Search
Ch'iao Tun Men is an important town between Fukien and Chekiang. (Less than twenty miles to the southwest is Feng Shiu Ling. It borders Tai Shun to the west and Fu Ting to the south.) It is a hub of business and also the most centrally located place among the churches in our three counties.
In 1928 when Brothers Chang Wu Sheng and Wang T'ien Tso (Brother Wang T'ien Tso passed away on Wu Tai Mountain on December 12 of last year) returned from Shanghai, the Spirit of God enlightened and led them, causing them to walk in a way they had never walked before. At that time there were only a few brothers meeting in a rented house. The Spirit of the Lord did a great work. People came from Wu Tai Mountain and Wan Yao to hear the Word. Many received grace and were saved. Between the fall of that year and the following January, there were two special prayer meetings. Many brothers and sisters who loved the Lord and who were seeking the truth came from P'u Men, Chiang Nan, Tai Sun, Fu Ting, or from other places both near and far in our area. All prayed steadfastly together with one accord and the Lord poured out extra grace, leading them to much edification. This was the beginning of our meeting which came fully under the Lord's name. Now the brothers and sisters in Wu Tai Mountain and Wan Yao meet in either Wu Tai Mountain or in Ting Pu T'ou, close to Wan Yao. The church in Ch'iao Tun Men is very isolated. There are only five brothers and sisters in the table meeting. (Recently, there are a little more than twenty people including those listening to the gospel and newly saved ones who have not been baptized.) This year Brother Chang Wu Sheng is being tested greatly. On the evening of January 26, his grocery store was completely burned down. In addition, his family (his father, mother, wife, and children) has become very sick. But by the Lord's grace, he still carries the lone burden of the work in the church in Ch'iao Tun Men. Within the last four or five months, six or seven brothers from a certain denomination in Kuan Mei (about fifteen miles south of Ch'iao Tun Men) have voluntarily left the denominations through the Holy Spirit's work. They have not yet rented a place to meet. There are still many difficulties, and it is very important for the work to continue. We hope the brothers and sisters who love the Lord will pray for this.
The locality of Ting Pu T'ou is about thirty miles northwest of Ch'iao Tun Men. In 1931 we preached the gospel there, and God worked immediately. Two of those listening were saved. One was Brother Hsieh Ch'ung Ch'ang. After he was saved, he lacked the nurturing in the truth, so he was greatly attacked by evil spirits. They almost killed him. The worst experience was recently; Satan brought him to lie down on the treadle of a sewing machine and started to lower the upper stone treadle that looks like a large ingot onto him to crush him. Suddenly the power of God caused the stone to fly outward, so he was not injured at all. Thank the Lord for leading him to overcome. Since this he has been very zealous to glorify the Lord's name. In the winter of 1931, Brother Chang Wu Sheng and I (Yu T'ing) felt deeply that the meeting there was very crucial and were praying about it. The Lord gave us a building with seven rooms. There are also two buildings to the left and right and a vegetable garden. It faces the water and has its back to the mountains. The area is very quiet. In March of 1932 we moved in to meet. Now there are ten brothers and two sisters at the table meetings. They all are recently saved. There are also a few brothers who have life and are ready to be baptized. There is a brother called Lin Yu Kao who is a young scholar. He came to hear the word in June of this year and was regenerated. He also had what seemed to be tuberculosis, but at that time, he was cured. He is experiencing Christ's resurrection life day by day, and he has never stopped praying, reading the Bible, and keeping morning watch. May the brothers in the Lord pray especially for this brother that he might go on and be able to help the meeting there.
Chu Hsi is more than ten miles through mountain roads from Ting Pu T'ou. In 1932 two leading brothers who helped in the work of a certain denomination there, Chang Ta Ch'a and Lin Jui Chieh, along with three unregenerated members of the denomination, frequently came to Ting Pu T'ou to listen to the Word. The two received the enlightenment from the Lord and were moved and revived by the Holy Spirit and began to understand that in God's work we should not partake of the mistakes of others. They knew it was even more wrong for believers and unbelievers to bear one yoke (that was the condition of their denomination). So they were strengthened by the Lord to leave that denomination. The pastor of the denomination tried to keep them. He did not know that they were leaving for the sake of the truth. His exhortations for them to stay were in vain. The other three members of the denomination were also regenerated and became very zealous. They are also a great help. In 1933 two young brothers (Cheng En Sheng and Teng En Ming) also heard the Word and were saved. They are really precious. In July they rented a house to meet in. After they met for several weeks, I went and stayed there for three weeks. I saw another sister being saved (she is not yet baptized). Now Brothers Chang and Lin can take care of the message for the morning meeting. In the afternoon, they remember the Lord. (There are seven people. Four were baptized last year.) They are very sincere. I am very moved in my heart by them. This work was really initiated by the Father Himself. We can only praise and thank Him!
