'NOT FOR THAT LIFE'

For Martin, coming to Christ meant he needed to break his gang affiliation—an act that often leads to violence and even death. Martin sought the counsel of another Christian prisoner who had been in a gang.

"Go and pray and tell God this is what you want to do," the man told Martin. "Pray for Him to give you His protection and favor, because it can go one of two ways."

Martin prayed and then called a meeting to express his newfound faith and desire to leave the gang. The gang members murmured for a few minutes as Martin's anxiety rose—and then someone spoke up.

"Hey, if this is what he wants to do, let him do it," the gang member said. "If he's serious about it, OK. If he's not serious about it, please have at him and make an example out of him."

Along with extreme accountability, Martin's new faith was characterized by a hunger to better himself. He observed other Christians participating in programs, attending church and Bible study, and learning new skills. He decided he would do the same.

Martin attended Prison Fellowship^®-sponsored classes on parenting, finances, and boundaries. He also started working as an education clerk, grading papers and explaining assignments. When a member of Martin's former gang joined one of his classes, Martin quickly realized the man couldn't read or write. He took time daily to teach him to read. One day the man looked at him and said, "Martin, I understand. I see who you are now. I see why you left. You’re not for that life."

Martin was released in 2017 after 22 years of incarceration, receiving early parole due to his lack of disciplinary infractions. Eager to jump into a new life, he studied bus routes and schedules, choosing businesses where he could apply for employment. He even took computer classes to help catch up on all the technological advances he had missed. But due to a space issue, Martin was switched at the last minute into a much stricter reentry program at a facility for people who had struggled with addiction, which Martin had not. He had to spend seven months taking classes before he could seek a job.

"It taught me patience," he says. "The Lord ministered to me during that time. And I appreciate it now, the time that I had."

After completing the program, Martin landed a job as an interior and exterior painter. He started attending Pillar of Fire, a San Diego church pastored by a friend he had met in prison. Martin would eventually become a co-pastor at Pillar of Fire, and he still serves in that role today.

Martin never forgot Linda, whom he broke up with when he went to prison. Linda married someone else, and so did he. But 25 years later—after both had gotten divorced—they reconnected and gave their relationship a second chance.

"From the first 'hey' of that first conversation, I knew she was still the only one for me," Martin says. This time, the timing was right. They were married in 2019, and Martin says the match was worth the wait. "Linda is my biggest cheerleader and my best friend. She's imperfectly perfect, and she's the best part of me."

As much as Martin enjoyed his career, his truest sense of fulfillment came from the work he did at Pillar of Fire, and he wished for a way to do ministry full-time. Then he received a call from a friend at Prison Fellowship, asking if he would consider a job as a field director. After much prayer, he joined Prison Fellowship in August 2021.

As a field director, Martin oversees six large prisons. Martin works on providing enriching programming—including Prison Fellowship Academy^® classes—in every prison he manages.

Martin loves interacting with men and women behind bars—including two facilities where he was once incarcerated.

"When I go to Donovan, I can literally tell them I used to live in building 13," Martin says. "I hope I can show men and women, 'Hey, even though you're in this situation now, that's not the end of it. There are some great things that God can and will do if you allow Him.'"

Martin also treasures the opportunity to collect applications for Angel Tree^® Christmas, which helps incarcerated parents stay connected with their children through the delivery of a gift and a personal message. He sent his own daughter gifts through Angel Tree for many years. But the years apart took a toll, and Martin says he is thankful that they can now slowly build a relationship as adults.

When he looks back at the past—and at his present-day life—Martin is full of gratitude for second chances.

"People say hindsight is 20/20," he says. "How great to be able to take all the mistakes from the past and then start a new life, knowing how you fell off in the past and being able to build on that to do something better. Second chances are amazing."