From the Depths

“Mia” is not her real name, but she is a real person.  Her life as a prostitute began when she was just fourteen years old.  She was pimped out by her grandmother to a drug dealer who in return kept a steady flow of drugs coming into the home. He would keep Mia bound to a chair or locked in a room so that she couldn't escape. One day, when the drug dealer was not looking, she managed to get her arm loose and set herself free from the chair. She ran from the house as fast as she could, but by then the damage had been done – her mind, her body, her heart (emotional state), and her soul had been bruised. By the time she turned sixteen, drug use, criminal activity, and prostitution had become a way of life.

Chuck Griffis met Mia for the first time when she was twenty-one.  She was very thin with dark rings around her eyes as if she never slept.  She was also H.I.V. positive.  Hooked on drugs, a life of crime and prostitution was as natural to her as it is for most people to get up in the morning, get dressed and head off to their places of employment.  She trusted no one – not even Chuck, who drove a church van through the public housing community where she lived with her four-year-old daughter.  Chuck was seeking to tell others – including Mia – about Christ and the salvation from sin that He offers.

It wasn't until a group of college students came to Mobile from Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee, along with faculty member, Mark Hooper, that the walls Mia had put up started to come down. For three years in a row, Hooper and the students from F-HU would come to Mobile, Alabama, during Spring Break to help take the Gospel message to the inner city.  The groups got to know Mia, and Mia began to realize the love of God through His people.

In between the yearly visits from the college students, Mia began riding the church bus to attend Bible studies and church services. The relationship between the Mobile Inner city church of Christ and Mia was growing.  Even though she had developed a mistrust of people, especially men, benevolent care and support from the church caused her to realize that people actually cared about her as a person.

On the first day of the spring break mission trip in the third consecutive year, the college students from F-HU made it their goal to visit Mia first.  They went to her home.  With her head hung low, she let them come inside and visit with her. She explained to them that she had fallen back into some of her old sinful ways.  She asked for their forgiveness. The college kids were happy to forgive her, and they covered her with hugs! They all cried that day. There were even cries of joy as Mia repented, surrendered her life to Jesus, and was baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of sins.

Mia has since moved to live with family in another State. She now has A.I.D.S. as a result of her H.I.V. infection, but she has HOPE.  She is a child of God, and is looking forward to being with Him forever in Heaven.

Just as Mia was rescued from the depths of sin, we ALL can be!  Christ will save those who place their faith and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4).

Jesus can save US from the depths of sin if we will turn to Him.

Won’t YOU?

David A. Sargent & Chuck Griffis