Wu Tai Mountain is about twenty miles to the south of Ch'iao Tun Men. It is mountainous and has more than twenty small villages. In 1928 a few brothers and two sisters heard the Word in Ch'iao Tun Men and were saved. The most marvelous thing was that one of them was a famous gambler (Brother Lee Kung Lieh). He had some schooling in the past, and after being saved, he became very zealous and obeyed the Lord. In 1930 they rented a house on Wu Tai Mountain for meeting. It has three rooms; one of which is a hut. Now there are about twelve brothers and five sisters who break bread to remember the Lord. They have all been saved over the past five or six years. Two or three brothers are capable of bearing the responsibility for speaking the Word on the Lord's Day morning. Brother Lee Kung Lieh is responsible for the affairs of the meeting. Now their work is very much in one accord. However, their knowledge of the Bible is immature. We should pray for them.
Lan Sung Yang is about twenty miles from Wu Tai Mountain. Since 1928 there have been four or five saved brothers meeting there in a small hut. Brothers Su Chieh Min and Lee Yi Lan are the responsible ones. Brother Su was a school teacher; until recently he could not be free for the Lord's work, so he quit his job as a teacher and is wholeheartedly learning to work for the Lord. He also farms a little rice and potatoes to provide for his wife and children. His living is very hard. Brother Lee had a small business before he was saved, but it was entangling him in his work for the Lord. He now farms and works zealously for the Lord to help the meeting there. However, there are no baptized sisters in the meeting. They feel that the building for the table meeting is not so appropriate or good. We should pray for them.
Fan Shan is about ten miles from Lan Sung Yang. It is very mountainous. In 1931 some zealous brothers and sisters returned from a conference in Ch'iao Tun Men and were enlightened and strengthened by the Lord to rise up strongly in one accord to leave a certain denomination. At that time they began meeting in Brother Kuo Jih T'ung's living room. Now there are six brothers and three sisters in the table meeting. Brother Chen Shu Yao is responsible for the affairs of the meeting. Sister Chen is very zealous. However, they have many business affairs to distract them. We should pray for them that they can faithfully serve the Lord so that the meeting and work can go on.
In Ma Jan there were three brothers, Fan P'ei Chen, Wen Ching Yi, and Fan Yun Shan, who were zealous seekers of the Lord in the Ma Jan Independent Church. In recent years they were enlightened by the Lord through The Present Testimony to know that in order to faithfully obey God and be in God's work they must depart from error. In August of 1933 there were more than twenty brothers and sisters in one accord. They met in Brother P'ei Chen's house for the table meeting. The number of those who come to listen to the Word has increased over time. If they could rent another quieter house for their meetings, it would be better. I hope the brothers and sisters who are of the same mind will pray for the meeting in Ma Jan.
Yun Che is about ten miles from Ma Jan and fifteen miles from Fan Shan. It is a remote mountain village with several dozen households. In about 1929, there were five saved brothers and three saved sisters. None of them could read. They met in a grass hut. Now they can read the Bible. On the Lord's Day they meet in the morning to remember the Lord and in the afternoon for the preaching of the Word. They bear this responsibility themselves. Occasionally some workers go to visit them and witness their zealous pursuit. The Lord's grace is really with them. Two brothers, Lin Wei Ch'ing and Hung Ts'ai Min, are responsible for the affairs of the meeting. May the Lord grace them.
The brothers meeting in Lee Chia Ching are Lee Kuan Hsin and Lee Hsi T'ui. They used to meet in an Independent Church in P'u City (about five or six miles away). In 1929 they received the Lord's light and leading and realized the importance of leaving man's tradition and obeying the Bible. They were very much moved by the Holy Spirit to have a prayer meeting in Lee Chia Ching. The Lord had prepared the situation for them, and many were saved there. At that time the Lord wanted them to meet in Lee Chia Ching. To their surprise they were placed in charge of a house. Now there are about thirty brothers and sisters breaking bread together. Kuan Hsin and Hsi T'ui are responsible for the affairs of the meeting. May the Lord grace them with His presence that His work may be greatly revived.
The meeting in Ao Nei is ten miles from Lee Chia Ching. There used to be a few brothers under a certain denomination. Brother Su T'i Sheng read The Christian and was enlightened. In his heart there was a battle because he deeply felt that the Holy Spirit could not work with them there because of the many errors in the particular denomination. However, the denomination did not have bad leaders. The brothers who bore the responsibility in the denomination, Lin Li Ming and P'an Tu Ch'i (Brother P'an passed away the year before last), were humble seekers of the truth. In the winter of 1929, these few brothers left the denomination in one accord and then the Holy Spirit moved their hearts to have some prayer meetings in Ao Nei for a few days. The Holy Spirit worked with them, and it seems that many of the sisters and brothers who heard the Word were saved. Now there are more than twenty brothers and sisters who meet together to break bread in remembrance of the Lord in the afternoon. Great opportunity was provided in their morning meeting for the preaching of the Word. Every year there are newly saved ones added to them. Lin Li Ming and Lee Hua Min have their own gifts. In the matter of giving, apart from the expenses of the meeting, they follow the direction of the Holy Spirit and give alms to the poor or meet the needs of the workers. This is a brief description of the work to date. May the Lord bless them.
