When Wilfred snorted his first line of cocaine at a nightclub in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, on a Friday night in 1988, he was hooked.
The lifestyle of the Molucca footballer and doorman, who grew up partly in Culemborg and the former Vught camp, quickly changed dramatically. When he lost his job, he began looking for illegal ways to finance his drug use. Wilfred became a feared drug addict. He was wanted by the police and the judiciary but managed to evade capture time and time again. Until his girlfriend suffered a cardiac arrest, and he called 911…
After fifteen years of drug use and criminal offenses, Wilfred was arrested in 2003. In solitary confinement, along with the withdrawal symptoms came the awakening. In the darkest hour of that night, a knock sounded on the door of the solitary confinement cell. A guard asks if he would like to read something, and he is given a Word of God: Luke 4:18-19. He is touched, and it strikes his heart.
After serving his sentence, he knows better than anyone how a person can live in darkness. Yet, the Light wants to shine in everyone’s life. That is his mission to share! And so, the Mission Prison Foundation was born: help for prisoners and those who are lonely. In 2016, he felt in his heart that he had to go to Indonesia to visit the prisoners there. This marked the beginning of God’s work through the foundation.
The Mission Prison Foundation focuses on missionary work both domestically and internationally. Thousands of prisoners in Indonesia have been forgotten by society. The foundation believes that everyone deserves a chance and brings hope behind bars.
With their office in Ambon, they train local volunteers to visit prisons. These volunteers learn how to help prisoners with education, guidance, and sharing the love of Jesus through the Gospel.
The goal of the Mission Prison Foundation is to visit all 520 prisons in Indonesia. In each prison, they aim to launch programs that prepare prisoners for their reintegration into society. They offer practical skills, but above all, hope for a better life.
Today, Wilfred is not only the founder of the Mission Prison Foundation but also a speaker, a coach, and the author of his compelling book “Stem van duisternis stem van licht” (only in Dutch available).
Read more about Wilfred’s testimony the Mission or partner with this powerful ministry!
