Editor's note: Baoji, China's northern Shaanxi Province experienced an epidemic storm during this March. Recently, Sister Jing, who went through a 14-day quarantine at home during the COVID-19 outbreak, shared her story.
Below is her testimony in the first person.
"If it weren't for the Lord being with me every day, how could I, a weak woman, withstand this pandemic storm. If the Lord hadn't sheltered me and my family, how could we be safe and sound in the pandemic storm? Thank you, Lord. Your grace is sufficient for me."
Born in 1971, I am in my early fifties this year. When I was 20, I came to Baoji to visit my father, who took me to Shengli Road Church and made me get baptized into Christ. My hometown is in a village over 60 kilometers north of Baoji. My father worked in a factory in Baoji, while my mother led the family by farming, and raised me and three younger brothers and sisters, which was a hard life. My mother got a serious illness when she was nearly 40, and the family burden suddenly fell on me, a 15-year-old girl. My father’s salary was used to treat my mother and buy medicine, with only a little money left. I had to drop out of school to grow and sell vegetables, and help my mother take care of my younger brothers and sisters.
Later, when I grew up, I got married early in order to reduce the family burden and had three children. Forced by the hard life, I came to Baoji alone to find working opportunities in 2000. I rented a booth at Baoji Farmers Market and started a small business selling vegetables. I got up at 4: 00 am every morning, and quickly drove my tricycle in the dark to the vegetable farmers to collect vegetables. Then I went to the Farmer Market before 8:00 am to start selling. I would return home at noon for lunch, then go back to the market, and arrive at home after 10:00 PM.
As I slept very little every night and had to work 17-18 hours a day, I didn't participate in a specific fellowship service in my church, but only had time to attend some annual Christmas and Easter cultural programs and performances organized by the church district.
But for every Sunday worship service, I would give up the opportunity to make the most profit and go to the church to attend it. I often blamed myself for not being able to attend church service every day, but I love my Lord, and He never blames His children.
During the pandemic this March, it was the Lord who accompanied me and my family through the lockdown period at home...
On March 8th, our whole family was quarantined at home for 14 days due to a pandemic infection case in the China Resources Supermarket where my daughter worked two days ago.
Around 6:00 pm on March 8th, my cell phone rang suddenly. My daughter cried and said, "Mom, please come back home. The pandemic prevention personnel wanted me to be quarantined at an assembly site, and I don't want it!" On my way home, I prayed to God as I walked. “Lord, please don't let my child leave me for quarantine. Although she is a grown-up, she is still a child who has never left home! I know that no one can help me at that moment, so I can only pray to you ...”
As soon as my husband and I got home, my daughter jumped on us and hugged us and cried. She said that she didn't want to go to the quarantine site and that the mutated virus was particularly severe. She was afraid of being infected on the bus to the assembly site. I was anxious to pray to the Lord again in my heart.
After the prayer, I comforted my daughter and asked her to be not afraid as it is just collective quarantine. My daughter cried and said, "I'm not infected now, but who can guarantee that I won't be infected on the bus? There are so many people on the bus. I am scared." I said, “Don’t be afraid. We have God, and He is with you wherever you are.”
After my daughter packed her luggage, the whole family sat on the sofa and waited quietly. When it was almost 9:00 pm, the telephone rang. "Are you Pu Huan? There are too many people on the bus today. We will pick you up tomorrow morning." Thank God! God heard my prayer just now. I'm still grateful to let my daughter sleep at home even one more night.
Then I told her to pray sincerely. "God will hear your cry, and He will protect you." In a bad mood, she replied to me with a runaround. I went back to my bedroom, and continued to pray silently with my husband on our knees. At that time, I had only one faith. “God, whether my daughter is quarantined at home or at the assembly site, please bless her and keep her safe. If possible, God, please let her stay at home for quarantine, instead of at the assembly site.”
At 3:00 am, I woke up. I quickly moved to the living room and began to pray again. At 7:00 am, I cooked a meal for my daughter, and then sat on the sofa waiting for the bus to pick her up. At about 12:00 pm, the community worker called my daughter and said, "We discussed it. You just work in that supermarket, and had no close contact with the patient. So your whole family will be quarantined at home, and you don't need to go to the public site." When my daughter heard the news, she threw herself into my arms. "Mom, thank God! I don't have to leave home." At that time, I said to my husband and daughter, "We need to thank God. God does great things, but He even takes care of this trivial matter of our family."
In the afternoon, a sister saw my testimony in a WeChat group. She was moved and said, "Your testimony is really good. Let's pray for pandemic prevention and control all day long for 7 days in a row." From that night, we spontaneously took turns to have one-hour-long prayer for seven consecutive days.