Chen Hsia Kuan is a place on the coast. It is about fifteen Chinese miles from Ao Nei. A few brothers used to worship in Ao Nei. In 1931 the brothers built three other buildings here in one accord. Now there are several dozen meeting. They preach the Word in the morning and remember the Lord in the afternoon. Three brothers, Wu Tze Chien, Lee Hsi Ming, and Ling Yu Ju, do business on the one hand and bear responsibility for the meeting on the other. The rest of the brothers and sisters are all obedient to the truth and are in one accord. There is no barrier among them.
Fu Ting belongs to Fukien province. It is about sixty miles from Ch'iao Tun Men. There is a brother, Wu Shou Liang, who used to be in that city's Episcopalian Church. His family had not believed in the Lord. He ran a dye factory. In the winter of 1928, his eldest son Wu Cheng Chung heard the Word in the meeting in P'u Men and was saved. Then he brought a few brothers to his house, and Wu Shou Liang's wife and his aunt were saved. Brother Wu began to pursue the truth with a true heart and understood the error of denominations, so he left the Episcopalian denomination of his own accord and began breaking bread in his home (there were four people). The co-working brothers would go to his home from time to time for meetings to help them. In the past six years they have been attacked from all sides by the devil and have suffered greatly. But the Lord's grace is with them; to this day they still stand. Now new brothers and sisters have joined them to hear the Word in solidarity. The two Wus (father and son) are responsible. (They lack the gift of speaking.) On the Lord's Day there is a morning meeting to preach the Word and a table meeting in the evening. I (Yu T'ing) went to their house twice last year and stayed with them for a total of five weeks, and by the Lord's grace rendered some help to them. I feel they are very isolated and need the constant presence of the Lord's grace so that they may go on. They also need the Lord to add saved ones to their meeting. This is what we ask for. (Unfinished.)
Your brother in Christ,Wang Yu T'ingJanuary 15, 1934
(This is a letter from Mr. Liu Ai Wu of the Hua Chung Seminary in Wu Ch'ang. We have not seen this brother before, but from his letter, we know something of his heart. We will pray for him.)
Dear Brother Yueh Ch'iao:
I received and read your postcard at the end of 1933. I had already thought about writing you and asking you the dates of the next conference, but I was entangled by my flesh and did not get around to it until now. Thank the Lord, He is overcoming! Although Satan's authority is everywhere, the Lord released me through the power of Golgatha! Glory and honor and authority to Him forevermore! Amen.
Since the Lord's Spirit enlightened me to see the sin of denominations and the corruption of organization, I have felt very hungry and thirsty for the Lord within, but because I am a milk-drinking child, my spiritual life is very weak. I thought that every child who was enlightened by God would have the same experience. I wanted to wait until a so-called "comrade" was raised up for me and then leave the system. To tell the truth, I was afraid of the loneliness of the way of the cross! Did I not know that "constricted is the way..., and few are those who find it"? Unfortunately, I was foolish in spirit and did not obey God earlier!
During the summer vacation the Lord prepared a way for me to go to Shanghai and called me to go. My spirit wanted to accept the Lord's arrangement, but the flesh was still weak; I actually followed my flesh and went home. The local group of this denomination wanted me to "use a reed for a weapon." I also followed my flesh to go work. In those two months, the suffering of failure was too much for words. May all this shame be upon myself! Thank God, He showed me the result of not obeying! After the summer vacation I still went on in the way of error and went back to Wu Ch'ang as usual. The Lord loves me to the uttermost. Although my flesh is weak, He has continuously enlightened me, disciplined me, and supported me with His power.
When I saw the news that you were going to have a meeting over winter vacation, my spirit was desperate for this matter! But I did not know to use the cross to deal with my flesh, and Satan still had the opportunity to hinder me! I asked you to send The Present Testimony and Notes on Scriptural Messages to my home in Ch'ang Teh. My wife read them and then sent them on to me. She usually sent them immediately after reading them, but this time, she did not send them until January 2. I did not know that you were meeting on the twenty-first. However, the Holy Spirit gave me special enlightenment; I suddenly felt within that I must decide on the matter of going to Shanghai. On the one hand, school did not let out for vacation until the twenty-fourth. How could I have handled this temptation? It seems that it would have been hard to put it aside! With this one thought, I quenched the leading of the Holy Spirit! On the twenty-fifth, I read a classmate's copy of The Present Testimony. At first I was very happy. Then I saw the dates at the end and was disappointed. I looked at the newspaper for steamer times. There were ships leaving on both the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth. I prayed earnestly before the Lord. On the next day I fasted and prayed, but God did not give me an "answer." I only saw the work of Satan!
