From Kick-Boxer Champ to Victory in Christ

A Word From Rik


Hello, my friend. This is a letter from Rik. “I am 33, and am now in a Belgian prison. I think that I experienced lots of things in my life. In the realm of sport, I achieved the highest level: I became World Kick-Boxing champion in 1991, and with my parents, I began a sports school in the center of Amsterdam for 12 years. After ending my competitions, I ended up in the lowest places of my life especially because my hobby became, with time, my career. At this time, I was working as a “bouncer” man in a certain disco in Amsterdam, seeing that my background in sport gave me no problem to find that sort of job in that my reputation in the boxing ring was known by all.

But, throughout my night life I had to face another world: alcohol, drugs and violence. At that time, my girl friend left me because I drank alcohol and took drugs. For those who looked at me from the outside, I had it all, but everything became more and more extreme. I went out with many bad women. I couldn’t resist this temptation because I consumed too much cocaine. When you are under the influence of drugs, it’s hard to be content. But I also found out that this type of life style costs a lot of money. In the night life, lots of people would receive money from each other, but afterwards they wouldn’t give the money back. So for me, I was then contacted to intervene to see that the debts would be paid. I did a good job of that. Here and there I had to use some violence, but when you are under the influence of whiskey and cocaine it wasn’t a problem. Then finally my violence backfired: I was once stabbed in the back and once shot hitting me about 10 cm under my heart. And I still have a bullet in my tibia and 2 or 3 in my hips!!! So as you can see, I experienced a lot in my life!!!!!!!!!!!

Then, about 7 and a half months ago, a friend asked me to help him concerning a question of money, and I was asked to go look for a certain man who was living in Brussels, Belgium who owed him some money. So I went to his place with 3 other young men. There was nobody at the house except for his wife. She then told us that her husband was sick in the hospital. At that moment, I heard guns being cocked and readied in the house. We were also armed, so then a big gun fight began with about 45 bullets fired which were later found in the house. At the end, there was 1 dead and 3 wounded. Now comes the interesting part: the ones who started the shooting were policemen, and that’s why it got so bad legally for me.

The police had set up tape recorders, so all that was said was recorded. When you listen to it, you can hear the misunderstanding, because they said “gendarme” (French for ‘police’) and we (from Holland) didn’t understand that word which means “rijksveldwachters” in my language (Dutch). All these happenings were investigated in court. So, I was charged with attempt of murder because one of my bullets wounded a police officer. But because I did not know that he was a police officer, I got a lighter sentence. At the time of my arrest, I was locked up in prison with the hardest treatment: in that during the first 6 months, I was in an isolation cell. My parents could come and visit me only after 2 months and that only through a heavy glass ‘see-through’ barrier.

For the rest, I saw no one else, except that I signed up for the protestant service, and I could go there once every 2 weeks for just 1 hour, and that sitting between 2 prison guards. And that’s how I got in contact with Ken Barickman, who is now my friend. He gave me a Bible and a type of Bible study book to read in my prison cell. That was especially important because I was 100% alone in my cell. He also gave me a very good book to read : “Twice Pardoned”. When I finished that book, I really felt that God had my attention. Then, Ken gave me the book “The Cross and the Switchblade”. When I finished it, I knew that there was also hope that something could help me. The strangest thing is that I felt even more alone before my incarceration than I felt then in my cell. But this feeling became stronger the closer I came to Christ. Then, one time I asked Ken how I could know that the Holy Spirit was with me or how He could come to me. I asked that because I read about it in all the books that Ken gave me. At that moment, I took it as a good sign from the Lord.

During my imprisonment in isolation, I could go out for only 1 hour per day in a completely separate court yard. There, you even have barbed wire on top of you. One day, I found a worm there that a bird had dropped; and even that, I took as a sign for me because a bird is the sign of liberty. Then I knelt down for prayer and gave my heart to God. He came to live in my heart where he still is today. When I prayed, there were tears coming from my eyes. Listen, I don’t pray all the time, sometimes I forget, but I still think a lot about the Lord. I read a lot from the Bible and I also watch the Dutch TV show “Evangelistic Call”. Every day I spend time with Christ in whom I now find my passion for life. My favorite Bible passage is II Corinthians 5:17 (because it speaks so much to me) “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Even though I am still behind bars, I feel like a happy person because I have His peace, and with God’s help, I will continue. When I will be freed, I want to keep this feeling. I have a nice house, kind parents, a beautiful dog, and a job; so I have all that I have ever needed. I would love to go to a Bible college to learn more about the Bible. And every week, I go to the church service in the prison to sing. I would also like a visit from someone like Ken to talk especially because I have trouble in forgiving. When I arrive in Amsterdam, I am going to find a church where I can go for the good fellowship in Christ.

