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Chasing the Dragon: One Womans Struggle Against the Darkness of Hong Kong's Drug Dens
Inside of Hong Kong was the infamous Walled City. Strangers were not welcome there. Police hesitated to enter. It was a haven of filth, crime and sin. Prostitution, pornography and drug addiction flourished. Jackie Pullinger had grown up believing that if she put her trust in God, He would lead her. When she was 20 years old, God called her to the Walled City. She obeyed. And as she spoke of Jesus Christ, brutal hoods were converted, prostitutes retired from their trade and heroin junkies found new power that freed them from the bondage of drug addiction. Hundreds discovered new life in Christ. Chasing the Dragon tells the whole amazing story exactly as it happened. Equally amazing has been the reach of this ministry, now detailed in this updated and revised edition. From Hong Kong to the Philippines, Thailand and beyond, the ministry that started with Jackie and her friends taking people in to live and care for them has continued and developed to form the present St. Stephen’s Society. Readers will be inspired by this tale of trust and loving as Jesus would.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
339 people are currently reading
4702 people want to read
About the author
Jackie Pullinger
8 books36 followersJackie Pullinger is a British Protestant missionary to Hong Kong.
At the age of 22 she moved to Hong Kong and began to reach out to the people of the Walled City. Her ministry started with only a handful of people but has grown steadily over the last fifty years.
She founded the St. Stephen's Society, which is involved in drug rehabilitation in Hong Kong and the Philipines.
At the age of 22 she moved to Hong Kong and began to reach out to the people of the Walled City. Her ministry started with only a handful of people but has grown steadily over the last fifty years.
She founded the St. Stephen's Society, which is involved in drug rehabilitation in Hong Kong and the Philipines.
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October 12, 2014
Some stories you have to hear firsthand to believe. Jackie Pullinger's life in Hong Kong is that kind of story.
I am not pentecostal. I grew up suspicious of anyone who raised their hands in church. Speaking in tongues, signs and wonders, healings and resurrections were all a bit far for my home church. Even today, I'm still a bit iffy about things like prophetic words and power evangelism. If God want to act in that way, great! But it will take a little work on God's end to overcome my scepticism.
CtD carries a latent pentecostal punch. Only after you've committed to Pullinger's story does the gift of tongues come to center stage. Honestly, speaking in a Holy Spirit language is both catalyst and content to much of her work in Hong Kong's Walled City.
But the way she brings this gift across even has me questioning my own prejudices (which is always a good thing). The presence of God and the power of Jesus are undeniable in her accounts. The sort of life that seems to me the natural path for a Christian is showing up in what she's doing. Maybe I'm the one who's missing something.
I'm thankful I happened on the 2000 edition. Pullinger's two final chapters put the first part of her story into some perspective. Her voice sounds less polished, and some of the deep anguish she felt shows through. Like Mother Teresa's posthumously published journals, these later chapters provide a necessary context to the rest of the stories.
I am not pentecostal. I grew up suspicious of anyone who raised their hands in church. Speaking in tongues, signs and wonders, healings and resurrections were all a bit far for my home church. Even today, I'm still a bit iffy about things like prophetic words and power evangelism. If God want to act in that way, great! But it will take a little work on God's end to overcome my scepticism.
CtD carries a latent pentecostal punch. Only after you've committed to Pullinger's story does the gift of tongues come to center stage. Honestly, speaking in a Holy Spirit language is both catalyst and content to much of her work in Hong Kong's Walled City.
But the way she brings this gift across even has me questioning my own prejudices (which is always a good thing). The presence of God and the power of Jesus are undeniable in her accounts. The sort of life that seems to me the natural path for a Christian is showing up in what she's doing. Maybe I'm the one who's missing something.
I'm thankful I happened on the 2000 edition. Pullinger's two final chapters put the first part of her story into some perspective. Her voice sounds less polished, and some of the deep anguish she felt shows through. Like Mother Teresa's posthumously published journals, these later chapters provide a necessary context to the rest of the stories.
March 12, 2014
Chasing the Dragon is one of my favorite internship books. Pullinger's autobiography of her ministry in Hong Kong's walled city of Kowloon inspires, challenges, and captivates. As a white Westerner headed to a Southeast Asian slum in a few months, re-reading CTD gave me fresh hope and renewed gratefulness for God's call in my life.
CTD is one of those generally-not-recommended styles of missionary work: Pullinger goes by herself, without a sending org, and sets up shop ministering cross-gender; she has very little boundaries or rhythms of self care. That said, AMAZING works of the Holy Spirit happen in part because Pullinger was obedient and tenacious in her response to God's call in her life. I truly wish we saw more works for the Spirit in the U.S. today, if simply for the fact that God could do those miraculous works here if only we'd let Him.
CTD is one of those generally-not-recommended styles of missionary work: Pullinger goes by herself, without a sending org, and sets up shop ministering cross-gender; she has very little boundaries or rhythms of self care. That said, AMAZING works of the Holy Spirit happen in part because Pullinger was obedient and tenacious in her response to God's call in her life. I truly wish we saw more works for the Spirit in the U.S. today, if simply for the fact that God could do those miraculous works here if only we'd let Him.
January 24, 2018
My last read and second of 2018: Chasing the Dragon by Jackie Pullinger
This is a true story which many have described as “inspiring”.
I could have easily done the same but that would have been embellishing the truth. It made me introspect a lot and I ask myself some very tough questions.
"Chasing the Dragon" is a true story of Jackie Pullinger’s work in Hong Kong’s infamous “Walled City”. Her work resulted in hundreds of gangsters, drug addicts, prostitutes and hardened criminals to turn to Christ, give up their former ways, be immediately healed of their drug addictions and pledge their obedience to Christ over drug lords.
The power of the Holy Spirit and praying in the Spirit features prominently.
After hearing the call of God, Pullinger left England in her early twenties with a one-way ticket to Hong Kong and with little money. She heard the call and obeyed. She had no mission group or church backing her. It’s reminiscent of the many rags-to-riches stories of immigrants who left their countries to seek wealth except her riches are in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Read it.
This is a true story which many have described as “inspiring”.
I could have easily done the same but that would have been embellishing the truth. It made me introspect a lot and I ask myself some very tough questions.
"Chasing the Dragon" is a true story of Jackie Pullinger’s work in Hong Kong’s infamous “Walled City”. Her work resulted in hundreds of gangsters, drug addicts, prostitutes and hardened criminals to turn to Christ, give up their former ways, be immediately healed of their drug addictions and pledge their obedience to Christ over drug lords.
The power of the Holy Spirit and praying in the Spirit features prominently.
After hearing the call of God, Pullinger left England in her early twenties with a one-way ticket to Hong Kong and with little money. She heard the call and obeyed. She had no mission group or church backing her. It’s reminiscent of the many rags-to-riches stories of immigrants who left their countries to seek wealth except her riches are in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Read it.
May 17, 2017
Jackie Pullinger, an English single missionary and her incredible journey in bringing the light of Christ to the drug infested areas of Hong Kong. I admire Pullinger a lot. For a single woman to leave her land just by faith to a land unknown like Abraham and start a ministry, just fills your heart with joy. Her stories are amazing of the power of the Gospel to change leper's spots or in this case, free addicted drug dealers and prostitutes from their bondage and melt any and every heart of stone.
