Weave clouds of testimony with love

Exclusive interview with Yang Honghongxiang of "New York Born Communication Center"

Photo provided/Yang Honghongxiang

▲When he was young, he worked as an announcer at the China Broadcasting Corporation in Taiwan. Broadcasting major became a gift for Yang’s mother to glorify the Lord in the second half of her life.

When mentioning "Mama Yang" in the New York area, many people immediately think of the program "Clouds of Witnesses" of the Born Communication Center. With the gospel tracts and air broadcasts released every week, Ms. Yang Honghongxiang, who is 86 years old, has been doing this for more than 20 years. , spreading each touching life story to the Chinese community, and even as far as overseas.

Mother Yang recalled that when she first entered gospel broadcasting, it was not in her plan; the situation when she retired was not as comfortable and smooth as most people thought...

Sloppy Christian

Mother Yang was in Taiwan when she was young. After strict selection, she joined the China Broadcasting Corporation as an announcer. Broadcasting major became a gift for her to glorify the Lord in the second half of her life.

As a third-generation Christian, she went to church with her parents since she was a child, but she only followed the rituals and did not have a clear understanding of why she worshiped the true God. After becoming a mother, she never took the faith education of her children seriously.

At first, the children often stayed up late studying for the college entrance examination, so they were unable to get up early on Sundays to go to church to worship God. She cherished her children's hard work in studying, so she tolerated them not going to parties. Such neglect drives children away from the church and God when they grow up. At that time, her family was in a smooth situation, and she didn't notice anything was wrong.

The grief of losing a husband and a son

Something unexpected happened. On the eve of the expiration of his military service, the second son suddenly suffered from a high fever for a week and then passed away! At this time, the suffering of Job in the Bible awakened her:"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away." (Job 1:21)The reminder of God’s words made her dare not complain about God, but instead turned to Him and trusted Him wholeheartedly.

Storms ensued. Her eldest son owed a large amount of debt due to career failure. She and her husband loved their son so much that they mortgaged their only home to help him tide over the difficulties. At the end of the day, my husband passed away due to illness. He suffered the pain of losing a son and a husband one after another. He was tortured both physically and mentally, and he looked helpless everywhere. Job 5:7-8 immediately became the best portrayal of Hongxiang’s fate:

“In life, I will encounter tribulations, like sparks in the sky. But as for me, I will look to God and commit my affairs to Him.”

After sending away his young son and his partner who had originally hoped to grow old together, he is also facing retirement after working at China Guangdong for 20 years. Looking at her old age with no money left, Mother Yang could only pray to God to lead the way forward. After much consideration, she decided to pack her bags, leave the sad land of Taiwan, and temporarily settle down with her daughter in the United States.

New York opens a new page in life

In the early spring of 1986, Yang’s mother settled in New York. She was thankful that God had given her a strong body and was determined not to be afraid of hardship. One day while praying, the Lord’s comfort came to my mind:"Though there may be trouble in this world, yet in me there is peace." (Refer to John 16:33)She knelt down on the spot and determined to dedicate the rest of her life to God's use.

When she first arrived, Yang’s mother helped take care of her grandson and went to the church with her daughter and son-in-law to attend worship services on Sundays. Later, he answered the phone at the church's sister real estate company, began to live independently, and held meetings at the nearby Boen Hall of the Chinese Mission Association. By joining the choir, Mrs. Yang began to learn to serve. The warmth of a spiritual family helped her to sweep away the loneliness in her heart.

She did not dare to expect a job, but what God prepared for her was grace that her eyes had not seen, her ears had not heard, and her heart had not imagined. At the invitation of a brother doctor in the church, Ms. Yang began to work full-time in his clinic. Her life became more stable and abundant. She was extremely grateful to God.

Later, when the church established a study room, the pastor named her as a co-worker. A few years later, I heard that a clinic attached to a clothing factory in Manhattan needed an interpreter. Drawing on his past experience in clinic work, Hongxiang enthusiastically helped patients and doctors achieve proper communication. Not only did she establish a special friendship with them, but her kindness and love in Christ left an excellent impression on everyone.

▲For Yang Honghongxiang, being able to still run for the Lord in his old age is not only a grace, but also a great honor!

The birth of "Witnesses Like Clouds"

Brother Lin and his wife, who ardently love the Lord, have long hoped to deliver the gospel to the community through radio, but they could not find the right person. One day while chatting with Yang's mother, Brother Lin suddenly realized that the senior broadcaster in front of him was the perfect candidate they had been waiting for for a long time. After praying on Easter morning in 1990, Mother Yang, in collaboration with her co-workers, began to transmit the first on-air gospel program in Chinese, "Morning of Glory", on New York's Overseas Chinese Radio Station.

