I scribbled the name of my second prisoner, Win Chit, as I restlessly waited on the steps. I knew entering Bangkok’s Klong Prem prison would be hard, but I didn’t expect this. Trying to paint a picture with words won’t do justice, but I’ll try.
We filled in the necessary paperwork, twice, and were summoned by an untranslatable and thunderous voice. After an initial frisking in security, crowds of individuals poured through the doors of a long, dirty room that stretched with benches below barred glass windows and a strip of metal to speak through. It’s quite chaotic at first glance. Only 25 minutes are allotted for visitation, so every second is invaluable for both the prisoner and his visitor. Once spotted, you frantically run to find an open spot to crouch and begin your conversation on HIGH. Everyone is yelling.
I saw Win. Twenty-five years old with a brilliant smile and radiant eyes. He has not heard from his family in six years and will not be released for another six. Win fled from Myanmar’s nauseating government and illegally entered Thailand (as many Burmese do). There was so much he wanted to talk about, but alas, his English was limited to a simple greeting. I could SEE the frustration through his entire body as he desperately tried to communicate with me. I drew pictures and asked questions using any body language I could. I banged on the window and found someone to translate a sentence for me: “Tell him to speak about anything. I just want to hear his voice.”
Win put his hands against the glass and I met them with mine. Surrounded by boisterous conversation and our foreheads pressed against the metal separating us, he began to sing to me. They were Burmese songs that cut through my heart. Win’s beautiful voice was the only voice I heard for the remainder of our time, and with a tear-stained face, I promised to write and come back.
In Thai prisons, the prisoners must pay for their own food and toiletries. If outsiders, like family, don’t make deposits… the prisoner has nothing. Win has no family, so thanks to the financial support I received in the States, WE were able to provide him with some financial help. He’s a Christian and I’m eager to begin sharing our passion for God through correspondence. As I learn more about Myanmar and meet its people, I’m utterly devastated by the situation. Please pray for the Burmese prisoners and refugees who are without anything and anyone.
Another prisoner from Ghana in his 60s hungrily shared his enthusiasm for God. He said he’d rather spend time with Jesus everyday in prison than be without Him and set free… I’ve never met a man wholly devoted with that kind of reverence and pure JOY.
ONE prison alone in Bangkok holds 900 convicts on death row. Most of the sentences are drug-related, because here, involvement with drugs is considered worse than murder.
Some prisoners will not receive a phone call, letter, or visit for years. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO BECOME A PEN-PAL to one, please let me know and I can provide you with a name, background information, and an address.
I will never forget today.
Tags: AIDS relief., Bangkok, Gina Meola Photography, Missionary, Missions, Thailand
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