This book however, was just ok for me. The writing is poor and reads like a bunch of journal entries. It was hard to keep track sometimes. It also seemed like one spectacular highlight after another of people getting saved and speaking in tongues, for which I praise God (and I'm not a cessationist), but it would have been helpful to hear more processing of her heart through these years, and I would have loved to see her elaborate on her sorrows and lows (she says she had some, but doesn't really elaborate). Towards the end, she bemoans the problems with short-term missionaries and"missionary voyeurism..." how people like to come for some short thrills and leave with their video cameras having not really "seen" or made any real sacrifice. Giving her life to these broken people taught her that true love always costs. This was a great insight and I wanted her to talk more about things along those lines. Then I thought it might be in the last chapter, but that too was full of more highlights and then it just ends abruptly with another person getting miraculously healed.
Two stars for a five-star woman of God!
This book however, was just ok for me. The writing is poor and reads like a bunch of journal entries. It was hard to keep track sometimes. It also seemed like one spectacular highlight after another of people getting saved and speaking in tongues, for which I praise God (and I'm not a cessationist), but it would have been helpful to hear more processing of her heart through these years, and I would have loved to see her elaborate on her sorrows and lows (she says she had some, but doesn't really elaborate). Towards the end, she bemoans the problems with short-term missionaries and"missionary voyeurism..." how people like to come for some short thrills and leave with their video cameras having not really "seen" or made any real sacrifice. Giving her life to these broken people taught her that true love always costs. This was a great insight and I wanted her to talk more about things along those lines. Then I thought it might be in the last chapter, but that too was full of more highlights and then it just ends abruptly with another person getting miraculously healed.
Two stars for a five-star woman of God!
May 5, 2015
Jackie Pullinger has had a crazy life. I was blown away by this book. Basic gist: woman goes to Hong Kong slum with no plans and no money, and through her, people are saved, lives are changed, and Jesus is glorified.
Now, I'm not the crying type, but I was definitely sniffling back a few tears at several points in this book. Mostly, because God is so PRESENT in this book. He is the center of everything, and Poon Siu Jeu (Jackie's Chinese name) continues to give him glory for everything that happens. The way she presents the gospel is so simple to everyone she meets, and the miracles that happen seem so commonplace that sometimes I forgot that these things ARE NOT NORMAL. Jackie presents it all in this book, the good and the bad, and at the end all I seem to be able to say is: GOD IS SO GOOD.
Now, I'm not the crying type, but I was definitely sniffling back a few tears at several points in this book. Mostly, because God is so PRESENT in this book. He is the center of everything, and Poon Siu Jeu (Jackie's Chinese name) continues to give him glory for everything that happens. The way she presents the gospel is so simple to everyone she meets, and the miracles that happen seem so commonplace that sometimes I forgot that these things ARE NOT NORMAL. Jackie presents it all in this book, the good and the bad, and at the end all I seem to be able to say is: GOD IS SO GOOD.
January 31, 2016
This book is awesome.
February 28, 2023
I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time. And I pray it will propel me to action, like Jackie intended, for the readers to “go out and write your own stories and be in a book instead of read it!” Unlike any other autobiography I’ve read.
November 23, 2021
Wow. This book has changed my life. What a gift.
October 14, 2015
Another captivating missionary story! If you enjoy reading stories of God moving in foreign lands to save people and set them free this is one to add to your list. If you're a fan of Brother Yun, Brother Andrew and Corrie Ten Boom I'd recommend adding this one to your reading queue. If you're unsure if God still uses the gifts of the Spirit these days, or how practical and effective they may be in ministry these days, I'd recommend this book.
I found it inspiring and refreshing. Great light reading!
I found it inspiring and refreshing. Great light reading!
December 4, 2015
Total crap. I was asked to read this by a Christian friend. Endless tales of people being saved from drug addiction with prayer. One woman's heroic crusade of cleaning up Hong Kong. She did it all herself apparently by getting criminals to become Christian and speak in tongues. Sorry but this is mumbo jumbo.
February 1, 2011
I commend Jackie Pullinger on all the wonderful things she accomplished and all the people she helped in the Walled City. I enjoyed reading about the interesting people she came in contact with. I gave two stars because I thought the story became very repetitious.
January 22, 2018
The most compelling missionary biography I've ever read.
As a young 20-something, Jackie Pullinger sensed a call to go into missions. Where she was to go she did not know, and missionary societies weren't interested in her. One Spirit-filled vicar suggested she get on a boat and go as far as as she could. She took his advice, trusting God to meet every need. She sailed to Hong Kong, was initially denied entry, but had an Advocate who was helping her. With no money, no job, and no prospects, she embarked on an adventure which would mean the transformation of hundreds of lives inside Hong Kong's infamous Walled City.
No review can encapsulate the inspiration, lessons, and exhortation presented in this testimony of Pullinger's work. Here are a few things that hit me:
- Jackie's simple, child-like faith and that exemplified by the Chinese gang members
- The entitlement attitude among the Chinese she tried to reach through her youth group. She was, in their eyes, a rich Westerner and they wanted to bleed her for what they could get. It was the gang members, prostitutes, and opioid addicts who were desperate enough really to want the heart of what Jackie had to give.
- Jackie being told she needed the baptism in the Spirit if she really wanted to see fruit, her offense at this, the persistent prayer of the Chinese couple to see she got it, and finally - her speaking in tongues.
- The key role praying in tongues had in Jackie's ministry, but also the Chinese addicts coming off heroin with minimal or no symptoms when they prayed in the Spirit.
- The joy of the new converts, despite their circumstances, poverty, etc.
- What hideous things come out of a culture in which demons are worshiped: children brought into the world by parents' greed so that they will serve them; children bought and sold or produced simply so the adult will have someone who will worship their memory when they're dead. Women treated as property. Dogs beaten in restaurants while they're still alive so their meat will be tender after they're killed and served to eat.
- The fact that British police (in earlier decades, anyway) recognized the dangers of witchcraft as a punishable offense by the law and indicted criminals accordingly
Pullinger writes with humor and flair; she feels within her right to invoke mild sarcasm at times toward the church where it failed to share her burden. While I couldn't give less than five starts for the dramatic impact of this book, there were a few ways in which I'd have liked to see the story improved.
For one thing, the book ends rather abruptly with a lot of loose ends. There was no way to keep track of all the names mentioned, nor how they were related, nor the timeline etc. but by the end of the book, there's no follow-up on specific Triads mentioned. One or two are mentioned as becoming pastors, but that's the extent. Whether they continued to be in any kind of relationship with Jackie is not known.
At one point, Jackie sells her prized oboe to redeem a prostitute. Here she mentions in a single sentence, out of the blue, that she was part of the Hong Kong Philharmonic for two years. I read that line three times to make sure I understood it. This was the first indication, other than her time with the Willanses, that she had any kind of a life outside of running through the squalid streets rescuing those in the gutter.
