I have known a brother in Christ named Weipu for seven years, who is known for his deeds of helping others. We used to serve in the same church, and now I want to share his stories.
Weipu, who lives in Beijing, worked in an automobile factory in Beijing before he retired. He and his wife came to believe because of a Christian who sold delicious eggs to them, and his wife went to the address of the church told by the egg-seller to meet. Then he began to go to church. What helped him come deeper into the faith was to help others.
In 2016, Weipu and his wife met a Christian mother and daughter at a large fair in the suburbs. That mother said her nephew was suffering from leukemia and asked them to pray for him. Because Weipu was not sure whether it was true or not, he gave his mother 200 yuan first. When he returned, he decided to go to the hospital with his wife to find out about the truth.
After coming to the hospital, Weipu and his wife found that it was not a scam. On the spot, they gave Feng Wei, a stranger with leukemia in his early thirties, 2000 yuan. Then Weipu forwarded the fundraising messages and sent letters to ask for help during church services. With the prayers of believers and the donation of love, Feng Wei, who had been critically ill five times, gradually got better. After five months in the hospital, Feng Wei and his wife were baptized in the church. At this time, Weipu had yet to be baptized.
In helping Feng Wei, Weipu met and joined a Christian love fellowship aimed at helping seriously ill patients, and during his visits, he often bought gifts by using his own money.
Among the objects of Weipu's help, the one to which he devoted the most energy was an empty nester. This senior woman's family was well off, and his two children were the elite of society and had settled abroad.
Weipu would buy food and household items for this senior woman almost once a week at his own expense. When this senior woman's water heater in her house was broken, or she felt sick, the first person she called would be Weipu, who would always be there.
This senior woman had worked as an accountant when she was young, and she wrote down all the things given to her by Weipu and his wife. She left one hundred thousand yuan alone and wanted to give it to him in the future. Weipu quickly rebuffed. Later, this senior woman was also baptized and tried to spread the gospel to others from time to time.
Weipu was often praised by those around him, but he saw greater love in the presence of Christian volunteers serving in a leprosy village. Some of them sold their houses and used all the money to serve the lepers. Some people give up their superior living conditions abroad to do volunteer work for years. There are even young college graduates and graduate students committed to serving in the leprosy village. Some retired volunteers put their retirement wages there.
Weipu wondered, “What could I do to reach the same level of Christian volunteers in leprosy villages?” He wanted to bring the love of the volunteers in the leprosy village into the city to brighten and warm the people around him.
After that senior woman passed away several years ago, this male believer and his wife went to the hospital to visit a Christian man who was suffering from cancer. Unexpectedly, he died the next day. After that, when his family needed help with anything, Weipu would try his best to help.
One Christian woman once needed a large sum of money because of a family accident. Unfamiliar with her, the wife of Weipu took out the savings of her family and even helped borrow tens of thousands of yuan after learning of this situation. Weipu said that at present, he did not dare to lend money like that, but faced with the urgent situation at that time, he had to do so.
The couple never asked for anything in return for helping others, resolutely refusing to receive anything in return. In some cases, it may be too difficult to reject the offer, so they had to reluctantly accept. The wish of Weipu is that those who have been helped will be able to pass on this love when they are capable enough in the future.
Gradually, more and more people in their fellowship were willing to help others. Just like Feng Wei, some of the other recipients also spread love in their own way.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
