A Need for Prayer

By Doris Nahnsen

We met a man at Skid Row in Los Angeles whose life resembles the life of Saul/Paul in the Bible.  The following is his story. He shared his story with the group during the worship service.   Please keep these people in your prayers.

Today we met Ritchie who is now a Christian.  At the age of 13 he committed his first murder.  He was at a bar in Mexico and an individual was harassing his friend so he pulled out a gun and shot him.  The individual he killed was an enemy of the Mexican Drug Cartel.  The drug cartel then kidnapped Ritchie and trained him to be an assassin.  He continued to be an assassin until the age of 17 when he was arrested in the United States.  He was convicted and put on death row.   During his time in prison the guards were basically on his pay-roll and he continued to commit many crimes.  If a Christian would try to talk to him about God he would tell them “I am your god and you will worship me”.  He would have any Christians beaten by the guards or killed.  He would then smoke their bibles by using the pages as papers for cigarettes or drugs.

During that time in prison (for the assassin charges) he got off on a technicality.  However, because of the crimes committed while he was in prison he was sentenced to 10 more years.  He served his sentence in Colorado in a cell that was 11 stories below ground.  He had NO human contact for those 10 years.  Two peanut butter sandwiches were placed in his cell daily.  The shower was mechanically wheeled into his cell.  He said he basically lived in boxers since there was no need for clothes since he had no human contact.  Besides the very basic needs the only other item in his cell was a bible.  After 5 years he decided to read it and it was then that he accepted Christ as his Savior, asked for forgiveness and became a Christian.

When he was released from prison the Drug Cartel wanted him back.  When he refused they kidnapped his daughter (which he fathered at the age of 13).  He told them that it was against God’s will and refused to return.  Through God’s divine love the Drug Cartel released his daughter.

Now, several years later after reestablishing a relationship with his daughter, his daughter got into some trouble with the Drug Cartel and they have kidnapped her.  She is currently being used in unimaginable ways and they plan to kill her when they are done with her.   Ritchie and his wife continue to be strong Christians during this difficult time but DESPERATELY need your prayers!