Jackie Pullinger

Graduated from Royal College of Music. At the age of 22 she wanted to be a missionary, so she wrote to various missionary organisations. Unable to find support from missionary organisations, she then sought advice from Richard Thompson, a minister who told her that she should buy a ticket for a boat going as far as she could get and pray to know when to get off the boat. At first, she wanted to go to Africa, but then she had a dream that impressed upon her the idea of going to Hong Kong. She followed the vicar’s advice and went to Hong Kong by boat in 1966. However, when she arrived she knew no one there and had only $10 on hand. The only reason the immigration officers allowed her in was that her mother’s godson was a police officer there. She found work as a primary school teacher in the Kowloon Walled City, which in the 1960s was not policed and consequently had become one of the world’s largest opium-producing centres, run by Chinese criminal Triad gangs.Later she established a youth club that helped the drug addicts and street sleepers inside the walled city.

In 1981, she started a charity called the St Stephen’s Society which provides rehabilitation homes for recovering drug addicts, prostitutes, and gang members. By December 2007 it had grown and was providing homes for 200 people. The charity’s work has been recognised by the Hong Kong government who donated the land for the rehabilitation homes. The intervention process that the drug addicts go through is very intensive. Instead of giving them medications they are put into a room for 10 days, and prayed over and cared for by a group of ex-addicts.

The story of Jackie Pullinger shows and compel us to think, why? what for? But I want each reader should share HER story and ignite the fire to think beyond boundaries and other human beings as all are made by HIM and Glorify HIM only. We have to show the love and share the Gospel see what our Father in Heaven can make us if we really and truly touch and seek HIM.