Why I Keep Going Back

A story by Walter Bisschop

My name is Walter. I’ve had the privilege of being an M2W2 volunteer for over 40 years. Recently, I’ve been reflecting on my visits to prisons and the inmates who later became my friends. A gentleman named Bryce McGorty stands out to me. I started visiting him in Mountain Institution around 15 years ago. We became close friends over those years during our monthly two- to three-hour visits.

Then Bryce got sick with cancer. They transferred him to Matsqui Institution, then to the Regional Hospital, and then to Pacific Institution. I continued visiting him. We talked about his past life, how he had changed, and how he came to know Jesus. He had grown a lot over the years, becoming a caring and gentle individual who was active in helping and supporting the other inmates.

The visits stopped when COVID hit. Bryce and I exchanged letters, in which he indicated that he had gotten sick. Then the letters stopped coming. I was worried, with lots of questions and no answers. Then, I got a call from the M2W2 office. They had just been contacted by Pacific Institution, summoning me to Abbotsford Hospital, where Bryce had been transferred.

I went there immediately. Bryce was in hospice care. He was in bad shape, barely moving, unable to speak. But his eyes lit up when he saw me, and he started moving again, conveying his appreciation for my visit. We talked for a long time over the next two days, knowing those were our final moments together. It was deeply moving and also hopeful. Bryce had grown a lot over his life, and we both knew that, now at the end of it all, he was going home to Heaven to be with Jesus. In our closing prayers together, I said, “Bryce, I look forward to seeing you again in Heaven.”

This is what visiting with inmates is all about. It’s a way to stay grounded and to see that we are all God’s creation, no matter our circumstances.

God calls us to love those in need. To me, that calling is a blessing—an opportunity to appreciate our gracious God and the knowledge that none of us is unworthy of being part of the Body of Christ. Jesus loves us. He wants all of us to have that relationship with Him and with each other. That’s why I’m involved with M2W2, and that’s what drives me to return to the institutions every opportunity I have.