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On May 31 we were led of the Lord to leave Chungking by boat, and we arrived safely in Shu-Fu on June 3. After arriving, we spent a few evenings praying in one accord with the brothers and sisters. Then we conducted three edification meetings in the evenings. On the eleventh of this month (a Lord's Day) in the afternoon, we had the first Lord's table meeting in Shu-Fu. There were four brothers and four sisters. On the twelfth to the seventeenth of this month, we preached the gospel every evening at a building in the park, and we had a large audience. After the gospel meetings, we had three nights of special meetings for the new believers. The Lord willing, we will conduct a baptism in the near future. After the work concludes here, we intend to make a visit to Ch'eng-tu. The Lord has put brothers and sisters in a few places in Szechuan already (such as O-Mei-Shan, Rong-Chang, Yung-Chuan, Shin-Jin, and Nan-Bu). The Lord willing, we desire very much to go and visit them and to testify for the Lord.
Passing through the provinces of Kweichow and Szechuan this time, we were impressed by the vastness of the harvest and the scarcity of workers who are of the same mind. The testimonies of the lampstand are as rare as morning stars, and the situation in Kweichow is particularly desolate. While we passed through Jun-Yi (Kweichow), we met a Western missionary who was very sympathetic toward the book Rethinking Our Work. He had ordered a few copies and had given them to others. We spent some time to talk and pray with him. He prayed, "Lord, many of Your servants have passed through Kweichow from Yunnan to Szechuan or from Szechuan to Yunnan but have neglected Kweichow. May You send workers to Kweichow." These words show the need of Kweichow. Through the recent scattering of the saints, many doors to the work have opened to the workers. We pray that the Lord would send many workers to come and meet this need. As for me (Stephen Kaung), through the Lord's sovereign arrangement, I intend to move my family to Shu-Fu temporarily. It is an obvious fact that there is a great need in Szechuan and that the present time is critical and urgent. I am weak and do not feel adequate to meet this urgent need. I can only hope to stand in Szechuan while waiting expectantly for more workers to come. Greetings to all the workers in Shanghai.
Brothers in the Lord,K.H.Weigh and Stephen KaungJune 22
(According to correspondence from Shu-Fu on August 5, Brothers Weigh and Kaung left Shu-Fu for Ch'eng-tu on July 14. According to correspondence from Ch'eng-tu on August 14, they remained in Ch'eng-tu for about a month. According to correspondence from K'un-ming on August 21, Brother Weigh arrived in K'un-ming with Brother Chang Hwei-zhi on August 13.)
I have been with Brother Chang ever since I met him in Hu-Shan on February 24. However, at a certain point, he felt ill-disposed to continue with the work during May in Jiang-Nan, so he went alone to Fan-Shan for a rest. I then went with Brother Chen Chin-fa to Yien-Ting and Sha-Di, and then with Brother Hwang Li-chuen to Lu-Pu, Ya-Yao-Tou, and Luh-Bien. After working there I went to Fan-Shan at the beginning of July to join Brother Chang again.
The Lord willing, I intend to take a little rest and wait on the Lord with Brother Chang. After summer, if the sea route from Wenchow to Shanghai is clear, I hope to return to Shanghai. There is much work waiting for us in many places, but the question is whether or not the workers themselves have food to distribute, and whether they can distribute it in season. We have accepted the doctrine of the cross for a long time. But the knowledge of Christ in the Spirit and the knowledge of the power of His resurrection and of our conformity to His death and our suffering with Him are life-long lessons. I feel that we truly need the Lord's mercy.
