Vince in jail

Yes, I’ve mentioned this before. I won’t tell you why he is in jail because I really feel badly about sharing such private information. However, what I will tell you is jail in China is nothing like jail in America. Vince was arrested in November and placed in a holding cell. Yes, that is right; he has been there in holding for almost 4 months now – so far no trial has occurred. He has not seen a judge. He is just there waiting to present his side of things. And the waiting is not fun. His cell is open air (windows are not sealed, just bars) and shared with many others. They took his glasses and heart medication away. They told us they gave both back to him, but a recently released prisoner who was in holding with him, came and told his wife that this was actually a lie. So he can’t see and he hasn’t taken his medication in months (he’s had several open heart surgeries). He also suffers from gout so I’m sure he is miserable. The prisoners get one cup of rice and one cup of vegetables at every meal. Anything else they might want, they need to buy. As a result of this, Lily, his wife, is sending him 2,000 RMB per month (about $250) to supplement his meals. There is no entertainment and he has not been given any books although he requested his Bible. They told us they gave him his bible, but the man who went to see Lily also said that was a lie. He gets one letter per month from family and he can write one letter per month to family (only one page long though). All of the correspondence is screened. We have been told that the trial will take place in April, but of course we have no guarantee of that. I actually think Vince deserves some punishment for what he did, but the Chinese system is really harsh and has made me feel quite sorry for him. If you think of it, do pray for Vince. He made a mistake, but he should get the chance to go before a judge and get a fair hearing.