"Morning of Glory" aroused great response in the community and aroused the unanimous support of brothers and sisters, so the "Born Communication Center" was established. Ms. Ding, a listener who accidentally heard the broadcast, responded: "I have never heard a gospel program before, and I accepted it very well." Later, this woman was not only baptized and became a Christian, but also used the program content to spread the gospel. She said, "I just told my family what I heard from Mama Yang." Even when she called back to the mainland, Sister Ding did not forget to tell her friends about her testimony!

With the fixed time broadcast every Saturday, "Witnesses Gathering" also came into being. "Gathering of Testimonies" is a written version of the gospel broadcast. It is written from testimonial stories and printed into leaflets. It is distributed in weekly folders to various churches and published in Chinese newspapers every Wednesday. Both the Gospel Broadcast and "Testimonies Gathering" are sincere and touching testimonies of believers' salvation. They not only inspire Christians, but also transform the lives of many unbelievers, including Chinese-American felons in New York's Upstate Prison.

▲Thank God for bringing the clouds of witnesses, so that the weekly "Witnesses Gathering" has never opened its doors.

Unintentionally planting willows to create shade

After reading the "Witness Column" in the newspaper, Ah Hao, who was sentenced to seventy-five years to life in prison, took the initiative to write to Yang's mother to find out the truth of the Christian faith. By sending letters back and forth, she instilled God's words into Ahao's heart word by word, and even visited him in prison in person. Mother Yang's kind care as a teacher and mother made Ah Hao go from doubt to belief. In a personal reply letter from Ahao, he mentioned:"Since I went to prison, many relatives and friends have abandoned me, and even my favorite girlfriend has left... Now except writing to you, Mother Yang, I have nowhere to write. I can't wait to pour out all the pain in my heart to you. Every day The first time I received your letter, my heart was filled with joy."

Because of the visit to Ah Hao, other Chinese inmates in the same prison gradually accepted visits, which was the prelude to future prison care ministries. What they can't figure out is: when their relatives and friends are trying their best to stay away from each other and break away from each other, how can there be people who are not relatives but not friends who are willing to carry bags of food, Bibles and spiritual books? Come to visit from afar? Mother Yang prayed to God for them before leaving, which often moved many of the prisoners to tears.

From one Ahao to over a hundred inmates, from one prison to five, from Mama Yang and co-workers of "Communication" to a prison ministry team composed of members from different churches, relying on God who gives strength, serving more than Ten summers and colds. Seeing the young men imprisoned for a momentary mistake, Yang's mother was deeply moved and determined to bring the love of Christ to these misguided prodigals.

Since most of the sentences last for decades or even nearly a century, Chinese-American felons have long been lacking care and isolated from the outside world. Mother Yang’s constant greetings through letters became their spiritual food and spiritual sustenance. She was greatly comforted by the sincerity and repentance in her replies, signed "Children of Your Lord." No matter how busy she is in the service, Mama Yang always answers her letters and comes with the leaflet "Clouds of Testimonies" to strengthen her faith that bears first fruit.

▲Yang Honghongxiang hopes that he will do his best to fulfill his mission in his limited life, and when he meets the Lord in the future, he will hear the Lord say: "You are a good and faithful servant!"

Yang’s mother spreads love in prison

Yang’s mother said frankly that what the inmates need most when facing a long period of imprisonment is hope and love. In addition to reading the Bible and praying with them, Mrs. Yang and her team of co-workers shared their life experiences without reservation, treating them like family members by greeting them, chatting about everyday things, and bringing them closer together with true love.

Preaching the gospel to prisoners requires courage and confidence. Some people had a tough attitude at first, but after long-term loving care, they finally nodded and decided to be baptized. Some even took theology correspondence courses in prison. From not knowing ABC to being able to write and communicate in English, and being determined to preach the gospel, Yang’s mother was deeply inspired by such a radical change. At every graduation ceremony for the in-prison further education courses, Mrs. Yang and her co-workers are honored to attend as "family members" to cheer for these "reborn" children.

Many inmates maintained close contact with Yang's mother after they were released from prison because of their deep friendships. With the assistance of the prison pastor, she led newly released prisoners to live in a halfway house and start over. Some of them could not stand the temptation after being released from prison and fell back into their old ways. Mother Yang always entrusted them to God through prayer. She quoted the apostle Paul:"I planted, Apollos watered, but the Lord gave the growth." (1 Corinthians 3:6)

Recently, due to her advanced age, Yang’s mother has been less involved in prison ministry, but her heart is always connected with her co-workers and inmates.