Jackie indicates some moments of anguish, but she seems to take most of life in stride. Did she ever have any ongoing personal struggles? So many of these missionaries come across as superhuman in their biographies, but an autobiography allows room to be real. I think this aspect of the journey is just as important as all the fruit.
And I really wanted to know of what became of the Willanses.
Memorable passages:
Every day- as I had promised the Willanses- I prayed in the language of the Holy Spirit. Fifteen minutes by the clock. I still felt it to be an exercise. Before praying in the Spirit I said, "Lord, I don't know how to pray, or whom to pray for. Will You pray through me, and will You lead me to the people who want You?" And I would begin my 15-minute stint. After about six weeks, I noticed something remarkable. Those I talked to about Christ believed. I could not understand it at first and wondered how my Chinese friends had so suddenly improved, or if I had stumbled upon a new evangelistic technique. But I was saying the same things as before.
It was some time before I realized what had changed. This time, I was talking about Jesus to people who wanted to hear. I had let God have a hand in my prayers, and it produced a direct result. Instead of deciding what I wanted to do for God and asking His blessing, I was asking Him to do His will through me as I prayed in the language He gave me.
Once Ah Kei became a Christian, he began to tell the good news to his family, who one by one accepted it. Ah Bing's father was so pleased to see the change in his son-in-law that he too became a Christian and was baptized with the Spirit. He threw a lavish dinner to celebrate...Afterward, the father rose to his feet and announced, "Once I was young and now I am old, but never before have I seen a bad man become good.
Ah Fung...stayed not one year but two in our houses and became very helpful and responsible with other boys. He was just one of the 75 boys we took in during the first 20 months. Each had his fascinating story, and all, without exception, came off heroin without pain and trauma."
Few of the junkies...had any exposure to Christianity before coming off drugs. Far from being a hindrance, this helped them. Now they would arrive saying, "I heard how Ah Kei (or some other friend) has changed. He says it is Jesus who did it. Ah Kei is the meanest addict I know. If Jesus can change him, he can change me too." Their faith did not depend on theological concepts but on seeing Jesus working in others and on their willingness to let Him work in their lives. Each time they prayed, their prayers were answered, and their faith grew as they were healed.
The boys who had come off drugs were very good at helping the "new boys." Having recently been through withdrawal, their faith was high. The other boys listened to them with some respect when they said, "It works - once you begin to pray, the pain goes. Just ask Jesus and pray in the Spirit."
Upon word that his father was dying, Bibi went to see him in the hospital. When he arrived, his father, who had come off opium himself and become a believer, said simply, "Now that Jesus has made my sons good, I'm ready to go to heaven." He kissed both his sons a tender farewell, but instead of dying, he was healed as his sons prayed for him. A week later, he was discharged.
Over the years we had hundreds of short-termers who want to get the picture immediately - if possible, on video - so they can show it to their home church and have an inspired evening. I have begged them to love the people and stay, just like Sai Di did of me of 30 years. The disadvantage of short-term missions is a wrong perspective based on this generation's need for instant results.
As a young 20-something, Jackie Pullinger sensed a call to go into missions. Where she was to go she did not know, and missionary societies weren't interested in her. One Spirit-filled vicar suggested she get on a boat and go as far as as she could. She took his advice, trusting God to meet every need. She sailed to Hong Kong, was initially denied entry, but had an Advocate who was helping her. With no money, no job, and no prospects, she embarked on an adventure which would mean the transformation of hundreds of lives inside Hong Kong's infamous Walled City.
No review can encapsulate the inspiration, lessons, and exhortation presented in this testimony of Pullinger's work. Here are a few things that hit me:
- Jackie's simple, child-like faith and that exemplified by the Chinese gang members
- The entitlement attitude among the Chinese she tried to reach through her youth group. She was, in their eyes, a rich Westerner and they wanted to bleed her for what they could get. It was the gang members, prostitutes, and opioid addicts who were desperate enough really to want the heart of what Jackie had to give.
- Jackie being told she needed the baptism in the Spirit if she really wanted to see fruit, her offense at this, the persistent prayer of the Chinese couple to see she got it, and finally - her speaking in tongues.
- The key role praying in tongues had in Jackie's ministry, but also the Chinese addicts coming off heroin with minimal or no symptoms when they prayed in the Spirit.
- The joy of the new converts, despite their circumstances, poverty, etc.
- What hideous things come out of a culture in which demons are worshiped: children brought into the world by parents' greed so that they will serve them; children bought and sold or produced simply so the adult will have someone who will worship their memory when they're dead. Women treated as property. Dogs beaten in restaurants while they're still alive so their meat will be tender after they're killed and served to eat.
- The fact that British police (in earlier decades, anyway) recognized the dangers of witchcraft as a punishable offense by the law and indicted criminals accordingly
Pullinger writes with humor and flair; she feels within her right to invoke mild sarcasm at times toward the church where it failed to share her burden. While I couldn't give less than five starts for the dramatic impact of this book, there were a few ways in which I'd have liked to see the story improved.
For one thing, the book ends rather abruptly with a lot of loose ends. There was no way to keep track of all the names mentioned, nor how they were related, nor the timeline etc. but by the end of the book, there's no follow-up on specific Triads mentioned. One or two are mentioned as becoming pastors, but that's the extent. Whether they continued to be in any kind of relationship with Jackie is not known.
At one point, Jackie sells her prized oboe to redeem a prostitute. Here she mentions in a single sentence, out of the blue, that she was part of the Hong Kong Philharmonic for two years. I read that line three times to make sure I understood it. This was the first indication, other than her time with the Willanses, that she had any kind of a life outside of running through the squalid streets rescuing those in the gutter.
Jackie indicates some moments of anguish, but she seems to take most of life in stride. Did she ever have any ongoing personal struggles? So many of these missionaries come across as superhuman in their biographies, but an autobiography allows room to be real. I think this aspect of the journey is just as important as all the fruit.
And I really wanted to know of what became of the Willanses.
Memorable passages:
Every day- as I had promised the Willanses- I prayed in the language of the Holy Spirit. Fifteen minutes by the clock. I still felt it to be an exercise. Before praying in the Spirit I said, "Lord, I don't know how to pray, or whom to pray for. Will You pray through me, and will You lead me to the people who want You?" And I would begin my 15-minute stint. After about six weeks, I noticed something remarkable. Those I talked to about Christ believed. I could not understand it at first and wondered how my Chinese friends had so suddenly improved, or if I had stumbled upon a new evangelistic technique. But I was saying the same things as before.
It was some time before I realized what had changed. This time, I was talking about Jesus to people who wanted to hear. I had let God have a hand in my prayers, and it produced a direct result. Instead of deciding what I wanted to do for God and asking His blessing, I was asking Him to do His will through me as I prayed in the language He gave me.
Once Ah Kei became a Christian, he began to tell the good news to his family, who one by one accepted it. Ah Bing's father was so pleased to see the change in his son-in-law that he too became a Christian and was baptized with the Spirit. He threw a lavish dinner to celebrate...Afterward, the father rose to his feet and announced, "Once I was young and now I am old, but never before have I seen a bad man become good.
