The kettle whistled as steam curled into the air. Brother Zhang moved briskly around the table, boiling water and carefully pouring hot tea for each person. He was medium tall, slightly stout, with a neat haircut and dressed in loose sportswear. His words were always accompanied by a warm smile, revealing a few uneven teeth, while his eyes, shaped like crescents when he smiled, conveyed a natural friendliness.
Few would imagine that such a gentle and unassuming man had once endured great hardships, wandering the city streets during his most difficult days, braving countless cold nights alone, and surviving by scavenging. Today, though still a man of few words, Brother Zhang testifies to life-transforming grace through something as simple as a kettle of hot water and a cup of tea offered in service.
A Poor Boy Becomes a Rich Man
Brother Zhang was born in the 1980s in rural Northwest China, a time when survival depended heavily on the weather and manual labor. Most farmers earned a living by cultivating wheat, corn, potatoes, and millet. Situated between the Loess Plateau and the Northwest Arid Zone, the region had a temperate continental climate with distinct seasons, limited rainfall, and high evaporation. Droughts were frequent, and irrigation relied on rainfall or water carried manually. During the wheat harvest, entire families, young and old, would begin working in the fields before dawn and return only after dark.
In those years, almost every household had several children. Unlike most, Brother Zhang was an only child. He left school during his first year of junior high to help his parents in the fields. After several years of farm work, he married at the age of 17.
Realizing that farming alone could never bring him riches, Zhang decided in 2000 to leave home in search of work. Finding a job, however, was not easy. Recalling those days, he said, "At the time, I was young and strong. I found a fur factory and told them, 'I'll work for free; just give me a meal.' The factory agreed." He began with heavy manual labor, moving and hauling goods.
After three or four months, he had gained a full understanding of the fur factory's operations, from sourcing raw materials to sales channels and the machinery used for processing. Seizing the opportunity, he boldly resigned and, with the fearless determination of youth, launched his own fur business.
Within just three years, his business had grown rapidly, surpassing several nearby fur factories. "Many herders chose to sell their fur to me; they trusted me," Zhang recalled.
As the head of his factory, his cashmere business first focused on the domestic market, then gradually expanded internationally, achieving success. He purchased a house and a car, and with his parents and wife by his side, he finally enjoyed the prosperous life he had once only dreamed of.
Overnight, Family Ruined and Fortune Lost
The good times did not last. Just three years after Brother Zhang's factory began operating, the SARS epidemic broke out. To curb its spread, authorities ordered the destruction of all animal furs. Zhang had purchased a large stockpile, which was ultimately buried in a landfill. It was everything he had. Overnight, he was bankrupt—not only returned to poverty but also fell into heavy debt.
To repay the herders he owed, Zhang sold his factory, house, and car, yet the money was still insufficient. Desperate, he turned to loan sharks to settle all the herders' debts.
But the interest on those loans quickly grew beyond his ability to repay. Debt collectors brutally pulled out most of his teeth. His parents, relentlessly harassed by creditors, died within a month of each other, unable to withstand the pressure. Soon after, his wife also left him.
Unable to recover from the fall, Zhang sank into deep depression. To escape his debts, he returned to his rural hometown, where he lived alone for several years.
In the Blink of an Eye, Zhang Became Homeless
After spending several years in his rural hometown, the debt collectors were still relentless. Brother Zhang fled to a coastal city in the south. At first, he still had a small amount of money, but over time, it ran out, and he was left penniless. Eventually, he was forced to live on the streets, and in despair, he developed a mental illness.
"I was deranged, not like a normal person at that time," Zhang recalled. "The only things I remember are smoking and drinking on the streets. When I had nothing to eat, I would pick up leftovers and sleep in KFC at night."
"When I ran out of cigarettes and alcohol, I would collect plastic bottles on the street and sell them to buy more alcohol and cigarettes. I kept smoking and drinking, destroying myself until I was no longer human-like. No one even wanted to look at me."
His life had reached such a low point that Zhang felt he could no longer go on. He considered suicide by jumping into the sea. One night, he did so, carrying only his ID card and bank card. The next morning, he awoke to find himself still alive as he was washed ashore.
"It seemed as if the Lord had sent someone to save me," Zhang remembered that night. "When I woke up, I felt even more desperate. I had tried to die, but I couldn't. By then, I hadn't eaten for three days. Coincidentally, I met another homeless person on the beach who told me there was a place to get food. He took me to a church that helps and serves the homeless. There, I met Pastor Liu, who oversaw the ministry, and that's when I began learning about faith."
From Homeless to Church Worker Serving the Homeless
After joining the church, Brother Zhang no longer worried about food and was finally freed from hunger. What struck him most was the spirit of the congregation—a community of believers who cared deeply and served the poor with genuine love. "On the streets, most people wouldn't even glance at someone like me. But after coming to the church, I felt the difference. The fellow believers constantly encouraged me to rise again from the fall," Zhang recalled.
During his first six months there, Zhang devoted himself to reading the Bible, praying, worshiping, and praising, fully immersed in God's grace. Gradually, he improved, and before long, he had shed his former state of muttering and cursing others—his mental illness was healed. Through fellowship with the pastor and other believers, he also untangled the burden he had carried for years. "I realized that human beings are only strangers and sojourners on earth," he said. "The success, wealth, and glamorous life I once pursued were meaningless. Looking back, even in my wealthiest years, I was under great pressure and had no peace. I used to envy others, but now I see there was no need. Success in this world is nothing but a burden of sin."
Having endured deep suffering himself, Zhang can better understand the struggles of the poor and homeless. After coming to faith, he joined the church's ministry serving the homeless, though he soon discovered the work was far more challenging than he had imagined. Serving the homeless was not just about distributing meals, clothing, and necessities. At times, he also had to help people bathe or care for those who were paralyzed or mentally ill. "At first, I felt annoyed when I saw them, especially those struggling with mental illness," he admitted. "But the Spirit of the Lord reminded me, 'You were once like this yourself. How can you despise others?' The more I served them, the greater my joy became. I felt a freedom in my soul that words cannot describe. I no longer desired anything else, for my spirit has been freed."
Today, Brother Zhang continues to serve the homeless on the streets and sometimes takes the paralyzed to the park in their wheelchairs. Speaking of the future, he said, "Now I live a stable, content, and worry-free life. I will continue in this way, walking with the Lord."
Originally published by the Christian Times
- Edited by Karen Luo and translated by Poppy Chan