Praise God! Christ always overcomes! Although the enemy hindered my steps, "the Lord made my steps light!" I did not follow my flesh to return home this winter vacation. I did some writing for the school and had an opportunity for quietness so I could review an important lesson He had given me — The Spiritual Man. It released my spirit and brought me more into the experience of having my flesh dealt with by the cross! I used to demand that God fulfill "my" desire to graduate from the seminary. Now my prayer is, "God, I am willing to obey You and follow Your way of the cross. May Your will be done in me." Since the Lord's word has separated my soul from my spirit, I can only place my soul in a position of death. I only have one more year until I graduate. According to the flesh it is a shame because I will miss success by a very narrow margin. I may even meet with opposition from many people. However, I am willing to follow the Lord's calling and give it up! I ask the Lord that I may be able to boast in His cross! Amen.
School will be in session in a short time. I am waiting for God's will. If He allows me to go to Shanghai, I will meet all the brothers, and we can remember the Lord together. Please pray earnestly for me, asking the Lord to lead and prepare a way that I would escape the hands of those who do not obey! Is Mr. Nee at home? I hope that he can also read this letter and pray for me!
Finally, brother, is there anything else I should pay attention to besides what was published in the last issue of The Present Testimony? I hope you can answer my letter immediately! May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you always! Amen.
Liu Ai WuFebruary 8, 1934
Miss Lee:
Praise the Lord! We are still standing here because of Him and His grace.
Currently, there are five places where we are working. Two places are in the city; one is the west gate and the other is the prison and guardhouse. There are three places in the country; one is at Tung T'an Tien, the second is at Sha Ho Tou, and the third is at Nan T'un. The brothers and I travel around for our work every week. On Mondays we preach the gospel at the prison and guardhouse. On Fridays we have a Bible study with the believers in prison. On Thursdays we have a prayer meeting at the West Gate. On Tuesdays we meet in Nan T'un and on Wednesdays in Tung T'an Tien. On Saturdays we work in three places in Sha Ho Tou. On the Lord's Day morning we preach the gospel at the West Gate and have the table in the afternoon. There is only one table meeting in Tsou County at present, and the numbers are not great.
In the Tsou County prison there are already about twenty-five people who have confessed the Lord Jesus as their Savior and have definitely believed in the Lord. We still do not have the assurance that these ones are reliable, but there are a few among them who are quite good. There is a Mr. Wang Ch'uan Ch'in, who was suspected of robbery. He was sentenced to five years in prison. He was interrogated by both the military and civil courts, but he never confessed to the crime. One day he heard the gospel and was the first to stand up and confess that he was a sinner and that the Lord Jesus was the Savior. It appears that this one is especially good.
Because of the results of our prison work, the guards have allowed us to enter into solitary confinement to preach the gospel to the people there. This has happened only recently. There are usually about seventy people in solitary confinement.
The work which I spoke of before where we rotate day by day is our usual method. However, it is now the Chinese new year, and the people in the country have more free time, so we stay longer at every place and do a special gospel work in each one. Yesterday, we started in Nan T'un. If the Lord is willing, perhaps (soon) we will start another gospel preaching place in Chia Chuang Ts'un in Shi Nan Hsiang of Tsou County. We work in places where the denominations have not set foot. Our habit of keeping away from the denominations in our work has caused some brothers in the denominations to complain to us, "You are going on another good road, but you do not bring us along this better road." The people who said this were ones we had brought to the Lord in the beginning and then placed in the denominations. (At that time we were also in the denominations.) These ones are still friendly with us. This is why they complain in this warm way.
The co-working brothers are all well at present. They do not have any great hardships. However, there is a problem in my house that makes it less convenient for me and has made the brothers worry. My wife has been sick for almost fifty days now, and her condition is serious. It still has not begun to improve. It is so serious that my daughter cannot go to school in Yen Chou. I cannot spend the night out and work with the brothers. Please pray for this. I ask that the Lord give you peace.
In the Lord,Liu Tien Min for the co-working brothersFebruary 17, 1934
Peace to Brothers Nee and Chang:
Thank the Lord! He has blessed us with a peaceful meeting and has kept us from being scattered, and we also are grateful for your love and prayers! May the riches of God fill you. Amen.
In the last Overcomer Conference the enemy did his best work and caused some brothers to suffer. The details are as follows:
At 9:00 p.m. on the third, twenty brothers from northern Kiangsu went home by two routes. Brother Chiu Jih Chien and seven others took the Ta Ch'in steamer north. I (Wu Wei), my son (named Huei), and Brothers Lan Chih Yi and Hsia Chieh Shan took the evening express to our town. The rest of the brothers, Brother Ma Yun Ho and the other eight took the local. We set out on the same day, but on the way we experienced different things. The express that the brothers and I took was two hours late and arrived in Chen-chiang at 7:00. The small steamer on the river from Chen-chiang had missed a trip and did not leave until a little after 7:00. Thank the Lord! He never fails. The Lord is the Overcomer. When we arrived in Tai Shan, the boat to Yi Lin had stopped running for several days because the river was frozen over, but it began running again on that day. Thank the Lord! "He will prepare." This really confirmed our faith quite a bit! We arrived home safely after five days.