Ah Fung...stayed not one year but two in our houses and became very helpful and responsible with other boys. He was just one of the 75 boys we took in during the first 20 months. Each had his fascinating story, and all, without exception, came off heroin without pain and trauma."
Few of the junkies...had any exposure to Christianity before coming off drugs. Far from being a hindrance, this helped them. Now they would arrive saying, "I heard how Ah Kei (or some other friend) has changed. He says it is Jesus who did it. Ah Kei is the meanest addict I know. If Jesus can change him, he can change me too." Their faith did not depend on theological concepts but on seeing Jesus working in others and on their willingness to let Him work in their lives. Each time they prayed, their prayers were answered, and their faith grew as they were healed.
The boys who had come off drugs were very good at helping the "new boys." Having recently been through withdrawal, their faith was high. The other boys listened to them with some respect when they said, "It works - once you begin to pray, the pain goes. Just ask Jesus and pray in the Spirit."
Upon word that his father was dying, Bibi went to see him in the hospital. When he arrived, his father, who had come off opium himself and become a believer, said simply, "Now that Jesus has made my sons good, I'm ready to go to heaven." He kissed both his sons a tender farewell, but instead of dying, he was healed as his sons prayed for him. A week later, he was discharged.
Over the years we had hundreds of short-termers who want to get the picture immediately - if possible, on video - so they can show it to their home church and have an inspired evening. I have begged them to love the people and stay, just like Sai Di did of me of 30 years. The disadvantage of short-term missions is a wrong perspective based on this generation's need for instant results.
November 22, 2025
So encouraging, humbling and challenging to see how much God used the life of someone so totally devoted to reaching the lost by laying down their own life and walking in obedience to Him, trusting that He would lead and provide for them.
It was incredible to read testimony after testimony of drug addicts who gave their lives to Jesus and then withdrew from heroin painlessly through praying in the Spirit. There was undoubtedly a heavy emphasis throughout on the value of praying in tongues here, and whilst this may be off putting for some, or seem like a quick fix to others, I felt it was well balanced, and evidently worked. None of it was ever in place of looking to Jesus as the One who must be trusted for salvation and freedom and transformation, and none of it stood in place of being prepared to invest in the long journey of loving others. It was apparent lives still needed a loving community and time to be healed and grow in Christ further, and there was plenty of emphasis on being rooted in the truth of the word of God.
I felt there was a good amount of realism too, and lives that were set free from drug addiction were by no means then easy. They were continually challenged to walk in truth, many often suffering unfair criminal charges against them, or other tragedies, but aware of God with them in the midst of it.
It was clear too that one of the reasons she was most able to reach these lives was because she wasn’t opting for quick fixes, but had gone to live amongst them, in dire conditions, giving her whole life to loving them, no matter how long things took, rather than visiting for a few weeks. She expresses frustration in the end chapters at volunteers who liked to come for a few weeks to video things to show back at home, and judged everything on that, but had no real desire to give their whole lives over to serving such people. She sums this up saying “We love our people whether they turn out well or not, and the successes do not vindicate our ministry nor the disappointments nullify it. What is important is whether we have loved in a real way..”
It was incredible to read testimony after testimony of drug addicts who gave their lives to Jesus and then withdrew from heroin painlessly through praying in the Spirit. There was undoubtedly a heavy emphasis throughout on the value of praying in tongues here, and whilst this may be off putting for some, or seem like a quick fix to others, I felt it was well balanced, and evidently worked. None of it was ever in place of looking to Jesus as the One who must be trusted for salvation and freedom and transformation, and none of it stood in place of being prepared to invest in the long journey of loving others. It was apparent lives still needed a loving community and time to be healed and grow in Christ further, and there was plenty of emphasis on being rooted in the truth of the word of God.
I felt there was a good amount of realism too, and lives that were set free from drug addiction were by no means then easy. They were continually challenged to walk in truth, many often suffering unfair criminal charges against them, or other tragedies, but aware of God with them in the midst of it.
It was clear too that one of the reasons she was most able to reach these lives was because she wasn’t opting for quick fixes, but had gone to live amongst them, in dire conditions, giving her whole life to loving them, no matter how long things took, rather than visiting for a few weeks. She expresses frustration in the end chapters at volunteers who liked to come for a few weeks to video things to show back at home, and judged everything on that, but had no real desire to give their whole lives over to serving such people. She sums this up saying “We love our people whether they turn out well or not, and the successes do not vindicate our ministry nor the disappointments nullify it. What is important is whether we have loved in a real way..”
January 13, 2023
Read to be encouraged by the many practical examples of loving the unlovable and committing to serve Christ in one place. Do not read to imitate the mission structure or doctrinal practices.
November 5, 2017
Jackie Pullinger is Kowloon’s Mother Theresa. This auto-biography describes her remarkable evolution from exposure to Christianity in London, to a young call to be a missionary, to total dependence on the Holy Spirit long before she knew anything about speaking in tongues. Rejected by all mission societies in Africa, this British-trained musician was given a dream of Hong Kong and boldly left as a single 22yo in 1966 and probably is still in H.K. today. She pioneered love among addicts and prostitutes and eventually discovered that if they were sincerely willing to accept Jesus, His substitutionary death and resurrection, and pray in tongues, they would not have withdrawal symptoms. She had no money to put them in rehab centers. The transformation of the heroin-dependent gang members by the power of Christ and this mysterious gift of tongues were so dramatic, fast, and genuine, that many others including policemen became believers. Although she scoured the Walled City for potential sheep, she did so in the Spirit and learned to help those He led her to who really wanted help and never force her Christianity on anyone. But it was clear, she came to offer Christ. Everything else was a wonderful benefit as a result. Because of her direct influence on my friends in Hong Kong and their reports of miraculous healings and the attestation of Alpha Course’s Nicky Gumbel, I am a believer as well.
August 31, 2015
This one really stumped me. It could easily have been 5 stars as the story was simply amazing; Jackie Pullinger must truly be a vessel of the Lord. She has helped so many drug addicts, drug lords and prostitutes in Hong Kong. But does this make a good read? Unfortunately I found it rather repetitive - I would go as far as suggesting it to be a holy version of "50 shades of grey"! I don't mean to be disrespectful but unfortunately, the constant barrage of success after success after success could have been summed up in one number of how many young men had either stopped being drug addicts or drug barons - job done!
I have always had a problem with the 'issue' of repentance. There is a very clear message that repentance immediately ensures a welcome into Heaven no matter what the crime. Whereas a non-holy person who has lived a 'proper' life, always doing good, is irrelevant. It seems wrong to me! Also Jackie was choosy on who was or was not welcomed into her houses. The book heavily suggests only young men were preferred. (Is this because they are so easily influenced perhaps?) It even states she refused 2 older men because "they did not seem suitable for mixing with our younger boys". This hypocrisy and utter dismissal of the willingness by even one person to repent means I can't give this any more than 2 stars.
I have always had a problem with the 'issue' of repentance. There is a very clear message that repentance immediately ensures a welcome into Heaven no matter what the crime. Whereas a non-holy person who has lived a 'proper' life, always doing good, is irrelevant. It seems wrong to me! Also Jackie was choosy on who was or was not welcomed into her houses. The book heavily suggests only young men were preferred. (Is this because they are so easily influenced perhaps?) It even states she refused 2 older men because "they did not seem suitable for mixing with our younger boys". This hypocrisy and utter dismissal of the willingness by even one person to repent means I can't give this any more than 2 stars.
