Story of an Aged Minister and Her Young Church

Cross on a church
Cross on a church (photo: GospelTimes.cn)
By Yetta YaoSeptember 27th, 2016

There is a young yet special Christian church in the mountains of Qiandongnan in Guizhou Province. The minister here is a 70-year-old woman. She adopted many orphans and live with them in the church.

The female minister was born in a traditional Christian family in Guizhou Province. She used to teach in a university. When she retired from the university, her mother told her to build a church in her hometown.

"I am old and weak. Am I able to build a church?" She doubted. However, when she went back to her hometown, looking at the mountains, a scripture suddenly flashed in her mind: "I will lift up my eyes to the hills . My help comes from God, the maker of heaven and earth." Since then she was determined to build the first local church.

At the beginning of 21st century, the church was built up. The church unexpectedly brought about great changes to her hometown. "No electricity, no water, no road. At the beginning of the construction we have nothing but warm hearts." The old minister believes it was God's help that made her overcome a series of difficulties and build the church with continuous efforts. Finally, she not only successfully built a church but also brought roads, water and electricity. Residents said that great changes have taken place since the priest came.

Local residents are poor and pure ethnic minorities. They prefer sons to daughters. The old minister finds that a lot of girls are orphan. She worried about the safety of these girls and adopted them. She lives with them in the church and takes care of them. She also cooks for them and plays with them. She has been doing this for over 20 years. The eldest child among them now goes to high school. The aged priest writes articles and does business in order to feed the children.

The church is often disturbed by heresy but the old minister protects it well. She has received many phone calls from big cities. These phone calls claim to sell things or evangelize them. She is very cautious and refused them. Now when she gets unknown phone calls she would ask who they are first.

Some heretics came to the church and looked for the priest. The aged minister said she is not the priest but a gatekeeper. Heretics then angrily shouted at her:" Why don't you open the door?" The woman said: "God lets me keep the door so I can't open it easily."

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