The people
who walked
in darkness
have seen
2 great light...
chak siu ming
The first twenty-three years of my life were spent
in darkness. My mother died when I was seven and I lived with my younger sister and my father, who was a gambler, in a small hut on the side of a hill in Hong Kong. The shack was dark and infested with rats, cockroaches, and even snakes. The only light came from a hole in the wall covered by a board that we propped up with a stick. We all slept in one bed and there was no kitchen or bathroom, and no electricity or running water. We burned oil in lamps for lights, and built a fire inside the hut for cooking purposes. My earliest memories are of darkness and dirty cooking pots and buckets. We had to go out- side for personal functions.
My sister and I used to sit on a rock by the door of the hut to wait for our father to come home at night. If he carried something we knew he had won and that we would have supper. If his hands were empty it meant that he had lost and we would have nothing to eat that night. We were too poor for me to go to school so I sold newspapers for a living. I never learned to read or write. At fifteen I joined a *"dark society" which angered my father. He scolded me most of the time and I left home. A year later my sister found me and told me he had died. I was miserable. Now we had no one left- there was only my sister and myself. I began to take heroin. My sister pleaded with me but by that time I was hooked and not only refused to listen to her, but even beat her. Again I left home, this time forever.
I did not earn enough money to purchase heroin so i robbed and stole to buy drugs. Twice I was caught. Once the judge let me off but another time I was sent to Shek Kwu Chau (Government assist- ed) for five months so that I could withdraw from heroin. The workers there said, "If you go out we are afraid you will take drugs again," so they intro- duced me to Ling Of Centre (Christian House) to live, hoping I would believe in Jesus and change. After a month they found me a job and, of course, I began to take drugs. When they discovered this I was told to go back to Shek Kwu Chau, which I did.
One day when I was out on holiday four police- men stopped me. I showed them my pass. They ignored it and claimed I had drugs on me (which I did not), gave me a "confession" and insisted that I sign my name. I did and they put me in a prison cell. I was permitted to make a telephone call to Ling Oi Centre and requested that someone from there come to court for the hearing of my case. No one came from either organization. Nobody cared about me. I was very bitter and when I was released I immediately went back to heroin, fighting and robbery.
The probation officer said I was hopeless and nothing could help me unless it was the Society of Stephen. I didn't know it was a church. He sent me to see Miss Pullinger and she told me about Jesus ---
that He really loves me. I was undecided whether to accept Him or not but then I decided it was that or jail, so I took Jesus. Some Christians who had form- erly been gang members laid their hands upon my head and I began to speak in a language I did not know. I was then sent to Stephen's Third House to
1 withdraw from drugs. As I refused to pray I was in intense agony from the withdrawal pains. At last I felt I could bear no more so in desperation I agreed to pray in tongues. It was wonderful. After less than ten minutes I fell asleep and did not awaken until 9:00 am the next day. This gave me confidence that Jesus really did love me and it taught me to pray in the Holy Spirit when I needed help. I was freed from heroin painlessly, with no medicine to assist. To me it was a miracle.
I have now been in Jesus' family for two and one half years. During this time our leaders: Mr. Willans, Mrs. Willans, Miss Pullinger and the sisters have been kind and patient to me. They teach me, guide me, encourage me, scold me and love me. I have turned from my evil ways and have truly become a new person in Christ. I have learned to read and write so I can study the Bible. When the elders announced I was to be ordained a deacon in the church I was frightened. I would never have thought it possible that I would be chosen to serve others! I know I cannot do this in my own strength but I realize that I can do all things with God in me to give me His strength. When I was ordained and hands were laid on me I felt as though a fire was burning in my body - even more strongly than when I was bap- tized in the Holy Spirit. I knew that God was giving me power to serve.
I thank Him for His love, His family, and for this new life, for bringing me from darkness to the road of light and for filling me with joy. I never before had this happiness. I am now a worker in the Soc- iety of
hen and I thank God that I can help others find a new life as I did.
*ie., a triad society. These are secret societies originally organized in China for political purposes. Now they control organized crime in Hong Kong and major Chinese communities throughout the world.
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