Randy's Story

A few years back when I was pastor of the Middletown, New York, Seventh-day Adventist Church, I was asked by a church member to visit her brother Randy, who was in jail at the Orange County Correctional Center in Goshen, NY.  Randy was not a church member.  His sister had told me that he had been arrested numerous times, and that he was on drugs.  I later found out that he had been arrested 67 times!

I will never forget the day I went to the jail to see him.  It was a rainy, cold day in March of 1991.  They led me into a “visitation room” that was large, cold, and painted gray.  It looked very dreary with just a few tables with folding chairs around them.  There I was to wait for the guards to lead out Mr. Arana.  After what seemed like an hour, I saw this tall, dark and handsome man being led out by the guards.  He had a scowl on his face.  And from his look I could tell he was thinking, “Who is this guy?”  He sat down across from me, and glared at me.

“Who are you, and what do you want?” He snapped.

“I’m from your sister’s church,” I said.  “I’m her pastor, Tony Cirigliano.”

“And what are you gonna tell me?”  He said in jest.

I simply said, “I came here to tell you, Randy, that Jesus loves you.”

At those words his face softened and he looked like he was at a loss for words.  After a pause he said,

“This morning when I woke up in the top of the bunk bed in my cell, I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw written on the ceiling of the cell with a burnt out match were the words, ‘Jesus loves you.’  And all day I was thinking about that, and now you came and told me the same thing!  Could Jesus love me, after all I have done?”

I assured him that Jesus did love him and would have come to die if he was the only one to be saved.  I then shared a simple gospel presentation (the same one you will learn in this manual!) with him.  And I was about to ask Randy to pray with me to receive Christ as his personal Lord and Savior when the prison guard came over and tapped the desk with his stick and said that the visit was over.  But I was determined to pray with Randy then and there.

I asked Randy if he would like to give his life to Christ and say a little prayer of faith with me by repeating the words I said.  He said that he would.  I prayed a simple prayer asking Jesus to forgive, and come into the heart.  Randy repeated the words.  I shook his hand as the guard, who was obviously annoyed that I took extra time, led him away.  On the way out the guard “accidentally” pushed the gate into my back.  But I was so happy that Randy had accepted Christ that I hardly felt it!

I kept Randy in my prayers, and so did his sister and other church members.  A week or so later I visited Randy again, and was I pleasantly surprised!  When he came out to see me his whole face had a glow about it!  He had a broad smile and excitedly told me how the Lord had changed his life and given him peace.

“I know that I’m forgiven and that the Lord loves me,” he said.

I said, “Praise the Lord!”

Randy asked me to bring him a Bible.  He also told me that he was going to get out on probation soon.  I told him that the Lord would bless him and that we as a church family would be there for him.

When Randy got out, we began Bible studies together with the girl he had been living with.  Her name was Teresa.  She had a boy and little girl from a previous relationship.  The studies continued with church members also visiting and studying with Randy and Teresa.

Finally, the day arrived for Randy to go to court for the latest arrest -- his 67th!  He asked me if I would go with him to Riverhead, New York.  I agreed to take him and be with him.  We were both concerned because even though we knew that Jesus had worked a miracle in Randy’s life, we also knew that when the judge looked at his long record of crimes, he would not likely be lenient with this repeat offender!  We just trusted the Lord to do what was best, and we prayed as we drove.

When we got to the court, we were seated and waited as the cases that were on the docket before Randy’s were heard.  The stern judge gave some harsh sentences that day, and we prayed more earnestly for the Lord to again do a miracle and He did!  When Randy’s name was called, the lady prosecutor asked to approach the bench.  She spoke with the judge for several minutes, and then asked Randy to come forward.  I don’t remember all the particulars of the case, but she said, “Your honor, the state of New York is dropping charges in this case.”

Randy was free!  We praised the Lord the whole two and a half-hour ride back home from Riverhead, Long Island to Middletown, New York.

To make a long story shorter, Randy asked me to perform the wedding for him and Teresa.  I gladly did, and I also dedicated Teresa’s daughter Torie.  Teresa was pregnant at the time with their beautiful child Ciana.  I also had the pleasure of baptizing both Randy and Teresa into the Middletown, New York, Church.  

But the story has a little bit of a sad ending.  Randy discovered that he had the HIV virus, probably from his drug days.  Their daughter Ciana was born without it, and Teresa was also spared by the grace of God from the ravages of this disease.  I had the privilege of dedicating little Ciana to the Lord.

My wife and I were called to the Carolina Conference in 1992.  We continued to pray for Randy and Teresa and the children.  A few years later, I got a call from Randy.  It was from a hospital in New York where Randy was in the final stages of AIDS.  He had gone blind from the disease and called to ask me to speak a few words about Jesus to the man in the room with him who was also dying of AIDS.  Randy was witnessing to the man about Jesus!  When he died, I was asked to do the church service.  That church was packed with people who loved Randy, and many that Randy had led to Jesus, and to God’s church!  I look forward to hearing him say, “Hey yo! Pastor Tony!”  I’ll turn and see him in perfect health and vigor in the paradise of God!  Oh what the gospel can do!  Please never tire of sharing it with others.  Jesus will use you!