Editor's note: This story chronicles the life testimony of Li Ming, the founder of the Faith, Hope & Love Family. It tells of how God successfully led him out of drugs, called him to establish a drug rehabilitation center ,and to help many drug addicts who are in pain convert to Christianity. When we see the changes and restoration of these people, what we can do is to give our thanks and praise to God.
Below is the second part of his testimony:
The third miracle: founding "Faith, Hope & Love Family"
With only 120 yuan and faith, his family founded "Faith Hope Love Family," a non-profit free Christian Drug Rehab Center where they have everything in common.
The story began with his one of his junkie friends. One day, his friend who was also a junkie called to buy drugs from him. Li refused outright and told him that buying and using drugs was a sin. Li spoke to his friend by the Spirit, "Come to my home and have lunch with me." To his surprise, his friend really went to his home. After their 3-hour talk, his friend gave Li 100 yuan that he got from his wife to testify to Li (to buy drugs). Li asked him to take it back and to apologize to his wife for his lie. Li shared the story of the woman caught in adultery (John Chapter 8).
After that, Li visited his friend and often invited him to his home to have meals together. Until the fifteenth day, finally, his friend got rid of his drugs. His friend told Li about another friend who was tortured by drugs with a broken family. Li visited the new friend and saw him that he was in a really bad condition. Li took the friend into his home by the Spirit and he became the first brother who underwent drug treatment.
In the early days of "Faith Hope Love Family" ministry, some people persecuted Li due to the fact that he received no support from churches nor had any funds. They laughed at Li, saying Li and his staff were dirt and smeared against the ministry. They waited to see when the staff would give up and fall. Li would often burst into tears but he still decided to persist.
Li intended to seek support from a church where his mother went to but was rejected coldly. The church hindered the ministry and even said to Li, "If you insist on receiving junkies in your home, you will never belong to our church." However, this hurdle surprised Li to believe that God lead the ministry to be an independent Christian drug rehab center.
In the first half of the year, God taught Li to depend on Him when there was no way. God moved his wife to give out all her salary and his mother, her social insurance fund, to support the ministry.
There was an old loudspeaker box there and they did not have enough Bibles or chairs. Li refused to get conditional offerings. They lived through a hard but warm and unforgettable time.
Since the first brother stayed in Faith Hope Love Family, more drug addicts came to his home. The number even reached more than ten people at a time. Currently, the first brother whohas successfully quit drugs is a manager in a seafood restaurant. The second brother has opened a fast food restaurant. The third stays in the ministry and is the director of the gospel drug rehabilitation ministry. Some work for others and some serve in Faith Hope Love Family.
The rules of the ministry are like this: newcomers will receive service by trained volunteers, co-workers or brothers who have mature spiritual lives in turns(24 hours a turn) within the first ten days. The service includes cooking food, providing massage if necessary, washing clothes for them and chatting. Whoever is on duty should be available at any time.
After the fifteenth day, newcomers will learn about the Bible, worship and praise God, pray and copy the Bible every day. Also the staff will arrange him to buy vegetables and cook meals with trained co-workers to teach him responsibility and the life attitude normal people have. There are some other activities which helps the men get rid of drugs in their lives, mend their family relationships and eventually, return to society.
The ministry has helped 52 junkies who are from Hong Kong, Gansu, Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shanxi and Hubei for almost two years. It is planning to rent a field to build a field rehabilitation home to work with the current family rehabilitation home.
The fourth miracle: a house church is done
Li with his staff started building a house church for the drug addicts in Jan. 2, 2015. During the construction, no man was injured. They experienced a united and hard period and grew in faith.
In the early days, God moved a sister to donate 10,000 yuan to them when Li had less than 1000 yuan. They decided to buy materials they could afford and build the church building all by themselves. They did as much as what God gave until the completion.
They also set up a study hall and purchased living equipments. Through the process, unknown Christians donated to them to push the building progress to its final stages. The workers who fought in the forefront were the brothers who got well from taking drugs, who were considered scum as junkies in the eyes of the world. Their actions demonstrated that they were no longer addicted to drugs but had their own talents.
"It matters little that junkies quit drugs for normal people who never take drugs. However, it matters that one lives out the life of Christ and influences his or her family so that they may be saved after the rehabilitation," says Li.
- Translated by Karen Luo
