Moody Distance Learning Student

Since I am a student with Moody Distance Learning, I got an email with this story. I found it very interesting and encouraging. Hope you enjoy reading it too!

On the evening of April 9, 1990, Jeff Matthews, a current Moody Distance Learning student, was arrested in Orlando, Fla. At the age of 23, Matthews narrowly escaped the death penalty by pleading guilty to numerous counts of committing murder, dealing drugs and bombing a federal Drug Enforcement Agency building. He was sentenced to multiple life sentences without parole at the United States Penitentiary Terre Haute in Indiana.

After his sentencing, the prosecutor declared, "Matthews was a ruthless cocaine kingpin who had people murdered to protect himself and his drug ring." What stung deeper was that most of his family and friends abandoned him. His girlfriend refused to see him after she collected a $100,000 reward for turning him in.

He felt worthless, helpless and alone. And, then he heard about Christ.

Matthews repented of his sins and accepted the spiritual freedom Christ offered, while he was accepting the loss of physical freedom for the rest of his life. He began to study the Bible, attend church and listen to Moody Radio. As he was growing closer to the Lord, he felt a strong call to minister to fellow prisoners-to boast of the good work the Lord had done in his life and to be a light in the highly volatile prison environment.

Matthews has never received an incident report in prison and has earned General Educational Development (G.E.D.) and Associates of Arts degrees. He is currently enrolled in Moody's Bachelor of Arts program to earn his degree in Biblical Studies and has created FromMyCell.org, a website that spreads the message of his testimony and offers spiritual encouragement resources to prisoners.

"Praise God that I came to prison, for the moment when I cried out to God for the forgiveness of my sins, my whole life changed," writes Matthews. "He had mercy on an evil, ungodly man such as myself. God gets all the glory, honor and praise for transforming my life into the new man I am today."