December 29, 2014
A desire for missions that began in childhood eventually leads twenty year old Jackie Pullinger to purchase a boat ticket. Her plan is to get off wherever God tells her to. She ends up smack-dab in the middle of an underworld of drugies and prostitutes living in a lawless city that has no plumbing. It is for these people that God fills her heart with love and a desire to serve.
I've been wanting to read this book since Leslie Ludy mentioned Jackie Pullinger in a lecture given in 2010. When I got the book for my birthday, it landed on the top of my to-read pile and got read quickly. The power of individuals sold-out for Jesus never ceases to amaze me.
The one thing that I got a little hung up on was Jackie's incessant talk about "praying in tongues." As a Christian who lands on the "skeptical" side of the fence concerning the gift of tongues, I found it's prominence in the book rather distracting. However, it may help to encourage a bit more Bible study on the subject. :)
It's my prayer that more Christians today will find the courage to leave comfortable "western" lives to serve even those deemed "undesirable" by the world. Thank God for people like Jackie who followed His call.
I've been wanting to read this book since Leslie Ludy mentioned Jackie Pullinger in a lecture given in 2010. When I got the book for my birthday, it landed on the top of my to-read pile and got read quickly. The power of individuals sold-out for Jesus never ceases to amaze me.
The one thing that I got a little hung up on was Jackie's incessant talk about "praying in tongues." As a Christian who lands on the "skeptical" side of the fence concerning the gift of tongues, I found it's prominence in the book rather distracting. However, it may help to encourage a bit more Bible study on the subject. :)
It's my prayer that more Christians today will find the courage to leave comfortable "western" lives to serve even those deemed "undesirable" by the world. Thank God for people like Jackie who followed His call.
November 16, 2017
Amazing testimony in a book that was poorly written. I think it did a disservice to her life’s work, but there were plenty to love the book exactly as it was written. Repetitive, poorly written, confusing at times in switching back and forth with people that had such similar lives.
November 23, 2008
One of the more amazing missionary stories I have ever heard or read.
January 3, 2015
It's as simple as this, I want to live her life.
November 6, 2019
A amazing book. A must read. A true story that is so inspiring.
April 10, 2023
Beautiful testimony of God's power!
March 28, 2021
It was super cool to hear about experiences from inside Hong Kong's walled city, something I'd never heard of before -- a city that hosted over 30,000 people within 6 acres, filled with prostitution, opium dens, and more (it was demolished in 1994). The author, Jackie, writes in a very accessible way. Though the book is short, it's packed with story after story, so much that I found it overwhelming, and it definitely would benefit from being read over time.
The coolest part about this book was seeing how Jackie lived out Biblical principles in every aspect of her life, truly embodying the concept of living by faith. She trusted God to guide her career -- literally getting on a boat with no money, waiting to see where God called her to be a missionary, and living day to day, praying for the money she needed to get by. The experience of reading this was similar to reading The Glass Castle or Educated in that it felt so disconnected from my privileged life. Jackie (and all the people she worked with) lived in such different conditions -- filth, lack of access to sanitation, 10+ people sleeping in a small room, etc. It gave insight into how people end up into fields such as gangs, based on the choices they are given growing up.
A few takeaways/things that struck me:
* I've never experiences speaking in tongues before, but it gave her the power to pray continually, and I was amazed that EVERYONE who she converted was also able to speak in tongues. The fact that different people were able to interpret it in different languages was a testament to God's power, and a confirmation of the message
* She really showed how powerful Jesus's love is, even for those who have raped, fought, stolen, stabbed, or murdered
* People are able to get to know Jesus even without a Bible
* Like Jesus, she made friends with outcasts who no one else would want to care for or show love to
* She made a point of being truthful in the criminal justice system in order to give people a sense of right and wrong, rather than being like, "it doesn't matter if they didn't actually do this thing, bc they did something else that they deserved to be punished for"
* So many people were cured of their drug addiction through prayer
* The people in Hong Kong had a certain idea of what Christians are liked, and were ashamed to show their sins
* They resented missionaries who only stayed for a year or two to feel good about themselves, but weren't able to understand the culture -- Jackie was able to honestly say that she wasn't planning on leaving and couldn't even afford to leave. "They have their video clips, but they never saw. It was either all too good or all too bad, and neither was accurate. We love our people whether they turned out well or not, and the successes do not vindicate our ministry nor do the disappointments nullify it. What is important is whether we have loved in a real way -- not preached in an impassioned way from a pulpit."
* On loving selflessly: "It was as if God had given me a special love for him and that I was meant to show it, although it was not necessarily an emotion that should or could be returned. This love was for his good; it was quite different from any love for other people that I had before, in which I had always wanted something in return. I had never before loved somebody entirely for his benefit without caring what he felt for me."
* A very influential gang member was impressed by her resilience and that she hadn't left the Walled City, so he concluded that she must be serious about Christianity
I took away a star because each story was separate from the next, without much of a thread through them. Since each chapter started in media res, sometimes it was disorienting or hard to understand her point. I wish that she included more of her internal struggles and failures, because it felt like she only included success stories and everything worked out perfectly for her (she kind of painted herself as a savior). I also wish she included more at the end about where she is now.
Reading this book doesn't answer my own questions about what I should do with my life, but I am very inspired by Jackie's ability to pray continually, go to God in everything, and embody Jesus's work on earth. Sometimes I think I take too much of an academic approach to the Bible, but the fact that she was able to bring knowledge of Jesus to people who could barely read shows that anyone can understand Christian principles and live them out.
The coolest part about this book was seeing how Jackie lived out Biblical principles in every aspect of her life, truly embodying the concept of living by faith. She trusted God to guide her career -- literally getting on a boat with no money, waiting to see where God called her to be a missionary, and living day to day, praying for the money she needed to get by. The experience of reading this was similar to reading The Glass Castle or Educated in that it felt so disconnected from my privileged life. Jackie (and all the people she worked with) lived in such different conditions -- filth, lack of access to sanitation, 10+ people sleeping in a small room, etc. It gave insight into how people end up into fields such as gangs, based on the choices they are given growing up.
A few takeaways/things that struck me:
* I've never experiences speaking in tongues before, but it gave her the power to pray continually, and I was amazed that EVERYONE who she converted was also able to speak in tongues. The fact that different people were able to interpret it in different languages was a testament to God's power, and a confirmation of the message
* She really showed how powerful Jesus's love is, even for those who have raped, fought, stolen, stabbed, or murdered
* People are able to get to know Jesus even without a Bible
* Like Jesus, she made friends with outcasts who no one else would want to care for or show love to
* She made a point of being truthful in the criminal justice system in order to give people a sense of right and wrong, rather than being like, "it doesn't matter if they didn't actually do this thing, bc they did something else that they deserved to be punished for"
* So many people were cured of their drug addiction through prayer
* The people in Hong Kong had a certain idea of what Christians are liked, and were ashamed to show their sins
* They resented missionaries who only stayed for a year or two to feel good about themselves, but weren't able to understand the culture -- Jackie was able to honestly say that she wasn't planning on leaving and couldn't even afford to leave. "They have their video clips, but they never saw. It was either all too good or all too bad, and neither was accurate. We love our people whether they turned out well or not, and the successes do not vindicate our ministry nor do the disappointments nullify it. What is important is whether we have loved in a real way -- not preached in an impassioned way from a pulpit."