Hsu Dah-weiAugust 8
Two weeks ago, Brother Hu came to Wei-Si and has now returned to Yeh-Ji. After he finishes his preparations, he will come to Wei-Si again, and I will set out with him to Nu River for the work there. We will probably leave on the twenty-sixth or twenty-seventh of this month. The way to Sikang is still very rugged. We heard that the two brothers from Norway are still in Yien-Jing County because of the inaccessibility of the roads. Due to the fact that the way to Sikang is still not clear and the door to the work among the Yi tribes in Nu River has now opened up, we decided to go to Nu River and work there. Last year Brother Hu and I worked for only a month there. All the places we went to now have two groups of people. One group just goes along with what we say, while the other group has truly heard the Lord's truth. They have accepted it and are practicing it according to the Scriptures. This is the Lord's doing! Some time ago some men came from Nu River and asked Brother Hu and me to go and do some work among them again. We are going to places we have not been before and will be away for two months before returning to Wei-Si. The Lord willing, we will probably be able to sustain ourselves for two to three months. After we return we will look to the Lord's leading for the next journey. Please pray much for us. Brother David Ho will travel with us. May the Lord lead us in His path according to His will. Give our greetings to Brother Nee if he has returned to Shanghai. Greetings to the brothers and sisters.
Brother Hsu Jung-jiehJune 24
I arrived safely in Kulangsu on the morning of the twentieth. After praying in one accord with the brothers and sisters, we all felt the need to preach the gospel here. We have decided to have gospel meetings every evening from the twenty-fourth to the twenty-ninth. At the same time, we will have a prayer meeting every morning. It was unusual for the Lord to lead me to leave Shanghai just when Brother Nee returned. It is even more surprising that I have a burden for working outside Shanghai at this time. Perhaps the Lord is teaching me the lesson of dropping everything and trusting in Himself alone. Indeed, what else can we trust? We can only lift our eyes to heaven.
Brother in the Lord,Tang Shou-ling, July 24
Thank the Lord for leading His servant, Mr. Tang, to arrive safely in Kulangsu on July 20. Although he suffered sea-sickness on the boat, he is still healthy for the most part. We preached the gospel to the outsiders from the twenty-fourth to the twenty-ninth. About five to six hundred came and listened. Over one hundred raised their hands to indicate their willingness to believe in the Lord. Glory to His name! From July 31 to August 5 there will be five days of edification meetings for the believers. May the Lord accomplish His will through the ones He uses.
The meeting hall has become inadequate for our use. After more than a year's consideration and prayer, it seems that there is no other way except to build something ourselves. Recently, we purchased a piece of land. The Lord willing, we will begin to build.
Wan-chingAugust 1
Last month I went with Brother Chai Gi-chen and others to Si-Shan, Di-Lu, to learn to work on sowing. I received much teaching and encouragement through this hands-on experience in the field. One feels satisfied when he stays at home and realizes his emptiness when he travels around. I felt ashamed when friends visiting asked for help and I could not render them any. In my spirit I have often mused over Revelation 3:17 and have felt unqualified to work for the Lord. O Lord, be merciful to me and bend me. Please do not forget to pray for me. I have received and read Issue No. 18 of The Open Door. The two things that Brother Witness Lee spoke of are indeed our present need.
I heard that the Lord provided Brother Nee a smooth journey back to Shanghai. We are very pleased about this. Thank the Lord. We hope that we can grasp some of the riches of grace the Lord has given to him. I heard that Brother Chen Ke-san is conducting a Bible study in Sien-You, while Brother Chai Gi-chen is staying in Pu-Tien. I no longer rent the house in Gung-Kou. On July 17 I moved to Shang-Lin-Chun. This little village has about thirty local brothers and sisters. They have been persecuted for many years by their fellow villagers. But by the grace of the Lord, they have been able to stand fast. They have all experienced household salvation. Because there are meetings in this village, the believers in neighboring villages come to worship and remember the Lord together. May glory be unto Him forever, amen. Greetings to the brothers and sisters in Shanghai.
Brother in the Lord,Chen Jai-sengAugust 4
Because our distance from the throne is the same, I have been remembering the kinfolk in Christ while looking daily to the unmatched One. May He gain the fullness, the glory, and everything in the church, amen.
Brother Nee's word on the natural strength being dealt with and Brother Lee's word on being careful in touching the Lord's work have given me a deeper understanding of the words: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." I am always willing to be taught. Brother Chai Wen-bin, a responsible brother, has the burden to start an orphanage here. Originally, he intended to start one in Chuenchow but has not found anyone whom the Lord can entrust the matter to. Furthermore, the political situation is unsteady, and it is not wise to proceed. When he read The Open Door, he found that Brother Lan Tsi-yi had started such a work in Hankow, and he would like to offer X dollars. Please direct this sum to Brother Lan. We are happy that Brother Nee has returned safely. Please give my regards to all the co-workers.
