In February, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. I have for years ministered to three prisons here in Florida, one being death row. When word got out regarding my diagnosis, I received countless prayers and notes from our Malta family. I found out that the men on death row I ministered to were also praying. One inmate who has been on death row for 40 years said he got up at 3 a.m. every day to pray intensely for my condition.
I literally felt the effect of all these prayers. We often talk about the power of prayer and only halfway believe it. Yet throughout this process, I experienced a peace that was not of this world. The result was the removal of my thyroid, and I am now cancer-free. The power of prayer was felt from around the world and death row. The prison ministry is often intense, and while I thought I was making an impact on the inmates, never did I think before of the impact the inmates have made on me and in me.