* On loving selflessly: "It was as if God had given me a special love for him and that I was meant to show it, although it was not necessarily an emotion that should or could be returned. This love was for his good; it was quite different from any love for other people that I had before, in which I had always wanted something in return. I had never before loved somebody entirely for his benefit without caring what he felt for me."
* A very influential gang member was impressed by her resilience and that she hadn't left the Walled City, so he concluded that she must be serious about Christianity
I took away a star because each story was separate from the next, without much of a thread through them. Since each chapter started in media res, sometimes it was disorienting or hard to understand her point. I wish that she included more of her internal struggles and failures, because it felt like she only included success stories and everything worked out perfectly for her (she kind of painted herself as a savior). I also wish she included more at the end about where she is now.
Reading this book doesn't answer my own questions about what I should do with my life, but I am very inspired by Jackie's ability to pray continually, go to God in everything, and embody Jesus's work on earth. Sometimes I think I take too much of an academic approach to the Bible, but the fact that she was able to bring knowledge of Jesus to people who could barely read shows that anyone can understand Christian principles and live them out.
December 12, 2024
Chasing the Dragon by Jackie Pullinger
Read July 2024
4.5/5 Stars - Outstanding!
Chasing the Dragon touched on many difficult topics such as prostitution and drug addiction while showing you the power of Jesus through miracles, signs, wonders, and transformations. Through many testimonies, you will see how much God loves each and every human being — no matter how much they have sinned.
Positive messages: 5/5
Miracles do happen, but sometimes it is a process. Jesus loves everyone and died for His enemies, so we do not have to feel dirty. We can be forgiven! “‘You can’t lose if you put yourself completely in God’s hands.’” (Pullinger p. 35 paperback) Jackie learns that there are many spiritual gifts that are still given today and the gift of tongues is used to build you up spiritually. Jesus did not come for the good, proud, people who are thriving but the poor people who have made mistakes. He loves us all equally, no matter how much or how little we may have sinned. Sin means to walk your own road.
Positive role models: 5/5
First and foremost, Jackie Pullinger (Miss Poon) is a wise woman with a heart for those who are struggling with drug addiction. She understands what Jesus meant when He said to love your enemies, and that is what she tries to do in her daily life. She is always looking for someone to help and to love on, which makes her a role model readers will want to be like. Her courage, love, and compassion, will be what I remember most about her.
Ah Tong accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior and was able to be set free from his drug addiction without any pain, which was a miracle! He is living proof that Jesus can do anything – anything is possible with God.
Johnny is an example of a character who transformed because of Jesus. From a drug addict and a criminal to a Jesus follower, he will show readers that Jesus can forgive anyone, no matter how much they’ve sinned.
Winson and Ah Ming are also examples of people who were healed from their addictions and brought into the perfect love of Jesus Christ.
Goko, although he and Jackie disagree on many things, are able to talk openly with one another throughout the book, sharing their thoughts and ideas with each other. Their relationship is a great representation of how you can talk with someone who you may not completely agree with.
Mrs. Chung works with Jackie at the Youth Club. She is always smiling even though her circumstances are difficult.
Mrs. Chan was a simple woman who had never been to school and had an illness, but was able to be healed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jean and Rick are able to help Jackie Pullinger (Miss Poon) throughout her journey with Christ, setting an example of what it means to live for Jesus. They are called her ‘spiritual advisers’ and have been through a lot but can direct people based on their experience and share their testimony with others.
Christian and Ah Kei both lived a life for the enemy but through the love of Jesus were able to be saved and evangelize to others.
Ah Lam (Daniel) shares his testimony of finding Jesus, along with other characters such as Siu Ming, Mr. Wong, Ah Fung, Suenjai, Ah Bill, Bibi, and Kwok.
Through and through, this book proves that anyone can be saved no matter what their story is. SO MANY powerful testimonies that are all so unbelievable!
🚩Drinking, Drugs, and Smoking: 3/5
Drug addicts, drug dens, and many drugs are mentioned throughout the book, mostly heroin and opium. ‘Chasing the dragon’ is a way of doing drugs (heroin) and it is described in detail. The term ‘inhaling poison’ as well as many other terms for taking drugs are used frequently. Overdosing and dying from overdoses are common and some described. Some of the addicts also smoke.
Language: 0/5
None present.
Violence, Gore, and Scariness: 3/5
A young child was mentioned to have gone to juvenile prison and grew up always fighting. Blood is throughout the streets. Characters recall gang fights, some with knives. Children being beaten, raped, and sold as sex slaves is mentioned and sometimes described. Rituals, one being drinking and shedding blood, are mentioned. The impact of gang fights and violence between gang members is shown, many people caked with dry blood, found injecting themselves with heroin, getting beat up badly by drunks, etc. There is reference to someone manifesting a demon. A boy drowning is described. It is briefly mentioned that a wife, out of fear, drank poison and made her son drink it, too, killing them both.
🚩Sex, Romance, and Nudity: 2.5/5
Ah Tong is known for seducing young girls and prostitution. Prostitution, rape, and sex are mentioned a lot, along with how young girls are treated if they do not agree to be sex slaves. Some testimonies of previous prostitutes are described.
What Parents Should Know:
There is lots of educational value in this book: Readers will learn some Cantonese expressions, the impact the Bible and Jesus’ love can have on broken people, how drug dens and prostitution works and how wrong it is, and so much more. While becoming more aware, they will also feel their faith growing and feel their Spirit becoming more courageous. Jackie Pullinger, as a lady, understood what it means to love your enemies and her strength and faith in God is evident throughout her memoir. Now, let’s get into the content. There is quite a bit of drinking and drugs, heroin and opium being the largest categories. Prostitution and rape are big concepts that are mentioned a lot throughout the book, although there are no sexual/rape scenes. Some characters share testimonies about what it was like being a prostitute and how prostitution works. A character named Elfrida starts as a lesbian and doesn’t know if she loves men or women, but by the power of Jesus she is able to be set free from that confusion.
Overall, I enjoyed this book very much and it is a perfect read for older high schoolers, college age students, and adults. Deep and takes a few sittings to get through, but really interesting for a Christian testimony. Well-written and educational!
Age Range Recommendation: 15+ Adult Inspirational/Memoir
🌟Perfect for older high schoolers and college-age students, as well as any adults who this book looks interesting to.
🚩TRIGGER WARNING: For those who have struggled with drugs or prostitution, this novel may be hard to read. It also could be encouraging. Read the sections with the flags closely to see if this is something that you may enjoy.
Read July 2024
4.5/5 Stars - Outstanding!
