Sister A serves as the leader of a prominent church, now regarded as the most influential in the local community. Anyone arriving in the area needs only ask passersby or taxi drivers for directions to "the church," and they will instinctively point to this very one.
However, the journey to build the church was far from smooth. At the time, building a new church required over 300,000 yuan. Although the congregation managed to raise 150,000 yuan through great effort, the funds were subsequently lent to other churches and never recovered. With only 9,000 yuan remaining in the church's account and the construction deadline looming, the financial shortfall posed a serious concern.
Confronted with this difficult situation, Sister A sold the three small shops she operated—businesses that barely sustained her modest livelihood. Yet even this was not enough. After discussing it with her husband, she chose to sell the family's recently purchased taxi, a critical source of income and a vital means of livelihood.
With these sacrifices, the church was finally able to secure enough funds to kick off construction. Yet, a significant funding gap remained throughout the process. In response, every able-bodied church member and even their family members joined the construction effort. They served as laborers, porters, and cleaners, taking on any task within their capabilities to reduce costs. Despite the hardships, their faith remained steadfast, believing that nothing is impossible before God. Each day on the construction site began with a collective prayer, earnestly asking God to extend His mighty hand to help complete the church.
God's grace came just as they had prayed. On the night they found themselves without cement, they prayed fervently. By the next morning, co-workers from neighboring churches arrived with truckloads of cement. When steel reinforcement bars were urgently needed, believers prayed, and soon after, a church member brought the steel that was needed. In another instance, when bricks were in short supply, Sister A's husband came up with a solution: his employer owed him unpaid wages, and a brick factory happened to owe money to the company. In exchange, he accepted bricks as payment for his wages, resolving the shortage. Inspired by their faith and dedication, Sister A's father and brother also contributed by donating their land compensation payments to support the construction.
At last, the church was completed, standing tall and dignified in the community. Sister A shared that she had even considered selling her family's only home to raise additional funds and had posted a sale advertisement. Her husband, concerned, asked, "If we sell our house, we'll have nowhere to live and will need to rent. Do you really not regret this?" Without hesitation, she replied, "I have no regrets. I am offering this willingly to the Lord. Even if it costs me my life, I will not regret it. This glorifies God, and I will never regret it."
(The article was originally published by the Gospel Times, and the author is a Christian contributor.)
- Edited by Katherine Guo and translated by Poppy Chan