Brother in the Lord,Wu Ren-jiehAugust 16
(1) Brother Shan Kai-fen wrote on June 24 that he visited the brothers in Si-Shing in May. After discovering that he had a lump in his chest, he dropped everything, returned home, and had dealings with the Lord. Thank the Lord that the lump in his chest has gradually softened, and he is healthier now. He has consecrated his whole being to the Lord once again, asking the Lord to trim him and perfect him. He is waiting in peace for the Lord's leading, no longer acting according to his own will.
(2) Brother Chen Meng-tsao wrote on June 29: "Brothers Lin Mei-seng and Hu Bu-dao have been preaching the gospel in Lan-Si. Brother Ma Chuan-foo released messages for five days in the Jin-Hwa Congregational Church. Recently, I preached the gospel in Dah-Tang-Jen, Lan-Bei, Chen's house in Lung-Yu, and Chien-Men-Jang in Tang-Si. Please pray for me when you remember me."
(3) Brother Lan Tsi-yi wrote on July 19 that there are now eleven students and teachers in his orphanage. He has recently admitted seven more, who have yet to arrive because of difficulty in transportation. In his letter on August 18 he wrote: "The children in the orphanage are preserved by the Lord's grace and are all safe. They are all lively and happy. They are totally different from the day they entered the orphanage. There are only two who are older; the rest of them are all eight to ten years old."
(4) Brother Han Fu-shen wrote from Yuan-Ling on July 18: "I came to Yuan-Ling on the fourteenth (walking for three days from Chi-Li to Ch'ang-Teh, resting for one day in Ch'ang-Teh, and then taking a bus the rest of the way). Yuan-Ling is undamaged, but the dispersion of inhabitants has decreased the population....There are quite a number of students who have been saved at the Fu-Siang Girls' School. The two meetings last Lord's Day were quite good. We hope that we can conduct a conference soon."
(5) Sister Luk Tsi-tsien wrote on July 8 that she is in the Gospel Village in Fu-Hu-Chiao.
(6) A letter from Luh-Liang, Yunnan indicated that three brothers and two sisters were baptized in Luh-Liang in June.
(7) Sister Peace Wang wrote on August 15: "Brothers Philip Luan and Faithful Luk went to Penang on the third of this month. The Lord willing, I will go with Sister Hwang Bi-gwe to Penang also at the end of this month."
(8) Brother Wang Tze-yu from Gao-Mi wrote on July 16: "Thank the Lord that we have been kept up to date with the footsteps of the brothers through The Open Door. The Lord led Brother Witness Lee to conduct a conference for believers last month in Tsingtao. Thank the Lord for gracing us and for guiding us to the way of obedience and submission to His authority. Although the Lord has gained me, I am quite weak spiritually. I hope that the brothers and sisters in Shanghai will pray much for me. My greetings to the saints in Shanghai."
(9) Brother Wu Wei wrote from northern Kiangsu on July 13 and sent his greetings to the brothers and sisters in Shanghai.
Thank the Lord, even though we are weak to the uttermost, He sent four of His workers, Brothers Witness Lee, Chang Tze-jieh, Chao Chi-gwang, and Liu Bei-min from Tsingtao. We had six days of meetings. God released the truth through the mouth of Brother Lee. The cold ones were revived, and the stubborn ones were turned. We truly saw the Lord's provision and blessing. Two brothers from Ping-Du were able to stay together with Brother Lee, and their hearts were deeply touched. The Lord's testimony was brought to the villages of Pin-Du through them. Brother Hsu Yi-min of Ju-Cheng and Brother Hu Yee-tzi of Jiao County were both revived at the Tsingtao conference. Please pray for the brothers and sisters in these four counties. Enclosed please find X dollars from the offering box in Gao-Mi for The Christian, the gospel work in the Chekiang-Fukien area, and the needy saints. Please distribute it on our behalf.
