Raised in a Jehovah’s Witness home, Marisol spent much of her childhood learning Scripture. But as she got older, she realized that the religion she was raised in wasn’t where she felt called to stay. Walking away was not simple. It meant starting over—relearning the Bible and rebuilding her understanding of who God is.
“When you come from a religion that judges a lot,” she says, “it’s nice to be reminded that God loves you no matter what.”
During her time in prison, Marisol has battled depression. On hard days, she reminds herself: “I’m not alone. God’s got me.” She holds hope tightly, especially for her two children, who are being cared for by her parents. They visit as often as they can, and those visits mean everything.
About a year into her sentence, friends introduced her to Crossroads. Though she had pushed away from God for a time, the Bible studies helped her rebuild her relationship with Him.
“They made you really dig into the Bible,” she says. The lessons invited her to search Scripture, wrestle with questions, and rediscover how loving, present, and faithful God is.
She is now close to moving into the second tier of the program where she will be paired with a one-on-one mentor. Like many students, her journey hasn’t been perfectly steady. There have been rough patches. Times of discouragement. Moments when she stepped away. “But I always find my way back,” she says.
“The mentors are definitely my favorite part of the whole thing,” she says. “They really know what to say. God really gives them the right words to say when you need it.”
In a place that can make you feel isolated and forgotten, those words matter. They remind her that she is seen, remembered, and loved.
Marisol ends with simple gratitude: “Thank you for remembering us.”
Because of caring supporters and faithful mentors, men and women like Marisol are reminded every day that they are not forgotten and that God is still at work in their lives.
Will you continue to remember those in prison?