Chasing the Dragon touched on many difficult topics such as prostitution and drug addiction while showing you the power of Jesus through miracles, signs, wonders, and transformations. Through many testimonies, you will see how much God loves each and every human being — no matter how much they have sinned.
Positive messages: 5/5
Miracles do happen, but sometimes it is a process. Jesus loves everyone and died for His enemies, so we do not have to feel dirty. We can be forgiven! “‘You can’t lose if you put yourself completely in God’s hands.’” (Pullinger p. 35 paperback) Jackie learns that there are many spiritual gifts that are still given today and the gift of tongues is used to build you up spiritually. Jesus did not come for the good, proud, people who are thriving but the poor people who have made mistakes. He loves us all equally, no matter how much or how little we may have sinned. Sin means to walk your own road.
Positive role models: 5/5
First and foremost, Jackie Pullinger (Miss Poon) is a wise woman with a heart for those who are struggling with drug addiction. She understands what Jesus meant when He said to love your enemies, and that is what she tries to do in her daily life. She is always looking for someone to help and to love on, which makes her a role model readers will want to be like. Her courage, love, and compassion, will be what I remember most about her.
Ah Tong accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior and was able to be set free from his drug addiction without any pain, which was a miracle! He is living proof that Jesus can do anything – anything is possible with God.
Johnny is an example of a character who transformed because of Jesus. From a drug addict and a criminal to a Jesus follower, he will show readers that Jesus can forgive anyone, no matter how much they’ve sinned.
Winson and Ah Ming are also examples of people who were healed from their addictions and brought into the perfect love of Jesus Christ.
Goko, although he and Jackie disagree on many things, are able to talk openly with one another throughout the book, sharing their thoughts and ideas with each other. Their relationship is a great representation of how you can talk with someone who you may not completely agree with.
Mrs. Chung works with Jackie at the Youth Club. She is always smiling even though her circumstances are difficult.
Mrs. Chan was a simple woman who had never been to school and had an illness, but was able to be healed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jean and Rick are able to help Jackie Pullinger (Miss Poon) throughout her journey with Christ, setting an example of what it means to live for Jesus. They are called her ‘spiritual advisers’ and have been through a lot but can direct people based on their experience and share their testimony with others.
Christian and Ah Kei both lived a life for the enemy but through the love of Jesus were able to be saved and evangelize to others.
Ah Lam (Daniel) shares his testimony of finding Jesus, along with other characters such as Siu Ming, Mr. Wong, Ah Fung, Suenjai, Ah Bill, Bibi, and Kwok.
Through and through, this book proves that anyone can be saved no matter what their story is. SO MANY powerful testimonies that are all so unbelievable!
🚩Drinking, Drugs, and Smoking: 3/5
Drug addicts, drug dens, and many drugs are mentioned throughout the book, mostly heroin and opium. ‘Chasing the dragon’ is a way of doing drugs (heroin) and it is described in detail. The term ‘inhaling poison’ as well as many other terms for taking drugs are used frequently. Overdosing and dying from overdoses are common and some described. Some of the addicts also smoke.
Language: 0/5
None present.
Violence, Gore, and Scariness: 3/5
A young child was mentioned to have gone to juvenile prison and grew up always fighting. Blood is throughout the streets. Characters recall gang fights, some with knives. Children being beaten, raped, and sold as sex slaves is mentioned and sometimes described. Rituals, one being drinking and shedding blood, are mentioned. The impact of gang fights and violence between gang members is shown, many people caked with dry blood, found injecting themselves with heroin, getting beat up badly by drunks, etc. There is reference to someone manifesting a demon. A boy drowning is described. It is briefly mentioned that a wife, out of fear, drank poison and made her son drink it, too, killing them both.
🚩Sex, Romance, and Nudity: 2.5/5
Ah Tong is known for seducing young girls and prostitution. Prostitution, rape, and sex are mentioned a lot, along with how young girls are treated if they do not agree to be sex slaves. Some testimonies of previous prostitutes are described.
What Parents Should Know:
There is lots of educational value in this book: Readers will learn some Cantonese expressions, the impact the Bible and Jesus’ love can have on broken people, how drug dens and prostitution works and how wrong it is, and so much more. While becoming more aware, they will also feel their faith growing and feel their Spirit becoming more courageous. Jackie Pullinger, as a lady, understood what it means to love your enemies and her strength and faith in God is evident throughout her memoir. Now, let’s get into the content. There is quite a bit of drinking and drugs, heroin and opium being the largest categories. Prostitution and rape are big concepts that are mentioned a lot throughout the book, although there are no sexual/rape scenes. Some characters share testimonies about what it was like being a prostitute and how prostitution works. A character named Elfrida starts as a lesbian and doesn’t know if she loves men or women, but by the power of Jesus she is able to be set free from that confusion.
Overall, I enjoyed this book very much and it is a perfect read for older high schoolers, college age students, and adults. Deep and takes a few sittings to get through, but really interesting for a Christian testimony. Well-written and educational!
Age Range Recommendation: 15+ Adult Inspirational/Memoir
🌟Perfect for older high schoolers and college-age students, as well as any adults who this book looks interesting to.
🚩TRIGGER WARNING: For those who have struggled with drugs or prostitution, this novel may be hard to read. It also could be encouraging. Read the sections with the flags closely to see if this is something that you may enjoy.
March 2, 2024
I was given this book by friends who are truly pressing into the gifts of the Spirit. I wanted to learn about how the Holy Spirit has moved in the gifts of the Spirit, and this was an incredibly encouraging and perspective-altering experience into the potential of what God can do here and now in modern times through His Spirit.
If you want to see one of the best examples of the life Christ lived on Earth, look no further than the life of Jackie Pullinger. She came for the prostitutes and sinners, was willing to associate publicly, and took their wrongs as hers.
If you want to understand the true power of the Holy Spirit, look no further from the works of God done in Hong Kong. People who prayed in tongues were healed immediately of their cravings for drugs and people were healed from their wounds.
She is the example of doing things that have no explanation apart from the love of Christ:
"You are completely crazy or what you said is true"
I want to be one where my life is unexplainable apart from the work of Christ in me.
If you want to see one of the best examples of the life Christ lived on Earth, look no further than the life of Jackie Pullinger. She came for the prostitutes and sinners, was willing to associate publicly, and took their wrongs as hers.
If you want to understand the true power of the Holy Spirit, look no further from the works of God done in Hong Kong. People who prayed in tongues were healed immediately of their cravings for drugs and people were healed from their wounds.
She is the example of doing things that have no explanation apart from the love of Christ:
"You are completely crazy or what you said is true"
I want to be one where my life is unexplainable apart from the work of Christ in me.
January 17, 2025
My spirit was stirred as I read Jackie Pullinger’s accounts of her time in Hong Kong. Her life is a testament to power of Jesus. She truly lived a life full of complete faith and dependence on Him. She walked into situations that most of us would shy away from and, as a result, lives were transformed for eternity.
Jackie shows that the Gospel is not about having the best church buildings, programs and theology. It is about loving others unconditionally, seeking the lost and rejected, and boldly proclaiming Christ to the ends of the earth.
