“Ling” and Her Family - the Hong Kong Prison System

65 Years of Memories...
My friends Randall and Denise sent the following information about a girl named “Ling” that lives in a Hong Kong Prison now.

In 1980 to 1985 I lived in Hong Kong and had come to know the Prison System and people that had lived there. We were working with some of the Drug Addicts and Ex-Cons as they came from the prison. Family situations were often very difficult. I played a small part in the work of restoration of family members and the reunification that is so desperately needed.

I post these following words to let you see what is happening in a far away place. For God it is not far away….

~ Murray Lincoln ~
www.murraylincoln.com

Randall writes…
One year ago, we mentioned that we took a trip into Mainland China to visit the family of one of the female inmates. “Ling” has been in a HK prison for the over six years and Denise is the only one who has visited her in the last 5 years. When Ling was arrested in HK in 2003, her two daughters went to live with Ling’s parents in the Mainland. Life has not been easy for this poor family. They have been living on a small pension of the grandparents to support their lives. In the last six years, they could only communicate with Ling by writing and had not even heard each other’s voices on the phone. Even though they missed Ling, they could not afford to come to Hong Kong.

Last year when we went to visit the family, we tried to help and be a “go-between” and let them know Ling was “OK”. This brought some comfort to them. When we talked to Angie and Annie, the two daughters who had not seen their mother for more than six years, they asked Denise, why was their mother in jail? In Chinese culture, someone who is in jail is considered “losing face” for the family and so the grandparents never told them the truth and it created doubt and anger towards their mother. Being teenagers and without their parents (their father had died some years before Ling’s arrest) they became a little rebellious and even blamed their mother for messing up their lives and would not forgive her! They also expressed that sometimes they could not even remember how their mother looked!

Denise continued to stay in touch with them regularly by telephone and tried to give the girls and grandparents some counsel and advice. A few months ago, we felt led of the Lord to arrange to sponsor and bring the family to HK to visit Ling once.

What can you talk about to your mother/daughter in one and a half hours?
Recently after a 12-hour over-night bus trip, the grandparents, Angie and Annie arrived at the border of HK. We both went over to meet them and put them into a HK guest house for a few nights. Since HK prisons only allow visits twice in a month for half an hour each time, Denise arranged to apply to the prison to give the two girls an extra half an hour to see their mother. Before their first visit, we took the two girls to the HK waterfront and Denise told them about what happened to their mother and why she was in jail (with Ling’s permission). Denise told them that while their mother made a serious mistake, her motive was to try and benefit the family but now she is suffering from her own mistake by being in jail. After listening to the story, we could see tears in their eyes. The girls also shared how difficult and hurtful it was for them to live in a broken family and sometimes they were even mocked by other family members and friends. We felt very sorry for their situation and couldn’t fully imagine how hard it has been for these two young girls. Denise asked them if they were still angry with their mother. Both girls said after knowing the truth, they both felt a release and expressed forgiveness for their mother!

Sunday morning, Denise took them to a Chinese church to attend the service. This was the first time the family attended a church. When they heard the songs, they were very touched! That afternoon, the grandfather and two girls went to see Ling for the first time in the last 6 years and the visit was half an hour! While we were sitting outside with the grandmother, she thanked us for helping them come and see Ling and expressed how difficult it was for her to take care of these two young granddaughters. After the visit, we saw the grandfather and two girls pass through the prison gates filled with sadness and tears in their eyes! Angie shared with Denise that she told her mother that now they know what happened they forgave her and promised her to be good and to wait for her mother’s release so that they can be together again as a family.

During their time in HK, Denise had opportunities to talk to the grandparents, Angie & Annie separately. Good times were spent with the two young girls listening to them as well as giving some advice and encouragement. On their last day in HK, they went for their second visit and with the special permit it was a bit longer this time (one hour). The grandmother and 2 girls went and they talked, cried and said “good-bye” for they knew that there are still two more years to wait before their reunion! Even though they were separated by glass and could not touch or hug each other but seeing someone they loved and knowing she is fine meant a lot to them.

This was a valuable time for the family as God helped them repair their broken relationships so that now they do not have anger and bitterness but forgiveness and hope in their hearts.

That afternoon, as we put them on an overnight bus back home to China, they thanked us again for assisting them to come to HK. They said if you both had not helped us we would have been left to struggle in life by ourselves. They were so thankful that someone in this world cared about them! It was very meaningful for them to see their daughter / mother even though it was for a very short time. They thanked God for sending us to help them and said we were like God’s angel to them! We thank the Lord that we can be used as His small instruments to help needy people and all the glory and praise goes to God! “Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it for me.' (Matthew 25:40)

Randall & Denise
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For more information of how you can contact Randall and Denise directly – please contact me directly… murray.lincoln@gmail.com

~ Murray Lincoln ~
www.murraylincoln.com

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley,_Hong_Kong
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Prison
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prisons_in_Hong_Kong