In the home quarantine days, I woke up my whole family early every day and started praying at 6:00 am. After breakfast, I organized them to start reading the Bible. While reading God's word, my daughter and I took turns. After lunch, I would gather them in the living room, search for hymns on the Internet, and sing along to praise God.
Moreover, we had rotational prayer in the WeChat group every day. Everyone would remind the next to pray after they had finished praying. Some sisters would send their prayer audio clips to the group, which gives everyone confidence and the opportunity to learn from each other.
During the family quarantine days, medical staff would come to conduct nucleic acid testing every day.
On the seventh day, we had eaten up our food. On the ninth day, when a brother from the church called me, I told him our shortage of food. He said, "Don't worry, our church won't leave sisters and brothers quarantined at home shortage of food." In the afternoon, another brother brought food and vegetables to us.
When the seven-day prayer was over, I called for a second round in the group. On March 24th, the government news in the WeChat Moments finally said that Baoji society had been cleared of COVID-19 virus for several days, despite sporadic cases in the assembly sites. If it was well controlled, the lockdown would be gradually released from March 25th.
Thank God. My daughter has already gone to work now, and I have returned to the market selling vegetables. Now, I also hope that the church will resume the in-person meeting so that our whole family can worship God.
(The writer is a contributor for the Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
编者按：陕西宝鸡在今年的三月期间，经历了疫情风暴袭击。近日在疫情期间被隔离在家14天的景姊妹分享了自己的见证。
“要不是主与我天天同在，我一个弱女子怎能经得住这场疫情风暴；要不是主庇护了我及家人，我及家人怎能在疫情风暴中安然无恙。感谢主，主的恩典够我用。”景姊妹说。 下面是她做的见证。
我是1971年出生的，今年已五十出头了。我是在20岁的时候，一次来宝鸡市看望父亲，是父亲带我去胜利路教会，受洗信了主。我的老家，在离宝鸡60多公里以北的一个村子。我的父亲在宝鸡一家工厂上班，家里全靠母亲务农带领我及三个弟妹艰难度日。我的母亲在快40岁时得了一场大病，家里的重担一下子压在了只有15岁的我肩膀上。每月父亲把工资拿回家，除过给母亲看病抓药外剩不了几个钱。我只有辍学回家种菜卖菜，帮着母亲照顾弟妹。
后来我长大成人，为了减轻家里的负担早早成家结了婚，有了三个孩子。因生活的艰难所迫，我于2000年只身一人来到宝鸡闯生活。就在宝鸡农贸市场租了个摊位，做起了卖菜的小生意。我每天凌晨4点起床，赶忙开着三轮车摸黑到菜农地里去收菜。然后赶8点前到市农贸市场开始卖菜，中午回家吃了饭后又回到市场，到晚上10后才回家。
因为每天晚上睡觉的时间非常少，白天又要工作十七八小时。所以在我的教会没有参与具体团契服待，只是有时间了参加些教会片区组织的每年圣诞节、复活节的文艺节目和演出活动。
但每逢主日崇拜聚会这天，我会放弃最能卖菜赚钱的这一天，去教会参加主日崇拜聚会。但也常常为自己不能每天去教会参加侍奉而自责，但爱我们的神，祂从来就没有责怪过祂的儿女。
在今年三月份这次疫情中，是主陪伴我和我的家人度过被封控在家的那段日子吧……
今年的3月8日，我女儿因在一家超市上班，在前两天有个被感染患者，曾经去过她们华润超市买过东西的原故，从这天后我们全家被居家隔离了整整十四天。
3月8日下午6点左右吧，我突然手机电话响了，女儿哭着说：“妈妈你赶快回来吧。人家防疫人员要拉着我去集中隔离，我不想去啊！”在往家赶的路上，我边走边向神祷告说：主啊，求你别让我的孩子去隔离。她虽然成小大人了，可她还是从来没有离开过家的孩子啊！我知道此时此刻谁也帮不了我，我只有向你单单呼求……
我和他爸一到家门口，孩子见了扑上来抱着我们就哭。女儿说她不想去，说这次病毒是变异的，特别厉害。她怕在去的车上被感染。我在心里急着又一次向主祷告。
在向主祈求后我安慰女儿说，不要怕，只是集体隔离。女儿哭着说：“我现在没事，谁能保证我在车上不被感染，一辆车上拉那么多人想想都害怕。”我说，不要怕，咱们有神，无论在那里神与你同在。
把女儿要带的东西收实好后，我们全家坐在沙发上静静等待。等到晚上快九点的样子，电话铃声响了起来。“你是蒲欢吗？今天车上人太多坐不上，明天早上来接你吧。”感谢神，是神听了我刚才祈祷。能让娃在家多睡一晚也很感恩了。
