Prison Fellowship

  • DONATE
    • One-Time
    • Monthly
    • Angel Tree
    • Other Ways to Give
  • GET INVOLVED
    • All Options
    • Subscribe
    • Angel Tree Christmas
    • Start a Fundraiser
    • Pray With Us
    • Justice Action Center
    • Share on Social
Search
  • STORIES
    • Stories
    • Blog
    • Videos
    • The Restoration Series [Videos]
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Why Help Prisoners?
    • What We Do
    • In-Prison
      • Prison Fellowship Academy
      • In-Prison Programs
      • Hope Events
      • Inside Journal
      • Women’s Ministry
      • Create: New Beginnings
    • Angel Tree
      • Register your church or group for Angel Tree
      • Prison Fellowship Angel Tree
      • Angel Tree Christmas
      • Angel Tree Camping
      • Angel Tree Sports Camp
    • Justice Reform
      • Justice Reform
      • Second Chance Month
      • News & Updates
      • Sign the Justice Declaration
      • Get a Copy of Outrageous Justice
    • Warden Exchange
    • Church Partners
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • Preparing Prisoners for Reentry
    • Research and Evaluation
      • Good Citizenship Model®
  • RESOURCES
    • Subscribe to Our Email
    • Support for Friends and Family of Prisoners
      • Resources for Friends and Family of Prisoners
      • Coping with Incarceration
      • Resources for Prisoners
      • Resources for Children of Prisoners
      • Supporting Successful Prisoner Reentry
      • Subscribe To The Hope Connection
    • Resources for Churches and Volunteers
      • Resources for Churches and Volunteers
      • In-Prison Ministry
      • Reentry Ministry
      • Family Ministry
      • Justice Reform
      • Mentoring Ministry
    • Angel Tree Coordinator Training
    • Resources for Chaplains
    • Resources for D.O.C.
    • Justice Reform Resources
    • Create: New Beginnings Book
    • Share on Social
  • ABOUT US
    • Our Beliefs
    • Mission & Vision
    • Financials
      • Financials
      • 2024 Annual Report
    • Employment
    • Contact Us
    • In The News
    • Leadership
    • Chuck Colson
      • About Chuck Colson
      • The Charles Colson Hope Awards

Life Re-Imagined

October 26, 2015 by Rebekah L. Stratton

Looking back at her early years, Beth Gadjica considers herself to have been a “picture-perfect child.” But as she got older, an eating disorder tempted her to experiment with drugs, and at the age of 21 she was sentenced to two years in jail.

Soon after beginning her sentence, Beth found out she was pregnant with her third child. “By the grace of God,” she says, she was able to serve the rest of her sentence in the Baby and Mother Bonding Initiative (BAMBI) unit in Texas, where she could keep her newborn son with her to form a healthy parent-child bond. This rare state-run program allowed motherhood to be part of her transformation into the woman God had planned for her to become.

Beth speaks to a group of women inside a Texas jail.

Beth speaks to a group of women inside a Texas jail.

While in BAMBI, Beth participated in Prison Fellowship Bible studies and used the time to plan her future life path.

“I knew I wanted to reach out and help other moms,” she says.

Beth was released a year ago this Thursday. And she's wasted no time getting back on her feet and helping others.

SHARING HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

Invited by a Prison Fellowship field director, Beth recently shared her testimony with a group of incarcerated women in a Texas jail.

“As I saw the girls in white, my heart felt a sense of sadness and pain for the women themselves, but I also felt a sense of gratitude and wonder toward God because I'm so thankful for where I'm at today,” she recalls. "I never thought I would be returning to prisons, and now that's all I want to do is go back and share the Good News of freedom and new life with Christ.”

Beth works as a legal receptionist at a law firm while she goes to school to become paralegal and takes care of her 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old children.

Even with a very busy schedule, Beth still made it a priority to spend an evening with a room full of incarcerated women—shoes she had been in less than a year ago. She shared the coping mechanisms that have helped her make it on the outside, like talking to God as a friend in hard times.

Women inside jail worship as Beth visits and shares the Gospel.

Women inside jail worship as Beth visits and shares the Gospel.

“I tell him exactly what I am going through,” she says.

Beth shared about how healing it has been for her to journal her prayers, and how much her family and church have helped her keep moving forward.

“I want them to see that I was where they are and that I'm making it today!” she says.

Beth wants women behind bars to know that despite their situations, they are beautiful and valuable in the sight of God, and He has a special purpose for each of them. Because of this, they need to make choices that are healthy for themselves and their children, so that God can work in their lives and use them for His Glory.

“My core problem before I went to state jail was lack of self-love, and I want these women to learn to love themselves and have a personal connection with Jesus who is our father and friend,” she says.

And that night, through tears of healing, 120 women raised their hand to accept Christ into their hearts and lives.

Beth states, “Change is possible one step at a time with God at the forefront of your mind.”

Beth is proof of that, and this Thanksgiving she’ll be celebrating how God has continued to transform her and use her during this year since her release.

She reflects on her journey: “The road isn't easy, but the outcome from a changed life is truly beautiful.”

Filed Under: Feature Stories, Prison Fellowship News & Updates, Reentry Tagged With: BAMBI, incarceration, jail, ministry, mother and baby bonding, Prison, Prison Fellowship, Reentry, Support, Texas

SELECT A TOPIC

  • Advocacy & Reentry
  • Angel Tree
  • Families of Prisoners
  • Feature Stories
  • From the CEO
  • Hope Events
  • Inside Journal
  • Press Releases
  • Prison & Prisoners
  • Prison Fellowship Academy
  • Prison Fellowship International
  • Prison Fellowship News & Updates
  • Reentry
  • Second Chance Month
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • Warden Exchange

MOST POPULAR

The Powerful Love of Moms Behind Bars

May 7, 2025

How Camp Can Change the Life of a Prisoner’s Child

April 30, 2025

Prison Fellowship’s Statement After United States Senate Declares April 2025 as Second Chance Month

April 29, 2025

LATEST VIDEOS

WATCH ALL VIDEOS

Join our online community

Facebook Facebook X (Twitter) X (Twitter) Instagram Instagram YouTube YouTube LinkedIn LinkedIn
PF®
PFM®

RECOMMENDED LINKS

  • Ways to Donate
  • Inspirational Stories
  • Angel Tree
  • Prison Fellowship Academy
  • Justice Reform

RESOURCES

  • For Families & Friends of Prisoners
  • For Churches & Angel Tree Volunteers
  • Warden Exchange

JOIN RESTORATION PARTNERS AND WITNESS GOD RESTORE LIVES

Restoration Partners give monthly to bring life-changing prison ministry programs to incarcerated men and women across the country.

 

JOIN NOW
  • CONTACT US
  • EMPLOYMENT
  • PRIVACY
  • FINANCIALS
© 2025 PRISON FELLOWSHIP®

Angel Tree®, Angel Tree Camping®, Angel Tree Sports CampTM, and Warden Exchange® are programs of Prison Fellowship®.