[Anglican Diocese of Melbourne] A letter-writing ministry at St Paul's North Caulfield Anglican Church is bringing hope and encouragement to men and women in prison in Thailand. Margery Renwick started the ministry in 2005, and about 40 parishioners now regularly write letters.
"We call this an 'armchair ministry'," said Margery. "One can be a missionary by writing a letter monthly or every six weeks, bringing hope to someone in a desperate situation, and showing God's love. One can also be blessed and encouraged by the depth of faith shown in the lives of these prisoners. Many are powerful witnesses to the power of Jesus in their lives. It is amazing to hear a prisoner say, 'I have peace'."
There are 43 prisons in Thailand and around 300,000 prisoners. Margery says that almost all of the prisoners come from developing countries and are serving life sentences for picking up a parcel of drugs in Bangkok.
"Out of desperation at home they chose to become a drug mule to earn a quick dollar," said Margery. "They receive unbelievably long sentences, and the conditions in the prisons are very harsh. Many have been abandoned by their families, and have had no contact with the outside world for years."
She said most of the people they write to have become Christians since being in prison, and the difference their faith makes to their lives is profound.
"They see themselves mostly as pretty low. To be told it doesn't matter, you're forgiven, we're all equal, you're a new person — it's an amazing message."
She said it was a "huge encouragement" to the inmates to receive a letter from someone in Australia who cared enough to write.
Parishioner Peter Edwards said he was "very nervous" as he and his wife Joan penned their first letter to Yomon Sai Yot Mon, an inmate at Khao Bin prison, but "by the second page I was rattling along, describing us and our family and offering small anecdotes about our lives."
He says, "Six years, and more than thirty letters and many photos later, we are still telling Yomon about our lives. He responds with news about himself, his fellow inmates, and the Christian church in the prison. Yomon never fails to pray blessings on us and on our family, especially our three grandchildren, remembering them by name and sending intricately handmade cards to each one at Christmastime.
"We have learnt much about prison life in Thailand, and sometimes we hear personal news such as the death of his mother and his sadness over the lack of regular contact with his own family in Burma.
"But more often the news is positive. Yomon is a spiritual leader in his prison church. He writes about the continuing transformation of prisoners' lives as they hear and respond to the gospel.
"What we thought would be a small outreach activity has become a wonderful relationship for Joan and I. Yomon has become our son — he signs his letters that way — and we hope we can live up to the privilege of being parents to such a talented and dedicated man."
Every November, a team travels to Thailand to visit several prisons. St Paul's vicar the Revd. Howard Langmead visited in 2013 and baptised five men at Mae Hong Son near the Thailand–Myanmar border.
"It's been very important for us as a parish to have this contact with Christians who are in more difficult situations than we are," he said. "In our services we pray regularly for people in prison in Thailand. That deepens our understanding of what it is to be the church."
Parishioner Michele Moorhouse visited the prisons for the first time in November last year as part of a small team of people from Melbourne and Perth. As well as meeting, praying and sharing the gospel with inmates, they baptised 98 people, mostly using the bottled drinking water they had been supplied with.
"It was so moving … the sense of them and us was removed in those moments when we became 'we' in worship", said Michele.
"I'm left with lots to think about regarding justice and mercy, inspired by people who put themselves out there in following Christ, and indeed by an amazing God for whom no one is beyond reach, even in prison."
For more information visit http://hopebehindbars.net/
http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/anglican-armchair-ministry-brings-hope-to-thai-prisoners/
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