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Dear Brother Watchman:
I gladly received and read your letter. I was comforted to find out about the condition of the co-workers in China through reading The Open Door. When will you travel abroad? It would be best if you could take the steamer that passes through Manila so that the brothers and sisters here may have the opportunity once again to receive your teaching and learn about the details of the work in China. I went on a trip to preach the gospel in October and sowed seeds in thirty-nine localities in ten provinces. A new assembly was raised up in one locality. A brother in business is responsible there. I hope I can go out again next spring. I am comforted by the fact that most of the brothers and sisters in the church in Manila are growing spiritually. Several brothers have moved from here to other places. Lei Chun-yung and Huang Lien-sheng have also gone to other places on business. This locality has lost its strong arms, but we hope that the Lord's Word and work will spread through them. When you have time, I would appreciate you writing to me. When Brother Luk passed through Manila, I was out and was away from home. He came ashore and stayed for several hours. When Brother Luk is finished with the work in Singapore, perhaps he can stay for a short time in the Philippines. Peace.
Your brother, Simon MeekDecember 7, 1937[Address omitted]
Brother X:
Brother Huang Ren-shan (from Foochow) and I arrived in Singapore on the twenty-eighth of last month. There have been meetings here every night since we came. I spoke for nine evenings in the meeting hall. Next Monday I will preach on a rooftop at the invitation of my classmate, Mr. Lee Bang-han. Please pray for me. The brothers here hope that Brother Kaung will come quickly. Only then they will let me go. They said that you promised to ask him to come here in the past. Sister Ting will come to Singapore from X on December 4. The sisters want to keep her here for awhile. I deeply want to be taught concerning the difference between the church and the work; please guide me in this. Greet each of the co-workers for me. Peace!
Your brother,Faithful LukNovember 28
Sister X:
The Lord has opened a greater door of grace for us in Singapore. This week we are in the gospel hall. When will the Lord send Brothers Nee and Kaung to us? We invite you to come south whenever you can. I ask you to place this matter in prayer. Sister Ting has already come here. Peace to you! Please greet Mr. Nee and the others also!
Wang Kai-sen and Faithful LukDecember 7
Brother Luan:
Just as I was thinking about you, I received your letter. Thank you very much. I heard that you were not feeling well. Have you already recovered your health? May the Lord strengthen you greatly, amen (3 John 2). I am comforted to hear that Miss Lee and the others are in Chungking. The letter you wrote to all the brothers and sisters was very clear; both myself and all the saints said amen to it. The new light which Brother Nee received in Acts 13 and 14 really released me. I have dreamt about this for more than ten years in my heart, and now Brother Nee has spoken it. I read it word by word and plan on reading it several more times. Please pray much for me and ask the Lord to save me from a vain life, empty works, and a false testimony, amen. I went to Yung P'ing Harbor to work for one week last week. The calling from the southern island is strong. May the Lord send you and the others to come. Peace to you! Greetings to your wife also! Greetings to senior Brother and Sister Nee.
Your brother,Faithful LukJanuary 5[Address omitted]
Peace to my dear Brother X and Sister X in the Lord!
I really thank the Lord for your letter today. My heart was filled with sadness to learn that Brother Luan was so physically weak. Praise God that His children are always in His hands. The Lord always has a good intention for them. I praise Him for allowing me to learn a little of your situation. May the Lord greatly support you. I give you 1 Peter 5:6-7, and 9-10 and pray for you unceasingly in my heart. I went to England in August and stayed with Miss Fischbacher for six weeks. I attended a ten-day conference on spiritual growth there. The condition of the meeting was very good. We stayed in the country for another four weeks, praying in private and often mentioning your name. I wanted to write once, but I did not get around to it. I praise God for charging me with the work of prayer. I really want to speak with you face to face. These days Luke 21:28 has been a comfort to my heart! May the Lord bless all of you greatly. Greet each of the brothers and sisters for me.
Your sister in the Lord,Sun Wen-hwaOctober 11[Address omitted]
Brother Watchman, peace in the Lord:
It was a big loss that I could not meet you and all the co-workers at Hankow and receive your teachings. I hope to read in The Open Door about the light the Lord has given you. I have been studying the Hebrew language with the brothers and sisters here for the past four weeks. We finished last Friday. I had originally planned to visit the region around Dong-Shiang this week, but I felt later that I should still finish some of the articles for The Christian. I also felt that I should have some fellowship with the brothers and sisters, so I postponed my departure to the countryside. A letter from Peking invited me to go there with my family, but I felt that, for the present, I should do something in Jiao-Dong. Brother Chang, who was first in Chefoo and then in Tsingtao, is now clear about his calling. Although outwardly this brother does not appear to be able to do anything, his life before the Lord and his heart for the Lord are excellent. However, only that which passes through the test counts. He has a burden for the countryside around Jiao-Dong. A few days ago he was here in Chefoo. He will probably go with me into the countryside this time. May the Lord lead and bless! Another brother, Chang Tien-ren, is working in Yi County. This brother studied in the Yingkow Seminary and knew Brother Hwa Tien-min and the others as classmates. The brothers in Chefoo baptized him last summer. When I came to Chefoo this spring, he also came to stay in Chefoo. He came again to Chefoo a few days ago, and I got to know him better. Perhaps the Lord has His leading in this matter. Please pray for this. Brother Bi-Chen is now in his home town in Ping Yin County; Sister Sung is also in her home town. This region still has a need for workers. May the Lord remember this! I praise the Lord for His presence! Please greet Brothers Luan and Lan for me.
Your brother,Witness LeeDecember 9[Address omitted]
Peace to my dear Sister X in the Lord!
Praise the Lord. I received your letter awhile ago and found that you were already in Hankow. We pray for you often. My heart truly misses you and hopes to know your most recent situation. How is the work? May the Lord use you much in these hours when He is about to come. Glory to His holy name. I really hope that the Lord will give us an opportunity to see each other again and talk about the Lord's grace. Praise the Lord, He sent Sister Kao Chui-lan to work with us last month. Praise the Lord's grace! There are many sisters who have just believed in the Lord here in our work. There are also more than one hundred people here every week, most of whom do not know the Lord. Please pray for them. Some brothers are preparing to preach the gospel to unbelievers for a week. May the Lord accomplish His work in the hearts of men. Will The Christian still be published? Kao Chui-lan wants to subscribe to it. Could you take the time to put in her subscription? I am really happy that you gave me Isaiah 41:10 when we parted. It is a comfort and a reminder to me to this day. Thank the Lord, no matter what dangers we encounter, we can find rest and protection in His almighty covering (Psa. 23:3)! May the Lord bless the work ahead of you, amen.
Your sister,Rong Fu-tien[Address omitted]
To Sister X in the Lord:
I received both the second and third issues of The Open Door. Thank you. We are looking for a meeting place because our old landlord is remodeling the building for his own use. Since the beginning of the war, the cost of housing has been exorbitant and rents have soared to three and four times their former rate. Thank the Lord for His grace in preparing two appropriate homes for Brother Huang and myself. (My house is well-lighted and airy and has seven rooms.) There has been a great increase in the numbers in the meetings over the past few weeks. Thank the Lord because He was not only lifted up on the cross but also lifted up by God to the highest heaven at the right hand of the throne of God, and He has drawn a group of people to Himself. This Lord's Day seventy or eighty came to hear the Word. (Of course, our numbers mean nothing. If the Lord wants to give us people, we thank Him. There will always be some who go back and are not willing to walk with us, but we do not find this strange because when the Lord was on the earth, He had revival meetings in which the numbers got smaller and smaller, like the one spoken of in John 6:66. After the three or more years of the Lord's work, there were only one hundred twenty with Him at His death, resurrection, and ascension, but the number of those who received grace by listening to His preaching exceeded several thousand. The faithful followers of the Lord are as few as the morning stars! Hence, we find no exception today.) The number at the table has increased from around fifteen to twenty-three. It is all the Lord's grace! The Lord Himself has done the work! There are many brothers and sisters who were saved by the Lord from Gentile households. Among them is a sister who is very much opposed by her family for believing in the Lord, but she overcomes by relying on the Lord, and she has a good testimony at home. There is also a couple who used to fully serve demons, the wife often being attacked by evil spirits. After believing in the Lord, she found victory through trusting in the Lord. She was very sickly, but the Lord has healed her. She is stronger every day. We really thank and praise the Lord! The church here will have a baptism meeting in the near future. There are many brothers and sisters who want to obey the Lord and testify of their death, burial, and resurrection together with the Lord. We are now preparing the baptistry and need about X dollars.
We heard that you and the others will not be able to come to K'un-ming until April. However, the brothers and sisters and I hope that you can come earlier. If you and Sisters Wang and Chang cannot come together, we would ask one or two to come earlier because the work among the sisters really needs you. There is much work among the sisters that I cannot do. Therefore, I ask you three to pray before the Lord and see what His will is. If His will is for you to come, I believe He will send His angels to protect you in all your travels (Psa. 91:11). The fact that Brother Chang Jing-yuan and two other sisters could arrive peacefully is the proof of the Lord's grace to us. Mrs. Yin Ren-hsian came here from Ch'ang-sha two or three weeks ago and often comes to the meetings. K'un-ming is now full of people from other provinces who have come to escape the war. There are many opportunities for the work here. Unfortunately, the harvest is great and the workers are few. May the Lord send many workers to come gather His harvest. Amen! Peace in the Lord! Please greet Brother Chang Yu-zhi and Sisters Chang and Wang.
Your brother,Kwang-hsiJanuary 16
(Brother Weigh has already moved to 15 Shih-Ma Lane, Jin-Ma Street, Upper Floor Apartment, K'un-ming, Yunnan Province. Letters can be sent in care of Mr. Huang Tsung, Customs Office, K'un-ming, Yunnan.)
Brother X:
Praise and thank the Lord, although the clouds of war are thick, we have been protected. We are safe, and we can serve the Lord as usual. This is His special grace! The Lord has already opened a door for us for the gospel in the inland region. We have all been led by Him to go inland. Brother Han Jin-siu went to Town 28 in Nan-An. It is a wilderness there, but one family of believers that used to meet in Tung- An moved there. Wang You-yi and Keh Lien-min have gone to Ban-Ling, Hu-Kang, in An-Hsi. There is already an assembly there, but the number of believers is few. Brother Chang Tung-yuan and I arrived in Juang-Shan (Juang-Shan Village in An-Hsi) on November 1. Some brothers have been meeting here by themselves for a long time. When we arrived, we had seven days of meetings for the believers. We really thank the Lord for it. There are many factories in the neighboring areas, and lost sheep are all over the wilderness! We are waiting for the Lord to open the door and lead us. Please pray for us. Rejoice in the Lord!