我当时给娃说，你要好好祷告啊。神会听到你的呼求，祂会保护你的。娃没好心情的回了我一句说，“知道了。”我回卧室，拉上丈夫跪在床边继续默默祷告。我当时只有一个意念：神啊，无论我娃在家或者是被送去隔离，求你赐福给她，保守孩子平平安安。如果可行，神啊你让她留在家隔离，别被拉走去那陌生地隔离。
到了早上3点我醒了，赶紧起来挪到客厅又开始祷告。在7点给娃做好饭吃了，又坐在沙发上等人家来车拉娃。快12点的时侯，社区工作人员给女儿打来电话说，“我们商量了一下，你只是在那个超市上班，没有近距离接触那名患者，你们全家居家隔离，不用去集中隔离了。”当时我女儿听到这个消息后，一下子扑到我的怀里。“妈妈，感谢神！我不用去了。”当时，我对丈夫和女儿说：是得感谢神，神是做大事的神，祂竟连我们家这点事都管了。
当天下午，有位姊妹在微信群里看到我发的见证感言。她有感动说：“你家的见证真好，咱们为疫情防控做24小时的7天连续祷告吧。”我们从当天晚上，自发的开始了每人每天一个小时的接龙连续七天的守望祷告。
在这被封控在家的日子里，我每天早早把全家人叫起来，在6点钟就开始祷告。吃过早饭后，我就组织全家人开始读圣经。在读的时候，我和女儿轮流读。吃过午饭，我又会把大家召集在客厅，在网络上搜索到赞美诗歌，一块跟着唱诗赞美神。
还有一点，我们在微信群里的每天接力赛跑式的接龙祷告。每个人祷告结束后会提醒下一个接着祷告。有的姊妹在祷告时，还把自己的祷告内容同步一分钟一分钟发到群里，这给大家给了信心和相互学习提高的机会。
我们全家在举家隔离的日子里，每天有医护人员专人上门给我们做核酸检测。
到了被居家隔离的第七天，家里吃的菜也没有了。在被隔离后第9天，教会一弟兄打电话给我，我告诉他我家没有菜吃了。郭弟兄后说：“你别急，咱们教会不会让在家隔离的姊妹弟兄没有菜吃。”下午，另外一个弟兄给我家送来了了菜。
每天24小时七天的连续接龙祷告已满；我在小组群里继续呼召第二轮的24小时7天链索祷告。到了3月24日，终于看到朋友圈里发的政府消息说，除过集中隔离区还有零星患者被发现，宝鸡社会面已连续多天清零了。如果控制好的话，从3月25日开始逐步解封。
感谢神，女儿也已上班，我也回到菜市场开始了我的收菜卖菜生意。现在，我也期盼教会恢复实体聚会，好让我们全家去敬拜神。
（本文作者为福音时报特约撰稿人。）
被封控在家的那段日子， 是主陪伴我一家人平安度过！
Editor's note: Baoji, China's northern Shaanxi Province experienced an epidemic storm during this March. Recently, Sister Jing, who went through a 14-day quarantine at home during the COVID-19 outbreak, shared her story.
Below is her testimony in the first person.
"If it weren't for the Lord being with me every day, how could I, a weak woman, withstand this pandemic storm. If the Lord hadn't sheltered me and my family, how could we be safe and sound in the pandemic storm? Thank you, Lord. Your grace is sufficient for me."
Born in 1971, I am in my early fifties this year. When I was 20, I came to Baoji to visit my father, who took me to Shengli Road Church and made me get baptized into Christ. My hometown is in a village over 60 kilometers north of Baoji. My father worked in a factory in Baoji, while my mother led the family by farming, and raised me and three younger brothers and sisters, which was a hard life. My mother got a serious illness when she was nearly 40, and the family burden suddenly fell on me, a 15-year-old girl. My father’s salary was used to treat my mother and buy medicine, with only a little money left. I had to drop out of school to grow and sell vegetables, and help my mother take care of my younger brothers and sisters.
Later, when I grew up, I got married early in order to reduce the family burden and had three children. Forced by the hard life, I came to Baoji alone to find working opportunities in 2000. I rented a booth at Baoji Farmers Market and started a small business selling vegetables. I got up at 4: 00 am every morning, and quickly drove my tricycle in the dark to the vegetable farmers to collect vegetables. Then I went to the Farmer Market before 8:00 am to start selling. I would return home at noon for lunch, then go back to the market, and arrive at home after 10:00 PM.
