The end for men

I wanted to get out of the pile through my own efforts! But I did not want the hard work. I did not study hard. I didn't content with working harder and receiving lower wages than others. It was only natural that I took a perilous short-cut – stealing and burglarizing initially. Though I sometimes considered resuming a normal and plain life, I was caught in a whirlpool of crimes more and more firmly and lacked the power to break away. In 1978, I killed someone in an armed robbery. I further committed other serious crimes when I was wanted by the police . At this point, what outcome could I expect beside death?

The beginning for God

In 1979, I was arrested under unexpected circumstances and what followed was life imprisonment. Seeing that those who went to jail 10 years earlier were still serving sentence for an indefinite period, I felt so awful that it was worse than being executed. After years of meaningless and empty life, I could not help asking whether I should sit there and wait to die. I decided to do something in order to break away from the convention of imprisonment until death! I liaised with inmates for writing a joint letter of appeal to the court in England . I joined Sunday service in prison and volunteered to read out the Bible at gatherings. I also actively corresponded with Christians outside the prison in order to enlist their support.

The light of Christmas

During detention, I received a Christmas card with the words: “May you see the light of Christmas in the days of darkness.” At that time, I considered it a great irony. However, I learned the true meaning of these words from a sister with whom I corresponded. At the age of 28, she was promoted to be a nursing officer but because of a stroke, she became wheelchair bound for the rest of her life. However, she actively spread the gospel and the preventive measures for AIDS in prisons. One could feel her peace, joy and passion from her lively words. Is she a Don Quixote? She said God gave her hope. Inspired by her hope, I accepted Jesus and was baptized in 1987.

God is love.

Before her death, a sister-in-the-Lord still intended to travel from England to Hong Kong to see me. She asked whether I had an electric razor. A German missionary from the Christian Kun Sun Association spent one whole day in prison every week without eating, drinking and going to the toilet. Her love and care touched every soul. Everyone, including the Christians, non-Christians and anti-Christians, addressed her as “Mom”. When being asked, Mom told people that she loved because Jesus first loved her.

God is my comfort.

I longed to look after my parents upon my release in order to make up for my past familial disobedience. But I lost my beloved parents whilst I was in jail. This great blow made me lose the goals for life. My mind was blank. I could neither eat nor drink. As I flipped through the pages of the bible, chapter 12:16-23 of 2 Samuel caught my eyes. It was about King David fasting for his child who was seriously sick. The child died 7 days later. Yet King David accepted the reality. He got up, took a bath and ate. The words of God consoled me and reminded me to cherish those who remained.

Yahweh Yireh (The Lord will provide).

In 2004, I was pardoned and came out of jail. Returning to Hong Kong from which I had departed for 20 odd years, I felt like being on another planet. Friends of the old days had gone to different places and I could get in touch with a few only. I could not tell the directions and had no idea of where to go when walking on the streets which were once familiar to me. By the plan of God, I started to learn serving God under the Onesimus Integrated Training Scheme. Apart from giving me guidance on the spiritual level, the trainers also attended to my adjustment problems on the practical level. In addition, I prayed with the Letter Ministry Team which corresponded with inmates and this was the source of my strength. The Lord gave me a wife who encouraged and advised me from time to time.

Follow what I have done.

Though the sister in England has gone to heaven and Mom to Germany upon her retirement, I can't forget the memories they brought me which reminded me of these words of Jesus: “Follow what I have done.” I shared and encouraged inmates, including the old and new ones, with these words. I visited their elderly family members and also cared for those ex-inmates who went out of jail not long ago. Together with friends in prisons and those outside, we experienced God's love in our lives.