Pilgrim’s Progress: “Waiting for God’s action”

This land was given to the Mayflower Church for them to cultivate (Photo: Elder Wenshen Wen)
(Jeju Island, South Korea) Sixty members of Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, also known as the Mayflower Church, wait for responses from the South Korean government. Elder Wenshen Wen reflected on this period of waiting in a written update to ChinaAid, found below.

 

 

The Mayflower Church was rejected by the South Korean Supreme Court in January, but the church continued to explore legal avenues. Despite experiencing COVID in the past month, the leadership of the church remains optimistic about the well-being of the members.

 

 

You can read previous updates here.

 

 

 

Waiting for God’s action 

 

      A few days ago, I heard a news story from China about spring planting. Because of the pandemic in China, the whole country is implementing a Zero-COVID policy, locking people in their homes or quarantine zones. A reporter at a government press conference asked if they could not plant this spring how there would be a harvest. The government official replied, “It doesn’t matter, the time for seedlings is in April and May every year, so do the seedlings then.” I don’t understand how it is possible to raise seedlings directly without first sowing them. 

 

      It is a Chinese saying that “the plan of the year lies in the spring,” which means that the arrangements and plans for the whole year should be made in spring at the beginning of the year. As for me, who grew up in the countryside, this phrase is especially important. When I was a child, my family of five was the only one with a field, with only three parts of paddy fields. Every spring I would ask families in the village who had gone away if they could rent their land for my family to plant. When I was a child, I didn’t understand why we had to rent the fields every year to plow them. Other children went to play while I had to plant, and my parents replied each time that I would not have food to eat if I didn’t. So, I grew up knowing that I had to plant on time to get a harvest, or else I might go hungry for the year. I can’t imagine how many families in China today face great hardship because they can’t plant on time! 

 

     Thank the Lord three years have passed since our church left China. It has been many years since I have been able to spring plow with my parents. Now living in Jeju, I can’t imagine having a piece of land to cultivate. The owner of the hotel where we live gave us land to plant for free. Each of us can get a small piece plot to grow some greens and such.  It is a good place for some stay-at-home moms to practice. Just two days ago, a few sisters from the church drove to the largest five-day market on this island and bought some seeds and seedlings. Now that the seedlings have been planted and the seeds have been sown, the next step is to be patient and wait for the harvest. As the scripture says, “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, for the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.” 

 

   The earth is God’s greatest blessing to humankind. As long as you manage the land according to the time predetermined by God, you will be able to produce. Now we are the same, as long as we rely on God, God will save us. Although we are living in Korea for the time being, we know that Korea will not give us legal and permanent residence. We still believe that God will bring us to a place where we can worship Him freely and pass on His Word to our children and grandchildren. 

 

 

 

 

 

Elder Wenshen Wen

News
Read more ChinaAid stories
Click Here
Write
Send encouraging letters to prisoners
Click Here
Previous slide
Next slide

Send your support

Fight for religious freedom in China

Pilgrim’s Progress: “Waiting for God’s action”

This land was given to the Mayflower Church for them to cultivate (Photo: Elder Wenshen Wen)
(Jeju Island, South Korea) Sixty members of Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, also known as the Mayflower Church, wait for responses from the South Korean government. Elder Wenshen Wen reflected on this period of waiting in a written update to ChinaAid, found below.

 

 

The Mayflower Church was rejected by the South Korean Supreme Court in January, but the church continued to explore legal avenues. Despite experiencing COVID in the past month, the leadership of the church remains optimistic about the well-being of the members.

 

 

You can read previous updates here.

 

 

 

Waiting for God’s action 

 

      A few days ago, I heard a news story from China about spring planting. Because of the pandemic in China, the whole country is implementing a Zero-COVID policy, locking people in their homes or quarantine zones. A reporter at a government press conference asked if they could not plant this spring how there would be a harvest. The government official replied, “It doesn’t matter, the time for seedlings is in April and May every year, so do the seedlings then.” I don’t understand how it is possible to raise seedlings directly without first sowing them. 

 

      It is a Chinese saying that “the plan of the year lies in the spring,” which means that the arrangements and plans for the whole year should be made in spring at the beginning of the year. As for me, who grew up in the countryside, this phrase is especially important. When I was a child, my family of five was the only one with a field, with only three parts of paddy fields. Every spring I would ask families in the village who had gone away if they could rent their land for my family to plant. When I was a child, I didn’t understand why we had to rent the fields every year to plow them. Other children went to play while I had to plant, and my parents replied each time that I would not have food to eat if I didn’t. So, I grew up knowing that I had to plant on time to get a harvest, or else I might go hungry for the year. I can’t imagine how many families in China today face great hardship because they can’t plant on time! 

 

     Thank the Lord three years have passed since our church left China. It has been many years since I have been able to spring plow with my parents. Now living in Jeju, I can’t imagine having a piece of land to cultivate. The owner of the hotel where we live gave us land to plant for free. Each of us can get a small piece plot to grow some greens and such.  It is a good place for some stay-at-home moms to practice. Just two days ago, a few sisters from the church drove to the largest five-day market on this island and bought some seeds and seedlings. Now that the seedlings have been planted and the seeds have been sown, the next step is to be patient and wait for the harvest. As the scripture says, “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, for the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.” 

 

   The earth is God’s greatest blessing to humankind. As long as you manage the land according to the time predetermined by God, you will be able to produce. Now we are the same, as long as we rely on God, God will save us. Although we are living in Korea for the time being, we know that Korea will not give us legal and permanent residence. We still believe that God will bring us to a place where we can worship Him freely and pass on His Word to our children and grandchildren. 

 

 

 

 

 

Elder Wenshen Wen

News
Read more ChinaAid stories
Click Here
Write
Send encouraging letters to prisoners
Click Here
Previous slide
Next slide

Send your support

Fight for religious freedom in China

Scroll to Top