Rik 19 September 1997
(translated from Dutch by K. Barickman)

Georghe Comes to Faith in Christ

Georghe is originally from Romania and always has been an out-going and kind personality. He grew up in a Pentecostal Christian home not far from Bucharest. During the communist years in his country, things turned very corrupt, with Georghe finding his way to success, also, through corrupt money making schemes. After many years and many 'up and downs', he was arrested and put behind bars in 2005. I came to know him in the Forest prison in 2006. He was always smiling, happy, and ever willing to talk and to listen to the message of God's forgiveness through Jesus Christ. But, whenever I would ask him the question, "Georghe, are you ready now to put your full trust in Jesus' work on the Cross of Calvary for your personal life, to turn your heart and life over to Him?" He would always say, "No, I'm not ready yet. I need to think about it more."

He was later transferred to St. Gilles prison, where I visited him some more; then on to Ittre prison where I was also able to visit him, also. He must have thought "Man, this guy is everywhere! I can't escape his always asking me if I am ready to ask Jesus into my life." In reality, I stopped asking him, because I know that after a point, always saying "No" to Christ can harden the heart. So, I just kept on being there, visiting him, and with time, came to befriend him, (Matt. 11:19). Finally in the Ittre prison, he tired of his life in confinement, and thought of suicide. I talked him out of that; then, he decided to go into an isolation cell on a hunger strike until either they gave him work or they would transfer him to another prison. After 2 months in isolation, they transferred him to the psychiatric wing of the Forest prison where I visited him again. After they found him to be of a sound mind, he was given a job in the kitchen and was put in a regular worker's cell.

He had a day off today, and was alone in his cell, so I felt lead to share with him from Luke 16 and Matthew 16 where Jesus talks about what it really means to follow Him..."For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" This question and its logic really spoke to him, and Georghe said, "Always before, I was carrying my baggage from my past life along with me, and I never wanted to give it up. But, now, all that baggage has been stripped away. I see clearly now, and I'm not held back to make a right decision this time." I said to him, "You truly now have nothing to lose and everything to gain." He smiled and shook his head in agreement. "Would you like to make your decision today to ask Jesus Christ to come into your life, Georghe? To make Him to be your hope and reason to live?" I asked. "Yes, I'm ready." was his reply. We both, then, got down on our knees as I lead him in the sinner's prayer of repentance. When we finished, we rejoiced together in Victory in Christ for his soul.

When I returned home from the prison, I shared right away what happened with Marianne. She asked me "Was that in the morning or the afternoon?" I said that it happened between 3 and 3:30 in the afternoon. I asked, "Why? Were you praying for me at that time?" She said , "Yes, that's right when I took 45 minutes to pray for you." Praise the Lord! Prayer works! And, that's team-work. Thank God for a praying wife. And thank you, for your prayers, as well.

Please remember to pray for Georghe as he now begins his new life in Jesus Christ.
Thank you,
& God bless you!
Ken Barickman
A/G Missionary to Belgium

Brussels Prison Ministry

Purpose:

As a prison chaplain, I am bound to "confidence" sharing of what is going on in the prison. This means that I must be careful not to reveal names of the people that I work with. What I often do is to only use the first name of the person that I write about to hide their identity and to respect their life experience. They themselves wish (I never share a story of someone who does not wish to have others informed even of their story, let alone their name.) to have others share the joy of their new life of faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Also, I will never share about the "inner concerns" of the prison itself... Mostly I want to share what good things the Lord has done in prisoners' lives, and sometimes about the ones whose lives turn against the Good News of Christ, just to show the contrast. All of this in an atmosphere of Hope, Hope in the one Who gave His life so that all may believe and receive forgiveness of sins, new life, and the promise of eternal life. Ken Barickman