July 18, 2010
Reported by Sam Lee
Written by Lydia Ma

Armed with 300 copies of Heart Farmer, a weekly digest published by Taiwan Church Press detailing touching testimonies of lives changed by God, Taitung County Christian Prison Ministries Association and Hualien College Ministries entered Tai-Yuan Penitentiary to share the gospel with inmates.

Taitung has the highest number of penitentiaries in Taiwan. It has 7 prisons and 4 of them, including Tai-Yuan, used to house the most violent criminals in the nation in the past.

According to the association, many inmates have repented of their sins and put their faith in Christ after reading "Heart Farmer" in the past few years. Not only does Heart Farmer carry prison wardens' stamp of approval, it's easy to carry for those on the go, and offers new hope to prisoners who've lost all hope by giving them courage to face the future.

The association had invited Hualien College Ministries to visit Tai-Yuan penitentiary and co- host an evangelistic meeting and the latter recruited several college students to lead worship and share their personal testimonies. For many Christians who'd accepted Christ while in prison, the meeting was a much-needed encouragement and renewed their hope.

According to Taitung County Christian Prison Ministries Association, in the past, foreign missionaries would often visit Tai-Yuan Penitentiary during summers. It was a nice change and a rare opportunity to see college students visit prisons and share the gospel there.

The visit was part of a 2-week camp planned by Hualien College Ministries for college students and gave students an opportunity to help out at an evangelistic meeting. For many students, this was the first time they'd ever visited a prison and the tour undoubtedly left a lasting impression.

Youth leaders hoped that through visiting prisons, remote villages, and people from different backgrounds or ethnicities in rural Taiwan, students would have a chance to reflect on the value of life as well as live out their faith through serving others.

One youth commented that this was her first time visiting a penitentiary and it wasn't as scary as she had originally envisioned. Instead, she saw plenty of warmth and hope. She encouraged inmates to open their hearts to the gospel because it would bring them freedom and peace.

Taiwan Church News