Your brother in the Lord,Wang Deng-mingNovember 18, 1937[Address omitted]
Peace in the Lord to dear Sister X:
I left Dong-Chang for Fu-Ching County on the fifteenth of the month. I did not return to Wenchow until yesterday. Tomorrow I will go to Shing-Hwa. The sisters in each assembly really need cultivation. May God raise up and send experienced ones soon. Thank the Father for selecting and calling a sister who loves the Lord and for preparing her to serve Him. This sister is still working in a hospital, waiting for God's leading. God has saved many people through her. May the Father Himself perfect her to be useful to God. 3 John 2.
Bao Hsu-minDecember 21, 1937
Greetings to Sister X in the Lord:
Thank and praise the blessed Father and the gracious Lord who loves us. He really is our joy, glory, and hope! Hallelujah! This week I rested much in Pu-Tien and received much help from Mr. Chen Ke-san. The sisters want to have an edifying conference from next Monday to Saturday. May the Lord send blessing and grace through it. If the Lord is willing, I hope to be able to speak something on the aspect of life in the afternoon, especially concerning pursuit and revelation. Our emphasis will be more on our daily living. Please pray much for this. May the Lord gain what He wants to gain. May He give what He wants to give. Please greet Miss Chang and all the sisters with you. May you rest in the Lord's arms!
Your sister,Bao Hsu-minDecember 28, 1937[Address omitted]
Greetings to my brother in the Lord, Mr. X:
I received the letters you sent me, as well as The Open Door. I will be able to distribute the latter to the brothers in a few days. When the book arrived, I read it in one sitting. The content is very fresh. My spiritual eyes and ears were renewed, and I learned more about the standard of the work. I was very happy. May all the glory go to the Creator. The gospel work continues as usual, and the number who believe and receive increases daily. We had a Bible-study conference a month ago and many attended. We feel that our meeting place is too small. Some brothers have suggested that we expand our gospel preaching place to the area in front of the big temple. We are already moving this way, but we are still praying and do not know whether it will be accomplished. The Lord willing, I will go to Kutien around the Chinese New Year to have some meetings because they have recently rented a larger hall there. We can probably use it to gather all the believers in the whole county there for a conference. Please do not forget to pray for this. The situation in Foochow is still quiet. All the brothers are living and working in peace. May the Lord be merciful that my life would become a greater testimony to Him. Please pray much for me. I also hope to receive your letters often. Peace to you.
Your weak brother in the Lord,Chen Jeng-fanJanuary 6[Address omitted]
Greetings to my beloved brother in the Lord, Mr. X:
I think you published my last letter describing something of the condition here. I would like to give you the latest report to dispel your concerns. On December 18 I received the Lord's marvelous leading through a brother's introduction to do some work in Jieh-Yang. Two brothers and one sister went with me. First we preached the gospel for six days in the West Gate Chapel. Although there were not many people, the spirit of the meeting was very good. We had the Lord's presence, and He worked with us. Later we were invited to the North Gate Chapel to preach the gospel, and we continued speaking for eight days. We must thank and praise the Lord for the door He has opened and the work He has started! Regrettably, our work did not give the Holy Spirit the complete freedom to express His power. For this we feel remorseful. May the Lord have mercy on me and perfect me more each day so that I would become a useful vessel to Him, amen. In my work I have experienced something from the Lord. I was very weak physically and spent most of the time lying down, except when I was preaching. I did not even walk much because I felt as if I would fall down whenever I began to walk. According to my physical condition, it did not seem that I could preach the gospel for two weeks. I thought that since the Lord had opened the door, it was an opportunity that could not be missed. Furthermore, I believed that the Lord's grace was sufficient for me. The Lord's grace is perfected in weakness, so I continued by faith. Thank the Lord, His word is faithful. Every time I stood up to speak, His power covered me. Once I stepped down, I was a sick man again. During this period of time I experienced the words: "Death operates in us, but life in you" (2 Cor. 4:12).
Now there are many places that have invited us to work. We are not lacking in opportunity, but we do not have the spiritual content and power to grasp the opportunity. If the political condition does not change, I really want to go to many more places. I also hope that the Lord would raise up His testimony in the region of Chaochow and Mei County. Brother Chen Wen-kwang has an illness of the throat; he is taking a vacation and has returned home to rest. According to man's view, it seems as if this region temporarily has lost a brother who can bear the responsibility. However, the Lord always has His good will. Elijah thought that he was the only one left among the prophets of Israel, but God still had seven thousand on His side, one of whom was Elisha. Therefore, we do not need to fear when Elijah is raptured; our only fear is that Elisha would not be raised up. The brothers and sisters here are all in peace. Everything is normal, so be comforted. Peace!
Your brother,James ChenJanuary 7[Address omitted]
Greetings to Brother Kaung and senior Sister Nee:
Thank the Lord. He answered your prayer and brought blessing to the work here. The brothers and sisters are going on. Some have only recently received the Lord. We need more of God's children to bear the burden of prayer for the work in Chungshan. Thank the Lord, Kuo Men-ping, a friend of Brother Wu Ai-huei and a shepherd by trade, was clearly saved. Brother X has a real testimony. He is now persuading others to believe in the Lord all the time, and he is bearing the fruit of repentance. Recently, several young people have been coming to the meetings with him every night. May the Lord gain these ones. Sister Jing-sheng and Miss X's four cousins also have a heart to pursue the Lord. Thank Him. Two of them are often scolded by their family. Please pray for them. May the Lord bind Satan and save our sisters from all evil. There are six children who want to receive the Lord, three boys and three girls. The oldest is about thirteen and the youngest about nine. They pray by themselves and come to the meetings often. Thank the Lord. There are five saved sisters in Sha-Yong. Every Tuesday and Friday we meet in Sister Kuo En's home. There is also a group of women who come to the meetings and listen to the gospel but have not been clearly saved. May the Lord save them and cause them to receive salvation soon. Last night we had a prayer meeting in which almost everyone who attended prayed. We also prayed that God would send Mr. Kaung to Chungshan again. We really hope that God would send you here to work again and to lead these brothers and sisters on in the spiritual way. Brothers Wu Ai-huei and Kuo Men-ping brought three friends tonight — Chen Sheng, Ma Chu-wei, and Kuo Shan-kun. These three have been to the meetings many times. It seems that Chen Sheng and Ma Chu-wei are saved. They also pray at home. Wu, Ma, and Kuo are waiting to be baptized. There are also other women and children who rejoiced when they heard about baptism. If God leads you to come again, please notify us one week in advance. The brothers and sisters greet Brother Kaung. Peace in the Lord!
Huang Ro-chenDecember 29
P.S. Miss Kuo greets you.
Greetings in grace to Sister X, Sister X, and Sister X:
Thank the Lord for saving sinners in Chungshan. There are more than twenty people, including men, women, and children (many among them appear to be saved). God's provisions are always the best. Miss Kuo's younger brother has an empty three-story house, and she and I have been living in it recently. The meetings every evening and on the Lord's Day morning are in the living room. We have already read more than half of Bible Studies for Beginners. Although the brothers and sisters have produced the fruits of repentance, they do not seem to have dealt thoroughly with sin. May the Lord Himself give grace that they would touch God with us in a deep way. This area is really dark; almost every family worships idols. The brothers and sisters have to be very careful to avoid eating food that has been sacrificed to idols. Some young sisters have been continually scolded by their families. Their futures are difficult. Please remember them in prayer. I often think that God has really graced me richly. I am physically healthy and do not have any difficulty in my environment. Furthermore, there is so much opportunity for me to learn everything. However, I am too wicked and need God's mercy because many times my heart is not sincere before God. May God have mercy on me so that I would always live in the light. Please give me more help and petition for me: "Come, my Savior, and help me,/Comfort, strengthen, and keep me;/Thou each moment wilt save me, /Thou art saving me now." Sister Kuo Hai-jen greets you. Peace in the Lord!
Your little sister,Ro-chenJanuary 8[Address omitted]
Peace in the Lord to Sisters Ruth, Peace, and Phoebe:
I believe you received my last letter. Brother Nee boarded the steamer for Shanghai yesterday (the tenth) at noon. While Brother Nee was in Hong Kong, he was busy editing The Normal Christian Church Life. He also held edification meetings on three Lord's Days in which he was responsible for all the speaking. Praise and thank the Lord, his speaking really helped many of the brothers and sisters. Brother Chu Wen-yao and his four brothers came to Kowloon yesterday. The Lord's marvelous grace preserved them safely all the way. Brother Lin Hung-en and his wife sent a letter yesterday saying that they had arrived safely in Manila on the twenty-eighth of last month and met with Sister Chai Teh-an and the others. I heard that Brother Simon Meek has already gone to the outlying islands to give conferences and has not yet returned to Manila. After Miss Tso and Miss Miao arrived in Shanghai, they both sent letters to me. Although they met with some storms on this voyage, they arrived in Shanghai on schedule, thank the Lord. Brother Witness Lee wrote a letter on December 31 saying that Chefoo is quiet and the meetings are continuing as usual. He has not yet gone out into the countryside. Brother Chao Jing-hwai and the others are still doing business in Chefoo. Brother Chao Bi-chen is now in Ping-Yin County of Shantung province. He is staying at the home of Brother Kao Lien-deng and others in Nan- Kung Village. Brother Chou Kang-yao and Sister Bi-Hsia and the others sent a letter from K'un-ming, Yunnan, saying that they are all safe. Sister Bi-Hsia is now helping some in a hospital and taking this opportunity to preach the gospel. Brother Mu Hue-chen came from Kaifeng to Hong Kong. He is waiting for the steamer to go to Wu-Chow. He is still working at the Salt Ministry. Senior Mr. and Mrs. Nee are doing very well. The others here and I have been preserved by the Lord and are healthy. Yesterday, we started to have a sisters' conference every morning at ten o'clock in Kowloon. Sister Yu Shu-jen is responsible for the preaching. I have heard that the circumstances are very good. The conference will last for a week or ten days. Please pray for it. The Lord's grace be with you.
