Editor's Note: During the Spring Festival, I returned to my hometown, in the southern part of China. Many superstitious customs still remain there. However, there are still a lot of testimonies showing the power of the gospel. The article is about such a genuine testimony in my hometown.
A young lady got mad after she went back from the grave mountain
Zhao Siru, a clever young lady, was in the 9th grade four years ago. In order to enter a good high school, she devoted all her efforts to her study. She got up early and slept late, just studying all day. Zhao's mother was pleased with her daughter's attitude towards studying. However, she was also worried that Zhao would suffer from fatigue. So she took Zhao to the farmland at the weekend just to get some fresh air.
The farmland belonging to the Zhao's is close to a riverbank. The riverbank is also called the grave mountain by natives. In the countryside, people buried their dead families in the riverbank before the implementation of the cremation. The riverbank was filled with little graves. However, many farmers have to walk past the riverbank every day because it has farmland on its both sides.
Zhao was reciting texts as she helped her mother with farm work. At dusk she sat on a piece of clean grass and had a break. Then she saw the graves on the riverbank. She didn't know what they were. She was curious and jumped from one grave to another.
Zhao's mother carried farming tools and asked her daughter to return home together. She saw what her daughter was doing. However, She didn't take it seriously. She didn't foresee that the behavior of her daughter brought about great changes to the family in the next four years.
Zhao got a high fever after she returned home. Her face was flushed and her mind was not clear. It was difficult to wake her up. Her parents carried her to the town hospital at night. Zhao took a drip and an injection. At dawn, Zhao Siru woke up. Zhao's father was overjoyed. He asked her daughter how she felt but he found that something went wrong with her daughter.
Zhao could only speak with a slip after waking up. She couldn't even call Papa normally. She was also a little confused. She was always absent-minded and just stared blankly when asked any question. Her father thought that the high fever might have damaged her daughter's brain. The family had to take Zhao to the urban hospital and did a series of examinations. However, it turned out that Zhao had no problem with her physical health.
In this process, the family found that Zhao Siru's thoughts and words gradually became clear. They thought that the young lady could restore her body fast.Zhao went back home with her families. In the next few months, Zhao acted normally. Her parents gradually forgot her madness.
However, Zhao once again got sick and crazy two months later. Her family began to panic again. Her parents started to take her from a big hospital to another just in hope that her disease could be cured. However, the medical treatment could only inhibit the disease for a period of time. Once she stopped medical treatment or used the same medicine for a long time, the disease would hit up on her again.
Zhao's study slumped down. What's worse, Zhao's disease got more and more serious. She was caught in the circulation of morbidity and treatment.
When the disease was serious, she would be fierce-looking and run out the family. She would bite anyone who pulled her back. When the symptoms were slight, she just couldn't say a word or figure out anyone. Her eyes were red and her hair was a mess. The children in the village called her ghost behind her.
The young lady could have enjoyed her youth. Tears bathed her mother's cheeks every day. Neighbors, friends and relatives always stared at Zhao with a strange looking. Zhao's mother sought treatment every day. She felt desperate. She was afraid that the family would be over.
Witches invited to help but useless
Some elders in the village told Zhao's mother that someone who used to violate the gods just acted like Zhao. A witch asked his families to put the tablets of the gods in the house and then he was cured.
Zhao's mother then invited a witch in the village to "do some magic". The witch just murmured some words and tapped on Zhao's body. She painted a few pictures with strange signs and burned them into ash. She spilled the ash under Zhao's bed. The witch also asked Zhao's mother to take out Zhao's slippers and burn them. She said the slippers were not clean. She also sprinkled some rice along the room and shut the windows to avoid the dirt. Finally, the witch said it is understandable that the child was curious. However, anyone who made gods angry would be punished.
The witch gave Zhao's family a piece of paper with the names of the so-called gods who was punishing Zhao. She also asked Zhao's family to put a tablet with the names of the gods and put it in front of the sitting room's main wall. There should also be continuous burning incense and offerings.
