If you have a chance to meet Charlie in person, you would be taken in by his warm smile and unassuming nature. By the time we had settled down for the interview, I could sense he was a bit tense. It was as if he was all ready to share, yet at the same time, anxious. To ease his nerves, I thanked him for agreeing to the interview, to which he replied, “I’m just glad I have the opportunity to share my story, and I hope it encourages all those who read it.”

THE BEGINNING

Charlie’s foray into drugs had an unexpected start. He considered himself an alcoholic and a gambler, but not an addict. Surprisingly, he had found drugs repulsive because his older brothers who were addicts had resorted to stealing, cheating and robbing. In more desperate times, when they had to fuel their addiction urgently, they even sold valuable items they found in the house. He developed vitriol for such behaviour and the circumstances they put him through. At work, his colleagues were also drug addicts. When they were abusing drugs at the workplace, Charlie would be the lookout for them. “I became angry. Why did so many people I know abuse drugs? Drugs only led people down a slippery path.” Out of spite and a strong resolve to prove them wrong, Charlie made a radical decision to try drugs recreationally. He wanted to prove that the substances were not addictive and if one had self-control, walking away was possible. Unfortunately, he failed to succeed at what he had set out to do, becoming addicted along the way.

“I abused drugs for a long time before I was caught and sentenced in 1989.” When he was released in 1992, he was determined to start a new life, without drugs and vices. His firstborn soon arrived, and he held two jobs to provide for the family. Then, Charlie was not a believer, and he would help at temples and meet friends to gamble and drink. However, his religion and way of life did not offer any peace or security. In fact, due to mounting tensions between him and his then-wife, he found himself in immense distress. This ultimately caused him to stumble back to his old ways. “I met up with some friends ‘secretly’ and got some drugs. I wanted to use it recreationally, but I became addicted.”

SALVATION

In 2000, after his second child came along, Charlie was caught and sentenced again. To make matters worse, his marriage dissolved. He was filled with grief and anger when he started serving his sentence. It was during his second stint in prison that he met several Christian brothers who would invite him to chapel service on Sundays. “My thoughts about Christianity were rather old fashioned. I always perceived that Jesus was a western God and I knew that my family would not be happy if I became a convert, so I resisted receiving Jesus into my heart despite attending the services.”

“Believing in Jesus is so good. If I didn’t believe in Him, I don’t know what I would be doing or what my life would look like now.”

These services which Charlie attended were facilitated by volunteers who took time to lead and prepare. Often, their involvement in prison ministry meant sacrificing precious hours of rest on the weekends. Charlie often wondered why they would give up their time to be with the inmates. Amongst them, he realized that there were ex-offenders, individuals who have had it rougher and tougher than he did, but God still turned their lives around.

One day, while Charlie was attending service, he became particularly moved by a worship song and decided that it was time to invite Jesus into his heart. At this point of his recount, I could hear that he was visibly impacted by that moment of salvation - a quivering voice and a fight to hold back his tears. “Believing in Jesus is so good. If I didn’t believe in Him, I don’t know what I would be doing or what my life would look like now.”

FAMILY

When Charlie was released in 2007, he was concerned that his kids may not want anything to do with him. To his surprise, his firstborn came to receive him at the prison gate. “That brought me a lot of comfort.” It took his second child some time to accept him, but he was understanding, never pushing, allowing time to deepen connections. When that moment finally came, Charlie was greatly encouraged. It was with joy when he shared that his children began attending church with him some years ago. They have since gone on to worship and serve at other churches. “I am very thankful that my kids are serving the Lord in church and are believers themselves.” While they are no longer living with Charlie, he remains very much involved in their lives, even being the key witness at his firstborn’s wedding ceremony.

*Charlie and his mom together with Kok Wan (Executive Director) and Pearl, Kok Wan’s wife.*

Family is where Charlie’s deepest affections lie - not only towards his children, but for his mother as well. “Because of Jesus, my life changed completely. He gave me a heart of love. In the past, I didn’t know how to honor my parents and take care of them, but now, I do that.” This uphill task of caring for his elderly mother has been fulfilling, but not without its challenges. In the last two years, due to some family difficulty, Charlie arranged for his mother to live with him. He now makes ends meet by being a private hire driver and freelance painter, while still undertaking the role of the caregiver alone, without any help from his siblings. Through it all, he recognizes that it is God who gives him the strength to go the extra mile for her. “I can only do it because of God. Without Him, this is impossible.” He is especially thankful to Kok Wan (PFS Executive Director) for his kind assistance in applying for financial aid. “Whenever there is something suitable, he would inform me and we would go and apply together.”

COMMUNITY & SERVICE

After his release, Charlie also began searching for a church to attend. During the first week, he was invited to an English-speaking church, but he realized he would be more comfortable in a Chinese congregation. After some time, he was introduced to Salem Chapel, where he remains there till this day. Thinking back to that time long gone when he was serving in temples, Charlie feels that life is much better now than it was in the past. “I helped at the temple, but I smoked and drank. But a life with Christ is totally different.”

One day, when a brother from the church asked if Charlie wanted to go into prison to reach out to the inmates, he was overjoyed. “Without hesitation, I said YES! I was waiting for this very moment.” He then realized that he needed to share from the Bible, but Charlie wasn’t confident. After much thought, he decided to turn down the offer as he felt he could not meet the criteria. Several years later, he met a brother from another church who asked if he would be interested in reaching out to the inmates. “I told the brother, if it was to share about my experience, no problem, but if you want me to share from the Word, it may be a little challenging. The brother simply told me, ‘Why don’t you just go in first? Whatever the Lord tells you to share, just share it. God will use it. And if along the way, He wants you to share from the Word, just do it.’” Charlie was encouraged and decided to apply for a prison pass to minister to the inmates, and the rest is history. “If Jesus can change me, I want to go back to prison to encourage the other brothers.”

A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT

“If Jesus can change me, I want to go back to prison to encourage the other brothers.”

Being an overcomer himself, Charlie would like ex-offenders on the same path of rehabilitation to know one thing: “Believe in Jesus and your life will be changed. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you can have a new life in Christ. I received Jesus when I was 40 and my life has changed completely. He can do the same for you, too.”

As we enter the Lenten season, may the story of Charlie serve as a poignant reminder of the transformative power of Christ and the potential for profound personal change through divine grace. Jesus is the reason why Good Friday is good and the reason why we celebrate his triumph over death on Resurrection Sunday. Like Charlie, may you taste and see that the Lord is good. Amen.

The Goodness of Following Jesus: Charlie's Story

Our Intern Writes #8