Unexpected Friendships
WAYNE SCHOCK
My journey into ministry at the Tacoma ICE Detention Center began this past April with simple window visits. A friend from English with Friends (an LC3 ministry) told me about several Chinese men who spoke little English and had no visitors. She handed me a list of names, helped me navigate the process, and soon I found myself speaking with a young man—Chen—through a thick pane of glass and a telephone. He had been detained for eight months without a single visitor. At first, he was cautious and unsure why I wanted to meet him. All I could offer was friendship, conversation in my rusty Mandarin, and, at the end of each visit, a brief prayer.
One week, Chen asked if I would visit his cellmate, Bai. Soon I found myself meeting both men weekly—listening to their stories, praying with them, and sharing the Gospel using Chinese Scriptures I had memorized 40 years ago when I first lived in Taiwan. God brought those verses back to mind word-for word (we are not allowed to bring items to the window visits). Eventually, Bai asked Jesus into his life, and Chen began asking deeper questions about faith.
As the weeks went on, relationships deepened. My granddaughter joined one visit, and her presence touched Chen profoundly, opening the door for more spiritual conversations. Through their Saturday church services at the DC, Chen and Bai introduced me to another believer, Lin, and by mid-summer I was discipling all three men.
In August, I began serving inside the Saturday volunteer church ministry. Now I sit with groups of Chinese men for Discovery Bible Study, joining volunteers of many languages as we witness God transform lives. Just this past weekend, 36 men and women were baptized, representing diverse nations and stories.
Many in the DC remain alone, hungry for the love of Christ and the salvation found only in Him. Some will return to the U.S., others to their home countries—but each carries the potential to share powerful testimonies of God’s grace.
My journey into ministry at the Tacoma ICE Detention Center began this past April with simple window visits. A friend from English with Friends (an LC3 ministry) told me about several Chinese men who spoke little English and had no visitors. She handed me a list of names, helped me navigate the process, and soon I found myself speaking with a young man—Chen—through a thick pane of glass and a telephone. He had been detained for eight months without a single visitor. At first, he was cautious and unsure why I wanted to meet him. All I could offer was friendship, conversation in my rusty Mandarin, and, at the end of each visit, a brief prayer.
One week, Chen asked if I would visit his cellmate, Bai. Soon I found myself meeting both men weekly—listening to their stories, praying with them, and sharing the Gospel using Chinese Scriptures I had memorized 40 years ago when I first lived in Taiwan. God brought those verses back to mind word-for word (we are not allowed to bring items to the window visits). Eventually, Bai asked Jesus into his life, and Chen began asking deeper questions about faith.
As the weeks went on, relationships deepened. My granddaughter joined one visit, and her presence touched Chen profoundly, opening the door for more spiritual conversations. Through their Saturday church services at the DC, Chen and Bai introduced me to another believer, Lin, and by mid-summer I was discipling all three men.
In August, I began serving inside the Saturday volunteer church ministry. Now I sit with groups of Chinese men for Discovery Bible Study, joining volunteers of many languages as we witness God transform lives. Just this past weekend, 36 men and women were baptized, representing diverse nations and stories.
Many in the DC remain alone, hungry for the love of Christ and the salvation found only in Him. Some will return to the U.S., others to their home countries—but each carries the potential to share powerful testimonies of God’s grace.
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