Your brother,PhilipJanuary 11
P.S. Tze-hsien adds a note of greeting. Jing-wai writes a greeting.
Greetings to my beloved in the Lord, X:
Peace to you! I received your letter. Mr. Nee spent three Lord's Days here and began his return journey to Shanghai on the tenth of this month. He plans to print The Normal Christian Church Life in Shanghai. Mr. Luan's health has improved because the climate is good and he is also resting. I feel that the work in Hong Kong lacks spiritual weight. Please pray for this. I really hope that the brothers and sisters can have a closer touch with God. As far as number is concerned, there are so many people in the Lord's Day preaching meeting that the place we have rented is not big enough. There are very few local brothers. Miss Miao and Miss Tso returned to Shanghai ahead of the rest and sent a letter saying that they arrived safely. Miss Yu and Miss Lee are still here. Miss Yu held a week-long conference and is now continuing for another week. Brother Chu Wen-yao and his brothers arrived on the tenth of the month. They have not decided what they will do in the future. Miss Shen Hwei-min has also come. Brother Mu Hue-chen has arrived in Hong Kong and will leave shortly for Wu-Chow where he will assume his position in the Salt Ministry. Miss Chang Ping-ching, Miss Chang Tze-ping, and Miss Luh (from Amoy) of Kweilin have met each other and started a prayer meeting. The meetings in Canton are down to one session on the Lord's Day for the breaking of bread and for the exhorting of one another. On the particular Lord's Day that I went to Canton, more than ten brothers and sisters came to the table meeting. All the brothers and sisters in Taishan are well. Perhaps there will be an assembly soon in Macao because Brother Nee Hwai-tzu, Brother Chang Shi-wu, and Brother Liu Tien-an (from Foochow) are all there. Mrs. Faithful Luk will move to Southeast Asia soon. Brother Chen Ju-yen will also move to Southeast Asia shortly. Mr. Luk's most recent letter said, "Sitiawan has sent me several letters, and Penang has also sent me telegrams. I really cannot respond to their requests. I can only beg the Lord to send out workers. We have already rented a youth meeting hall here in Singapore four times a month on the Lord's Day from two to six o'clock for fifteen dollars a month." Please greet Miss Chang and Miss Wang for me and also greet Brother Yu-zhi. Please give my best to Mrs. Yuan. Peace in the Lord! Brother Chen Ju-yen sends his greetings.
A bondslave of the Lord, StephenJanuary 12[Address omitted]
Sister X:
I received your letter from Mr. Ho last night. I read it carefully. Thank our Father for bringing me through the last few months so that I can count more of the Lord's grace and give Him more thanks. They have caused me to realize even more that God is faithful. The Tuesday women's meeting is very good. Many sisters come to work. There are also many outsiders. The Saturday sisters' meeting is very living. Many sisters stand up to testify. The refugee camp in Jiao-Tung University has not closed yet. Thank God. He brought the people from the countryside into Shanghai so that they would have the opportunity to hear the gospel. The newspaper reported that forty-nine refugee camps have closed for lack of funds. It is said that the International Relief Organization will open its sixth facility to meet the need. Thus, there is a lot of work among the refugees. If Sister Wang and Sister Chang do not forget, please have them greet Mrs. Yuan for me. Peace in the Lord!
Your sister, Hwei-fenJanuary 6[Address omitted]
Greetings to my beloved Brother X in the Lord:
Please forgive me in the Lord for my sin of laziness in not communicating with you for so long. Since the beginning of the war, the heart of the people in Shaohsing has been fearful, and the inhabitants of the city have fled. Nine out of ten houses are now empty. But the brothers and sisters in the Lord have been preserved by the Lord Himself and are at peace without concern. Some have fled to the countryside, while others are still in the city. The Lord's Day meeting continues as usual. Siao-Shan had several hundred shots fired at it, and at least two hundred people are dead or wounded. However, the Lord's children are preserved and not hurt. These are perilous days, but I deeply believe that He will preserve His own beloved children and bring us safely through. The day of the Lord's coming is near. As to my unfaithfulness, "If You, O Jehovah, marked iniquities,/Who, O Lord, would stand?/But with You there is forgiveness,/That You would be feared" (Psa. 130:3-4). A month ago I went with Brothers Shou-lin and Hsin-yih to the assembly in Nan-Sha. At that time we heard that Da-Chang had been lost and that Jia-Shing was in trouble. We were afraid that the Nanking-Hangchow Rail would be closed. The brothers hurriedly went back to San-Chiao-Bu, and I have not heard from them since. I am really concerned about them! Do you have any news about where they are? I still have one of Brother Chou's suitcases in my home, with two letters to him from Brother Chang of Chungking and Brother Hsu of Wu-Yi. I will not travel in the near future because of the recent political situation. My family has been graced by the Lord and is well. Please do not worry. Peace.
Your weak little brother,Shan Kai-fenDecember 14[Address omitted]
Sister X:
The recent war clouds over Chekiang province are getting more tense. While Wenchow and Ping-Yang are still quiet, it is hard to tell what changes the future will bring. The brothers and sisters are living peacefully day by day through relying on the Lord's grace; they are not frightened. However, some brothers are having difficulties with their living, because business and industry have stopped. Praise and thank the Lord that in this difficult time the gospel work has an open door in every place, even though all occupations have stopped. In the last two weeks we few co-workers in the Bai-Sha region of Jiang-Nan held seven gospel meetings (during the night). Sometimes we borrowed someone's house, and sometimes we held the meetings in the open air. The number of attendants was more than one hundred every time. Sometimes it exceeded three or four hundred. The degree of concentration and attention among the attendants was unprecedented. We deeply believe that we will soon see some children of God raised up in this audience. Today we will begin to have several weeks of continuous gospel work in the area around Hu-Shan and in the region of Chao-Yang-Shan. (We made this decision in our prayer long ago.) At the beginning of this work, we really felt weak and did not know how to begin. We can only look to God with fear and trembling for His timely grace. Please do not forget to pray for this. Brother Chai Chi is often physically weak. Please pray for him. May the grace and peace of the Father be with you always. Greet Brother Watchman Nee, Brother Lan Tsi-yi, and all the brothers and sisters.
Your little brother in the Lord,Chen Ching-faNovember 30, 1937[Address omitted]
Brother Tsi-yi:
We left Hankow on the sixteenth of last month and arrived at Lin-Tze-Kou after three days. The boat of the T'ai Ku company could not proceed because the water was too shallow, so they hired a local boat to take us to Yuan-Jiang. Yuan-Jiang usually has a small steamer that goes to Ch'ang-Teh, but it has not been selling tickets recently, and we heard of robberies along the way. We stayed in an inn for two days. Later, a Western missionary, a Chinese pastor, and a preacher of the Methodist Church warmly welcomed us and allowed us to move into their meeting hall. Their attitude toward us was very open, and they invited us to preach a few times. There were many who had a desire. I came to Yi-Yang by car a few days ago and waited for two days in Yi-Yang for a bus. I received Brother Sun Bao-chai's letter and learned that this road was difficult and with bandits, so it was not the right time to go forward. I could not go by water either, because the water level was too low. We decided to stay in Ch'ang-Teh temporarily. Dr. Qu went to Yuan-Jiang yesterday. It is hard to say whether he will hire a local boat or take the steamer. Brother Feng is doing his best to help us and has already found three places to stay — one in Brother Chu Teh-hsin's home, one in Mr. Chao's home (the responsible one in the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church), and one in Brother Feng's home. The area around Ch'ang-Teh is still peaceful, and the cost of living is very low. One measure of the best rice is six dollars. If Ch'ang-sha is not affected by the crisis, we can stay here for a long time. If the situation becomes tense, we are prepared to retreat to Chen-Jou. Brother Loh Yung-dien, who used to teach in Sui-Jou Secondary School in Jia-Shing, has escaped here to Ch'ang-Teh with seven poor, homeless students. Brother Lo married Miss Ma Ru-xun on the twenty-seventh of last month. When the seven students started out, there were a few who were not saved, but while they were fleeing, they all saw their sins and repented, believing in the Lord. They also received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Presently, we need a place to preach the gospel in Ch'ang-Teh. May the Lord open for us a door for the gospel here. We ask you brothers to be our backup in prayer. Peace and well-being in the Lord!
Your brother,Fu-shengJanuary 3
Brother Tsi-yi:
I received and read your letter. Dr. Qu has moved to Ch'ang-Teh. The rest are staying in Yuan-Jiang. They are all well. Brother Lo's private school has more than ten students, and more are signing up as time goes by. We still meet in Brother Feng's home. We hope that God will prepare another meeting place. May He begin working here. Please pray much for us. Six of Brother Lo's students are willing to walk in this way with us and seem to be very zealous! May they have not only a good beginning but also a good continuation. I ask the Lord that they be deeply rooted in Him. When they set out, the school gave them money to flee with; they do not need to worry about clothing or food yet. We are doing our best to arrange a place for them, but we have not found anything yet. I want to return to Yuan-Jiang before the Chinese New Year, but I have not decided yet. Peace in the Lord!
