In the spring of 2013, a group of prison inmates at the Bowden Institution in Alberta asked themselves a question. The answer, and what ensued, ended up changing their lives, and the lives of many people on the other side of the world.
It all started when I led a group of inmates in a study called Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, created by Henry and Richard Blackaby and Claude King. The study challenged each of us to personally experience God, to seek out His will, to obey Him, and to follow the path He sets out for us. Chapter 11, entitled “Mission to the World”, asked us to consider ways in which each of us, as believers, could join God’s redemptive mission in the world. In the spirit of that mission and a fervent desire to experience God more deeply and meaningfully, the inmates prayerfully sought a way to overcome their circumstances and make a difference in the lives of others who are suffering.
“Incarcerated men are typically the objects of charity and not in a position to be purveyors of it,” says Rick, one of the inmate participants. “We have little means to reach out with a helping hand to the world outside the prison. In other words, we prayed and asked – could a group of Christian men behind a prison fence impact the world? The answer was a resounding YES – to the glory of God.”
And so, in the fall of 2013, our first Inmate Walk-A-Thon was born.
We raised $3,600 to support an orphanage in war-torn Sri Lanka that first year. The Correctional Service Canada management and the correctional staff of the Bowden Institution gave us their full support and assistance, and continue to do so. In 2014, we held our second Walk-A-Thon, and raised $7,000 to assist in the rebuilding of a school in the typhoon-devastated Philippines.
Nazarene Youth International – building wells in Nepal
The momentum continued to grow. Our third and biggest Walk-A-Thon took place in the fall of 2015, in which walkers completed 4,162 laps equalling 1,388 miles. Imagine the picture – myself, over 300 inmates and 24 community volunteers walking around the prison exercise yard. All day long, festivities generated a carnival atmosphere in the exercise yard for the entire prison population, with lots of contests, games and prizes. The Chapel Band came out for the day and played music for bleachers full of hand-clapping inmates. Generous supporters sponsored our walkers for $11,000, far surpassing our original goal. That money was used to drill water wells in ten rural villages in Nepal after the deadly April 2015 earthquake – a project sponsored by the Canadian Food Grains Bank and Nazarene Compassionate Ministries.
Nazarene Youth International – building wells in Nepal
One of the inmates put it well: “There comes a point in time when we, who live here behind prison fences, need to take action. Even in our incarceration, we can do something.”
This good news story demonstrates that not all inmates are incorrigible criminals. Many are finding faith, purpose, and meaning to life while in prison, and becoming productive members of society upon release. To me, the remarkable story of the Bowden Institution Walk-A-Thon is a tribute to the possibility of God’s transformative grace.
The 4th Annual Bowden Institution Walk-A-Thon is tentatively scheduled for Saturday September 10, 2016. We are praying about which project to support with the money raised. For more information, contact Rev. William ‘Bud’ Sargent at 403-227-8199 (Ext 1549) or email William.Sargent@CSC-SCC.GC.CA
