From Kidnapper To King's Kid

MICHEL –

Another life changed, touched, and filled by the Spirit of the living God, Michel was abandoned by alcoholic parents when still a toddler. He was taken in by long-term foster parents. Growing up in this normal, happy family until the age of 18, his foster mother gave him the shock of his life when she announced to him, “You are no longer a part of this family! At 18, you are now of age. Go out and find your own life. You can no longer stay here with us.” Feeling terribly rejected by the only family he ever knew, he was now “out on the streets”. Quickly taken in by the drug culture of the city, he became addicted to heroine and crack cocaine. One bad influence led to another, until he was taken in by the worst criminal gang of all, child kidnappers. Taking young girls off the street and in to a waiting van, sequestering them in a basement cell until they were taken off into the underworld’s child prostitution market, misusing them in the process were the gangs principle activities. Michel was prodded on by the gang’s constant taunting and temptation of more drugs to fill his veins, continually in a stupor of dependence, following blindly the gang’s orders, hoping for just one more ‘fix’.

Finally, the police caught the principle characters of the child kidnapping gang, Michel included. When it was discovered that the police in the locality of the gang’s main residence was covering up their activities, the news hit the headlines of Belgium’s newspapers like lightening. 100,000 people filled the streets of Brussels wearing white and carrying white balloons in protest.

During the eight years of imprisonment leading up to the most publicized trial in Belgian history, Michel was contacted by the Evangelical chaplain of the Arlon prison. He began to understand the basic truths of the love, forgiveness, and hope that faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, offered him.

After the trial and sentencing, Michel was transferred to the Ittre prison where I am a chaplain. With the help and influence of the 2 other chaplains during our visits with him, the Lord broke through to Michel’s heart. In 2007, he made his personal decision to accept Jesus Christ in to his life as Lord and Savior. Since then, he has had a number of ups and downs, but the Lord has been faithful to solidify his heart and mind in the faith, and he has come through it all in victory for Christ. I had the privilege of baptizing him in a baptismal tank of water in the Visits Hall of the Ittre Prison on October 5th, 2009. Truly, he has made the transformation from kidnapper to King's Kid (Jesus Christ is now the King of his life). Please remember to pray for him that his step of faith will be an encouraging stepping-stone in his walk with the Lord.

Ken Barickman
A/G Missionary to Belgium