Your brother,Fu-shengJanuary 13[Address omitted]
Dear Sister X in the Lord:
When I started out on my journey, it was not for the purpose of escaping the war. If it were, I would have escaped to Peking or Tientsin. In Tientsin I had the opportunity to study for awhile (French and spiritual books) while learning to preach the gospel. But I felt that I could not stay in Tientsin for too long. When I left Tientsin, I wandered aimlessly, not knowing where I was going. I went to the co-workers' conference with the original intention of receiving more spiritual truth and of dealing with my life's work before God. I wanted to see what God really wanted me to do before I decided where to go. For the past four years, I have had a question that cannot be answered. Should I serve the Lord while continuing in my occupation, or should I come out to serve the Lord full-time? Although I heard the call, I did not dare to acknowledge and answer it. This last summer I became completely clear; I should leave my job to serve the Lord full-time. However, it seems that there are two roads that I can follow in serving the Lord full-time (which I realized long ago). One is helping with the publications, while the other is preaching the gospel. I am not clear what the Lord wants me to do. Before I left Tientsin, one or two brothers and sisters asked me about the aspect of my work. I answered that if I did not help with the publications, I would go to the distant regions and learn to preach the gospel there. (It seems that I have a burden to do both, but practically, it seems that I must choose one because it is difficult to care for both at the same time.) It seems that, according to the Lord's present arrangement, I should take care of the publication work. Brother Nee once asked me where I planned to go. I only told him that I would temporarily go to Ch'ang-sha and then consider. I dared not tell him about going into the distant regions. Later, Brother Nee suggested that I join Brother Weigh in Yunnan. This was just according to the inward leading I had received, so I agreed. My parents have sent several letters to me and have provided the money for traveling because they want me to come home. (If I return to Fukien province, I must go to Nan-ch'ang where there is a bus that passes through northern Fukien to southern Fukien.) My inward feeling is that it is not God's will for me to return home right now. If I return home, I will be surrounded and incarcerated by my family's love. It will be difficult to leave if I want to. Returning home would give me a little of my own enjoyment, but I would not be able to serve the Lord. Therefore, I cannot go home this way. I am almost certain now that I should move away from home. Please pray for me often. In my travels with the other brothers and sisters, I learned many lessons and discovered many of my own shortcomings through quiet conversations. Once we have seen ourselves, we will never dare to raise our head to look at God or man again. But thank God, He always has a way of deliverance. May the Lord save me from my natural life of the old creation so that I would desire and pursue Him more and no longer do things loosely according to my own will, thus bringing shame to myself and failing to glorify God.
Brother Nee has already finished polishing The Normal Christian Church Life and has prepared a clean copy of the first seven chapters. There are still three chapters which Brother Nee will work on in Hong Kong. May the Lord bless this book. Whenever I read the Bible, I only see a few matters related to the spiritual life. But if it is something related to the objective truth (like prophecies, the truth of the church, etc.), I am afraid to get into it because I am afraid of wrong interpretation. This time while I was listening to the messages and preparing the manuscripts, I finally became clear about the differences between terms like teachers, prophets, shepherds, elders, and apostles. This was also the first time I had heard anything concerning the truth of the church. (Before I had only seen something concerning the meeting life, but even that was not clear.) I thank the Lord for it. When I get to Ch'ang-sha, I will report to you of the Lord's leading. May the Lord's love be with you, and may the Lord lead you in your way ahead, amen. Please greet Brother Chang, Sister Chang, and Sister Wang.
Your little brother in the Lord,Chen Hsi-wenDecember 29, 1937
Dear Sister X in the Lord:
I left Ch'ang-sha on the fifth of this month and arrived in Kuei-yang on the fifteenth. I leave for K'un-ming tomorrow morning. I still do not have a companion, but the Lord's grace is sufficient for me. I see His powerful leading and support in all aspects. I really thank and praise Him! May the Lord's love be with you always!
Your brother in the Lord,Chen Hsi-wenJanuary 15, in Kuei-yang
Dear Brother Chih-I in the Lord:
Last night I received your two airmail letters dated November 15 and December 6. I read them through carefully and was very comforted! Brother Hu, Brother Ma, and I left K'un-ming on November 14 for Yeh-Ji Village in Wei-Si County (Brother Hu's home). On the trip from K'un-ming to Hsia-Guan in Da-Li, we took a three-hour bus ride. In Hsia-Guan we hired pack mules, so we were delayed for four or five days. In Hsia-Guan there is a China Inland Mission chapel, and we preached the gospel there a few times. It took us fourteen or fifteen days to get to Wei-Si from Hsia- Guan and another four days to get from Wei-Si to Yeh-Ji. We arrived in Yeh-Ji Village on December 7. God's grace enabled us to travel safely even though the roads were treacherous. Thank and praise the Lord! This area is in the region of tribal aborigines, so everything is inconvenient. There are no houses for rent. (Fortunately, Brother Hu has a house here.) We must plant our own vegetables to get something to eat. Sometimes an aborigine will bring some eggs or meat on his back to sell. Most of the time it is done by bartering. There is a lack of salt and tea here. The aborigines need them. Sometimes they will not take paper money but insist on silver. It is difficult for us evangelists, who do not have a settled home, to live in a place like this. This is nothing really, but a greater problem lies before us in that my wife will soon have a baby. I believe that God will grace us and bring us through! There is an X denominational church here, which is where Brother Hu used to work. When Brother Ma and I arrived, the X church was not very happy. They were especially jealous of Brother Ma because they thought that he was helping Brother Hu financially and because he also came out of the X denomination. For this reason, one of the X has repeatedly come to speak with Brother Ma to tell him that we should go somewhere else to preach the gospel. Thank the Lord, there is still the opportunity to preach the gospel to them. We must not give up any opportunity to preach the gospel. I am now learning Tibetan. Brother Hu has some family matters which are not settled, so we have not started on our journey. After my wife has her baby (sometime in January 1938), Brother Hu, Brother Ma, and I will go to Tibet. I have decided to go to Ba-Tang to take a look. If the Lord works and allows me to go, I will move my whole family to Ba-Tang and move from there to the outlying areas. If the Lord gives grace again, I will move into Tibet! This is my recent leading. The future is in the Lord's hands, so I can only look to Him!
I received the money order for X dollars in your airmail letter. Please do not worry about it. However, I must send this money order to K'un-ming before it can be cashed. The post office here can do everything but cash money orders. For this reason, it is not called a post office here but a postal agent. We can receive registered letters, etc., but we must go to the county seat of Wei-Si to receive money. It takes us three weeks to get from here to K'un-ming. Regular letters take two months to get here, and airmail letters take one month. Was Brother Luan's and Sister Miao's trip to Hong Kong and Szechuan interrupted? Did they come to Yunnan also? What has been their most recent move? I think of them often! Where is Brother Nee now? Please tell me. If he is still in Hankow, please greet him for me. I really hope that another inland co-worker can come to this remote region to work. The requirements for a successful co-worker in a remote region are faithfulness, courage, indifference to suffering, and perseverance through hundreds of hardships. God must give the grace to some to get through! If the Lord leads you, it would be wonderful for you to come to Sikang. It takes thirty-seven days to get to Ba-Tang from Ch'eng-tu, Szechuan. If you come from Chungking to K'un-ming and then go on to Sikang, it will take two months. However, the road through Yunnan is less steep. It would not be too much for you to come by way of Ch'eng-tu. May the Lord lead you!
We have not seen The Open Door and The Shanghai Local Newsletter of last month. We feel frustrated, yet because of the blocking off of communication, there is nothing we can do about it. Greetings to Brother Ju Yao-ju and to all the brothers and sisters in Hankow. Peace in the Lord!
Your brother,Jung-jiehJanuary 1
In January Sister Wang held a gospel conference for women which continued with a Bible study. Thank the Lord, some were saved, and some became clear about salvation. Brother Chang Yu-zhi is involved with prison evangelism work, which began January 24. The sisters also plan to go to the women's prison to preach the gospel. From February 1-10, Brother Chang Yu-zhi will borrow a certain chapel to hold a large gospel meeting for unbelievers. After the meeting he plans to continue with one week of Bible studies. In the second half of February, he and Sister Wang plan to go Ch'eng-tu. Please pray for this.
Ruth LeeJanuary 26, in Chungking
Mr. Watchman Nee sent a letter from Hong Kong on January 6 about The Normal Christian Church Life. The following is a quote from his letter: "After coming to Hong Kong, I have been editing this book day and night, but it still is not finished. Because this book is very important, I do not want it to be incomplete. I have added much new material in hope of serving the children of God well. There are now ten chapters in the book. Nine are completed; one is not. I plan to go to Shanghai on the ninth. After the book is printed, I will return to the south. The printing costs here are very high, and the quality of the printing is not very good." (This book is now being typeset and printed in Shanghai. We hope it will come out soon.)
Greetings to my dear Sister X in the Lord:
I received your letter of December 26 a long time ago and read it carefully. When the brothers here and I heard that you, Sister Wang, and Sister Chang were coming to K'un-ming soon, we were overjoyed. Mrs. Yin Ren-hsian moved to K'un-ming recently. She knows Sister Wang very well. Many people from other provinces are coming to K'un-ming. We hope that the Lord will send more of His workers here to preach the gospel.
Brother Hsu Jung-jieh, his wife, Brother Hu Yi-min, and Brother Ma Mu all arrived safely in Yeh-Ji Village in the middle of December. The journey was an exceptionally difficult one, and Mrs. Hsu was heavy with her pregnancy. They really received God's special grace on this trip. He has answered the prayers of His children. I received a letter from Brother Ma, saying, "Thank the Lord, there is already a table meeting in Brother Hu's house. We had the first table meeting on December 19, 1937. We also had the first meeting on that morning. Please pray unceasingly with all the other brothers and sisters for the work in this area." I have moved to 11 Wen- Miao-Dung Lane. If letters are sent to the K'un-ming Customs Office, I will have a better chance of receiving them. It is not that hard to travel from Haiphong to Hong Kong; one only needs to have a passport from the special department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Peace to you in the Lord.
Your little brother in the Lord,Huang TsungJanuary 9
Dear Brother X in the Lord:
My younger sister and I left Ch'ang-sha on December 29 and have arrived safely in Kweichow. We are now waiting for the train to K'un-ming, according to Sister X's instructions. The road was very difficult, but we received the Lord's grace and peace. We have more than enough money for our traveling expenses, and we are not bothered by the change in climate. Please do not worry about us any longer. The road from Hunan to Kweichow is still peaceful, but there are not many buses. We had to wait, and we were delayed for a long time. It is the eighth day of our trip, and we are still not in Yunnan. The Lord has led me to travel a long distance to increase my knowledge of the world. I have discovered that the people in Kweichow are suffering much and really need the gospel. I pray that the Lord will send more workers. Peace in the Lord. Please greet all the brothers and sisters in the church.