As I slept very little every night and had to work 17-18 hours a day, I didn't participate in a specific fellowship service in my church, but only had time to attend some annual Christmas and Easter cultural programs and performances organized by the church district.
But for every Sunday worship service, I would give up the opportunity to make the most profit and go to the church to attend it. I often blamed myself for not being able to attend church service every day, but I love my Lord, and He never blames His children.
During the pandemic this March, it was the Lord who accompanied me and my family through the lockdown period at home...
On March 8th, our whole family was quarantined at home for 14 days due to a pandemic infection case in the China Resources Supermarket where my daughter worked two days ago.
Around 6:00 pm on March 8th, my cell phone rang suddenly. My daughter cried and said, "Mom, please come back home. The pandemic prevention personnel wanted me to be quarantined at an assembly site, and I don't want it!" On my way home, I prayed to God as I walked. “Lord, please don't let my child leave me for quarantine. Although she is a grown-up, she is still a child who has never left home! I know that no one can help me at that moment, so I can only pray to you ...”
As soon as my husband and I got home, my daughter jumped on us and hugged us and cried. She said that she didn't want to go to the quarantine site and that the mutated virus was particularly severe. She was afraid of being infected on the bus to the assembly site. I was anxious to pray to the Lord again in my heart.
After the prayer, I comforted my daughter and asked her to be not afraid as it is just collective quarantine. My daughter cried and said, "I'm not infected now, but who can guarantee that I won't be infected on the bus? There are so many people on the bus. I am scared." I said, “Don’t be afraid. We have God, and He is with you wherever you are.”
After my daughter packed her luggage, the whole family sat on the sofa and waited quietly. When it was almost 9:00 pm, the telephone rang. "Are you Pu Huan? There are too many people on the bus today. We will pick you up tomorrow morning." Thank God! God heard my prayer just now. I'm still grateful to let my daughter sleep at home even one more night.
Then I told her to pray sincerely. "God will hear your cry, and He will protect you." In a bad mood, she replied to me with a runaround. I went back to my bedroom, and continued to pray silently with my husband on our knees. At that time, I had only one faith. “God, whether my daughter is quarantined at home or at the assembly site, please bless her and keep her safe. If possible, God, please let her stay at home for quarantine, instead of at the assembly site.”
At 3:00 am, I woke up. I quickly moved to the living room and began to pray again. At 7:00 am, I cooked a meal for my daughter, and then sat on the sofa waiting for the bus to pick her up. At about 12:00 pm, the community worker called my daughter and said, "We discussed it. You just work in that supermarket, and had no close contact with the patient. So your whole family will be quarantined at home, and you don't need to go to the public site." When my daughter heard the news, she threw herself into my arms. "Mom, thank God! I don't have to leave home." At that time, I said to my husband and daughter, "We need to thank God. God does great things, but He even takes care of this trivial matter of our family."
In the afternoon, a sister saw my testimony in a WeChat group. She was moved and said, "Your testimony is really good. Let's pray for pandemic prevention and control all day long for 7 days in a row." From that night, we spontaneously took turns to have one-hour-long prayer for seven consecutive days.
In the home quarantine days, I woke up my whole family early every day and started praying at 6:00 am. After breakfast, I organized them to start reading the Bible. While reading God's word, my daughter and I took turns. After lunch, I would gather them in the living room, search for hymns on the Internet, and sing along to praise God.
Moreover, we had rotational prayer in the WeChat group every day. Everyone would remind the next to pray after they had finished praying. Some sisters would send their prayer audio clips to the group, which gives everyone confidence and the opportunity to learn from each other.
During the family quarantine days, medical staff would come to conduct nucleic acid testing every day.
On the seventh day, we had eaten up our food. On the ninth day, when a brother from the church called me, I told him our shortage of food. He said, "Don't worry, our church won't leave sisters and brothers quarantined at home shortage of food." In the afternoon, another brother brought food and vegetables to us.
When the seven-day prayer was over, I called for a second round in the group. On March 24th, the government news in the WeChat Moments finally said that Baoji society had been cleared of COVID-19 virus for several days, despite sporadic cases in the assembly sites. If it was well controlled, the lockdown would be gradually released from March 25th.
Thank God. My daughter has already gone to work now, and I have returned to the market selling vegetables. Now, I also hope that the church will resume the in-person meeting so that our whole family can worship God.
(The writer is a contributor for the Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
The Lord Accompanied My Family Through Lockdown Period
