Li Shanshan Faces Early Eviction Amidst Ongoing Persecution
(Linfen, Shanxi Province, China – March 5, 2025) On the morning of March 5, 2025, although Li Shanshan’s rental contract still has two years before expiration, her landlord once again requested that she vacate the apartment early and move out as soon as possible.
Li Shanshan’s husband, Pastor Li Jie, has been imprisoned for over two and a half years on charges of “fraud” for maintaining his stance on house church. Before his imprisonment, they had already experienced forced eviction in the cold winter due to their Christian faith. Four days ago, his wife Li Shanshan was again approached by the landlord demanding her to move out.
Landlord Claims Property Disputes and Debt Issues to Justify Eviction
On the evening of February 28, the landlord suddenly came to her door, accompanied by a man wearing a face mask. Although the rental contract is valid until 2027, the landlord abruptly informed Li Shanshan that there were disputes over the property, and he didn’t know when the court would auction it off and seal it, thus requesting Li Shanshan to move out early. That night, four men and three women—a total of seven people—guarded the entrance to her home. They left the following day.
On the early morning of March 5, the landlord directly refunded the rent to Li Shanshan via WeChat. When Li Shanshan asked if he was forcing her to move out, the landlord explained that there were disputes over the property and that he himself had debt issues, suggesting his money might be frozen by the bank. He advised Li Shanshan to keep the rent safe to avoid owing her money later. Shanshan indicated that she didn’t know if the landlord’s statements were true or not, nor what threats he might be under. She told the landlord she didn’t want to move and explained her situation.
Li Shanshan Reflects on Suffering and Faith Amidst Trials
When her husband Li Jie and Pastor Han Xiaodong were arrested over two years ago, she had visited Han Xiaodong at the detention center and promised to help care for his wife and children. That’s why she now rents an apartment in the same residential complex as Han Xiaodong’s family.
She is concerned that if forced to leave her current apartment, she might not be able to find another place in this apartment complex. With her husband unjustly imprisoned, she and Hao Xiaodong’s wife Chen Ying have become each other’s support, encouraging one another, while their children spend time together coping with their fathers’ absence.
Tearfully, Li Shanshan expressed that while she’s not afraid of moving or hardship, she wonders when such circumstance will end. She had a good relationship with her landlord over the past year, but now that peace has been disrupted. She questioned why it’s so difficult for Christians to live in Linfen.
She said she believes God has a purpose in allowing her to experience these trials. She mentioned that missionaries have shed blood in Shanxi. Compared to missionaries being martyred in Shanxi, what do moving and Li Jie being imprisoned count for? She said she’s now tasting a bit of what Jesus experienced suffering for humanity—being unwelcome among his own people and being expelled from place to place.
“Foxes have holes, birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Her suffering is nothing compared to that of Jesus Christ and the martyred missionaries. She requests prayers from fellow Christians.
The “fraud” case against Li Jie and Han Xiaodong recently held its first pre-trial conference. As family members, Li Shanshan and Chen Ying were not allowed to attend. They and other church members have been singing hymns and praying outside the Yaodu District Court. The date for the next pre-trial conference has not yet been determined.
Video: Li Shanshan recounts her eviction experience
(Reported by Special Correspondent Ningmeng of ChinaAid)