Your little brother,Chang Jing-yuanJanuary 8, in Kuei-yang
To my sister in the Lord, Sister X:
I have read your letter. Thank you for sharing everything with me! We have been preserved by the Lord and are safe. Are you busy with the work? I think of you. My sister and I experienced the Lord's provision in providing tickets to K'un-ming on December 28. We left on the twenty-ninth. I wrote a letter while we were waiting to change trains in Huang County, western Hunan, which I gave to a person from Hangchow, Mr. Lee, to mail for me when he passes through Chungking. We received much grace from God on this journey. After arriving in K'un-ming, I will have to work. Thank and praise the Lord! We spent New Year's Day in Huang County. We had to wait for the train, so we went into the city to sightsee. God's Spirit led us into a China Inland Mission where we met a Western brother, Mr. Bei. We spoke a little about the matter of meeting according to the principles of the Bible. He was very satisfied. We were there during their New Year's gospel meetings, and the Lord gave me an opportunity to preach the gospel once and to testify of the Lord's leading and protection in grace. Glory to God. Peace in the Lord. Please greet Brother Chang, Miss Wang, and Miss Chang.
Your brother,Chang Jing-yuanJanuary 1, in Kuei-yang
Dear Sister X in the Lord:
I think you have received my previous letter. My sister Jing-hsia and I experienced the Lord's grace and leading and arrived safely in K'un-ming on January 12 at six o'clock in the evening. We took hospitality with Brother Huang Tsung and are temporarily staying in his home. The next day we met with Brother K. H. Weigh and Brother Chou Kang-yao and his younger brother. We asked Brother Chou to ask his wife to find my sister a position as a nurse. We heard that X Hospital likes to use Cantonese, so there may not be much hope. Sister Wang Ju-ching was delayed because her train broke down, arriving only one day ahead of us in Yunnan. In addition to waiting for the train in Huang County for five days, my sister and I rested for one day in Kuei-yang. Therefore, it took us fifteen days to travel from Hunan to Yunnan. I arrived in Kuei-yang on the evening of January 7. I joined the prayer the next evening at the China Inland Mission on Chi-Shan Lane in Kuei-yang. There I met a Western missionary, Mr. Chi, and the elder, Mr. Yeh Ts'ai. I also met Ms. Chen, who is a native of Kuei-yang. She attended our meetings in Shanghai in 1931. She hopes that some of the sisters in the Lord could go to work in Kuei-yang. If Sister Lee and the others go to Kuei-yang and want to stay in a hotel, they could stay in the Paris Hotel on Chung-Shan Road. This hotel is one of the cleaner ones in Kweichow. All the prices for the rooms are discounted. I read Sister Lee's letters in Brother Weigh's house and Brother Huang's house today and learned that she wanted to work in Kuei-yang and K'un-ming and that she was asking about the land and sea routes. Brother Weigh and I are answering her questions in separate letters. I am not clear about the condition of the Szechuan-Kweichow Railway, but I heard from fellow travelers that it is peaceful the whole way. The only trouble is that the mountains are steep and the way is winding. It is similar to the road from Kweichow to Yunnan. The cars shake and sway, and travelers often feel sick. I have heard that the southwest highway is more dangerous around Hunan and Kweichow. Bandits have appeared in the Ch'ang-Teh, Yuan Ling, and Huang County regions of western Hunan. The towns of Chen-Yuen and O-Chih-Bang in Kweichow are very dangerous places. I have also heard of buses and cars being held up. According to Mrs. Huang, Sister Wang Ju-ching heard that the bus before hers was held up twice. My sister and I enjoyed the Lord's presence on this trip and were escorted by angels, so we passed through the dangers as if journeying on smooth highways and did not encounter any mishaps. Thank the Lord for His grace, and thank the brothers and sisters for their prayers. I traveled for four days after leaving Kuei-yang. I first went to Yung-Ning and stayed in the Hsinsheng Hostel. It cost fifty cents per person for two meals and one night. The owner is Catholic, and the food was quite good. Next we went to Pan County and stayed in the T'ung-Hsin-Twei Inn on Ta-Fu Street. Although the rooms in this inn were large, the food was coarse. It would be better to stay in the small inn across the street. It costs fifty cents a person for two meals and one night. The third night we were in Chu-Jing. This place was better. It produces leeks and cauliflower and is famous for its noodles. I stayed in the Railroad Inn. It cost sixty cents per person for two meals and one night. I heard that there is much leprosy in Chu-Jing, so it is best not to eat their eggs and chickens. With respect to passport inspections along the way, women are treated better than men. At Ping-Yi they ask very detailed questions, such as one's full name, home, age, occupation, trip origin, trip destination, where one will live in K'un-ming, what one intends to do, etc. When we arrived in Chu-Jing near K'un-ming, we were interrogated again. When we arrived in K'un-ming, we were questioned four or five times. They did not open the large pieces of luggage, but they did look into the small bags. I prayed to the Lord and was exempted from examination. The only time I was questioned was in the city of K'un-ming at the gate of the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway. When they found out that I was a Christian going to 119 Peng-Shih Street, the officer said that was Hu Yi-min's place. I asked him whether he knew Hu Yi-min, and he said yes. Later, Brother Huang told me that when Brother Hu came, his face and appearance were so different that the people of Yunnan thought he was an X native, and they questioned him many times. After the brothers proved that he was Tibetan, the news was published in the Yunnan newspaper. In this way the whole city of K'un-ming knew him.
If Sister Lee comes to K'un-ming, she should know that paper money is not standardized here. If she can change her money at the Central Bank of Szechuan for ten, twenty, and fifty-cent legal bills, it would be best to do so. If she cannot, she should try to change it all into the new legal one-dollar bills. They are accepted more readily. It is not easy to use five or ten-dollar bills here. The stores do not change money, so you must change it at the Central Bank, but it is not easy to get money changed at the Central Bank. Each customer can only bring twenty catties [a Chinese measure of weight] of luggage on the buses. The rest can be carried as hand luggage if it is packed into small packages or carried in a small basket. The brothers and sisters here hope that Sister Lee can come to K'un-ming to work. We testified to the Lord's grace in the meeting on Thursday. Sister Wang Ju-ching did the same. We received the Lord's peace and grace, so please do not worry about us. Please send me a copy of the third issue of The Open Door. Peace in the Lord. Please greet Brother Chang Yu-zhi, Miss Wang, Miss Chang, and Mrs. Yuan How-tzai.
Your little brother in the Lord,Chang Jing-yuanJanuary 17[Address omitted]
Dear Brother X in the Lord:
I never thought that I would come to Yuan-Jiang. I had never even heard of Yuan-Jiang, much less considered coming here. However, things happened that we did not even dream of. I was originally going to go to Chi-Li, but instead I ended up here. I will explain briefly how it happened to comfort you. We left Hankow on the evening of December 16 and arrived in Cheng-Ling-Ji at noon on the eighteenth. Our cargo had to be inspected by the customs officers, so our boat did not leave Cheng-Ling-Ji until the morning of the twentieth. We went to Lin-Tze-Kou on the twenty-first. The captain said that the boat was not going to Shatow, so he hired another local boat for us. The boat went slowly because the water level was so low. We did not arrive in Yuan-Jiang until the morning of the twenty-third. We originally planned to take the next steamer to Ch'ang-Teh. In the beginning we stayed in a hostel, but later we discussed this with the people from the denominational church. Thank the Lord, we were given hospitality by them so that we could settle here. Pastor Hsu Wei invited us to preach the word three times. The audience said they were very touched. May all the glory be to God. Brother Han was too exhausted by the journey. After coming to Yuan-Jiang he got the flu. (Ninety percent of the people had the flu.) Fortunately, he is better now. Pastor Hsu says that they can give us hospitality until the middle of February because their chapel will be holding their annual Bible study then. Rent is higher than usual because many refugees have come to Yuan-Jiang. I had originally planned to write you a letter telling you everything, but I was not able to because of my health. Please forgive me. Peace in the Lord. Please greet Brother Chou, Brother Chu, and all the brothers and sisters in Hankow for me.
Your brother,Chang Gun-jihJanuary 2, in Yuan-Jiang
Dear Brother Lan in the Lord:
Did you receive my last two airmail letters? I think of you often. The day after Brother Hsi-wen mailed his letter, he bought the tickets to K'un-ming through the Lord's marvelous arrangement.
Brother Jing-yuan took his sister to Yunnan on the twenty-eighth of last month. Miss Hsu En-shiu's entire family went to Kweilin at the end of last year. Sister Shen Hwei-min went to Hong Kong at the same time. Most of the brothers and sisters passing through along the way have all scattered. I received Brother Hsien-lu's letter yesterday that said Brother Han has arrived in Ch'ang-Teh. Praise the victorious Lord! He really guides in marvelous ways! Brother Feng said that there is a meeting in his home on the Lord's Day. They are now asking the Lord to prepare a proper meeting hall for them. I have been very busy since Gan-mu sent a letter with his date of arrival; I have been preparing his house for him. I really need your help in prayer for the two matters mentioned in the previous two letters! I will tell you the rest in detail later. I hope for your answer. Best blessings!
Ai-wuJanuary 7[Address omitted]
Brother Yu-zhi in the Lord:
After we said good-by, I think that the Lord must have specially protected, led, and used you to do the work that pleases His heart. I do not know whether you received the card I sent last time. I came to Ch'ang-Teh to escape from the war and met Brother Han Fu-sheng. We are now asking the Lord to give us an open door for the gospel. I married Sister Ma Ru-xun on December 27 of last year, according to the Lord's arrangement. We have now started a small school in Ch'ang-Teh to maintain our livelihood. I am still not clear about the Lord's calling. I feel that someone like me will never be worthy to do God's work. However, I deeply believe that if the Lord wants to use someone, that person will be able to obey the Lord. God is not a respecter of persons. As we were escaping from the war, we saw His glory all along the way. Now the five students are all saved. Praise the Lord! Brother Wang Wen-jiang received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit recently, and it is as if he is a different person. He says that the Lord has already called him. We are now asking the Lord to make arrangements for these five students. Perhaps they can follow the footsteps of Brother Han.
The result of this war is that many brothers and sisters have become scattered and lost. They really need God's special grace to preserve their spirits, souls, and bodies. Did you go to Kuei-yang? If there are any letters for my wife or myself at your place, please send them in care of Brother Feng Hsien-luh, Tung-Gong Print Shop, Court Main Street, Ch'ang-Teh, Hunan. I will stop right here. Many blessings in the Lord.
