EDITOR'S NOTE: The passage is the testimony of a believer in a grass-roots church in Guizhou Province. His relative preached the gospel to him when he was ill and poor. His illness was cured by God. He used to leave God once. When he was hospitalized for the second time, even the doctor told him: "You should thank God". The brother is now a full-time servant in the church. Although there will be much difficulty in the future, he is still willing to offer his rest of life to God.
My name is Zhang Yuanqi. I live in Maotai Tang of Renhuai City in Guizhou Province. I used to be a labor contractor and I had projects in different places of China such as Guangzhou. However, I was ignorant and obsessed with gambling at that time. I squandered all the money I earned. In 2000, an accident of construction brought me back to Renhuai City, my hometown.
Later on, I contracted projects of decoration again. During that period I quarreled with my ex-wife because she broke my heart. I was in a bad mood and I transferred my projects. I stopped working.
Half a year later, I was diagnosed with hepatolith and kidney stones when I was in Guangxi Province. The doctor suggested conservative treatment instead of an operation.
Once again I went back to Renhuai City. I was buried in gambling all day and night. I also brawled with my evil friends. I took medicine every day but my health never recovered at that time.
When it came to 2002, I was unable to use my right leg. A friend of mine introduced Christianity to me in June. In September, I returned to my hometown in the countryside because my disease got worse. My aunt was the fellow worker of the local church. She preached the Gospel to me.
After more than two months of encouragement by my aunt, I began to believe in God in November. I was baptized in December although I didn't understand the Bible at that time. My disease was getting worse while my poor rural family lacked money for treatment.
My father died in the same year, and my mother was old and sick. At that time, the whole family's livelihood depended on my ex-wife. She worked outside and sent money to us every month.
At the end of 2003, I had problems with my lumbar spine, hip and legs. They couldn't support my upper body. The pain was so unbearable that I couldn't walk. My lower limb also started to rankle. I was crying every day and almost gave up my life. I read and copied the Bible every day. I also sang and prayed.
On April 3, 2004, my ex-wife left our family and our two children. At that time, we were discriminated by others. Some kind people also helped us, especially the brothers and sisters in our church. Nevertheless, my body went from bad to worse.
On a winter night of 2005, I read the Bible and prayed as usual before sleeping. At about two o 'clock in the morning, I made a strange dream. I kept dreaming and dropped to darkness.
I cried for God's help. Then I heard a voice asking me: "God is carrying our pains. However, what does the Chinese character 'Fu' mean?" I saw a small but bright laser coming straight toward me. It was just like a 3D movie. The white light began to grow and I saw a white Chinese character "Fu", which meant carrying.
The voice then said to me: "Anyone who follows him has to bear the cross." Then I saw the knife on "Fu". (The Chinese character of "Fu" is just combined with a knife and a treasure.) "The knife is just the cross. The cross means we have to bear all the pain of the world: other people's misunderstanding, blame, jealousy, anger and dispute.
Besides the "knife", I also saw the "treasure". "When we are able to endure all the pain and injustice in the world, we will become the treasure in Jesus's eye. ".
Then I saw a Chinese character shaped like a door. The voice said to me:" This is chain instead of a door. The chain is the evilness that you only pursue what you want regardless of anything or anyone. Only God can remove our sin. The cross can also help us out of the chain."
I then saw another Chinese character which means people. The voice said to me: "The character is more than the meaning of people. It also represents life. When we completely sacrifice ourselves, our body will die with Adam's sin and our spirit will revive with Jesus' revival. That is the eternal life glorified by our testimony. God requires us to complete both our characters and the willingness of God.
It was another winter night in 2005, I felt a great pain like my body was burnt. Then I heard some sound from my lumbar spine. My waist didn't hurt anymore.
I knelt down in front of my bed and prayed. I offered my grateful sacrifice to God. My lower limbs could support my upper body and no longer hurt.
At the beginning of 2006, I went back to Renhuai city. I lived the old pattern of life. God disciplined me. I caught a cold in the middle of 2007 and the cold couldn't be cured with any method.
One day when I went to the toilet, my whirlbone was hurt somehow and I couldn't get up. Ten days later, the inside of my left leg was swollen. A doctor performed an operation for me with the help of the church. I was in hospital for 18 days, but the situation of the disease just got more and more serious.
At that time, I suffered from diarrhea and vomit. My wound was not healed and got a serious infection. I couldn't move my lower limbs and was carried back to the countryside. I was so miserable that I couldn't eat or drink. When I got home I began to repent. I prayed that God would forgive my sin and save me again.
Gradually I was able to drink a little rice soup. A few months later, I could eat and my health also recovered. Six months later, I once again return to Renhuai city. I also prayed earnestly for God's kindness. Now I can walk with crutches now.
Then I started to do some business of medicine with my friend. In 2009 I opened a pig farm. However, the plague broke out. I opened a grocery store in the city in 2010.
In March 2011, I sold the shop and raised the money to do a second surgery in a medical school. The director doctor asked how my lumbar spine was cured. Then I told him my testimony. He said that I should thank God because there was no such precedent in the history of medicine.
He said there is a diaphragm between bone and bone. It is impossible for two bones to grow together due to gene constancy. The surgery of lumbar spine is also dangerous. Now my lumbar spine is completely healed, which is a miracle. I also preached the Gospel to him.
After the second operation, I bought a piece of land in downtown of Huairen City and built my own house. At the same time, I started to serve in the church. In 2012, I took the job of managing the church.
On October 29, 2016, the first Christian church was built in our town. Thank God for his guidance. He made me his servant and do ministry for him.
Translated by Emma Ma
