IT IS not often in Hong Kong that you meet someone who believes in miracles, unless of course they are of the economic variety. So Pastor Charles McKnelly expects a degree of scepticism when he recalls the many instances of divine intervention that have punctuated his 36 years in the territory. 'You may find this hard to believe but it's true,' he insists as he describes how a handicapped child was cured overnight, how he himself recovered within hours of being near to death and how help often expediently arrived in times of great need.
Given that McKnelly's life has been devoted to caring for the needy, the hard times have been many. Even at the point of exhaustion, as he was a few days ago when he retreated to Cheung Chau for a brief respite, the 57-year-old pastor won't rest for long. He has too much on his mind, particularly now when he is about to lose the sanctuary for homeless Filipinas for which he campaigned so vigorously.
The shelter, part of the Hing Tin Transit Centre in Tuen Mun which accommodates up to 70 people, was provided by the Government in 1994 after years of petitioning by McKnelly for a suitable hostel. Now the Housing Department wants to move Chinese families in and the Filipinas out. It looks as though nothing short of a miracle will prevent homeless Filipinas from ending up back on the streets.
'How can they move? They have nowhere to go. I cannot put these women on the streets, I will go to prison first,' vows McKnelly, and there can be no doubt he means it. But the powers-that-be in this case are adamant that the women must leave. Senior housing manager of the Tuen Mun (East) Housing Department, Chan Wing-cheong, was not unsympathetic to the Filipinas' plight but stressed the shelter had been granted on a temporary basis, initially only for three months. 'The women have already been there a long time. We now require the space to be vacated as it is needed for those affected by clearance of temporary housing or in case of natural disasters. Of course, we will not force the women out ... we will persuade them to go.' There are around 30 Filipinas currently staying at Hing Tin, some have been sacked by their employers, some have walked out after being subjected to abuse or violence, some are pregnant - all have nowhere to go and no money to support themselves. Human rights campaigner Anne Smyth, a long-time friend of Knelly's who also helps Filipinas, says that sometimes the women are in a desperate state. 'We have picked up vastly pregnant women sleeping in subways and parks. There was one woman who had been at Kai Tak for days, when anyone asked her what she was doing there she'd say that she had just missed a flight and was waiting to get on another one.
'The Filipinas make up the largest expatriate community in Hong Kong, yet there is no support for them. They are considered insignificant in the scheme of things. They are a tranquil people and they seem to accept the most awful treatment. The abuse has to be terrible before they will willingly walk out on to the street.' Prejudice against the Filipino community in Hong Kong appalls McKnelly, who was horrified when pornographic pictures were mysteriously stuck up on walls at the Hing Tin shelter several days ago. Who could have been responsible? 'I don't know, but someone obviously doesn't want us here,' says McKnelly. Meanwhile he is actively seeking an alternative shelter. 'I cannot believe that there is not somewhere we could use. Most of the transit camps in Hong Kong are empty - why should it be so difficult to find room for us?' THERE are those in Hong Kong who regard McKnelly as nothing less than a saint. R.J, a now-unemployed Filipino domestic worker, is one of them. 'I was in hospital and my family terminated my contract. I had nowhere to go. Pastor McKnelly took care of me,' she explains.
One of the many children whom McKnelly has adopted over the years, Chan Chung-wai, still sees his 'father' regularly. Now 32 and working for a fibreglass company, he says: 'I don't know what I'd have done without him. He has helped me tremendously and taught me right from wrong. He is such a good person, always willing to help anyone in need, whether they are Chinese, English or any other nationality.' Anne Smyth even goes so far as to describe McKnelly as 'Christ-like'. 'He is the single most unselfish person I have ever met. He is totally fearless. I feel ashamed at how little I do when it is stacked against what he does.' Praise indeed. But looking back at the pastor's charitable career, perhaps such reverence is not out of context.