Your brother in the Lord,Yung-dienJanuary 12
To my beloved Sister X in the Lord:
I greet you from my wandering journey. We have not yet been discharged. I left Hankow last year on December 27 and arrived in Ch'ang-sha on January 6. I waited on the boat for several days while we were waiting for orders. We finally left for Siang-Tan on the morning of the tenth. We had to stay on the boat for several days because the director of the Hunan-Kweilin Railroad had gone to Hankow, so there was no one there to give orders. Yesterday, I was finally able to move to a hospital temporarily (one established by the China Inland Mission). Perhaps I will be assigned to work in the region of Kweilin, but nothing has been decided. The future is in God's sovereign hand. I was on a private boat on this journey, so there were many hidden dangers. Thank and praise our God, He preserved us and brought us safely through. My father and mother are in Soochow, and I still do not have any news of them. I do not know whether or not they are alive. When I think about it, my heart grieves! But then I think that perhaps it is the Lord's will that I experience Matthew 8:22. I only want God to gain something. I am willing to care for nothing and pass through what He wants me to go through. However, I am weak; I can only pray that God Himself keeps me. May God completely gain me so that I may glorify Him. We will probably be here for two weeks. We will notify you of our future itinerary. Peace in the Lord. Please greet Miss Chang for me. Sisters Chang, Tsou, Lin, and Lee all send their greetings.
From a weak little one in the Lord,Chien Sin-sien January 15
(This letter was sent from Hunan-Kweichow Railway Clinic of the Hwei Jing Hospital, Hsiang T'an.)
Brother X:
I will begin by saying that I used to be a student of the arts. I did not believe in the Lord Jesus until 1931. After believing into the Lord, I dropped everything and became a full-time preacher. The X Church sent me to the X Seminary. Then I transferred to the X Seminary of the X denomination. Because of difficulties with a teacher, I was X from school and returned to my old home with the comforting of the Lord. I preached the gospel on the one hand and took up some jobs to maintain my living on the other. During that time, I gained the light of the truth and knew that what I believed was not complete and that my direction was in error. Therefore, I left the X denomination in a definite way. I am a loner by nature, but sometimes I thought that I did not have one real brother or sister by my side, and I felt sad. At the same time, I was too weak. It did not matter how hard I worked, there was never any fruit. Even my wife went the opposite direction from me. In these circumstances, I cried many times. It was probably Brother Liu Ai-wu in Ch'ang-sha who sent several copies of The Open Door to Brother Feng Hsien-luh in Ch'ang-Teh. Brother Feng passed on a copy to me. I wiped away the tears that were blurring my eyes after I read it. My heart was jumping for joy! Praise God! I know His good pleasure! He wanted to have a way (He has had it for some time now) to allow many of His lonely children to fellowship with one another. I am writing you joyfully to tell you and all the brothers and sisters that I am still here. I am pitiful, and I hope that you can come help me. My questions are: (1) If I am the only one here, how do I meet? (2) If I cannot eat the bread and drink the cup, what should I do? (3) I want to work, but how should I start? (4) How can I get in contact with brothers and sisters in other localities? I will only ask these four questions now. I will ask you the rest at another time. Peace.
Your brother,Mei Han-keOctober 25, 1937[Address omitted]
(Brother Han Fu-sheng is in Ch'ang-Teh. You can ask Brother Feng Hsien-luh to introduce you to him. It will be easy for him to answer your four questions — Editor.)
Sister X in the Lord:
I have not heard any news about you for a long time. I am very concerned about you! Brother Mu Hwei-chen passed through Hankow on his way to Kweilin. Have you seen him? By the Lord's grace, we not only got to see each other in Honan, but also had the opportunity to pray together in one accord. We also had a time of prayer together before we left Honan. We really did not want to leave. Do you have any news of where the brothers and sisters in Tsingtao and Chefoo moved to? Are you clear about where the Lord wants you to work? I hope to hear from you. I received a letter from Sister Chin in Peking saying that Brother Witness plans to go to Peking. She also said that Sister Chi's husband (Chi Tsung-sin) was saved. Oh, may the doors to the Lord's gospel be opened wide. We left Shansi province and came to Honan. Not long afterwards, we continued on our way to Tsao-Yang County, where we are living temporarily. My elder brother sent a telegram telling me to go to Ch'ang-sha and then to go home (Tientsin) together with my younger brother. Please pray for this matter! My eldest sister is in Wuhu, and we do not have any news of her. The same is true of my uncle. May the Lord grace you and the brothers and sisters who are with you, amen. Grace be with you. Please greet all the brothers and sisters in the Lord for me. Sister Yi-rong sends her greetings.
Your sister,Wu Deh-shinJanuary 13
Sister X in the Lord:
I received the letter that you sent in care of Mrs. Kwan. Thank you. Thank and praise the Lord. Sister Dai, Sister Chang, and Sister Shao are all in Tientsin, and they all come to the meetings. I have also witnessed God's work recently in the brothers and sisters. God is doing His own work through the present environment. The spiritual growth of several brothers is something that I must praise the Lord for. The brothers and sisters receive much help from them in both the Bible studies and the gospel meetings. Thank the Lord for gracing us! We are still remembering the physically weak ones in our prayers. We also mention Brother Luan. May God grace him. If God wills, He will cause him to become healthy; if not, may the Lord manifest His great power in man's weakness as He did in the apostle Paul. Brother Yin went to Ch'ang-sha about three months ago. The Lord is still using him there. Mrs. Yin will come north to stay for awhile. Please remember Sister Chang Hsiu-fong when you pray. The illness she contracted after childbirth cannot be healed easily. May the Lord be merciful to her and heal her. Thank the Lord, His grace to me is greater than what I am worthy of. I am "cold" so many times, but the Lord repeatedly draws me with His love. My heart cannot but be drawn towards Him. It is true that the Lord's love is deeper as time goes by, and His grace is greater as the years go by. Please greet the brothers and sisters in the Lord and the ones that I know: Brother Nee, Brother Luan, and Sister Chang. Peace in the Lord.
Lin Chang Pin-jengDecember 20, 1937
Peace to Sister X in the Lord:
I have received the twenty copies of The Open Door which you sent. Yesterday, I received thirty copies that were sent from Hong Kong. This is just enough to distribute to the brothers and sisters. It is a great comfort to learn of the news of all the localities and to know the condition of each of the churches from The Open Door. The meetings here are continuing as usual. Although the brothers have not grown in life much, they have finally learned to live by the Lord's grace and allow grace to carry them through. This is really something to thank and praise the Lord for! Brother James Chen came to Swatow last month. After holding a two-week Bible study, he and some of the brothers went to Yi-Yang to preach the gospel. I have heard that Satan worked mightily to try to close the door of the gospel. But if the Lord has opened the door of the gospel, who can close it? The brothers left a good impression, and they are prepared to go out a second time. We really thank and praise the Lord for this! They all came back today. They will rest for three or five days, and then they will go out again. Please remember them in prayer. Please send us The Open Door as it is published. I am sending you an order form and am wiring X dollars through the post office for printing costs. Please tell me when you have received it. Rejoice in the Lord!
Representing the brothers of the assembly in the Lord's name in Swatow,Chai Gi-chen, Hsie Tze-shun, Zan Tsao-huaJanuary 10
To my beloved sister in the Lord, Mrs. X:
I read your letter of the ninth, and it reminded me of the verse: "The things that are impossible with men are possible with God." When I saw you in Hankow, your speech, attitude, and dress all told me how I should learn to be a faithful witness for the Lord. On the one hand, I love and respect you for your change; on the other hand, I marvel at the Lord's power and commit my family more zealously before Him and ask Him to change them also. The beloved in the Lord are more dear than sisters in the flesh. I always feel that seeing a brother or sister in the Lord, or even hearing their voices, can give me great blessing and joy. Even if there is a yoke we must bear together, it is always light. When the need calls for our laboring together, we will always find the Lord's leading in our labor. We should pray for and remember one another. If our loneliness satisfies the Lord and our loss contributes to the Lord's gain, we are willing to be lonely so that the Lord may fully capture our heart! But no matter how willing we may be, we cannot satisfy or enable Him to gain anything if He does not give us grace to preserve us. In Canton all the meetings except the Lord's table stopped on September 21 because there were frequent air raid drills and the roads were often blocked. Many brothers and sisters moved to Hong Kong or the countryside after August 18. There are only a little over ten brothers and sisters left in Canton. There are air raids every day, but thank the Lord for His special grace. All is peaceful. May you have peace in the Lord. Please greet Brother Yu-zhi for me.
Sun Zhu Ming-sengDecember 14, 1937
Greetings to Sister X in the Lord:
It has been twenty months since we said good-by to each other in Shanghai. Thank the Lord that He wants us to learn to walk on the narrow way during this time. There have been miracles, and sinners have been saved because the Lord is with us. This is all out of the Lord's mercy, and we thank the brothers and sisters for praying for us. The church in Yi- Lin has been affected by the war in that more and more people are losing their jobs. They are poor, cold, and pitiful. I can only do my best and pray for them before God. The village assemblies in the region of northern Kiangsu are doing better than the cities and towns. They do not have the fear of airplanes, and they also have their harvest. They are not in any real hardship. Brother Chiu has taken the farm back since his mother passed away; he does not have any problems making a living. Brother Yung-feng is now farming ten acres of land, and his son, Wen-li, is the principal of an elementary school. They can still eke out a living. Brother Yung-t'ung opened a tofu shop this fall, and his business is doing well. His second son, Wen-fu, is learning to operate a sewing machine here. His third son, Wen-tseng, is helping out in the tofu shop. The rest of his children are still in school. Everyone in the family is well. This is a summary of their individual conditions. Please continue to pray for them. Peace to you. Peace to Brother Nee, Miss Chang, Miss Liu, and all the brothers and sisters!