The most marvelous thing was the train carrying Brother Ma Yun Ho and the other eight brothers went off the track at a cattle crossing. Fortunately, no one was hurt. It took one day to repair the tracks, and on the fifth they arrived at Chen-chiang to take the Ch'ing Chiang steamer to Huai An. When the tracks came to Shao Po, they were attacked by robbers and lost some money. Thank the Lord! Although they were frightened outwardly, their faith was not decreased by it, and they arrived home safely on the sixth. In their letter they said, "The trip home was really full of hardships and a frightening ambush. But thanks be to our Lord, in the middle of the hardships we were full of peace and joy." This really comforted our hearts. The Lord is the overcomer! Brothers Chiu Jih Chien and the seven with him also arrived home safely with only a one-day delay. However, the brothers who left the day before we did, Lee Kuan Hua, Ts'ai Yun Hsien, and Tsou Ts'ai Kao met with difficulties on the Chiang Ch'ing steamer: "Brother Lee Kuan Hua's face was injured and Brothers Ts'ai and Tsou were arrested and taken to Chiang Yin jail for suspicion of crime." The facts of the matter have already been printed in the newspaper. I will explain the details after they return home. May the Lord bless them and allow them to come home peacefully as we did. May they tell a "story of salvation" to give the glory to God that we may know that all things work together for good to those who love God and learn the truth. May the Lord give us revelation so that we will understand God Himself, that our days on the earth can prove His victory and can be spent fighting for Him while awaiting His coming. Amen. This letter is brief, and I am pressed for time. I must say good-by. May the Lord be with you always! Greet all the brothers in Shanghai!
Your brother,Wu WeiFebruary 11, 1934
P.S. Brother Hsien Chih also greets you. He also says that he was blessed with God's leading and arrived safely home with no problems on the way. Please do not worry.
To Messrs. Kuang Jung and Yung Tung:
After we left you and returned to the East, God kept us safe all the way home. Thank the Lord. On Tuesday we arrived at Yi Lin and on the next day we parted from Chiu Jih Chien and the other brothers and returned to our homes. Please do not worry about us. With regard to the problem on the river steamer, Brother Lee Kuan Hua's face was injured in an explosion. He is now in a hospital in Chiang Yin. There is no danger to his life. Brothers Ts'ai Yun Hsien and Tsou Ts'ai Kao are being kept in the Police Department at Chiang Yin as suspects in the case. We do not have detailed news of them. Transportation to northern Kiangsu is blocked now, so we cannot go to save them. The only thing we can do is pray to the almighty, merciful God. I deeply believe they can be released from this danger. This morning I met Brother Wu Wei on the way to Yi Lin. He has arrived safely home. I also received a letter from Brother Han Chang En and the eight brothers with him that said that their train was derailed at a cattle crossing and their steamer was robbed at Shao Po Lake. Altogether they lost only a few dollars; they are all safe and were only frightened. Through all this we learned a big lesson and praised the Lord's grace unceasingly. This is all of our news. May the eternally living God bless all the brothers and sisters with peace!
The little ones in the Lord,Hu Hsiao Lan, Cheng Chu Chiu, You TienFebruary 8, 1934
To my brother in the Lord, Mr. Kuang Jung:
I and those traveling with me began our journey home on Wednesday evening when we boarded the train. When we arrived in Ch'ang Chou the next day, the tracks were broken, and we were delayed for six hours. Later we changed trains and arrived at Chen-chiang that evening. The next day we bought steamer tickets for the trip north. The boat went very slowly. We came to Shao Po Lake during the night. Suddenly, more than ten pirates appeared and robbed us at gunpoint. All the passengers on the boat were frightened and did not know what to do. We thanked the Lord that He is the Almighty One and that those who rely on Him will not be put to shame. (The rest of the people were also treated cruelly in addition to being robbed.) We lost very little. Only two brothers, Brother Chou and Brother Chen, lost a few dollars. The rest of us lost nothing. We cannot fail to praise the Lord for this. Now we are safely back in Huai City. I wanted to especially let all the brothers know and ask them to thank the Lord for us and so on. (We counted the time spent. It was three days and three nights.) We thank you for all we received in Shanghai. We greet all the brothers and sisters with this!
Your little brothers in Christ,Chen Ju Ni, Han Chang En, Kao Shih Yuan, Chou Pu Ch'ien, Ma Yun Ho, Shih Ju Chi, Chang Tien KengFebruary 7, 1934
(P.S. Brother Chiu Jih Chien also wrote us a short letter. He has arrived home safely.)
