Heartfelt Letter from a Daughter to Her Imprisoned Father

(Huainan, Anhui, China – April 30, 2025) Recently, a letter written by a 15-year-old girl to her imprisoned father has circulated online, deeply moving the heartstrings of countless readers with the maturity, resilience, and unwavering faith emerging from between the lines. The letter’s author is the daughter of Pastor Zhao Hongliang, a house church pastor in Huainan City, Anhui Province.

Pastor Zhao Hongliang leads a church in Xinyi Village, Tianji Subdistrict, Panji District, a house church without the official approval from the Chinese government. In February of this year, Pastor Zhao Hongliang and eight other Christians were arrested one after another by authorities for participating in religious activities. Currently, four men, including Zhao Hongliang, are under criminal detention, while five others have been released on guarantee prior to trial.

Faith and Family: A Daughter’s Strength in Hardship

In the letter, the daughter begins by expressing concern for her father’s recent circumstance, affirming her faith that “God is with you.” She checks in with her father and lets him know that her mother, older brother, grandmother, and aunt are all doing well, and tells him not to worry about them. Describing her own life, she shares that her teachers at school have shown her care, and she has formed friendships with two spiritual companions whose positive influence has given her greater courage in the face of hardship, helping her not feel alone.

Spiritual Maturity Beyond Her Years

This young girl reveals a deeply moving level of understanding and faith. She writes about the insights she gained from The Upside of Adversity, a book gifted by “Uncle Potato,” learning that suffering is a way God strengthens people, helping them become resilient and steadfast in faith. For this reason, she chooses to submit to all circumstances and prays for God to grant her enough strength. She further encourages her father with the victory of Christ, expressing firm faith that, through the Lord, they will overcome their hardship.

Holding On to Hope and Joy in Suffering

In the letter, she also mentions her reflection on watching a film about the 9/11 attacks and recalls a line that stayed with her:

“If we can feel pain, it means we are still alive.”

This poignant recognition of life further displays her early maturity and strength. She shares that her busy schoolwork helps ease her longing. Although she occasionally feels sorrow when remembering times the family was together, she holds onto the firm belief that they will eventually be reunited and is willing to wait patiently.

This girl faces each day with a positive attitude, encouraging both herself and her father with Proverbs 17:22:

“A joyful heart is good medicine.”

She shared that she prays for her father every night, hoping that when he feels loneliness and sorrow, he can feel the family’s waiting and unceasing prayers. She asks God to be her father’s comfort and protection.

Religious Persecution in Context

At the end of the letter, the daughter expresses her deep love for her father with the words, “Dad, I love you,” and encourages him not to be sad; though they are separated in different places, their hearts remain closely connected, sharing strength with each other. She concludes with a verse from 2 Corinthians 1:5:

“For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ,” once again revealing the strength and hope faith has provided for their family.

The encounters of Pastor Zhao Hongliang and his church reflect the continued tightening of the Chinese government’s control over religious activities that have not been approved by the authorities in recent years.

According to a public notice issued on February 26 by the Panji District government of Huainan and its Bureau of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, the reason for these measures was stated as “to further standardize the management of religious sites in the jurisdiction.” The Xinyi Village Church was forcibly taken over and placed under the administration of local authorities and religious affairs personnel, confirming this trend.

This letter is filled with love and conviction. It is not only a heartfelt expression from a young daughter to her father but also a touching story of a family facing adversity with courage by being grounded in faith.

At the same time, it highlights the challenges many unregistered churches and Christians in China face under the current climate of religious freedom, sparking widespread attention and reflection across society.

(Reported by Special Correspondent Gao Zhensai of ChinaAid)