‘I will never give up on your freedom’

Please pray for Gao Zhisheng, his wife, and their children.
(Photo: ChinaAid)

Gao Zhisheng, a Christian human rights lawyer in China, has been repeatedly kidnapped, arrested, imprisoned and tortured by authorities for defending the persecuted. He disappeared into police custody in April 2010, the most recent in a series of forced disappearances since his 2006 conviction on a subversion charge.

In March, he was able to visit with his older brother and his father-in-law. The visit put to rest fears that the pioneer in the growing Christian legal defence movement in the country had died during the two-plus years of his forced disappearance into police custody.

Gao Zhisheng’s wife, Geng He, recently shared with VOM partner, China Aid Assocation, a letter she wrote to her husband. Below are excerpts.

Zhisheng,

How have you been? I haven’t received any word from you or any updates on your situation. Is everything alright with you?

Ever since you were put in Shaya Prison, we have been calling the prison, hoping to talk to you. Only a few words will comfort your heart and soothe my longings for you. But we could never get through on the phone. I want to ask our family members to visit you, but the prison is so far away, and I’m afraid the prison will find a random reason to refuse their visit of you. Not able to hear your voice or get any news about you, I’m in tremendous pain every day and my heart is never settled. This is unbearable. How I wish I was the one locked up in prison because I believe, so smart and capable, you would have got me out quickly.

Here’s some good news: Gege was admitted by a very good university which offered her some scholarship. If she takes a tutorial class during vacation time, she’s likely to get more scholarship, so she willingly signed up for it. In a short time, she will leave home for school. She’ll transition to college after finishing the tutorial class and very soon she will live a life of independence.

I also entered a community college this year. Tianyu is taking some interest classes. We all try to stay busy so that we won’t be preoccupied with worries about you. In my busy life I often exclaim: how times flies! But then I’ll think about you living each day as if it was a year. Then I’ll start feeling worried and anxious again.

I’m writing this letter to tell you that I will never give up on your freedom. I trust you will never give up either. I will never stop writing to you to encourage you as well as myself. In spite of the numerous difficulties and hardships, we shall not give up. We shall persistently fight for freedom as Guangcheng did.

Take care!
Geng He
May 20, 2012