God's tabernacle is amongst -Pastor Ping Tianci Testimony

China Aid Association
My name is Ping Tianci. I am 51 years of age. I believed in the Lord in 1979 and received the God’s grace of salvation in 1991. According to God’s call and the new life I started to serve God. Through God’s wondrous grace I was chosen from a great multitude of people. In order to grow in my knowledge of Him, while being enfolded by His power, I underwent great suffering. When I lost heart, He gave me immeasurable strength. When I became weak, His power enabled me through the most difficult affliction. Indeed, I thank the Lord for His grace. “In the valley of the shadow of death, I feared no evil, because He was with me. His rod and staff comforted me.” Through more than one year of life in prison, though the flesh was being destroyed, everyday my spirit experienced the protection of God’s pillar cloud and fire. “He made me lie down in green pastures, and led me beside still waters.” When others lacked, my thanksgiving abounded in God’s love.
In the unforgettable August of 2004 my house, God’s temple, was again searched. I was sent to a place of confinement to begin a period of hardship and testing. The one who “prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies” allowed me to experience detention for 40 days, to undergo one night of interrogation, to see the face of the devil, and to endure all the enemies’ methods. Their purpose was to break my spirit and to extort a confession under torture. But in my comas I always saw the cross and heard the Lord’s voice and comfort. “Forgive your enemies, because they don’t know what they are doing.” They took away my clothes, dragged me by the hair, stroke me on the chest, injured my legs, and deafened my ears so I still have problems hearing until this day. But in every interrogation, the devil was defeated and frustrated. Like the roar of a lion, echoing to and fro, they used all kinds of means, beatings, cursing, humiliations, threats, exposure, yet in the end they still did not get any confession. On the 26th of August 2004 I was subjected to exposure in order to get a confession, but they were not successful. The devil was defeated. Every time in the midst of great pain I cried out, “O Lord! I implore you not to leave me. My savior! I implore you to come and save me. Rescue my spirit from the sword. Save me from the mouth of the lion.” God heard my voice.
In September 2004 I was subjected to hard labor. I recall the 40 days of suffering. I was rigorously interrogated eight times. I lost my freedom. I lost my hearing. My legs were broken. And I was shocked twice. But through God’s help and strength I tasted the sweetness that comes after suffering. I thank Him who rescued me from interrogation to be sentenced to hard labor, rescuing me from the mouth of the lion to experience life in the mouth of the tiger.
Then on the 25th of September 2004, because of insufficient nutrition and bad health, I suffered a heart attack. I was in shock for more than 10 minutes. Through the examination of the doctor I had high blood pressure of 140/120. I developed thrombosis of the veins, dizziness, and my legs lost all strength. When I fell to the ground my fellow prisoners carried me to the big hall and called the doctor, who performed emergency resuscitation. When I regained consciousness, I was already resting on my own bed. Through silent prayer I asked God to heal me. For three days I was in the presence of God, my tears were always mixed with the precious blood of the Lord. However, the devil was not resigned to accept defeat. The police again came to interrogate me and I was sent to hard labor once more. I remember the last interrogation. I became angry and, with the help of God, declared war against the devil. I said to him in a loud voice, “I did not do anything against my country or against my people. Don’t come back again. If you come back again, I have the right to refuse to see you.” From that time the devil withdrew. I was not interrogated again.
I was sent to receive reeducation through hard labor again in the middle of October 2004. My responsibilities were working in the vegetable garden, looking after the pigs, and cleaning the guards’ toilets and a rubbish tip. Every morning I worked from 6:10 until 12pm. In the afternoon I worked from 4 to 6:30pm. I labored for more than a year, but then due to illness my strength failed. Because of my many ailments my work could no longer satisfy the requirements of the guards. However, the Christian life is not overcome by suffering or tiredness, but always displays love, integrity, and faithfulness. The fellow prisoners and guards were deeply impressed and I became the prisoner they worried about the least.
God enabled me to learn many lessons. He loves me. Under His care, I peacefully went through every experience with much blessing. “God anointed my head with oil, my cup overflowed.” I remember on the 30th of April 2005 I fell down from the wall of the piggery and I went into shock for 5 minutes. The next day I couldn’t walk. My legs were like a cripple. I could not even stand up. But in everything God has his good purpose. I didn’t know it at the time. The guards wanted me to rest for a few days, but I was not willing. I could not behave like the ordinary people of the world, resting when they are sick. Because God is with me, God will help me. So I insisted to go out to work. The guards were much moved, and called two other prisoners to assist me, one on each side. Then as I was pulling out weeds from the vegetable garden I was notice by the warden. He praised my resolve and said that the other prisoners should learn from me.
When the hot summer arrived, my daughter bought me some hemp mats. Every day I did my work by crawling on two of them. One day as I was carrying excrement I fell down three times and dirtied my clothes. The guard on duty could stand it no longer and arranged others to take over my work. From that day my duties were changed. I no longer had to work in the vegetable garden. The garden that fed more than 200 people was watered by the sweat of only two people. The produce of the garden received the leaders’ praise. The pigs I fed also received the satisfaction of the leaders. Half a year produced six pigs with the value of more than 9000 yuan. The vegetable garden provided an income of more than 10000 yuan. I became a model prisoner. God’s name was glorified. The toilets also received commendation. All the work I did was through the strength provided by God. My hard work was acknowledged by all the guards. The warden of the prison also determined that I should no longer work in the vegetable garden in order to lesson the strain on my body. I prayed with thanksgiving, “My Lord! Even though I am not good you did not forsake me. You enabled me understand your love. O God! You gave me the best. Please take away all my foolishness and ignorance. Let me understand the precious word of Jesus so that I may realize the vanity of things on earth. O God! I thank you.” Afterwards, my workload was much lighter. But, then, on the 17th of August I fell down again and could not walk. The guard immediately informed the warden. Subsequently after a physical examination it was determined that my sentence should be reduced because of my condition. The problem with my legs became increasingly worse. I could not walk very easily. I was not able to work anymore. I could not have imagined that my sentence could be reduced by 40 days. I could go home 40 days earlier to attend to my illness but at my own expense.
Even though I lived through extreme suffering, there are still many spiritual lessons that I need to learn. My heart can often hear spiritual songs accompany me,  “The holy name of Jesus is so good, it is always in my heart, I always want to love my Lord, because He lives for me.” To experience the cup of suffering given by the lord is indeed very sweet. Every time I underwent suffering many brothers and sisters were praying for me. I knew that when I was alone, I was not fighting the battle alone. I had the Lord’s great army on my side. Every moment in the darkness, I heard the sound of prayer coming from a distance. Thousands of brothers and sister who love the lord were praying fervently for me with their tears. “Who is my brother? Who is my mother? Everyone who does the will of my Father is my brother and mother.” Indeed, I want to thank all my far-away very precious supporters, all brothers and sisters. Their prayers and help enabled me to persevere in the service of God until today, even through life in prison.
After my discharge from hard labor, my left leg was swollen and had thrombosis of the veins. It was very difficult for me to walk. In mid-October, through examination, I was diagnosed with late stage thrombosis of the veins. I needed an operation. Therefore, with the help of God, I am now receiving treatment in the hospital. But all my far-away brothers and sisters do not need to be concerned about me, because God is with me. God’s gracious anointing will indeed anoint everyone. May God be our ever present help. Amen! May the people in God’s kingdom continue to increase so that the final day that God had prepared may come soon. Amen!
May all the brothers and sisters have peace!
May the true triune God, Father, Son, and Spirit, always be with us. Amen.
                                                                            Ping Tianci
                                                                            End of October 2005