Peace to our brother in the Lord, Brother Ho:
Praise the Lord. He really is our Lord. Our boat left at 9:00 a.m. on the morning of the seventh. We arrived at Tsingtao at 1:00 p.m. on the eighth where we met the brothers and sisters from Chefoo. We left the ship to visit two friends. The ship left at 5:00 and arrived in Dairen at 1:00 the afternoon of the ninth. After leaving the boat, we stayed at the government office for three hours. Thank the Lord, we did not have any great trouble. Brother An and the two sisters went north that night. I stayed in Dairen for one more day to visit several brothers. I arrived in P'u Lan Tien today (the eleventh) at 9:00 and saw Brother Chang. He is fine and has received the Lord's blessing, but he is very lonely. There is almost no one in the Lord who can comfort him much. Please remember him often in your prayers. Remember also the brothers and sisters in Ch'ang Ch'un. I will continue north at 11:00 p.m. tonight and will arrive in Feng T'ien at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow. I will stay there for one day and will arrive in Ch'ang Ch'un early on the thirteenth. I know that you care and may worry, so I am especially sending this letter to you. I also greet you with peace! Please greet Brother Nee, Brother Chang, Brother Shih, Brother Wu, Brother Huang, Brother Chou, Brother Huang Tze Hou, Brother Yuan, Brother Hu, and all the brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Your brother in the Lord,Chiang Shun T'ienFebruary 11, 1934In P'u Lan Tien under a lamp
P.S. Brother Chang Chen Ming also greets you.
P.P.S. I do not know whether Brother Luan [Translator's note: Philip Luan, also known as Luan Hung Pin] is better from his sickness. Has he returned to Hangchow yet? Were our books sent out? Shun T'ien.
(Answer: Brother Luan is better. He testified for the Lord on Lord's Day morning. — Editor)
Greetings in love to Sister Ruth Lee:
After we left you, we boarded the steamer at 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon. The boat left port at 9:00 p.m. We were protected by our heavenly Father. The winds and waves were calm. The way was safe. I was afraid you would worry about us, so I am writing to let you know that we are safe. (Parts omitted.)
We had originally decided to return immediately to Tai Sun. However, we were pressed for time, and with the coming of winter, we were afraid there would be many inconveniences along the way. If we were not careful, problems could arise, so we were forced to stay at Lu Pien in Yi Shan, P'ing Yang until after the Chinese New Year. The brothers and sisters who meet in Lu Pien asked us to stay because they hope to have a sisters' meeting in the first month of the Chinese calendar. We are now praying for this matter. Please ask the sisters in Shanghai to pray with us also. We hope this meeting glorifies the Lord's name and causes the Father's eternal plan to be carried out in us. We also hope the enemy suffers loss and that we are built up. This is our news. May the Lord bless you with peace.
Lin Hsiang and Bao Jen ShenFebruary 9, 1934
P.S. Please greet all the sisters. Especially greet the household of Mrs. Wang.
To our dear sisters in the Lord, Miss Lee and Miss Chang:
After leaving on the evening of the seventh, our boat left on the eighth. Everything on the boat was covered by the Lord. Although we were slightly seasick, the Lord's grace was sufficient for us. So we are well. We arrived in Kwangchow on the morning of the thirteenth. Please do not worry about us. Please thank the Lord for His grace in protecting us and giving us a safe journey to the conference and home from it.
We received much light from this trip to Shanghai. Our hearts give much thanks to the Lord! We also want to thank you for your diligent hospitality! We hope the Lord remembers your love when He is giving rewards. (Parts omitted.)
We are still in Kwangchow now. We still do not know when we will return to Tai Shan. When we have arrived in Tai Shan, we will let you know. We bless you with peace in the Lord. Greet the brothers and sisters in the Lord for us.
Your sisters in the Lord,Lin Wei Shih and Lei Mei HsiungFebruary 14, 1934
Brother Yueh Chiao:
The brothers and sisters and I arrived in Tsingtao on the morning of the eighth. Brothers Yuan Chin Chou and Chang Tze Chieh went ashore there. We arrived in Chefoo on the morning of the ninth. We went ashore at 10:30 a.m. We left Brother Chu Teh Yao on the ship alone to continue on to Tientsin. We thank the Lord for keeping us all safe along the way! Peace be to you.
Your brother,Witness LeeFebruary 12, 1934
(This is a record of a question and answer meeting.)
Brother Chang Kuang Jung asked: How should letters of recommendation for the traveling brothers be written?
Brother Watchman Nee answered: Please remember that letters of recommendation were found at the time of the apostles. In 2 Corinthians 3:1, Paul asks, "Do we need...letters of commendation to you or from you?" This is to say that others needed letters of commendation, but Paul himself was well-known, so he did not need them. Therefore, all typical believers needed letters of recommendation. Although there were exceptions (Paul was the exception), others still needed to use them. According to the record, however, Paul also needed someone to introduce him. When Paul first came to the believers, no one believed he was a brother. It was only after Barnabas introduced him that he was received (Acts 9:27). This shows that the early saints did not receive a person unless they were first informed of him and he was first recommended. There is a great need for letters of recommendation today.
