[MUSIC] [ARIEL VIEW OF STATE PRISON SOLANO, CALIFORNIA]
[PRISONERS OUTSIDE]
[NICK BEING WHEELED INSIDE]
[METAL DOORS BANGING] [SINGING GROUP “THANK YOU, JESUS”]
[NICK] Here we are in Solano.
I’m very, very excited.
I have done about 17 prisons around the world, about 2 or 3 within the United States.
But this is still very different than anything I’ve done.
[PEOPLE PRAYING] “An outpouring of Your Spirit”
[NICK GOING DOWN A HALLWAY] Here we go.
[MUSIC WITH DRUM POUNDING]
[NICK] I’m excited to be here.
It’s a little different.
I feel I can’t articulate yet.
[HIGH-PITCHED SOUNDS SHOWING PRISONERS OUTSIDE IN LARGE GROUP WAITING FOR NICK TO SPEAK]
[PIANO AND VIOLIN MUSIC WITH CDCR PRISONER SHIRT]
[CLAPPING AS NICK RISES TO THE STAGE]
[NICK VUJICIC] My name is Nick Vujicic and I am so glad to be here with you.
I hope that you are encouraged today with just a general message of hope, but also knowing
that faith in God for me in my life has been the only pillar of strength.
You know God says, and I heard my dad preaching about it, how God has a plan for our lives.
And I’m thinking, “Dude, how can you say that when your own son was born without arms and legs?”
I didn't understand that. And when we don’t understand the ways and thoughts of God, we start doubting that He’s real.
We start asking God, “Hey, God, I know that You’re up there, and I know that You say
You have a plan, but I was wondering, if I may suggest, a Plan B.
What kind of plan does God have for a boy being born without arms and legs?
And we’re trying to find this purpose and hope, and I didn’t see it, and I didn’t find it,
and many people with arms and legs came up to me and said, “Nick, everything’s going to be ok."
You think I believed them?
Nope.
Why?
They didn’t know my pain.
And someone without arms and legs is better than some without arms and legs who commit suicide.
So I decided to stay around.
There is hope until you give up.
[CLAPPING] There is hope until you give up.
You can either carry your burdens in your own strength or you can ask Jesus Christ to carry them for you.
Ups and downs?
Yes, but life is always an uphill climb.
When you feel like falling, I know who is standing by me.
Do you?
I want the Everlasting One to stand by me.
Today if you want to give your life to God, say, “God, you know what? Forgive me of my sins.
I know I can’t do this on my own.
I need you to change me from the inside out.
Help me to put my hope in You, nothin’ else but You.”
And He will carry you through.
And I just want to thank you for the opportunity for me to share my faith in Jesus Christ here,
and I just want to tell you that I love you all.
I love you all.
I don’t know who you are.
I don’t know what you’ve done.
I don’t care how you look.
I want to tell you that I love you, and that’s the love of God!
And when we know that He is calling us, all I ask you to do is keep on seeking and you’ll find Him!
[CLAPPING AND STANDING OVATION]
[BAGPIPE MUSIC AND PRISONERS STAND IN LINE TO HUG NICK] God bless you, brother!
[NICK] Ok, one more time—[RESPONDING] Alright.
[NICK] I love just even the last session you heard a lot of people sniffling and being touched
deep within, and not one negative comment by anyone has been made at all,
and it’s all positive. It's all good.
And we’re just excited to have that opportunity to speak into people’s lives like that.
[AS PRISONERS LINE UP TO GIVE NICK A HUG] And some of the people are saying that they’ve never heard so much attention given to someone
in that way, in that context, so thank God.
[PRISONER] Thank you, sir. I appreciate your message. Wonderful!
[PRISONER] The thing that really hit me was when Nick was talking, he said, “I know you guys are in prison, but this is my prison.”
And he’s just by himself, right there on the stage there, and he’s just full out there, exposing himself
and put himself out there, “This is my prison, and this is what I'm doing."
That’s what really hit me the hardest.
[PRISONER] So basically, just seeing the trials he went through and seeing the energy and the positive influence that he has,
that are around him, it just blew me away! It really blew me away!
Just to know that, you know what, that I don't even have it that rough, but never alone.
Serving a life sentence is hard, but, you know what, I’ve got to cast all my burdens upon the Lord,
just like he’s been doing.
[NICK] I just feel like a lot of people keep it all in.
You know, you don’t really want to show emotions out here. I think that’s what the culture is.
And so when they knew it was ok to show emotion, and after hearing the whole thing,
I think just people were overwhelmed, feeling relieved that they can finally let some things out.
Thank God for the healing that’s happening on the inside of many people.
[MORE AND MORE PICTURES OF PRISONERS CRYING AS THEY HUG NICK]
[GROUP PICTURE SMILING PRISONERS WITH ARMS OUTSTRETCHED TO NICK]