The grace of five loaves and two fishes

For more than 20 years, "Witnesses Gathering" has been published every week, fifty-two weeks a year. With a circulation of 2,500 copies per week, Chinese people in North America, Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia can enjoy rich spiritual food. Sometimes the mail is late, and someone will impatiently ask: "Has the spiritual food arrived?"

Yang’s mother confessed: “Every seven days, we must provide a testimony of a real person and a true story. This cannot be fabricated at will. If no one shares it, the consequences will be very serious.” Sometimes she can’t find a testimony, and when she sees the broadcast, she has to open the skylight and pray to God. Always supplied in time, bringing a cloud of witnesses to Mother Yang.

At the beginning, we obtained the consent of Taipei's "Cosmic Light" magazine and used the magazine's testimonies to produce radio programs. At the same time, we solicited Christians from all over to provide personal life experiences. Relying on prayer, supplication and entrustment, the words of the Bible strengthened Yang’s mother’s faith. For more than twenty years, the experience of five loaves and two fishes made her completely believe in the power from heaven. She said firmly: "As long as we serve God, God will definitely provide us with whatever we need!"

My beloved son believed in the Lord before his sick bed

Trusting God is never easy, and the sky is always blue. As the ministry continued to move forward, when Yang’s mother was eighty years old, she received a call from her daughter at the Bonn Communication Center: her eldest son, who was only fifty-seven years old, was suffering from terminal liver cancer, and the doctor diagnosed him with only three months to live. Mother Yang's heart was filled with grief and confusion, like waves churning. How can you be embarrassed to face the grief of a white-haired person leaving a black-haired person again in your later years?

But God’s arm is always with those who mourn. As an elderly mother, what she could do was too limited. She could only pray earnestly to God to take away the pain in her son’s body so that he could pass the last journey of his life peacefully. Mother Yang’s tears wet her clothes and she knelt on her knees. She couldn't afford it, so she confessed her pain to the God who loved her...

A brother understood her concern and made a special trip to lead Yang’s mother’s eldest son to accept the salvation of Jesus Christ on the sick bed. On September 1, 2006, he passed away peacefully without any pain or struggle. If we don’t rely on God, how can we overcome the grief of losing loved ones one after another? Because she looked up to the cross, Yang’s mother faced it with faith. Knowing that God is love, she knew that God would be with her even when she was at her lowest point.

offer yourself as a living sacrifice

Mother Yang only began to participate in gospel ministry in her golden years. She is very busy and grateful. She quoted Pastor Yuan Zhiming’s words: “Since God has given us the ability to serve, we must serve others.” Over the years of service, Mrs. Yang has deeply experienced the sublimation of her relationship with God and people. For her, being able to still run for the Lord in her old age is not only a grace, but also a great honor in life.

As for the co-workers who are always around her, Mrs. Yang is even more impressed. These brothers and sisters who are purely volunteers have different backgrounds, but because they share the same love for God, they tolerate and accept each other. Their sentiment is not to be praised by others, but to save lost souls. This is another factor that makes the Bonn Center continue to this day.

Mother Yang confessed that the secret to serving God is to rely on the work of your knees, kneel down with piety, and look up with faith, just like Zechariah 4:8:“It is not relying on strength, not relying on ability, but relying on the Spirit of the Lord.”Even at the age of eighty-six, she still prayed on her knees with faith and trembling every day, asking God to provide all her needs. I hope that in my limited life, I will do my best to do the things entrusted by God. She has nothing else to desire in her heart, she just wants to hear the Lord say to her on the day she meets the Lord: "You good and faithful servant, come in and enjoy my banquet!"

Trusting God makes a world of difference in life. Mother Yang not only lives a long and healthy life, but also lacks nothing in everything. Today, my daughter and son-in-law are both God-fearing Christians, and my youngest son and his wife’s family are also devoted to the Lord, and even participated in the layout design of the bound edition of “Clouds of Testimonies”. All of this is the grace of God.

The serene expression under her cloud-like silver hair witnessed the contentment and joy of the Lord’s presence. After riding through the storms of the mortal world, this elder had already offered herself up as a living sacrifice. She said in a determined tone: “Don’t be afraid, just believe.” ! If you love the Lord steadfastly, you will surely win!"

Journalist profile

Weiwei Zhou is from Taiwan and now lives in New York. She is a bilingual teacher in public schools. Even though he is busy with family, work and church, he still devotes himself to writing and enjoys the moments of connecting with the source of life during creation.