在波兰，七名囚犯在参加了几个月的礼拜仪式以后，准备受洗。

但怎么给他们施洗，在哪里施洗呢？

马里乌斯·迈科夫斯基牧师有一个主意。在即将举行的青年营会议上，囚犯可以在波罗的海（Baltic Sea）受洗。

马里乌斯向监狱看守申请，给囚犯放四天假——一天乘火车出海，两天参加营会，最后一天返回监狱。 根据波兰法律规定，表现良好、且刑期已满三分之二的囚犯可以短期离开监狱。

监狱长特别批准了七名囚犯中的六个囚犯展开这段250英里（400公里）的亚罗斯瓦维奇之旅。第二周，马里乌斯与几名教友一起到达监狱，带囚犯去火车站。

另一名囚犯尤里克听说了洗礼，并决定他也想受洗。在服完了三分之二的刑期后，他提前一天离开了监狱，并计划在火车上加入了复临信徒的队伍。

在火车上，他们都很愉快。一位教友拿出吉他，他们愉快地演唱着基督教歌曲。

旅途中，火车到达了尤里克计划上车的车站。但是尤里克没有出现。

在安息日，六名囚犯在波罗的海受了洗。两天后，他们回来了，狱警和监狱里其他的囚犯都大吃一惊。

他们先前打了赌，想看有多少人会趁机逃跑。

但是尤里克没有回来，为此警方发出了通缉令。

因为被通缉，尤里克无法就业。他和一些有前科的朋友一起厮混，还邀请他17岁的弟弟加入他们。

有天晚上，尤里克和他的弟弟在波兰北部托鲁（Toru）的一个城市公园里喝了很多酒。一位护士骑自行车经过，还带了一袋苹果准备给医院的同事。两人抢劫了她的财物，还强奸了她，最后把她活活勒死。

经过警方的搜捕，尤里克和他的弟弟被抓捕入狱。

20年来，尤里克的事一直困扰着马里乌斯。那时尤里克都快受洗了，要是他上了火车就好了。

• 在波兰东部的卢布林（Lublin），一位女教友来找马里乌斯商量事情，他当时在那里担任牧师。她说她的姐妹正在和一名有前科的男子约会，他需要一个住所。

她说：“他对圣经很了解，我们可以作为教会帮帮他吗？”

牧师会见了这位名叫托梅克的男子。他确实对圣经了解很多，还参观了教堂。一位复临信徒租给他一间公寓。

但是托梅克对上帝怀恨在心。在自己公寓里学习圣经，他时常大发烈怒，咒骂上帝。

托梅克对牧师说：“您相信上帝，是因为您拥有一个幸福的家庭，而且生活很美满。但我出生在一个问题家庭。我的父亲和兄弟都是罪犯，我的母亲是个酒鬼，我的哥哥们在我的汤里吐口水。其中一个经常强奸我。所以我怎么能相信上帝是美善的？”

马里乌斯思索着要怎样答复他。在一次查经中，马里乌斯曾谈到一个错误的决定是如何毁了一个人的一生。他记起尤里克，讲述了他的故事。

“你看，托梅克，这个人曾离上帝很近，”他说，“但是一个错误的决定不仅毁了他自己，而且还毁掉了他弟弟。”

听到这，托梅克脸色苍白，眼神狂乱地看着马里乌斯。牧师很害怕。这两个人单独在公寓里，马里乌斯还想起托梅克曾因谋杀罪而入狱的前科。

托梅克开始哭了。 “这太不可思议了。”他哭着说。

“你说什么？”马里乌斯问。

托梅克凝视着牧师，说：“我是尤里克的弟弟。”

现今，托梅克正在考虑受洗，也想努力戒酒。他在酒后康复中心的影响力还使另外两人受了洗。与此同时，他的哥哥尤里克仍在狱中。

马里乌斯说：“尤里克的故事表明，当你离上帝很近，上帝对你说话时，要立即做出决定，而不是拖延。”

毕竟，《圣经》以赛亚书55:6说：“当趁耶和华可寻找的时候寻找他，相近的时候求告他。”

马里乌斯说：“这个故事的一部分令人心碎，但这也显示了上帝的大能，显示了祂可以在我们生命中成就之事。想象一下，在20年之后我见到了尤里克的弟弟，还有机会给他讲论上帝。”

One Bad Decision

After months of weekly worship services, seven inmates were ready for baptism in Poland.