Brother in the Lord,Hu Shen-fu, July 8
Thank the Lord for starting His work here. The Lord has graced us. Three brothers and three sisters are standing on the testimony of oneness, serving Him, and glorifying Him. Other than the Lord's Day morning meeting, we will have a small meeting on the Lord's Day afternoon, the Lord willing. There are over ten brothers and sisters who come regularly to the meetings. We started the Lord's table meeting on July 16. Seven to eight people come each time. Please pray much for us. Enclosed please find X dollars for The Christian; the rest is for needy brothers and sisters. May the Lord bless this small sum as He blessed the five loaves and two fishes.
Weak members in the Lord,Lee Wen-han and Hsu Yi-min, August 15
I regret that I could not attend Brother Watchman Nee's special conference. Although the mail route is clear, land transportation is still blocked. I hope that more publications will come out so that those in the inland regions, who cannot listen in person, can receive the help from the literature. The church meetings in the mountains have been going on as before on the Lord's Day. There are still regular Bible classes and home prayer meetings. Thank the Lord for His great grace; His work is still able to go on in this hidden corner. Both my family and the Yu family have no leading to leave the mountain. Circumstantially, there is no possibility of leaving the mountain anyway. May the Father guide us so that by the time we leave the mountain, a few families can join us. The standard of living on the mountain has gone up quite a bit. Of course, we have to live in a simple way in everything. Greetings to Brother Nee and all the saints. Be comforted that we are safe in the mountains.
Sister in the Lord,Sun Chen Yao-jen, August 11
A few brothers from Nan-Sha found jobs in Shanghai. This is wonderful. Presently, the east and north sides of Sha-Di are disaster areas because of the flood. Much of the saints' land is flooded. More is about to be flooded. The saints can only look solely to the Lord and pray in oneness at set times in the morning. There is no other way. Please pray for all the things that are happening to the brothers in Nan-Sha.
Brother Kao Jin-fu, July 7
My whole family is in Kuling and has been preserved by the Lord. Last year Brother Hu Bao-shan and his family left Kuling for Hunan. They are now staying at Shen Jou-shing's drugstore in Shang-Chiao, Tao-Yuan. Brother Cheng Tso and his family of five moved to inland regions in Kiangsi. The Lord's Day morning meeting in Kuling is conducted according to the number in attendance. Sometimes we preach the gospel, and sometimes it is for perfecting the saints. The Lord's table meeting is in the afternoon. The number ranges from twenty to more than thirty. There are more sisters than brothers. Please continue to pray for us in Kuling. Greetings to the brothers and sisters in Shanghai.
Brother in the Lord,Yu Xin-liang, July 25
During May, the city of Swatow experienced several bombings. Thank the Lord that all the brothers and sisters in the Lord are safe. During the crisis, about thirty brothers and sisters remained in Swatow. Thank the Father for His grace; all of them are safe. The incident gave us an opportunity to know God through our experience. We believe that God is our hiding place and a shelter for our life. May all the glory go to Him forever, amen. Brother Wen-kwang intends to travel by boat to Kulangsu. Brother Ge-chen left for the inland regions on June 21.
Brothers in the Lord,Hsie Tze-shun and Chen Fang-ching, July 13
Most of the brothers and sisters who were working at the steamship company or who were engaged in embroidery work have lost their jobs. But thank the Lord that He has sufficient grace. They are able to get by for now. We do not know what to do in the future. May the Lord grant us grace and open a way for His people.
Brothers in the Lord,Hsie Tze-shun and Chen Fang-ching, August 3
Brother Jie-dun has been here for two months. He had overly exerted himself, and I asked him to come for a rest. Lately, he has improved a little, but he is still weak and unable to bear any stress.
