He told me not all conversions take place this way. God was doing a special work in my life. I am now here as you see me. At the trial Pastor Mitch stood with Eric and me. He never said anything about what we tried to do to him. I looked at him and fell to my knees. Eric did the same thing. Pastor Mitch, please forgive us for trying to kill you. Forgive us for trying to take your life. Forgive us. Pastor Mitch grabbed both of us by the arms and lifted us up and said, I forgave you long ago.
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