A church in a village in China’s northeastern Liaoning Province has attracted believers from several neighborhood villages, some of whom have to travel up to 10 kilometers in order to attend the gatherings.
On Sunday, August 21, Elder Liu Li, leader of Lingshan Church in Lishan District, Anshan City, Liaoning Province, drove 25 kilometers to preach in the Sunday worship at the meeting point in Yaotun Village, Datun Town, Qianshan District, Anshan City.
Located in the southern suburbs of Anshan City, Yaotun is a small mountain village famous for its abundance of Nanguo pears.
Right before arriving at the church, Elder Liu saw two elderly female believers at 74 and 82 years old respectively pushing their bicycles on foot which were used as both crutches and "walkers”, given their physical conditions. After being asked if they were tired after walking over five kilometers, they said, "Thank God, I am not tired! It is His grace that we can still attend the service."
The church leaders explained that this meeting place with God has a history of more than 20 years. At first, gatherings were held in the home of a female believer surnamed Ma and other members. As the number of believers grew, the church moved and expanded to this new location. Believers have done their best to make offerings and build the new church.
The completed church covers a construction area of more than 1,000 square meters (0.27 acres), including the main building of over 500 square meters (0.135 acres) and two auxiliary buildings. The indoor facilities are complete, encompassing audio systems, seats, and fans. With two air-source heat pumps, churchgoers attending onsite meetings in the church will not feel cold in winter. The meeting point has attracted believers from several surrounding villages, such as Shipailu Village, Dongbaishi Village, Xibaishi Village, Dongfangshen Village, and Yingbuluo Village. Ma, one of the original founders of the church claims that there are more than 100 believers, some of whom come from as far as more than 10 kilometers away.
Elder Liu Li, sent by Anshan Municipal Christian Council, delivered a sermon titled "What I Want", which split into seven different points.
(Reported by a special contributor of the Gospel Times in Anshan, Liaoning Province)
- Translated by Shuya Wang