Jien-Ou experienced a large-scale bombing on June 25 and the sixth of this month. The first time we were in a meeting. Over fifty people were listening to a message. Soon a fire spread in a wild way. We were only a tree's distance from the fire. The leaves on the other side of the tree had already changed color. Yet we were all safe and continued to break bread as usual. The second time the bombing came we were a few hundred feet from Small Pear Hill. A house behind us received one bomb, and a large building received another bomb. The elementary school across the street received several bombs. Dust filled the air, and when we lifted up our heads, we found almost everything gone. Yet the amazing thing was that our house did not sustain any damage except some fallen roof shingles. The partition between the meeting room and the back room also fell. In the past we have complained that our room was not big enough for meeting. When Brother Chen Ke-san was here for a conference, I asked the owner to allow us to tear down the partition so that we could add more chairs. The owner was a devout Buddhist, and he thought that it could not be removed because it had Buddhist images. I could not do anything then. Thank the Lord, He bombed the images away. The next day the owner removed everything, including the idols and ancestral plaques. The front and back rooms spontaneously became one room, and the place was one-third larger. We really thank and praise the Lord! The Lord even moved the owner's heart to do some remodeling for us. We are safely living here. We can only say to the Lord, "We praise for the past, and we trust for the future!"
Sister Liao Ong Yu-bing, July 29
Dear ones:
Some of the believers have moved into the country because of the war. For this reason we would like to inform you of a change in our meetings so that you can pray for us. (1) There are eight to nine saints who have moved to Ma-Yang-Chun in Kwang-Yeh-Li (which is in the mountains, about fifty Chinese miles from Han-Jiang). They would like to have a meeting, but because of the lack of responsible brothers, they are not able to do so. Please pray for them. (Sister Chiung-ying has moved there.) (2) There were originally twenty to thirty brothers and sisters in Shang-Lin-Chun (eight to nine miles from Han-Jiang). They have started a meeting, and the nearby saints gather around there as well. Brother Tsai-seng may move his family there. (3) There were originally five brothers in Tung-Yuen-Chun in Jiang-Kou-Jen (thirty miles from Han-Jiang). I have moved my family there. Should it become necessary, we will move further into the mountains. We hope to start a meeting so that the neighboring brothers and sisters can have a place to meet. Please pray for this. (4) There are about six to seven sisters in Duo-Tou-Chun (eight miles from Han-Jiang by the sea). They do not have a suitable place to move, but they want very much to have a meeting. Because there is no brother there, they only have a prayer meeting. Please pray much for their future. (5) There are still over ten brothers and sisters left in Han-Jiang. They break bread on the Lord's Day afternoon in the believers' homes, and they have a prayer meeting on Saturday afternoon. The original meeting hall will be returned to the owner next month. In the future, please mail any letters to [omitted]. All the Lord's people in Pu-Tien and Han-Jiang have been preserved. Please pray much for us.
Brother Fang Shi-rongJuly 17
Enclosed please find a little sum of offering from the church in Changchow for the expense of the publication of The Christian. Last May most of the brothers and sisters moved to inland areas. In September a few saints returned to Changchow and resumed meeting. Thank the Lord that we have been preserved in everything. Presently, we have gospel meetings or mutual edification meetings every Lord's Day afternoon. We break bread in the evening, and we have the prayer meeting on Thursday.
The present responsible brothers in the Lord,Wu Feng-yuan and Dai Jen-tsia, June 13
Thank and praise the Lord for bringing two useless ones like us to Pu-Ji. When we first arrived, we did not meet any brothers or sisters in the Lord, and we had no place to meet. All the neighbors are idol worshippers, and the environment is dark. We felt very lonely and did not know how to tell these superstitious ones about their false gods or about the Lord Jesus' gospel of salvation. We could only pray daily for the souls of the men of Pu-Ji and ask the Lord to grant them His grace. Although we had written to Brother James Chen and invited him to come, he did not come. We can only ask the Lord to do His own work in Pu-Ji. Thank the Lord that He has heard our prayer and has done a particular work among a group of young women. Two formerly devout Buddhist worshippers have believed in the Lord. One went home and immediately removed all her Buddhist idols after hearing about the Lord's love and about the fact that God is the true God. We marvel at the Lord's grace! There are now six sisters who have confessed Jesus as their Savior. Thank and praise the Lord. Glory to Him. Presently, we teach them to read the Bible and sing some hymns every Lord's Day afternoon at one o'clock, hoping that this will help them know more about the Lord. Although they are all Chinese, they speak Thai at home. We hope to help them read and speak a little Chinese from now on. May the Lord continue with His work.
