Live in Aifu Village
▲Brothers who have completed physical detoxification continue to cut off their psychological dependence on drugs at the halfway house, renewing their body, mind and soul, and giving back to society and family.
choice
In early 2009, we began to provide regular counseling to HIV-infected persons in Taiwan's Hualien Prison and Hualien Detention Center. There were less than five inmates in both places. During individual counseling, the more I do, the more I feel indebted. I don’t know what else I can give. I loved them sincerely and preached the gospel of Jesus as hope and dependence, and they believed it. But one day, when they informed me that I was about to be released from prison, I didn’t know what to do? I am afraid that they will come and contact them. The crux of the matter is that there is no place to refer them and place them.
▲The director-general of Morning Light Society, Pastor Liu Minhe, was a former drug addict. Over the years, the "gospel" has been used to help drug addicts break away from the control of sin, treat and rebuild from the deepest place of human beings - "the spirit", so that drug addicts can be renewed inside and out and become new creations.
Not only are they involved in prison ministry for so many years, but some friends who are about to be released from prison don’t know where to place them? There are very few halfway houses to which referrals can be made.
I was faced with a choice: leave prison work, or take a step forward and raise funds for a halfway house and employment buffer center.
The power of an individual is so limited, and setting up a halfway house is complicated, so how easy is it? I heard that the few halfway houses currently in existence are having a hard time maintaining them, and the road to establishment seems to be bumpy and difficult.
One day, an idea came to me: "Why not visit various drug rehabilitation villages in Dawn Club to observe and learn?" I believe this is an inspiration from the Holy Spirit.
The number of people infected with AIDS due to drug addiction in Taiwan is increasing day by day. This fact cannot be ignored, which prompted Morningside to set up an AIDS Counseling Village (referred to as "Aifu Village") to help them with biblical teachings and God's grace in a comfortable living environment. Detoxification, while cooperating with the AIDS Prevention and Treatment Center of National Taiwan University Hospital to provide medical services.
The system and team of Dawn Church have long been recognized and respected by others. The person in charge of Taiwan work is Pastor Liu Minhe, whom I respect. Thanks to his arrangement, I lived in Aifu Village for a week as I wished, and embarked on a surprising study trip.
dull pain
Aifu Village is located on the outskirts of Taipei. It was originally a private house in the mountains. It is remote, quiet, but beautiful and comfortable. There are currently seven brothers - Ah Wing, Ah Fu, Ah Wen, Ah Yuan, Ah Chun, Ah Zhi and Ah Xiong; and two loyal life counseling co-workers, Pastor Qiu Jianmin and teacher Yao Jianmin.
The routine of daily life in the village is normal, with people going to bed early and getting up early. In addition to daily morning spiritual practice, there are also morning, lunch, and evening gatherings and classroom studies. Teachers and missionaries are invited to give lectures on weekdays, and this week when I am stationed, I will share it with the brothers.
Smoking, drinking, gambling, swearing, making troubles and other bad habits and behaviors are strictly prohibited in Aifu Village. They are also not allowed to watch TV or newspapers. No one is allowed to use the Internet except for tutors. This is the case in every drug rehab village in Dawn Club.
A Christian teacher who regularly teaches HIV-infected persons in a prison once heard the prison supervisor secretly curse: "Education for these people is useless, it would be better to be cremated faster!"
I also heard a supervisor curse in private: "Those drug addicts are useless in class, it's easier to just hang them!"
Infected with AIDS due to injecting drugs, these brothers suffered from social isolation and abandonment. Even those who were as close as family members were "afraid to stay away". Before a brother entered the village, his family asked him to rent a house outside and live alone, and he was strictly prohibited from entering the house. He receives his daily living expenses from the mailbox at his door every day. Occasionally, there are fruits or items on the ground for him.
The father of a student came to the village to visit and said bluntly in front of his classmates: "I will show you a clear path. You might as well die. Dad will pay for the coffin and bury you!"
Friends infected with HIV are generally full of discouragement and despair about life. Coupled with drug addiction, they are even more exhausted. However, they are also men of flesh and blood who laugh and cry, and often fall into unstable emotions. The early days of the establishment of Aifu Village were very difficult. It is said that some students got up in the middle of the night to fight and kill with knives. Some students mutilated themselves and deliberately spilled HIV-containing blood on the counselors...
surprise
Before entering the village, I was worried about what I would encounter, but I didn’t expect that what was waiting for me was a bunch of surprises!
Surprise 1: Preacher Qiu Jianmin, who was once a naval officer, served brothers recovering from drug addiction in various villages for thirteen years after he was discharged from the army. Finally, I chose to serve as the village director in Aifu Village, which is more than 300 kilometers away from home, and has been here for more than two years. What is commendable is that Mrs. Qiu fully recognizes and supports Pastor Qiu's commitment.
The conflict and killing of students in Aifu Village with a knife in the middle of the night. If the knife had not been snatched away by Pastor Qiu in time, the consequences would have been disastrous. But his hands were stained with blood...
Although he suspected that he might have been infected, Pastor Qiu did not panic, but carefully thought about how to face the future. "If he is really infected, it is because of God's will, asking me to stay here longer!" In fact, he had already been mentally prepared before entering the village to serve. How could I not be surprised and admired by such a village director? ?
This surprise makes me full of gratitude for the Lord’s love!
Surprise 2: Teacher Yao Jianmin, who is also a veteran, has been a village tutor in Aifu Village for nearly two years. Over the past year, he has taught himself without a teacher and has become an expert in growing small potted plants. Potted plants are his greatest interest and expertise after serving.
He just got married the year before last, to a sister who also loves the Lord and fully supports his ministry. He goes home at least two days a week. He likes the service here and also likes to go home quickly because he has a wife and family who love him deeply.