Today if someone comes among us and wants us to receive him, we do not know whether or not he really belongs to the Lord. We have never seen him before, so we certainly do not know whether he is a brother. For example, when a brother from Chefoo comes here, how do we know if he is a brother? The only way to know is if some brothers sign their names on a letter of recommendation, saying, "Brother So-and-so is going to such-and-such a locality, please receive him." If they do not provide such an introduction and if we want to ask him concerning his salvation, he will say, "I break bread in Chefoo. I am a saved person; why do you need to ask me?" Please remember that the only reason for asking is that we do not know whether or not he is a brother. If we receive him loosely, Gentiles and false brothers may easily come in among us. Therefore, letters of recommendation are important.
There is another reason. Our brothers and sisters should always carry a letter of recommendation with them when they travel because there are many from the denominations (especially in Shanghai) who come to our meetings to hear the Word. In a place as busy as Shanghai, there are many denominations. Therefore, there are always many from the denominations who come to our meetings to listen to the Word. If they go to another place and come to one of our meetings, when they are asked where they meet, they may answer, "I meet on Hardoon Road in Wen-teh Lane, Shanghai." You will think that they must be very clear about the truth because they meet in Shanghai; therefore, they should be able to break bread with you, and you receive them. How are you to know that the person is not a brother in our fellowship? We cannot rely just on what the person says. If a person comes among you in the future, saying that he is from Shanghai, he is not necessarily in our fellowship if he does not have a letter of recommendation. We must be clear about this matter. We hope to settle this matter once and for all in the near future. Every brother or sister who goes to another locality must bring a letter of recommendation so that others can know clearly that he or she is the Lord's.
The letter of recommendation cannot be signed by just one person. Two or three of the brothers responsible for the meeting have to sign to make it proper, because the testimony of two or three is true.
Writing a letter of recommendation is not easy because the brothers who go out from us are different. Therefore, at the suggestion of one brother and at the modification of another during our Saturday meeting, we in Shanghai have agreed that there should be three different kinds of letters of recommendation. The three letters of recommendation should be phrased in the following way:
(1) This is a brother who now meets with us and who is going to your locality. Please receive him because we know that he is a brother in the Lord.
(2) This is a brother who has left the denominations and is in one accord with us. He walks in the same way. Please receive him.
The second type of letter is different from the first. The first only says that he is a brother. The second says that he is not only a brother, but also that he has left the denominations. Why is the second letter different? There are reasons for it. The first letter is for those who are from us but who still meet in the denominations. We cannot refuse to introduce them because they are in the denominations. If they are brothers, we must introduce them. However, if they have a letter of recommendation that does not say they have left the denominations, we are afraid that those who meet in all the localities will think that they are clear about the truth and are clear about all the matters such as baptism, denominations, the church, etc. So please pay attention — from now on read the letters of recommendation from Shanghai carefully. If a letter introduces a person as a brother or a sister and does not say anything more, they are not clear about the truth of the church. If they are already clear about the truth of the church, have already left the denominations, and are already walking on this way together with us, we will say this specifically. In this way, you can be assured that you can avoid many difficulties.
(3) This is a brother going to your locality. Please receive him. He walks in this way together with us, and he is gifted. He has certain gifts which he can render the brothers.
We will specifically mention his type of gift so the brothers in other localities can ask him to preach the Word. If he has the gift of evangelism, you can ask him to preach the gospel. If he has the gift of shepherding, you can ask him to speak a word. If he has the gift of teaching, you can ask him to expound the truths in the Bible. If we do not say this, even though you will know that he is a good brother, you will not know whether or not he has the ability to speak the mystery of the truth clearly. It is better to have these things specified in the letter of recommendation than to find it out by asking and testing him. This will save the brothers trouble.
In my opinion, there is a definite need for these three letters of recommendation today. If we do not have them, there will be many problems. Many people are still in the denominations even though they have been meeting and breaking bread with us for many years. They still are not able to leave the denominations. It is true that they are brothers, but we cannot say that they are clear about the truth. Do you see this brothers and sisters? There must be these three letters of recommendation before many difficulties can be resolved.
Brother Witness Lee asked: How do we know whether or not a letter of recommendation is genuine? If a brother from Chefoo went to P'ing Yang carrying a letter of recommendation, how would the brothers in P'ing Yang know that it was a genuine letter of recommendation? How can we know whether the letter was written by the locality the person came from?
Brother Watchman Nee answered: I have personally considered this matter also. According to my personal opinion, we should know the condition of the meetings in each locality and the names of the responsible brothers in each place. In this way, the number of forgeries can be greatly reduced. If a person comes from Chefoo with a letter of recommendation signed by Brother Witness Lee, we do not have to worry at all. This matter can be resolved simply. If his letter is a forgery and he has written several names on it by himself, we should know once we have seen the letter. Actually, all problems can be solved through fellowship, and the genuineness of a person can be proven through correspondence. For example, if a person comes from Fukien with a letter of recommendation asking us to receive him, we cannot refuse him. But after we receive him, we can write a letter to Fukien immediately, saying, "Thank the Lord, Brother So-and-so has arrived at our locality." If his letter is false, the meeting in Fukien will most certainly write a letter to tell us.
