Danilo remembers the exact moment his life began to change. In 2016, while serving time in prison, he was stuck in a deep spiritual darkness. “I felt that my life had no purpose or direction,” he said. “There was no more reason to live. My inner thoughts were killing me on the inside for the things I had done and for destroying the lives of families that were never meant to be hurt.”
“In the midst of all those dark thoughts, I kept noticing a man who would sit on a stool on the second floor. While chaos surrounded us, he radiated a kind of inner peace. One day, I had the courage to ask him, ‘How can you be so at peace when everyone around us is serving life sentences?’
“He told me, ‘I find my peace and comfort in Jesus.’ Then he gave me his Bible.”
Reading that Bible, Danilo encountered Matthew 9:12–13:
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick . . . . For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
“Something moved inside of me that I never felt before,” Danilo said. “I recognized that Jesus had come to rescue me from my sickness, and I desperately wanted this healing.”
Later, he attended a prison worship service and heard a former addict share his testimony:
“I know what you guys are feeling. I was in the same seat as you are ten years ago, fighting a long sentence. But look at me now. By the grace of God, I stand before you telling you that Jesus did this for me—and He can also do it for you.”
When the man began to sing “Amazing Grace,” Danilo broke down in tears. “The lyrics of this song brought me to my knees, and I began to cry like a baby,” he said. “When the altar call came, I said, ‘I do.’ Right there and then, I surrendered.”
Though he still struggled with old habits, the Word of God began to take root in Danilo’s heart. He found strength and conviction in verses like Matthew 6:24, which reminded him that he couldn’t serve both God and the world. “I knew then that God wanted my whole heart,” he said.
Later, as he waited for his sentencing, Danilo prayed for transformation. After receiving 50 years to life, he left the courtroom with unexpected peace. “I walked out . . . with a confirmation that God had a purpose for me.”
“As I walked out of the courtroom, I remember the bailiff holding me by the shoulder. He talked to me about the apostle Paul and how God used him even while he was in prison. What got to me was when he said, ‘If you’ve really surrendered your life to God, then honor Him with your life—every single day.’”
That purpose became clearer when he arrived at a state prison and was introduced to Crossroads Prison Ministries. A brother in Christ handed him an enrollment form. That same day, Danilo had asked God to “mold me and shape me into His likeness.” He took the form and signed up.
“I remember receiving my first correspondence lesson along with a letter from my mentor,” Danilo shared. “That letter was full of encouragement, and I could feel God’s love coming through the words.”
Through Crossroads, Danilo began to grow in his faith. “They took a babe in Christ and fed me the Word of God. That Word started becoming alive in me. I could sense something changing. I realized my heart needed to change.”
Mentor letters filled with encouragement and Scripture guided Danilo toward transformation. “My mentors continued to give me feedback—along with encouragement and hope. Hope that someone like me could be forgiven and transformed by God. Through my studies, I saw how God used people who were once in sin and turned them into honorable vessels,” he said.
Now, Danilo looks back on his journey with gratitude. “The many mentors that God has placed in my journey throughout my studies have been a blessing. I know God is still working in me—even when I don’t always see it. I can look back and see His hand all over my past and present. I’m grateful and privileged to be a son of the Almighty.”
As he continues to grow, Danilo holds on to the promise in Philippians 1:6:
“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
“God never leaves anything halfway,” Danilo said. “He always finishes what He starts.”
You Can Be Part of a Story Like Danilo’s
Through the simple act of sending Bible lessons and encouraging letters, Crossroads mentors walk alongside men and women like Danilo on their journey from despair to hope.
Will you become a Crossroads mentor today?
Your words can be the very reminder someone needs—that they are seen, loved, and not beyond the reach of God’s grace.
Visit cpministries.org/mentor to get started.