(China) The mother of Elder Zhang Chunlei passed away suddenly. Zhang, an elder of Ren’ai Reformed Church, is currently serving a prison sentence. He was unable to say his goodbyes.
Sudden passing
Yang Aiqing, the wife of Elder Zhang Chunlei, often heard her mother-in-law say that Yang should take good care of her health and wait for Chunlei to return.
Yang sighed, “In our life we always have to say goodbye, it’s just too sudden. Everything is in the hands of the Lord, waiting for the eternal hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Prohibited from saying goodbye
The inability to bid farewell to loved ones is a common situation for many Chinese Christians. In this era, many have lost their freedom due to their faith.
Hao Ming
On the early morning of August 3, 2022, Yin Zhixiu, the mother of former elder Hao Ming of Qingcaodi Church, passed away. Elder Hao Ming, who was detained in prison, neither knew the news of his mother’s death nor was able to bid farewell to her.
Xue Shaoqiang
This spring, the mother of Elder Xue Shaoqiang from the Huoshi Reformed Church in Bengbu, Anhui passed away due to illness. Elder Xue was charged with “suspected fraud” due to his Christian faith and was detained in Bengbu Detention Center. The mother passed away with regret as she was unable to fulfill her final wish: seeing her son.
Three imprisoned Christians
On March 15, the 79-year-old mother of three siblings, Zhu Longfei, Zhu Longjiang, and Zhu Qiaoling, passed away. The three are elders of Shengjia Church in Shunde, and were in detention at the time of her passing. Authorities arrested them last year for so-called “illegal business operations”.
Zhang Chunlei’s sentence
Elder Zhang Chunlei was charged with “inciting subversion of the state power” and “fraud” due to his faith. On July 24th of this year, the Guiyang Intermediate People’s Court sentenced him to five years. His estimated release is March 16, 2026, but the court is forcing him to pay back the amount of his “fraud”. It is reported that an appeal for the case has been filed with the Guizhou Provincial High People’s Court.
Poem from prison
Elder Zhang Chunlei wrote many poems in prison, and this poem “Good Things Near: Reflections” expresses his attitude towards suffering due to his faith.
Instantly, the dark clouds disperse, and the Lord unloads the burden of labor,
Having been imprisoned for over three years, the prison time is about to disappear,
The path of faith is difficult at times, with the Lord’s cross at the forefront,
Endure and wait for the day when I meet my father in front of the throne.
~Lemon, Special Correspondent for ChinaAid
