Prison cell in Asia
The previous post told about a pastor in Vietnam who spent time in prison because of his work for the Lord.
Read below about conditions in Vietnamese prisons and try the activity. You can find the activity and more about Christians in Vietnam in Bold Believers in Vietnam, available in the Downloads section.
Outside Work
Some Christian prisoners in Vietnam are forced to make bricks or to work in the fields outside the prison 12 to 16 hours a day, seven days a week. They get very little food, and guards may beat them if they don’t work fast enough. “But they’d rather go outside, because inside is even worse,” said one Christian.
Crowded Cells
The prison cells are dark, crowded, and noisy. Larger cells hold 100 or more people. In smaller cells, six to eight people may be kept in a space about 8 feet by 10 feet. The prisoners don’t have mattresses, blankets, or pillows. Sometimes they are not allowed to have Bibles.
Try This
Mark off an 8-foot by 10-foot empty space. Stay in the space with five other people for about 15 to 20 minutes. Talk about where you would sleep and how you would live if you had to stay in the space all the time. Pray for those in prison for Christ. Share any Scriptures you could recite if you didn’t have access to a Bible.
To Talk About
If you had to live in a Vietnamese prison, what would you say about life there? Read below what some Vietnamese prisoners said about their time in prison.
*“Being in prison gave me more time to have a deeper relationship with God.”
*“I learned more about the true values of life.”
*“It was an honor to serve the Lord in this way.”
*“Going to prison encouraged me to continue my Christian work when I got out. After being in prison, I was more willing to risk going back to prison again.”
*“In prison, I had the opportunity to lead my cellmates, and even guards, to Christ.”
