SINGAPORE, Jan. 4 /
Christian Newswire/ -- Despite early setbacks, Crossroad Bible Institute just opened its first Distribution Center in Asia, in the country of Singapore. As DC Director Paul Tan prepared to begin training local Instructors, he contracted the H1N1 virus and had to rest for several weeks. Remembering his illness, Tan stated, "I felt like my body and soul died, but my spirit was peaceful with the joy of salvation. God helped me heal and put me on fire again!"
Once Tan recovered, he was hard at work making sure prisoners at Changi Prison had the opportunity to study the Bible.
"I am pleased that we already have a number of students who want to have a stronger relationship with God. CBI is here to help prisoners on their religious journey and provide support so they are equipped to make good choices when they are released back into society," said CBI President Dr. David Schuringa.
In fact, Tan recently reported that CBI students are already making a difference: fifteen Buddhist inmates were so impressed with the testimony and behavior of current students that they have converted to Christianity in order to enroll in the program. Prison officials welcome the addition of CBI to Changi as well, saying that the CBI students are well-behaved and serious about their studies. "This is the exact result we pray for: that the lives of our students would be so changed by their study of the Bible that they would be a clear, strong testimony for Christ to those around them," stated Cynthia Williams, who oversees Crossroad's international operations.
Tan suffered from drug addiction and spent time in Singapore's prison system early in his life. He finally found freedom from his detrimental habits by choosing to serve God. "The only habit I cannot break is to go back to prison," he explained, "but this time not as an inmate but as a servant of God to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
Crossroad Bible Institute is a prison ministry in its 26th year of operation. With over 40,000 students, CBI has nine international distribution sites. Visit www.cbi.fm for enrollment forms or more information. CBI's programs are provided at no cost to prisoners and their families.
