Let Imprisoned Hearts Find Warmth

Preaching the gospel to foreign prisoners

They have no family in Taiwan, so we become their channel to contact their families...

As of March 9, 2023, there were approximately 373 foreign inmates in Guishan Prison and Longtan Women's Prison in Taoyuan, Taiwan; and there were approximately 1,000 foreign inmates in shelters across Taiwan.

They are serving sentences for violating Taiwanese laws, including drug crimes, homicide, and violating the Forest Law (Note: assisting Taiwanese criminal groups to illegally log and transport precious timber protected by the Forest Law in the mountains and forests). Some foreign detainees were sent to various shelters by the Immigration Department and the police because they illegally escaped from their employers and entered the illegal labor market.

In the eyes of ordinary people, they would be imprisoned because they committed a crime or escaped from their employer; but in the eyes of God, their lives are precious and worthy of a second chance!

▲ A group photo of co-workers participating in the missionary work at Guishan Prison in Taoyuan. The first one from the left is Pastor Mo Shanhai.

Be a channel of connection and love

The late Pastor Xia Yizheng, the founder of Taiyou Church, initiated the ministry of caring for foreign migrant workers in shelters and foreign inmates in prisons. Currently, Pastor Mok Shanhai is in charge. The foreign migrant workers in the shelter include Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai, Mongolian, etc., but the majority are Vietnamese and Indonesian.

Before the COVID-19 epidemic, co-workers could go directly to the shelter to hold evangelistic activities, or they could bring evangelical publications or books for the residents to read. Although we are temporarily unable to enter the shelter to hold evangelistic activities for the next two or three years, we can send materials, evangelical publications and books.

Currently, there are about 20 foreign missionaries involved in prison ministry for foreign inmates, including missionaries from Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. whose native language is English. They enter Taoyuan Guishan Prison every Tuesday afternoon and spend two hours in small groups chatting, sharing, evangelizing, and helping foreign inmates contact their families.

Because contact with the outside world is very difficult, foreign prisoners can only make one five-minute phone call to their family members every three months, and international calls are very expensive. Taking international calls from Taiwan to Vietnam as an example, a five-minute call costs at least NT$200 (approximately US$6-7), which is unaffordable. They have no family members in Taiwan, "so we become a channel for them to contact their families; foreigners are punished People can also write to us, and we will help them in a way permitted by prison regulations," Mo Shanhai pointed out. When foreign inmates get sick in prison, because they are not covered by health insurance, they have to pay for medical treatment out of their own pocket. In addition to the transportation costs to and from medical institutions, a trip costs several thousand Taiwan dollars, which is really unaffordable. They contacted the ministry team through letters and asked for assistance.

Care that touches lives

There is fellowship in the prison every Wednesday afternoon, and 12 foreign inmates can participate at a time, meeting in the form of Sunday worship. Even if there were prisoners who were willing to be baptized, missionaries would baptize them in the prison. Team members can also care for foreign inmates through window reception. However, due to the large number of family members queuing up, they can only care for two to three people in a morning.

By meeting customers at the window, the ministry team will also help foreign inmates buy fruits, coffee, and biscuits. Some missionaries also cook hometown dishes and send them to foreign inmates through the window (according to Taiwan’s prison authorities, the limit on sending food is two kilograms) to relieve their homesickness.

Starting from April 2023, large gatherings such as communion services in six languages can be held every two months at Guishan Prison in Taoyuan. Mok Shanhai emphasized: “We care for foreign inmates through these methods, allowing them to feel the great love of God and the warmth from the church. Currently, five Vietnamese inmates are studying theology in prison, and the team provides teaching materials. You must also read the Bible and related theological books, as well as assignments and exams.”

A Vietnamese inmate, Du Taishan, originally helped inmates buy cigarettes in the prison in order to make a profit. After believing in the Lord, my life changed and I realized that engaging in such work did not please God. He also loves to read God's words, can recite many scriptures, composes many hymns to praise God, and even preaches the gospel to a local Taiwanese prisoner.

There is also a Vietnamese prisoner who was sentenced to 18 years in prison. He reads the Bible according to a schedule every day and reads the entire Bible in one year. Since he began to read the Bible seriously, he truly received God's teachings and carefully studied the theological courses provided in the prison. Mo Shanhai lamented: “Through these two brothers, we truly saw God perform miraculous things in them, making great changes and glorifying His own name.”

▲ (Left) Group photo of co-workers participating in missionary work at Nantou Shelter. (Center) In Taoyuan Longtan Women’s Prison, missionaries performed a play for inmates. (Right) A Vietnamese prisoner sketched the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus to express his remembrance of the Lord.

Life is turned around, truly reborn

However, ministry also faces challenges. The service team is short of manpower. Taking Vietnamese prisoners as an example, currently only Mo Shanhai and his wife are in charge, and some missionaries are assisting.

Brothers and sisters who are able to afford it can assist in visiting prisoners in Chinese-speaking countries, such as Hong Kong and Singapore. If you are interested in learning a language, Mok Shanhai recommends learning a related language first, such as Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai, etc., to facilitate your participation in service. There is currently a local Taiwanese preacher who is fluent in Vietnamese and can counsel the inmates.

The ministry also needs to print a large number of gospel publications, and the missionary vehicles are old and outdated, all of which require prayer and financial support.

God gave second chances to many biblical figures who made mistakes, such as Moses, David, and Jonah in the Old Testament, and Peter and Paul in the New Testament... As long as people are willing to sincerely repent to God, God is willing to give them a chance to start over.

Pastor Mo Shanhai and the ministry team use their love and efforts to let these foreign inmates/inmates know that God is the God of redemption. In Christ, they can turn their lives around and be truly reborn.

Ministry information and contact information

China Chinese Evangelical Mission Society

cwgm.org