I was arrested for trafficking in dangerous drugs in August 2022 and I have been in prison ever since.
I am a Hong Konger, born in the 1960s, and I am 63 years old this year. I grew up in a poor family of seven, living in an old housing estate with my brother, two sisters, and parents. There was no material wealth at that time, and my parents had very low educational levels. Even so, this did not affect their teachings. They were strict in disciplining us, and we were very obedient. My academic performance was average, and after graduating from Form 5, I started working with my father.
At that time, my father had a hardware foundry, and I worked in the factory from 1980 til 1996. However, the good times did not last forever, as many factories moved production to mainland China due to economic shifts, business slowed down. I took up a job as a waiter in a karaoke bar to make ends meet.
In 2002, when the factory closed, I started working full-time at the nightclub. At that time, I was already a manager, but I didn’t have a high level of education, making it difficult for me to find a different type of job. Even though I had been in this industry for more than 20 years, I always kept myself clean. Even in this environment, I did not drink, smoke, gamble, or take drugs, and I had never broken the law. In 2009, my father passed away, leaving my mother and me alone. We could be considered a happy family.
When the Covid pandemic hit in 2021, I became unemployed for more than a year. During this period, I had no income at all. At my advanced age, I could only make a living by working as a Uber driver. Because of the pandemic, the market was dead silent and life was very difficult. My mother had to take from her own savings to pay for our living expenses. My youngest son had just been born and required a lot of care. At that time, I would take any job that was available.
One day, a customer called me and asked if I could drive a seven-seater car out of Kowloon for him because he had contracted the coronavirus and could not go out. He would pay me $1,000 as a salary afterward.
I parked the car casually in the parking lot. I had known this customer for a few years, so I had no suspicion of his motives and was only thinking about making some extra money. After three days, no one came to take the car away. Then my wife, who was with me at the time went to the car because she had left her Octopus card in it. At that moment, more than a dozen plainclothes police officers rushed out and arrested us. They searched the trunk of the car and found two suitcases and a foam box, all filled with bags of powdery substances. The amount involved is enough to result in a thirty-year prison sentence. At that time, I was truly stunned.
Now, I just want to get out as soon as possible and reunite with my mother, son, and family.
Before I went to prison, I was a Buddhist like my mother. This period has been the most painful and hopeless for me. I lost everything, and even my wife was implicated. But thankfully, I met a Christian pastor during these dark days. He led me to Christ and changed my life, and helped me find true faith. While in prison, I was baptized and continued to take Bible distance learning courses. Later, I completed the course of the Rehabilitation Church and was recommended by the pastor. Now, I am studying the Baptist theology course and hope to complete all the courses before I am released from prison. After my release, I intend to serve the church, preach the gospel to those around me, and use my own experience to warn the world and glorify the Lord.
Once I get out of prison, I will definitely stay away from all bad influences and never trust anyone easily. I just want to have a good relationship with my son and mother. Only those who have been to jail can understand the bitterness of life here, which is truly unforgettable. A wall isolates one from all contact with the outside world. Because of one wrong move, I lost everything. My life in prison now revolves around studying the Bible every day and learning the Lord’s teachings. Thank the Lord!
Note: This letter has been translated and edited to improve the readability and clarity of the story. Switch language to read the letters in the original Chinese.