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Alpha News Hong Kong

Ju n e 2 0 0 4

Boris Lui, a solicitor in Hong Kong before a fraud case landed him 4 years in prison, was recently released. Boris told Alpha News Hong Kong how his life was changed after meeting Jesus and his experience in the first Alpha Course in prison in Hong Kong. As a new creation, Boris' desire now is to serve God by ministering to ex-inmates and their families. Boris told us his story:
"I WAS A LAWYER. Looking back I realized that my only ideal when I first became a lawyer was to make a lot of money". "I was very ambitious from the word "Go", continued Boris, " I worked for a firm in 1986 but in less than 3 years I left the firm and started a new law firm in partnership with two friends. Business was OK and we made some profit. However, I wasn't satisfied. I decided to go it alone and set up my own sole proprietorship. I lacked management and financial knowledge to run my own company. When I thought I was making good money, I was actually losing money every month. I then tried to cover up my loss by illegitimate means which made matters worse. Due to immense pressure, I turned to superstition to calm myself and to escape from reality. I was involved in Feng Shui, fortune-telling...anything that I hoped could bring me miracles. I then had this false sense of security and became bolder to commit more crime". In 1996, Boris made a miscalculation by deceiving a finance company for $16 million, banking on the quick turnaround in stock and property. However the Asian financial crisis in the year following dashed all these hopes. The case came to light in 1999 and Boris went to prison in May 2000. I believed in, I started to read the Bible and pray everyday. And on 14 May, 2000, a day before my jail term started, I was baptized." of proper rehabilitation and also the stigma of being an ex-offender in the general public's eye." This was confirmed by a statistic Boris read in the newspaper, that the re-offending rate in Hong Kong is an astounding 50%!

A BREAK FROM THE PAST

"The biggest difference in my life after meeting Christ is the breaking away from pornography which had kept me in bondage for many years". In a small group sharing, before he went to prison, Boris felt the Lord had revealed to him that he was cleansed and cut off from the bondage. He was set free!! "Next is money!" Boris continued, "In the past I was very greedy for money for myself. Now I realize that money and wealth are from God and it is to be used for His purpose. Moreover, our hope is in eternity and things in this world are but temporal". "In the world's eye, I have lost everything, my job, professional qualification, bankrupt...but I am not at all worried. God spoke to me that I should seek His Kingdom and His righteousness first".

ALPHA FOR EX-OFFENDERS

Something needs to be done. There are about 10,000 prisoners in Hong Kong which means 10,000 families could potentially be affected. Ex-inmates who are believers need pastoring and for non-believers, they need to come to know Jesus. The same applies to their families as well. Without Jesus, there is no hope of forgiveness, reconciliation and living an abundant life. I believe God wants me to help them to know Christ and practically, to assist them in their job search. Boris is keen to start Alpha for Ex-offenders under the banner of Kun Sun Association and churches for ex-inmates and their families. This is my desire, said Boris with a sparkle of hope in his eyes, and I believe it is in line with what God has in store for me

ALPHA FOR PRISONS

"When the first Alpha for Prisons started in Ma Po Ping where I was, I also signed up to attend. Ma Po Ping prison was quite a spiritual desert as it is far from the city, so not many Christian groups come and minister to prisoners. I was glad to be able to help those on the Course and in so doing my own faith grew as well".

BORN AGAIN
In November 1999, after being formally charged, Boris met a lawyer friend who was a believer and preached the gospel to Boris. "My friend took me to an Alpha Course but I did not complete it and I was not at all interested in faith matters. I felt I gained a bit of knowledge about Christianity but nothing more. It wasn't until I had a quarrel with my wife that I realized my own limitation. I prayed to God in repentance and asked for his help. Though I did not quite understand what

VISION FOR THE FUTURE CARING FOR EX-INMATES

"Having experienced firsthand the sadness and desperation of people who are imprisoned, I observed that many such people have a tendency to OTENTIALLY re-offend due to lack

AFFECTING 10,000 FAMILIES

BORIS LUI

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