But according to my personal thought, this type of thing will not happen among us. I do not believe people will forge letters of recommendation for the purpose of coming to us. These letters are not checks; they cannot receive any money for them. Nor can they enjoy any special privileges with them.
However, I think one case is probable. If a brother among us has been excluded from the fellowship (he would certainly be clear about all the matters among us), he might go to Nanking with a false letter of recommendation to meet with the brothers there. But I think this matter can be resolved easily. After you receive a letter of recommendation, send a confirmation to Shanghai. In this way we can be at rest.
Brother Hu Chi T'ang answered: If you are afraid of forgeries, you can ask the locality sending the letter to write not only a letter for the brother, but also to write and send one to you directly.
Brother Chang Kuang Jung said: The letters of recommendation should be written by the responsible brothers.
Brother Watchman Nee said: The letters of recommendation are also written by the elders. They are written by the ones responsible for the church in that locality. If any other brother writes the letter, then the brothers in the other localities will not know how many responsible brothers you have among you. They will not know which brothers are responsible for your affairs.
Brother Chang Kuang Jung said: I think that the letters of recommendation should be written by the responsible brothers, and we should be able to recognize their handwriting. If it is that person's handwriting, we will know if it is genuine or false. Furthermore, the responsible brothers should not only sign the letters, but they should also affix their personal seal after their signatures; this is the best way.
Brother Watchman Nee said: You are right. I have thought that if we lack fellowship among ourselves to the extent that we do not recognize the handwriting of the responsible brothers in each locality, we are very short. When that happens, we do not need to wait for false brothers to come in among us; we already are not acting like genuine brothers.
Brother Shih Chiu Jung asked: Does a brother need to carry a letter of recommendation every time he goes out?
Brother Watchman Nee answered: I think we should carry letters of recommendation. We cannot say that we do not need a letter of recommendation because we know the people in that locality well. How will the people in that place know whether or not you recently have been excluded from the fellowship? How will they know whether or not you have had some problems? The only way to know is by letters of recommendation. In this way, if we carry letters of introduction each time, we can avoid many problems. Please remember that we should do everything to avoid problems for others.
For example, Brother Lee has been among us for two or three months. On Tuesday he will return to Chefoo. I should write a letter of recommendation for him to take back to Chefoo telling the brothers in Chefoo that he did not have any problems in Shanghai. If he were really excluded from the fellowship in Shanghai but we did not write a letter to tell the meeting in Chefoo, they would still receive him when he returned to Chefoo. In this way they would overturn his exclusion from fellowship, would they not? Therefore, every time a brother or sister leaves us to return to his original locality, it is best that we write a letter of recommendation.
Brother Witness Lee asked: If a brother goes out and plans to visit several meetings in one trip, how should we write that letter of recommendation?
Brother Watchman Nee answered: If we go on a trip to visit several churches but we do not have a specific locality in which we plan to stay for a long while, we do not need to give our letter of recommendation to the brothers of any one locality. We only need to show it to them and then put it back into our own pocket. If there is a brother who wants to visit every locality (there are more than one hundred churches), the letter of recommendation should not be addressed to any one church. For example, he may arrive at a locality on the Lord's Day in time for the meeting. He should go in before the table. But if he does not have time to fellowship with them, he can place his letter of recommendation on the table and sit down, and the matter should be settled. If they believe him, that would be the end of the story. If they do not believe him, they can open the letter and read it. After the meeting, he can still take the letter back. Then he can go to the next locality on the following day. In this way our letters of recommendation are something like a passport issued by the government.
(This article is the record of a discussion we had after the Third Overcomer Conference. Brother Nee's answers were agreed to by the co-workers from all the localities who came to the meeting.)
Shanghai,Evening, February 4, 1934
(1) The report of the Third Overcomer Conference could not be prepared in time for this issue. Please wait for its publication in the next issue.
(2) The brothers and sisters who fellowship with us will not receive any further issues of this publication if they have not communicated with us about continuing to receive it. (Those who have already said they want it will automatically continue to receive it.)
(1) Whoever has any news of the work, the difficulties encountered, the results seen, and things to pray for or other news, please send them as often as possible.
(2) All news should be detailed, true, clear, and edifying. It does not matter whether it is short, long, in common language, or in classical Chinese.
(3) If someone sends you a personal letter that mentions news of a local church, please send it to us so that the brothers in all the localities can know the condition of the Lord's work.
(4) If there is an announcement about meetings or the work, we are willing to print it.
(5) The responsible brothers in each locality should take care not to give this publication to those who do not meet with us. It is best that we do not give this publication to any brothers that do not walk together with us.
(6) Please send all news to: Editor, Collection of Newsletters, P.O. Box 323, Shanghai.
ShanghaiMarch 1, 1934
