A story from the i Grail in Hong Kong 1 T ET Chang, now in HOng I -1-"Kong, tell his own story IIi or at least part of it-in a letter to which the accompanying picture is a kind of post; script: i "Dear Friends: Three years Iago, I came here from the hands 1 of the Reds, and, helped by some i of my friends, I was lucky ' enough to find a job as a coolie. Then my wife was able to join me from Canton, and we settled 1 at Tung Tau. Tau of my ; i firs"ti3gildf,tTrunthge 1 in a big fire. Then we ewmasoca„udght i i firs"ti3gildf,tTrunthge 1 in a big fire. Then we ewmasoca„udght i o
; Kowloon Tsai. On April 19, anotherbig fire came upon us at Kowloon Tsai.
"During such terrible stale, my work became very unsteady, due to the bad weathdr. So it was hopeless to support my family. But on November 16, Catholic Welfare gave us a new house in King's Park, then a warm blanket when the cold weather came. Now we received a big food parcel containing rice, beans, bean oil, salted eggs, sausages and bean curd.
"Really this is our beautiful and happy life of exile since we came to Hong Kong. The happiest thing is that we became Catholics and I hope God will have mercy on us always. And I and my family will pray God to bless you always to show our deep gratitude.
"Yours gratefully, "Cstallo AND HIS FAMILY."
The picture shows Chang, Fr. Yung, Fr. Howard Trube, M.M., and Fr. Tsai at the ceremony of baptism in the refugee area of Tung Tau tuen, Francis Xavier. at the Bishop Ford Memorial Centre, Hong Kong. (Bishop Ford died in a Communist prison in Canton after torture.) Chang is one of the poor, driven people. knocking at the door of the Inn of the World, who arc indeed those who know God "chiefly by His rod."
Yet. to some, their life of exile seems beautiful, since only in this way were they able to experience for themselves and for their children the Christian works of mercy.
Chang was a man of property but now, as he relates, he works as a coolie.
His hut on one of the 19 hilltop settlements was burned in one of the frequent fires in these encampments.