Dear brothers and sisters:
Peace in the Lord! On Nov 20th, Shouwang had her thirty-third Sunday outdoor worship service. In the past week, many believers were detained at home since Saturday. On Friday night, police from Datun police station took a sister to a hotel for detention. As far as we know, at least twenty-six believers were taken away on Sunday morning for going to the planned location to join the outdoor service, either at the spot or on their way there (including three sisters from Xinshu Church). And they were sent to ten local police stations of their respective area. Till midnight, only eleven believers were released home, and the other sixteen believers were still detained in four different police stations (mainly in three police stations in Haidian district). The last five believers, who were detained at Zhongguancun Street police station and Zhongguancun police station, were not released until 10:00am on the 22nd, after forty-eight hours detention.
It is winter now, and the weather in Beijing is getting colder; the temperature can drop to zero at night. But the cold weather is not able to prevent believers from going out to join the outdoor service; there are even more believers who never went before now joined the outdoor worship. Knowing that they might face longer detention as each police station put more force into it last week, our brothers and sisters proceeded to the outdoor service with no hesitation, and faced policemen with peace. Those who waited outside police stations showed their deep love for other members in the body, which is a good witness for the Lord. At 11:00pm on Sunday night, outside Haidian police station alone, there were more than ten believers waiting with joy, which was a great comfort to believers who were detained inside.
We thank our Lord for these good witnesses. The Lord grants believers faith and courage to follow him, and he raises up believers—we hope that he will raise up more believers—to shine for him together. God forgives our sin, shows mercy to us when we are weak, strengthens us when we are weary; he continues to be with Shouwang Church for his name’s sake, and uses his church to shine for him in this generation. “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you…but the LORD rises upon you, and his glory appears over you.” (Isaiah 60:1-2) We believe that being his church, as long as we wait for him in perseverance and seek his guidance with all our heart, his glory will rise upon his church. And we will shine for him in this generation with this glory, and we won’t be ashamed because of this glory. Let us continue to pray before God fervently: may he open a way for us so that we will witness his glory.
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
11/22/2011
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