The tablet engraved with the gods' names was officially put in Zhao's house. Her disease seemed to get better. Most of the time she was in a mind of blur. She got mad less. Seeing the daughter was getting better, her parents were happy. They were careful with the dedication to the gods.
However, the period of Zhao's disease got longer. In the past, she got sick every two months. Every time she was only mad for several days. Now she got sick every month and stayed in a confused state of mind for more than ten days. When Zhao was sober, she had no difference with a normal person. She could remember every time she got sick. However, she just couldn't control herself as if someone was pulling her from behind. She got mad inexplicably.
Zhao's mother couldn't tell whether the change was good or not. The family spent much money on the treatment of the disease, which was a heavy burden for the family.To cure the disease, Zhao gave up going to a good high school far away from home. She chose a close but common high school. When Zhao's mother thought of the sacrifice, she felt pity and sad.
In order to make her daughter get cured thoroughly, before Chinese New Year Zhao's mother once again visited the witch. The witch asked them to stop using the medicine of the hospital. She promised to prescribe for Zhao and the medicine would cure Zhao's disease soon.
The devil only feared the one true God and prayer brought about health
During the Spring Festival, Zhao's cousin, who dropped out of school and worked in the city came back. He heard of Zhao's disease several years ago. When he was at home, he witnessed Zhao's disease. Zhao would suddenly become insane when the cousin talked with her. She didn't know where to go as if her soul had faded away.
Zhao's cousin thought. "Is she caught by a ghost? The Bible tells us the story that Jesus drove away ghosts from people's body. The ghost won't leave unless it sees God." A few years earlier the cousin was invited to the church. He was baptized and became a Christian.
He was intended to drive away the ghost by praying for Zhao. However, he was not confident enough. He preached the gospel to Zhao when she was awake. He also suggested taking Zhao to the church at the weekend and letting the elders of the church pray for her. Zhao agreed to her cousin's idea because she wanted to get cured too. However, she failed to enter the church for the first time due to fear.
The cousin could only go to the church on himself and told the pastors the situation of Zhao. The church set up a special praying group for Zhao. Several elders of the group volunteered to pray for Zhao in her family every week.
When they visited Zhao's family for the first time, Zhao's mother was doubtful whether praying could cure the disease. An old sister smiled and said: " Praying plus medicine could cure the disease. You invited the witch but she didn't cure your daughter's disease. Now we have invited the real God to help you. The effect is completely different."
Listening to the aged sister's words, Zhao's mother let the elders enter the family. Of course, Zhao was not cured immediately after praying for the first time. They advised Zhao's mother not to worship other gods at home. They also asked her to open the windows and let the fresh air come in.
At first Zhao's mother was reluctant to take away the tablets of the other gods. Zhao felt more and more clear after several times of praying. So she also suggested her mother taking away the tablets. Finally one day, Zhao's mother did so.
The elders began to invite Zhao to the church. They said that praying at home is not enough. The spiritual atmosphere of the church is better, The Satan and the devil have to escape if Zhao often go there.Zhao also promised to go to the church every weekend to see what the people did there. She has never been away from the church since she went to the church for the first time.
Editor's postscript:
Zhao has believed in God for about two years. The past two years was both long and short for her. Over the past two years she has never been attacked by the devil again. She also regrets that she only knows God for such a short period of time. Until now Zhao doesn't know what she exactly collided with on the grave mountain. However, she believes that God has driven it away.
Now every time someone talks about her experience, she will say: "I was healed by God. I am a living example." Zhao's parents also believe in God now. Besides regular church parties, Zhao also attended the ministry of the choir and the fellowship group.
Zhao is now fully integrated into the church, school and society. The dark memory became a thing of the past. Now she is a sunshine girl. Nobody could imagine what she experienced a few years ago. Anyone who relies on God will be blessed because the devil is afraid of him.
Translated by Emma Ma
