Hold the kite tightly to keep the string
▲Elder Zheng Qinli and his beloved wife Zheng Qiaoping are dedicated to serving. (Photography by Zhang Shaoqi)
As night fell, this big boy, who had been cared for by his parents in his hometown, had just fallen into a swamp hole and was soaked all over. One foot was deep and the other was shallow, and he was struggling to drive along the mountain road.
Arriving at the Rio Grande on the border between Mexico and the United States, suddenly lights flashed in the distance, and the smuggler quickly told everyone to stop and hide in the bushes. Patrol officers searched the area for a long time and fired shots in the air. He held his breath and waited until the footsteps faded away, then followed the snake head and continued on the road.
Along the river, through the tunnel, and lying down in a cornfield waiting. A convertible came to pick them up. The smuggler shouted "Come on!" The big boy followed other stowaways and scrambled to climb into the car. The howling night wind in August rushes into the damp clothes. Why are immigrants so miserable? …
Standing on the streets of New York, you can hear the strong Fuzhou accent from all directions. How many Fuzhou people are pursuing their dreams in this "Big Apple" city? Three hundred thousand? Half a million? No one can give accurate figures. Turning over many lives, page after page unfolds the horror of smuggling as mentioned above, the bitterness of working illegally in a restaurant, the helplessness of several failed applications for political asylum... a story of falling from the dreamy clouds to the abyss of misery.
“He comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those who are in any kind of trouble with the comfort that God has given us.” (2 Corinthians 1:4)Elder Zheng Qinli of the "Siloam Blessing" fellowship looked back on the past and performed a similar version. However, when he was at a low point in his life, he saw in a prayer vision: He was rowing a boat anxiously in the fast river, not knowing how to reach the shore? When he raised his eyes, he saw God waiting on the other side, lovingly letting him know: "I will be with you!" This is the love of God that He wants to pass on to those in need.
heavy piece of paper
The most important thing for new immigrants is to adjust their status and apply for residence. The most common way is to seek political asylum because it is cheaper and easier to forge. Although China has recently made continuous efforts to improve human rights, the number of cases seeking political asylum on the grounds of "religious persecution" has continued unabated. Due to the turmoil, the number of people in churches has skyrocketed, and many of them come here to obtain a certificate of "attending church and being baptized." I heard that some churches in New York charge fees for baptism, issuing certificates, and appearing in court.
In recent years, the "Siloam Blessing" in New York has grown rapidly, with more than a hundred people baptized each time, and it has become a good story. The reporter called Elder Zheng Qinli, who is in charge of the fellowship, to verify this matter. He painfully pointed out that if the church does not put God first, it will go astray! However, if a God-fearing church closes its doors to new immigrants, it will also force them into places where fake documents are sold. What a dilemma!
In 2006, Zheng Qinli went door-to-door in New Jersey to visit more than a hundred Chinese restaurants within a fifteen-minute drive of the church, and finally managed to invite fifteen people to attend the meeting. Elder Zheng said that nowadays God has created an environment. When the church door is opened, young people will automatically flock in without any need to take any measures. He emphasized that God is in power in every era and brings people to the church through circumstances. He challenged whether God's servants can face these new immigrants with God's heart.
Among the fifteen members of the first generation, some came to the church for a piece of certificate and are now core co-workers, zealous for the Lord. Elder Zheng already knew God when he applied for status and did not want to bring the Lord’s name to court and dishonor His name. However, he said emotionally: "I have also been a sojourner in the land of Egypt, and I know the heart of a sojourner!" (Refer to Exodus 23:9) He will naturally develop an understanding and sympathy for those compatriots who have had the same experience.
Out of love, Elder Zheng once testified in court for others. When those who received status shouted "Hallelujah!" and glorified God, he was so happy that tears filled his eyes. He is even more gratified by those who see God as more precious and who continue to love the Lord even if their applications are not approved. All services in the church are free of charge. If anyone asks for money in exchange for certificates or to appear in court, Elder Zheng Qinli will rebuke him face to face. He also solemnly warns his co-workers that anyone who charges money will report it to the Immigration Bureau.
wheat? Tares?
How to tell whether people who come to church are motivated by pursuing the truth or have ulterior motives? Who is the wheat and who is the tares? How to remove the tares so that the nutrients are not eaten up? This is an issue that the co-workers of "Siloam Blessing" have struggled with and often discussed, even heatedly debated.
When a servant of the Kingdom of Heaven saw tares growing in a field, he went to ask his master:"Do you want us to gather them out?" The master replied, "No, otherwise we will gather up the tares and pull out the wheat as well. Let these two grow together until they are harvested." (Refer to Matthew 13:29-30)God prevents his servants from pulling up the tares, waiting for His righteous judgment. Elder Zheng expects that he and his co-workers will be the waiters and waitresses in God’s restaurant. It is their responsibility to entertain and feed the guests who come to the church with God’s words. Elder Zheng Qinli pointed out sincerely that new immigrants pour into the church with their own needs, just like the strings of a kite placed in the hands of the church. Do you cut it off with a knife, or hold it carefully and lead them step by step to approach and know the Lord?