Teacher Yao and his younger brother both used to take drugs. When they were desperate, they came to Chenxi Society to detoxify. After living in the village for one and a half years, they both entered the disciple training center affiliated with Chenxi Society for three years. Now the two brothers are serving steadily in different drug rehabilitation villages. The younger brother is in the counseling center and the older brother is in Aifu Village. I have to admire everything that God has accomplished through Dawn Club.
This surprise filled me with awe of the power of the Lord!
Surprise 3: Before moving into Aifu Village, I imagined that the brothers here must be depressed and desperate, difficult to counsel, and even full of foul language... What is unbelievable is that this week, I did not hear any conflicting opinions or see any irritation. The village director said that all of them have changed and made progress. Some people have outstanding temperaments and do not look like they have ever been addicted to drugs or diseases.
Except for Ah Xiong, who has just arrived less than two weeks ago, the other six brothers have lived here for more than ten months, and Ah Rong, who is willing to help others, has lived there for almost two years. What is valuable is that one of the six brothers is already a second-year theological student who has entered the Discipleship Training Center. One is determined to apply for the Discipleship Center this year. The other three are praying and seeking and may apply next year. During the conversation, I deeply felt their endless gratitude to the faithful Lord.
Miracles happen one after another here! Everyone is a Dawn person with a testimony, and I firmly believe that many of them, like Teacher Yao, will become workers with a wonderful testimony for the Lord in the future.
This surprise makes me full of hope for what the Lord will do!
▲Newcomers who have completed drug rehab are preparing to return to the workplace at a halfway house, relying on the Lord to win.
open circuit
The environment we live in is generally distrustful and unfriendly to rehabilitated people who have been released from prison. Most people do not know how to face and help rehabilitated people. What's more, these drug addicts are infected with HIV, which makes interaction with the community more complex and difficult.
In the early morning in the village, I quietly sought before the Lord, "Lord! How will You treat these HIV-infected people who confess and repent?" The Lord let me know that He was crucified for each of them!
In the love of the Lord, I prayed and thought about this group of brothers, "How will the people God has chosen and changed use them in the future?"
It will not be easy for these brothers to find jobs in the future. Jobs involving people are not suitable and are rejected; jobs that do not have to face crowds are either physically demanding or the environment is closed. While physically demanding work is bad for the body, an environment that is too closed is harmful to the soul.
thank God! What is valuable is that almost all of them are thoughtful people who are willing to become the Lord’s workers. Therefore, I personally have some insights and insights into the financing of halfway houses and employment buffer centers:
1. Establish a reserve fund, cultivate theological students, and be ready to “plant villages” and develop love-assisted ministries at any time.
2. Continue to encourage existing brothers to enter the discipleship center and train them to become future co-workers and village counselors.
3. Lead co-workers or theological students to go to prisons, schools at all levels, especially HIV reception units, to give speeches, bear witness, and deliver messages... The infected will see the dawn of life and hope from the brothers.
4. Add Aifu No. 2 Village, Aifu No. 3 Village and a vocational training center. When there are not enough co-workers, we have to do what we can, one by one. If there are too many children at once, we will not be able to take care of them (like in northern Thailand, it is not suitable for drug treatment families with one or two thousand people to live in a large village. Even if the environment requires the development of a large village, , can be developed into a "small home in the village" model).
5. Establish workshops or businesses specifically for HIV-infected people so that they can work with dignity without feeling inferior and give back to their families and society.
▲Photographed on the enrollment day of the Morning Light Discipleship Training Center. The Discipleship Center responds to the need for gospel addiction recovery in this generation, and trains workers for this ministry in a three-and-a-half-year program.
hope
In drug treatment villages and halfway houses, the most difficult thing is not how to provide counseling for students, but the lack of counseling. Among them, those with love and wisdom are even rarer; and the most feared thing is problems at the management level.
If it is not for "gratitude" and "calling", no one is suitable to become a preacher or village counselor. Martin Luther said: "If a man is not called by God, he should avoid preaching as if he were avoiding the fire of hell." This is especially true for drug rehabilitation work, because it is indeed a service that requires the Lord's "grace upon grace"!
Since I am grateful and believe that I am called by the Lord, please allow me to share this encouragement with my co-workers: you can be disappointed, but do not despair; you can be sad, but do not give up; you may occasionally be worried, but do not be discouraged.
In the CD album released by Prince Music, there is a song "The most amazing thing is love", the lyrics say:
The most magical thing is love, which transcends time and space.
The most amazing thing is love, which conquers death and wins life.
There is magic in love, love is a miracle,
The impossible becomes possible; love is magic, a miracle.
Yes, this love is Jesus Christ. I firmly believe that there will be more and more people in Aifu Village:
From "brother" to "brother",
From "drug addict" to "anti-drug person";
From a person infected with "HIV" to
There is Hope,
There is Idea (ideal),
Infectors with Value.
(Thanks to Taiwan Dawn Club for providing the pictures for this article)
Author profile:
Preacher Chen Zhengxiu was imprisoned for murder at the age of sixteen. He was a drug dealer at the age of nineteen and was working hard in the underworld. When he was sentenced to prison for the third time, he was moved by Pastor Huang Mingzhen's unrelenting love and became a Christian. He was baptized in shackles. Graduated from Daosheng Theological Seminary in Taipei and won the Yiguang Award for "Outstanding Rehabilitated Person". Affiliated to the Christian Local Church Mission Association, he currently serves full-time at the Hualien County Prison. He and his beloved wife Liu Xueni have two daughters. (For Chen’s touching story, please read Issue 9 of this magazine.)