Wu WeiOctober 24, 1937[Address omitted]
To my dearest brother in the Lord, Philip:
After coming to Lan-chou in November, I returned to Hangchow in the beginning of December for ten days. Business was suspended because of the air raids. In the middle of the month, most of the people moved out because of the rumors. Six of my colleagues and I went to take refuge in Ning-Po for a week. I left for Shanghai on the twenty-fifth and arrived on the twenty-sixth. I have been here for ten days. I met with Sister Miao and Sister Tso and learned that you, your wife, and Sister Jing-huai had gone to live in Hong Kong temporarily. This comforted me. Miss Tso tried to get me a job in the business management section of Dr. Stearn's new Paralytic Hospital. I heard that Dr. Stearn said I can do it for a short time, so I now have a temporary job. I am sending you this quick letter because I have to rely on the Lord more, not because I have lost my job. You do not need to worry about me. The future of the oil industry is up in the air. If this continues for a long time, it will be difficult to keep a job. I hope you will pray for me. I do not know how long I will stay here. All the brothers in Shaohsin have lost their jobs. Some in Shanghai have lost theirs as well. May the Lord provide. The brothers and sisters left in Hangchow are Ruan Chi-yu, Mrs. Ruan and their baby, Brother and Sister Ah-lai, Brother Lee Kwei-sien, Brother Huang Tsai-ching, and his old mother. May the Lord protect us. Brother Ma entrusted the utensils used for the table meeting to Brother Ruan before he left. The second time I returned to Hangchow, I also broke bread at the Ruan's house. Brothers Chiu, Ma, Ming-jing, Lin, Kwei, and Shih were in Jin-Hwa on the seventh of last month. Brother Jun-dao and Hao-ran are in Lan-Si. I do not know where the elderly Brother Hu from Lan-Si is. I do not know whether my family has left Lan-Si. Brother Kuang-hua and his wife have arrived in Shanghai. There was a fellowship meeting for brothers and sisters at Wen-teh Lane on January 1 which I also attended. There was a children's meeting last night. The Lord showed me His glory in the little boys and girls, and I was very delighted. Brother Chao Shih-guang preaches the gospel on the sixth floor of the Da-Sin Company. I went with Brother Kwang-rong yesterday afternoon to attend. There were two thousand people in the audience. The message was full of the power of the Holy Spirit. I also attended a Bible study yesterday with Brother Kwang-rong. I have already tracked down Miss Tso's younger sister. I sent her news in another letter, but I knew that you would worry. Therefore, I thought I should mention it. Health and peace in the Lord.
Your little brother,Yang-tehJanuary 4
(I am temporarily staying in the Fang's home at 87 Ai Lai Ke Road in the French Concession. Although there is no work to do, I still go to the Mei Fu Company Headquarters at 94 Canton Road every day.)
Sister X:
I left Hong Kong on the twenty-third and was led by the Lord the entire way. I arrived safely in Shanghai on the twenty-eighth. Yesterday I received your letter of the twenty-fourth which was forwarded from Hong Kong. Thank you for your care in the Lord. I really beg the Lord that I may know Him more, that I may learn to spend my remaining time more watchfully, and that I may be more godly in my living. Please pray for me. I ask the Lord to guide me as to which road I should take in my future so that I might remain in His ordained will and never veer from His will. I do not want to choose the broad way of my own will. I only want the Lord to gain something and the Lord's will to be done. I also deeply believe that the Lord will accomplish my heart's desire for Him. Sister Li Li-ying has an intestinal infection. It is very serious. Please pray for her. She almost died a few days ago. God has heard my prayer recently, and she is somewhat better. However, she is still unconscious. Sister Shen Shi-hua's mother had a stroke, but she is better now. Peace in the Lord. Please greet Sister Chang, Sister Wang, and Mrs. Yuan. Greet Brother Yu-chih also.
Your sister,Fu-ruJanuary 6
To my beloved brother in the Lord, Mr. X:
I received the large package you sent through Mr. Hsie. May the Lord give you faithfulness and prudence in distributing food among the poor in His household. The warplanes bombed Siao-Shan, and the city is completely burned to the ground. The people of Shaohsin are in terror. They are gradually moving to the mountainous country; the streets of the city are deserted and desolate. Most of the brothers and sisters in the city have moved to the villages in the hills, but Brother Shan Kai-fen is still responsible for the meetings. There are very few people in them though. Many believers have gone to the region of Ping-Shui, but they are scattered in all the villages. No meeting has been raised up yet. My third elder brother, Ji-pu, has also moved to Shi-Chien-Chun in Ping-Shui. (Mailing Address: Mr. Hu in Shi-Chien, c/o Loh-Ching-Mo Lime Store, West Road Intersection, Ping-Shui, Shaohsin.) My family also plans to move to Shi-Chien. We are still in Hua-She because my wife has not agreed yet. The church in Hua-She continues as usual; however, it is hard to make a living, and the environment is frightening. Brother Tang Shou-ling came to give a conference in the region of Nan-Sha, and the churches had great progress. I also went to visit them. There are many who practice living in Christ, rejoicing always, praying without ceasing, and giving thanks in all things. They also are putting their wandering thoughts under control. I received a letter from Brother Hsie Yin-seng of Shanghai saying that he had no news of his company's store in Soochow nor of Brother Kao Guo-jeng. The warehouse in Shanghai was destroyed, and he lost more than one thousand dollars. He has goods in warehouses in Huchow, Soochow, and Hangchow, as well as a house and furniture in Hangchow. If these are also damaged, he may be in debt. I hope you will remember him in prayer. With regard to the gospel work, it depends on the environment. There is a need in the region of Ping-Shui. No one has preached the gospel there because the people in the hill villages have deep-rooted superstitions. We hope the Lord will open a door for us for the gospel, and we hope that you will pray for us. Peace in the Lord. Greet Sister Lee, Sister Chang, and Brother Tsi-yi.
Your little brother,Hu Ji-tang
(This letter was mailed from Hua-She, Shaohsin, Chekiang.)
To my dearly beloved in the Lord, Sisters X and X:
An airmail letter from Sister X and another letter from Sister X were recently forwarded to me from Canton. Last night I read Sister X's airmail letter. They have updated me concerning everything. Since my arrival in Kowloon, I have been very busy and do not have much time to write. This is the reason I have not written to you sooner. Thank you for your love and your constant remembrance of me. It really is the Lord's marvelous grace. On the first day of this year, I found myself weeping. May the Lord press me to pieces so that His life may flow out! If the Lord does not give grace, what can I do?
Thank the Lord for bringing me here so that I might have an opportunity to serve the Lord among the sisters. I did not want to come to Hong Kong, but after praying, I knew that the Lord wanted me here. It is a chance to learn to serve Him. After I saw this, I packed up and came immediately. As I was preparing to come, some bad news arrived. Some people were even moving back to Canton. The boats between Canton and Hong Kong are full of people every day. After I arrived in Kowloon, the Lord showed me that my coming was according to His good will. I am now living with Sister Chang, who is on her way from Foochow to Southeast Asia, and with Sister Sung An-hwei from Tsinan, who came here to escape the war. We have all received the Lord's grace and are safe. I am really in fear and trembling before God, beseeching Him to preserve me and to give me a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that I would know how to serve the sisters with His love and how to handle everything. The brothers and sisters are all well. Peace to you in the Lord. Please greet Sister Chang Chi-nien and Sister Yuan Chou Jieh-min. That's all for now.
Sun Zhu Ming-sengJanuary 6[Address omitted]
To all my dear elder brothers in the Lord:
I was overjoyed to receive The Open Door (second issue)! The only problem was that my issue came so late. I was late in learning about the travels of the brothers and late in my rejoicing. Please do not forget me, this weak little brother in the Lord, because I think of you always. When I read The Open Door, I saw that all the brothers and sisters were very busy with the work and that you were laboring physically and in heart. I was moved to tears! Although we are living in difficult times, you do not cease to labor, but joyfully preach the gospel in all places. You also care for the brothers and sisters in each locality who have troubles. This sweet love has really encouraged my heart. The area in which I live witnesses no suffering and no work either. How long will I be in this useless state? I really want to go where you brothers are. I would be happy to do even the smallest task, although I do not know when the Lord will allow it. When I was meeting in my home in 1935 (Yih-Shi, Shansi), I wanted to go with Brother Yang Shao-tang. However, there is much red tape in leaving Kansu, and my environment did not permit it. At that time I vowed that I would serve the Lord four years later. It has already been three years, but I have not seen any sign from the Lord of using me. I do believe I am still the Lord's. As long as what I do is for the Lord, I trust that I am working for Him. Please pray for my weakness. I would like to continue to order three copies of The Open Door. I am sending X dollars with this letter to meet the needs of the brothers and sisters who lack. Peace to you in the Lord.
Your little brother in the Lord,Lee Geng-shunJanuary 9[Address omitted]
Sister X in the Lord:
I have received your letter. I really thank you for your care in the Lord. A few days ago I was hindered by the Lord from going to Chungking. At that time I was very puzzled and did not know what God wanted. Even though we can be wrong, God is never wrong. When I returned to the meeting hall, I suddenly received a telegram telling me to go home to Shanghai with the travel money enclosed. I really thank God. I am now ready to go to Hong Kong and then on to Shanghai. In my heart I do not want to waste too much time in the city. I want to go to Yunnan or the surrounding countryside. I am praying about it now. I do not mean to say that I can do anything, because I know I am not worthy. However, I ask the gracious Lord to have mercy on me. Please pray for me. Peace in the Lord! Please greet Brother Chang and Miss Wang.
Chu Wen-yaoJanuary 3
(A letter from Hong Kong says that Brother Chu arrived safely in Hong Kong.)
(The following are excerpts from Brother Lan Tsi-yi's letters from the period between December 29, 1937 to January 22, 1938. He is from Hankow — Editor.)
(1) There is one matter to report that requires prayer in one accord. Since I left the orphanage in Hankow, the management was handed over to the X denomination. Not long ago the chief administrators of the denomination mentioned to Brother Yu Shiang-shan that they wanted to close down. However, most of the students in the school do not have homes to return to. Brother Yu was wondering what to do when he heard that the founder of the school, Mr. Lee Ju-shen (the manager of Liu-Ho-Gou Steel Foundry), had come to Hankow. Brother Yu wrote a letter to him and made an appointment to see him. Mr. Lee definitely did not want to allow the orphanage to be closed. If the denomination did not want to run it, he asked Mr. Yu to work out the details for dissolving the partnership with the denomination and then manage it himself. Mr. Lee would be responsible for all of the costs. He also asked Brother Yu to ask me to come back and run the school. Mr. Lee then gave Brother Yu some money on the spot and told him to save X dollars for use after the denomination stopped managing the place. He also said that the daily costs could be sent to him by mail and he would wire the money back. Brother Yu told me this last night and asked me to take the job. (Of course, this would be after all the rice in the school has been eaten and the denomination leaves.) I listened to him and only promised to pray about this matter. I really feel that God must initiate this matter. When God calls people, He bears the full responsibility and it is enough. I was personally called to this occupation, but I want to wait for God Himself to move. I only want to walk in God's way without going off. I am telling you this to ask for your prayers and any advice you can give me.