But how and where to baptize them?

Pastor Mariusz Maikowski had an idea. The inmates could be baptized in the Baltic Sea at an upcoming youth camp meeting.

Mariusz asked the prison warden for permission to release the inmates for four days — one day to travel by train to the sea, two days for the camp meeting, and a day to travel back to the prison. Under Polish law, inmates who exhibit good behavior and have completed two-thirds of their sentences are allowed to leave prison for short periods.

The warden granted special permission for six of the seven inmates to make the 250-mile (400-kilometer) trip to Jaroslawiec. The following week, Mariusz arrived at the prison with several church members to take the prisoners to the train station.

Another inmate, Jurek, heard about the baptisms and decided that he also wanted to be baptized. Having served two-thirds of his sentence, he left the prison a day early and made arrangements to join the Adventist group on the train.

The train ride was a joyful occasion. A church member pulled out his guitar, and the group happily sang Christian songs.

Partway through the trip, the train arrived at the station where Jurek planned to board. But Jurek didn’t show up.

On Sabbath, the six inmates were baptized in the Baltic Sea.

Two days later, the prison guards and inmates were surprised to see all six prisoners. They had placed bets on how many would run away.

Jurek, however, didn’t return, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

With the police looking for him, Jurek couldn’t get a job. He holed up with some criminal friends and invited his 17-year-old brother to join them.

One evening, Jurek and his younger brother drank heavily in a city park in Toru in northern Poland. A nurse passed by on a bicycle, carrying a bag of apples for coworkers at the hospital. The two men robbed her, raped her, and strangled her.

After a police manhunt, Jurek and his younger brother were jailed.

For 20 years, Jurek’s story bothered Mariusz. Jurek had been so close to baptism. If only he had boarded the train.

One day, a female church member approached Mariusz in Lublin, an eastern city where he was serving as pastor. She said her sister was dating a former prisoner who needed a place to stay.

“He knows a lot about the Bible,” she said. “As a church, can we help him?”

The pastor met with the man, Tomek. He did know a lot about the Bible, and he began to visit the church. An Adventist landlord leased an apartment to him.

But Tomek harbored deep resentment toward God. He often erupted in rage, cursing God, during Bible studies in his apartment.

“You believe in God because you have a good family and a good life,” Tomek told the pastor. “I was born into a dysfunctional family. My father and brothers were criminals. My mother was a drunkard. My older brothers spat in my soup. One regularly raped me. So how can I believe that God is good?”

Mariusz wondered how to respond. During one Bible study, he spoke about how a single bad decision can ruin a life. Remembering Jurek, he related his story.

“You see, Tomek, this man was very close to God,” he said. “But one wrong decision destroyed not only his own life but also the life of his younger brother.”

Tomek turned pale and looked at Mariusz with wild eyes. The pastor was scared. The two men were alone in the apartment, and Mariusz remembered that Tomek had been jailed for murder.

Tomek started to cry. “This is incredible,” he said, weeping.

“What are you talking about?” Mariusz asked.

Tomek gazed into the pastor’s eyes. “I am Jurek’s younger brother,” he said.

Today, Tomek is thinking about baptism and trying to stop drinking. His influence at an alcoholic rehabilitation center has led two other people to baptism. His brother Jurek remains in prison.

“The story of Jurek shows that when you are close to God and He speaks to you, you should make a decision immediately and not delay,” Mariusz said.

After all, Isaiah 55:6 says, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.”

“Part of this story is sad,” Mariusz said. “But it also shows the great power of God and what He can do in our lives. Imagine meeting Jurek’s younger brother after 20 years and being able to teach him about God.”