I
feel privileged to be able to correspond
with Sister D, a 29-year-old part-Maori girl
from New Zealand, in a women’s prison in
Japan. The rules there are very strict, as she
is only allowed to correspond with blood
relatives and have visits from them. So when
she asked for baptism, it was a sheer miracle
that after a wonderful confession of her
faith, through Bible Basics, and further
correspondence with Duncan and Cindy, that
arrangements could be made to facilitate
this. As the prison’s rules are so strict on
visitors, Bro Duncan’s visit was by pure grace.
Our combined fervent prayers were
answered, a sheer miracle happened, and
Duncan was able to take the long trip to
Vladivostok, and then to fly across to Tokyo.
Sister D was so joyous at this event, that she
wept all through the visit with sheer joy and
happiness in her heart.
As she comes from the same town as I
do in New Zealand, after three applica-
tions personally from her, the prison gave
their permission for me to be able to
correspond with her. We have become
very close. Her letters are all prettily
framed with hand drawn colourful flowers,
stars, hearts beautifully shaded in, by
coloured pencils. These are the only tools she
has, and she makes my letters look beautiful.
She says that she needs Christ so much in her
life, she can’t even breathe without Him now.
She says that she felt her life was over when
she was first imprisoned and she found
herself in a pit of despair and desperation
– that death seemed her only option.
She said that she found the Lord,
crumpled up in the corner of her cell.
She was pregnant and felt absolutely
hopeless with her situation. Then she
says she found the Lord and she has
never ever looked back. Her
Grandmother (not a Christadel-
phian) in New Zealand, had
sent her a copy of
Bible Basics which she had come across
somehow by the hand of providence, and she
got her Bible from Marcus in England, and
started studying and writing to Duncan and
Cindy. She studied passionately, and when
her baby boy was born, her wonderful father
travelled from New Zealand to pick him up as
a newborn and bring him home to the
“Whanau” (family). She says that they love
and cherish him, and he has just turned 3
years old. She now has seven further years to
serve in prison.
Sister D says she now has a deep seated
peace in her life. She told me that she can’t
stop smiling all the time under such dire
circumstances, and she says that other pris-
oners ask her why she is smiling all the time,
and she says it is the peace of God in her
heart, knowing about God’s plan for
salvation.
She works in a sweat shop sewing, and
has recently been promoted to the
position of “Kakari”, which is the head
person of responsibility in her workshop, and
so the Lord is blessing her for her upright
walk in life, and a willingness to do what is
right. She says that this position is unheard of
in a person so young, and especially as she is
still learning the language. She really is a
wonderful Sister, and for one so young she
has matured quickly beyond her years. In her
last letter she says her sleeping accommoda-
tion has also been upgraded, and she is now
in a nicer space to read and to study in her
spare time, even though she has little space
to put things. The rules for behaviour are
very strict, with severe punishments for
misconduct, so she strives to live a godly life
before her Maker and those in charge. She
says these things are a great blessing to her.
She had only been writing to me for a short
time, when she asked my permission to call
me OKASAN which means in Japanese
“Spiritual Mother”, which is an honour for
me. Although her letters are full of news, she
is very spiritual and has an enquiring mind.
Our Sister in Prison
| Sis Helen Pyper (Hibiscus Coast, New Zealand)
10