Updates on MRI scan and T in Zambia

I received two bits of ‘news’ today. Firstly I received the appointment for my MRI scan. It is in the evening of the 12th February. Now, it’s a good job I’m not a superstitious person because that it the date of our 13th wedding anniversary! Aha. So instead of a romantic evening staring into each others eyes I will be listening to my favourite CD for an hour in a noisy claustrophobic machine. Oh fun. I am glad to have the appointment, obviously. Waiting is never fun.

Secondly I received a letter back from T in Zambia. I have heard from him since my blog post about him, but this is his first reply since I sent him a parcel and told him about my blog post and the generosity of people who donated money to him. He has told me in this letter how best to use the money from a practical point of view. He did receive the contents of the parcel I sent and nothing was missing. It was good to know that. I sent him a book, and various food items such as nuts, dried fruit, dried meats and some sweets. Anyway, rather than tell you all about it I thought I would type out some of what he says in his letter. So that those of you who gave money to help him can read what he has to say. (He sent 5 beautiful wooden hand painted pens with his letter - each with our name on them, one for each of us - I’ll post a photo of them later)

Dear Beloved sister (Bree)

It’s my sincere prayer and hope that this mail finds you all in good health, both spiritually and physically. With me here I am doing well despite the sentence itself. I always thank God when ever I am given a breath. This is the miracle which God performs in my life each day I wake up and get the beauty of this planet earth. I always maintain one day at a time. How is my friend Barney?

First and foremost I would like to express my heartfelt thanks for your wonderful nice worded mail, and very beautiful Christmas cards sent to me from Dan, yourself, Annabelle and Jimmie. Thank you one again for the fruit sticks, a book, some cashew nuts, a packet of beef jerky and some polo sweets. I enjoyed the food stuffs you sent me. I am more than happy to inform you that the parcel was received very safely and I am the one that opened the parcel in the presence of the officer. I have just started reading the book. This book has come at the right time. I needed something to read. It sounds to be a good book. Thank you very much for the prayers you and other Christians are praying for me. There is power in the prayer of faith. Be assured that your prayers and mine have been answered my our God. We just have to wait for the day God prepared for me to come out of this hell.

Bree, let me tell you one thing. I am not precious, or anything else that uplifts me above any one (creation of God) but I am a simple cool man in the valley of death, but one special thing is that Jesus loves and cares for me very much. It’s the divine love of God that you are able to write to me. it’s the cross of Calvary which has brought us together. I would like to commend you for the good heart you have, as a child of God, to tell you the truth very few people (Christians) who can be like you. Many Christians are sympathetic, but the Lord is telling us to be compassionate. This is the heart of your Father. Since I started corresponding with you, I have seen this quality in you. Thank you once again for writing a blog post about me, and more thanks goes to your Grandad by reading out the blog post at his Sunday Prayer group and for the prayers. I have got no words to express the things you have done for me. I am a man of faith and I believe in prayer very much. I am humbled. I have nothing to give you, be assured that the reward is waiting for you from God. God will not forget the good things you are doing for me. Hebrews 6:10.

I am happy to hear of the Baptist Church Pastor who used to be a missionary here in Zambia. I will be more than glad to hear from him. Being a missionary at one time here in Zambia, he should know Zambia very well. When did he left Zambia?
Glory be to the Almighty God for the phenomenal response you are receiving from the saints of God and through the blog post. Thanks be to God for the help the Saints of God have sent me through you. My humble prayer is that may God add more blessings from where they got the money and add more days to their lives.

Beloved Bree, we prisoners have got a provision of buying food stuffs. There are good officers that buy things for prisoners with our money. We have got very honest and God fearing officers. The officer in charge is the one that appointed the two officers to be buying things for the prisoners. Us prisoners don’t handle any monies. The money is been kept by the two reception officers. So when a prisoner wants something, he just has to give the list to the two officers….

(he then goes on to talk about how best to send the money through the local chaplian etc).

… with this money I will be able to buy the needed food bit by bit. Thank you and God bless.
Coming to my cell. We are only five in a very small cell. There are only 48 cells and they are only meant to accommodate one prisoner in each cell. Now due to overcrowding each cell is now accommodating five to six people. We are 287 prisoners on death row. The cells are very small and have got no toilets and we only use chamber pots for the call of nature. It’s horrible. The people that I am with in the cell are good people. Two of us are Baptist, two are Catholics and one is a member of the new apostolic church. They can not steal anything from me. There are about seven churches in our place.

When they open for us we do all clean our chamber pots and cells. After cleaning the cells and chamber pots we do bath and go for the church services and this is every day. After church I do a bit of exercise. I do read in the word of God most of the time. I like reading very much, so books (Christian books) are welcome. Coming to the issue of the Church in England that they are keen to send something for all of us in the cell to come and share equally. Yes that’s a very good idea. They are free to send us anything that they can afford and that can be of good use to us. Things like toiletries etc. Those things here in our country are very expensive.

Bree, I received a Christmas card from Tammy, your friend in America. Please tell her thank you from me.

(He then talks about the photos and letter I sent him. He thinks H&D are a cute couple, and talks about Barney a bit)

Bree, did you see the clip of the execution of Saddam Hussein? How did you feel? The way Saddam was killed, that’s the very way it is done here where I am. That such of execution is inhumane and barbaric. No one has the right to terminate someone’s life regardless of whatever crime that man did. I felt very bad on the execution of Saddam. Thanks be to God, our current president has vowed not to sign any execution warrants for us on death row. He is a God fearing man, pray for him.

Food is still a big problem here in our prison. Food will never be enough in our prison. As am writing this mail we only eat once per day and the shares are very meagre. Yes sometimes Father B brings us some food stuffs and that’s once in a month and the food only lasts for a day and then we continue eating once per day. Life is hard for a prisoner in our country. A domestic animal is well looked after than a prisoner. Its pathetic and that’s why there is provision of writing mail and asking help from friends.

Bree, I just have to wrap up the mail. Enclosed are the worded pens. I will tell you more on these pens. You will be remembering me through those pens. Thanks you and God bless,
T

(He also asks me to send him a photo album and a 2007 small diary).

I meant to say that if anyone would like to write to someone in a Zambian prisoner you can view a few of their ads at this address...
http://www.writeaprisoner.com/international-prison-pen-pals.asp

There are many more than that wanting letters but its somewhere to start.
You can also find addresses of prisoners awaiting mail by visiting this site http://www.prisoncare.org/ and clicking on 'prisoners in need'.