Weak sisters in the Lord,Chai Lan-jen and Huang Hwei-min, June 11
Thank the Lord that we are forever joined together in Him, even though we are an ocean apart. We often remember the brothers and sisters and especially the co-workers in China. We believe that the Lord will surely protect all of you and grant you His peace. Although we have been preserved in safety in a foreign land, our heart has not ceased to remember the saints in China who are in tribulation. Enclosed please find X dollars, which is an expression of concern in the Body of Christ by the saints meeting in the Lord's name in Manila. Please wait on the Lord's leading with two or three brothers and distribute it to the workers in China, to the saints in need, and to the publication of The Open Door and The Christian. Brother Philip Luan and Sister Peace Wang passed by here on their way to Singapore a little while ago. The brothers and sisters received much help from them on the Lord's Day. I hope that they can stay a longer time on their way home so that the believers can receive more help.
The church in Manila,Hwang Ho-seng, Chai Wen-bin, and Lin En-hung, June 29
Enclosed please find X dollars. Please give it to the responsible brothers for distribution, according to the leading of the Lord's Spirit, to the saints in tribulation or in poverty or for other uses.
Brother in the Lord,Yao Ke-ju, August 16
(1) A letter from Ch'eng-tu on August 25 said: "Brother Stephen Kaung went with Brother Chao Rue-tze to Guan County on August 23. Brother Kaung will work there for a week and then return to Ch'eng-tu."
(2) Brother Hsu Jung-jieh wrote on August 15 that he and Brothers Hu Yi-min and David Hsu had set off from Wei-Si on June 28 for work around the Nu River. They returned on August 9 to Wei-Si via Shang-Pa County and intend to go to Nu River again during the eighth month.
Issue No. 18 of this magazine was published in June. We have delayed the publishing of this issue for two reasons. First, mail delivery has been very difficult in many places during the past two months. Since this magazine cannot be considered government-registered printed matter, it is better to wait before mailing it out than to have it stuck in the post office. Second, the chief editor, Watchman Nee, returned from abroad at the beginning of July, and I have respectfully handed the responsibility of editorship back to him. After Mr. Nee arrived in Shanghai, he had a special conference for eleven days. In addition, many affairs of the church were waiting for his decisions, and there was the need for the work to go on in a positive way. As a result, he was not able to do any editing work on the magazine. Because two months had already elapsed since the publication of the last issue, we were afraid that many would become concerned. As a result, I reluctantly agreed to prepare another issue of this magazine. We cannot say anything about the future until Mr. Nee has settled other aspects of the work.
During this period of my substitute-editorship, I have only been able to gather and collect news from various sources. It remains Mr. Nee's job to fulfill the original intention of this magazine, which is to edify the workers, improve the work, give guidance to the churches, and answer questions. We take this opportunity to make this clarification and ask that all the brothers and sisters pray for this.
We have not been granted a license to publish this magazine as official printed matter yet. Since there are many problems in mail delivery, we cannot put too many pages into the magazine. Therefore, we have again postponed publishing "The Dynamics of Service."
We did not inform too many people about the special conference in Shanghai this time. Many of the co-workers in nearby places were not able to attend because of the inaccessibility of transportation. Brothers Witness Lee, Chao Chi-gwang, and Chang Tze-jieh returned to Tsingtao and Chefoo after the conference. Brothers Hwa Shi-bin, James Chen, Chang Yu-zhi, and Liu Bei-min are still in Shanghai.
Brother Chu En-seng was the first one to testify for the Lord in Chi-Shien-Chiao, Pu-Dong. During the past two or three years, he has been conducting a small business on the one hand and preaching the gospel in the villages on the other hand. When he came to Shanghai for the conference, he mentioned that he intended to sell his shop so that he could serve the Lord full-time. Unfortunately, he died of sickness three days after he returned home from the conference (August 13)! The co-workers were both shocked and saddened! By the Lord's grace the local church in Shanghai has remembered the needs of his family. May the Father comfort and protect the widow and orphans of this family!
We have passed on the money designated for the family of Brother Zhang Gun-jih to the designees. It is better to forward money to the provinces in the southwest directly rather than transferring it through Shanghai.
Ruth Lee, ShanghaiAugust 29, 1939
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