While talking about drug addicts who found complete healing and freedom from their addiction, Jackie writes: “Their faith did not depend on any understanding of theological concepts but on seeing Jesus working in others and on their willingness to let Him work in their lives.”
This book left me wishing that I could sit down and talk with Jackie one-on-one over coffee. I’m so thankful that a friend recommended this book to me. I know it has made a lasting impact on how I will share Jesus with the people I encounter in my life.
Jackie shows that the Gospel is not about having the best church buildings, programs and theology. It is about loving others unconditionally, seeking the lost and rejected, and boldly proclaiming Christ to the ends of the earth.
While talking about drug addicts who found complete healing and freedom from their addiction, Jackie writes: “Their faith did not depend on any understanding of theological concepts but on seeing Jesus working in others and on their willingness to let Him work in their lives.”
This book left me wishing that I could sit down and talk with Jackie one-on-one over coffee. I’m so thankful that a friend recommended this book to me. I know it has made a lasting impact on how I will share Jesus with the people I encounter in my life.
July 12, 2020
3.5 stars for me, very close to a 4 but while the stories were great the writing was at times a little disjointed and hard to follow.
I found the content, miraculous, encouraging and impacting. What an encouragement to read about Jackie’s work and what God did in the walled city in Hong Kong. Jackie’s mission to just share Jesus’s love and not shy away from that, her being very direct was inspiring. Her obedience and her love for the people God called her to minister to was also inspirational. This book was recommended to me and I’m glad I read it, it’s encouraged me to continue praying for loved ones and to minister and share the gospel where we are. Praying of course that God prepares the ground before us. We only need to be obedient it is God that draws people and changes hearts.
I found the content, miraculous, encouraging and impacting. What an encouragement to read about Jackie’s work and what God did in the walled city in Hong Kong. Jackie’s mission to just share Jesus’s love and not shy away from that, her being very direct was inspiring. Her obedience and her love for the people God called her to minister to was also inspirational. This book was recommended to me and I’m glad I read it, it’s encouraged me to continue praying for loved ones and to minister and share the gospel where we are. Praying of course that God prepares the ground before us. We only need to be obedient it is God that draws people and changes hearts.
September 1, 2023
Jackie’s story was quite incredible and loved reading about her ministry and life in the walled city, it was quite inspiring. But, the structure of the book itself felt disjointed. The beginning of the book shared her testimony and how she ended up in HK, then the middle of the book was one miraculous story after another strung together without much reflection from Jackie regarding her ministry and what she was learning and reflecting on. I would have appreciated hearing more personal insight and reflection regarding her ministry and a more personal account of what it was like for her doing ministry as a single woman in HK. I also felt a little confused about the heavy emphasis on the importance of speaking in tongues.
July 1, 2022
This particular memoir sat on my nightstand for over a year. Why? Memoirs are a dangerous thing for dreamers and the restless.
I’ve learned not to start memoirs, especially memoirs about women who do amazing things in Christ’s kingdom, unless I am in the right frame of mind. Not too depressed, but not too optimistic; an equilibrium of positivity and realism.
I feel like this about 3.5 weeks a year on average, so as you may have guessed I don’t read more than one memoir a year.
The interesting thing about Jackie Pullinger-renegade missionary who went alone, unsponsored, with no money, and not speaking the language, to the infamous “Walled City” in Hong Kong in the 1970s, is that SHE IS STILL THERE. With Hong Kong recently officially being under Communist China, her ministry and rehabilitation and disciple houses are now completely underground. Chasing the Dragon is Jackie’s true story of rehabilitating drug addicts initially by the praying of tongues over men and women who desire to get clean AND chose to admit a need for a Savoir, and Jesus Christ is that savior. This is a needed supernatural deliverance, Jackie writes, because heroin is considered impossible to completely wean off because the withdrawals are too horrific. It then chronicles the then two-year discipleship necessary afterwards.
This bothers lots of Christians.
And sounds like complete lunacy to those outside the church.
Its Jackie’s love of unlovable people, and her honesty that the supernatural does not open men and women up to an easy path. Her gifting does mean she is always “successful” in ministry.
My favorite quote that I remind myself of probably once a month is this:
“We love our people whether they turn out well or not and the successes do not vindicate our ministry nor the disappointments nullify it. What is important is whether we had loved in a real way- not preached in an impassioned way from the pulpit”
She speaks very frankly of how, once she become famous in church circles, how disappointed Western “voyeurs” she calls the, who come for short term missions are in how hard the work is. They leave disillusioned because they do not understand the serving, feet washing part of Christian ministry.
I loved it, and did not feel too terrible about my own life afterwards.
I’ve learned not to start memoirs, especially memoirs about women who do amazing things in Christ’s kingdom, unless I am in the right frame of mind. Not too depressed, but not too optimistic; an equilibrium of positivity and realism.
I feel like this about 3.5 weeks a year on average, so as you may have guessed I don’t read more than one memoir a year.
The interesting thing about Jackie Pullinger-renegade missionary who went alone, unsponsored, with no money, and not speaking the language, to the infamous “Walled City” in Hong Kong in the 1970s, is that SHE IS STILL THERE. With Hong Kong recently officially being under Communist China, her ministry and rehabilitation and disciple houses are now completely underground. Chasing the Dragon is Jackie’s true story of rehabilitating drug addicts initially by the praying of tongues over men and women who desire to get clean AND chose to admit a need for a Savoir, and Jesus Christ is that savior. This is a needed supernatural deliverance, Jackie writes, because heroin is considered impossible to completely wean off because the withdrawals are too horrific. It then chronicles the then two-year discipleship necessary afterwards.
This bothers lots of Christians.
And sounds like complete lunacy to those outside the church.
Its Jackie’s love of unlovable people, and her honesty that the supernatural does not open men and women up to an easy path. Her gifting does mean she is always “successful” in ministry.
My favorite quote that I remind myself of probably once a month is this:
“We love our people whether they turn out well or not and the successes do not vindicate our ministry nor the disappointments nullify it. What is important is whether we had loved in a real way- not preached in an impassioned way from the pulpit”
She speaks very frankly of how, once she become famous in church circles, how disappointed Western “voyeurs” she calls the, who come for short term missions are in how hard the work is. They leave disillusioned because they do not understand the serving, feet washing part of Christian ministry.
I loved it, and did not feel too terrible about my own life afterwards.
May 4, 2024
“I committed many follies during this time, but the Lord honored the Spirit in which they were done” (paraphrase?)
“You can’t lose if you put yourself completely in God’s hands, you know.”
“He never suggested that I had to achieve anything at all; I had simply to follow wherever God led. I, too, felt that I could not lose on this adventure.”
Loved this book, loved these quotes. I’ve already quoted and will continue to quote.
This is a beautiful story of immense faith & a deep love for others as Jesus loves. It’s an easy recommendation.
“You can’t lose if you put yourself completely in God’s hands, you know.”
“He never suggested that I had to achieve anything at all; I had simply to follow wherever God led. I, too, felt that I could not lose on this adventure.”
Loved this book, loved these quotes. I’ve already quoted and will continue to quote.
This is a beautiful story of immense faith & a deep love for others as Jesus loves. It’s an easy recommendation.
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