Dear brothers and sisters:
Peace in the Lord! On August 28th, Shouwang had her twenty-first Sunday outdoor worship service. In the past week, many believers were detained at home since Saturday. On Friday night, police from Guangying Police Station took a sister to a hotel for detention. As far as we know, at least fifteen believers were taken away on Sunday morning for going to the planned location to join the service. They were then sent to at least seven local police stations of their respective area. Besides them, police followed a brother’s family member to the apartment they just moved in, brought him to an office of the residential area by force, interrogated him, and required him to write a guarantee of not joining the outdoor service. Till 0:00 on the 29th, thirteen believers were released home (including the sister who was taken away on Friday night), and the other four believers were still under detention in four different police stations. The last brother was released around 10:00am on the 30th (Tuesday).
Five believers from a house church in Fangshan came to join our outdoor worship service on this past Sunday. They got up around 4:00am in the morning, left Fangshan around 5:00am, and arrived at the planned location around 7:00 am. Police took them to Zhongguancun Street Police Station, and then sent them back to the Police Station of Hebei Town, Fangshan. In the police station, local stuff from National Security and Religious Affairs Bureau requested them to write a guarantee of not joining the outdoor service, which encountered solemn refusal. As a person from the “Three-Self” came to persuade them, a sister was moved by the Spirit and started to read Bible to him, which made him leave with shame. They were released around 7:00pm on Sunday. A sister who visited them witnessed that in the whole process, they were full of peace and joy, and with no fear; they witnessed for our Lord with their pure heart, their passion and their desire for him. May God specially bless them, and protect their church in the midst of persecution, which might occur to them.
In this rebellious era, it is natural for followers of Christ to encounter persecution and war. No matter in what form this battle appears, if it is God’s will to put us in this war, we will be blessed by him as long as we are willing to obey his will and to bear our cross to follow him. And our lives will be transformed into maturity, and be shaped into a vessel that he uses. May we continue to fix our eyes on the Lord as the Holy Spirit bring together our distracted and weary heart, so that we are strengthened to follow him until the day of his victory.
May peace and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the mercy and love of Father God, and the console and guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, be with each brother and sister of Shouwang Church and all the churches who remember Shouwang Church in prayers, from this time on and forevermore! Amen.
Beijing Shouwang Church
08/30/2011
China Aid Contacts
Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director
Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.chinaaid.org