(2) Brother Chen Hsi-wen went to Ch'ang-sha on December 29. He really saw the Lord's marvelous arrangement and full provisions in the matter of buying his tickets.
(3) Brother Zhang Ji-wu left Hankow for Ch'ang-sha on January 2. He sent a letter from Ch'ang-sha on January 17 saying that he was planning to go to Kuei-yang sometime around the twentieth.
(4) Sister Ma Min-jen and a Sister Yao arrived safely in Hankow on January 3. On January 13 Mr. Luan sent a letter to Sister Ma Min-jen exhorting them to go to Hong Kong. She prayed about it and felt that she should go to Hong Kong and that I should accompany them. If I did not accompany them there, I would still have to go to Hong Kong for a very important mission. I plan to meet for a long talk with Mr. Lee Ju-shen concerning what to do with the orphanage. Then I will know how to make arrangements for these children when I return. Brother Yu also approves of my going to personally meet and discuss the practical matters with Mr. Lee. However, I am praying earnestly to see how God would lead me in this matter. Please pray earnestly for this. "This is pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction" (James 1:27). This word is always in my heart. Sister Ma is waiting for a sleeper seat on the train. Whenever she is ready, we will set out. Please do not worry. But I do hope you will pray for us.
(5) Brother Wang Sin-sheng (Sister Wang's uncle) came to a meeting on January 3 and said that his wife had arrived safely in Yi-Yang. Brother Sin-sheng has found a job. They now live in the meeting hall.
(6) Brother Han Fu-sheng and Brother Zhang Gung-jih are both well in Ch'ang-Teh and Yuan-Jiang. Brother Zhang may still be able to find some work. (This needs prayer.)
(7) Brother Li Tsan-ting found a job in the Wu-ch'ang County government with the help of Mr. X. He has moved from the countryside to Hankow to work in the provincial capitol.
(8) The condition of the assembly in Hankow is very good. Although the brothers and sisters that were once here have all scattered, many new brothers and sisters have come.
(9) Brother Liu Chu-fei, Sister Liu Mei-jen, and Sister Liu Yu-jen left Hankow for Ch'ang-sha.
(10) Sister Wu's desire to leave Hankow has already cooled off. She is probably not going to go to Hong Kong in the near future.
(11) A Sister Chang Kuo Ji-jen has recently attended the Lord's Day meetings. Last week she came to remember the Lord with us. She mentioned that she knew Sister Wang. Brother Wang Ching-shan introduced his cousin's wife to us. She is also a good sister.
(12) Many of the brothers and sisters who lost their jobs in Hankow have now found work. Praise the Lord! He willingly inclines His ear to our prayer! He remembers His people!
(13) On the morning of January 22, Missionary Jieh came here from Chu-Wo in Shansi. She said that she would be going home by way of Hong Kong. She asked me about the time of the meetings, and tomorrow evening she will come to the table meeting. In Hankow she stays at the China Inland Mission Workers' House.
(The following are excerpts from Shanghai's Brother Ho Yueh-chiao's last two letters — Editor.)
(14) San-Chiao-Bu cannot receive letters directly. A person who came to Shanghai from that area said that Brother Chou Hsin-yih, Brother Tang Shou-ling, and their families were all in a place near there called Yah-Dan-Ou. They were all doing well.
(15) Brother Luh Tze-ming plans to move to Hankow because the Shanghai Youth Book Store has closed. He is still in Shanghai.
(16) The Christian will not be published for awhile. It is too difficult to send out because the subscribers have moved around too much.
(1) Two letters from Lungkow for Ms. Chang Jia-yu.
(2) One letter from Hsinchih for Miss Lo Jing-hwei.
(3) One card from Chen Kuo-yang of Ch'ang-sha for Mr. Rui Di-min.
(4) One letter from Singapore for Brother David Hsu.
It is difficult to correspond with co-workers in various regions because no one knows where they are or will be. We are willing, therefore, to serve the brothers in this matter. If you have a letter you want us to forward, please send it c/o P. O. Box 84, Hankow, and we will forward it.
Many brothers and sisters are moving around during these difficult times. If you have a letter you want us to forward, please send it to Brother Lan Tsi-yi, Gospel Court, Lane 1, Hsiao-Dong-Jia, Hankow. Please write the return address on the outside of the envelope.
We printed one thousand copies of the first issue of this publication. Because there are brothers and sisters who still do not know what our goal is in putting this publication out, we quote two paragraphs from Mr. Watchman Nee's An Open Letter:
For years I have felt the need of a publication which could be used to communicate news of the work in all of the localities. A local newsletter belongs to a particular locality and serves a particular church. But we need a paper for the intercommunication of news which will serve all the localities, that is, one which will serve the work. The name, The Open Door, was chosen much earlier, and I had hoped that others would be raised up by the Lord to bear its responsibility. This was my hope because, on the one hand, there is the need, and on the other hand, my special stand makes it impossible for me to undertake the task myself. If this had been undertaken by someone else, it would have been merely personal and done by someone who was gifted to do it. But if I were to do it, it would become official and would be based on my position. Therefore, in order to avoid this, I dared not move for years.
I never believed that this newspaper would be issued under this kind of circumstance, at this time, and in this place. Now I must do what I did not wish to do. However, please keep in mind always, brothers, that this is a personal ministry and not the instrument of an organization. If any co-worker or church in any locality is unwilling to see their news appear in this publication, please say so in order that none might be offended in this matter. But I do wish that I could receive news from all the localities so that those who are concerned for you could make intercession.
The letters in this issue have already clearly described the itineraries of the co-workers, so we did not make a separate column.
It is difficult for the post office to deliver the mail. A letter that is not sent by airmail usually takes more than a month to reach its destination. Therefore, some letters that are sent later arrive first and some that are sent earlier arrive later. Printed matter is even slower. Therefore, letters with important matters should be sent by airmail, if possible, c/o P. O. Box 84, Hankow. Thank you.
We may not be able to always get every issue of this publication into the hands of the brothers and sisters, so please pay attention to the points mentioned in the previous issues. We will repeat them again:
(1) Date your letters. Write the return address clearly and in detail. Include the name of the province.
(2) Please notify us immediately if your address changes. When a battle occurs in an area, we do not know where the brothers and sisters have fled. If there is no communication, we really worry. We also do not want to send things to the wrong address.
After reading Brother Hsu Jung-jieh's letter in this issue, we thank the Lord for him on the one hand, and we must pray for him on the other hand. It is easy to talk about many things, but you will feel the frustration only when you are put in his kind of situation. May we remember them in our heart often. Yeh-Ji Village does not handle money transfers, so if there are any offerings for them in the future, it would be best to send them in care of Mr. Huang Chung in the Customs Office in K'un-ming, Yunnan.
Brother Watchman Nee said in the first issue, "Actually, to go to the inland regions under the present circumstances is more difficult and more unsure than before. But we should trust in God rather than men and should know that our provision and protection are from heaven." Therefore, we hope that the brothers and sisters would not draw back because of the difficulties which the brothers and sisters have encountered in pioneering in the distant regions. On the contrary, we must rise up at the news and pursue on. When we sing the hymn, "Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease, while others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas?" what effect does it have on our heart? Should we not say to the Lord, "In the name, the precious name, of Him who died for me, Through grace I'll win the promised crown, Whate'er my cross may be."
This publication is being edited in Chungking and printed and mailed out in Hankow. We cannot predict how long the editors will be here. Therefore, news of the work and the churches should still be sent to the Gospel Book Room, P. O. Box 84, Hankow. Localities that have access to airmail can send letters in the near future directly to Ruth Lee, c/o Mrs. Yuan, 4-3 Shang Chang Chia Garden, Chungking, Szechuan.
Ruth LeeJanuary 26, 1938, in Chungking
The emphasis of The Open Door is the gospel work in all the localities. In this publication we will print:
(1) Articles concerning the principles of the work
(2) News of the work
(3) News of the churches
We are temporarily publishing in Hankow. It is difficult to predict whether or not we will move. However, as long as Hankow does not have problems with the mail, our mailing address is still: Gospel Book Room, P. O. Box 84, Hankow. This publication is not for sale. We trust in God for the supply of its needs.
We only printed one thousand copies for the first issue. We cannot supply those who asked for earlier issues. We increased the print quantity to six thousand copies for the third issue. Whoever wants one can write and ask for it.
Whoever wants this publication must clearly write the name, address, and number of copies requested and send it to Gospel Book Room, P. O. Box 84, Hankow. Whenever a subscriber's address changes, please notify us so that we do not send it to the wrong address.
(1) This publication is being temporarily published in Hankow. Therefore, any news concerning the work and the churches in each locality, any subscriptions, and any questions should be sent directly to the Gospel Book Room, P. O. Box 84, Hankow.
(2) The Gospel Book Room has established a separate office in Hankow. Any province, city, or county that wants to buy books from this book room can buy them directly from Hankow. Those who live in Hankow can come personally to buy them at Gospel Court, Lane 1, Hsiao-Dong-Jia, Hankow.
(3) The post office no longer accepts large packages of printed materials, so once this publication is printed, we will send one or two copies by the quickest method to each locality. Then we will send a large number of copies to the responsible brothers in each locality and ask them to pass them out to all the brothers and sisters in the meetings. Then we will send them out according to the subscription lists. Therefore, the brothers and sisters in each locality should clearly write their name, address, and the number of copies ordered if they want us to send an issue to them directly. If you do not send us your address, please borrow a copy from the responsible brother in your locality.
(4) We will do our best to distribute offerings to the brothers and sisters in need. However, some localities do not accept wired money any longer; nor do we know where some of the brothers and sisters have moved to. Therefore, we ask God to care for the brothers and sisters in tribulation in these difficult times on the one hand, and we hope that the brothers and sisters who have news would send the details to us by airmail or express mail on the other hand. If there are offerings or letters, please send both to Brother Lan Tsi-yi or Miss Ruth Lee, P. O. Box 84, Hankow.
