On May 13, two churches in Linfen and Houma City, Shanxi, held memorial services for a dedicated deaconess and a sister in Christ, respectively.
Cheng Yumei was a deaconess at Matthew's Pastures Church in Yao Du District, Linfen, and served at the reception point in Lingang District No. 2 since her baptism in 1996. Cheng came to Christ at a young age and passed away at the age of 90 years old. After various Bible trainings, she became a preacher and began to preach at Sunday services. When she saw that there was no gathering place for the congregation, she opened her home as an activity point for believers to pray, worship, and study the Bible. At its peak, more than 20 people came to the meetings. Cheng's husband and children were supportive and joined her in ministry. This continued until 2018 when the meeting point had a new place to meet.
Alongside her co-workers who serve at the meeting place, Cheng often visited the elderly, sick, and weak members to give them support and encouragement. Even in her old age, Cheng insisted on reading the Bible, taking notes every day, and praying for the ministry and members of the church until the last moment of her life.
Our elderly sister in Christ, Hao Fengqin, was a member of Nanshangguan Church in Houma City. She passed away on May 8 at the age of 89. Her husband was an elder in the Houma church and had been with the Lord for more than 20 years. The couple was active in the ministry of the church and adopted more than ten handicapped orphans.
Before Hao's conversion, she was weak and often fell ill. In 1985, a believer took her to a church meeting in the neighboring village of Xicheng. At the meeting, she understood the word of God, and her health improved greatly as she received the guidance and healing of the Holy Spirit. So, Hao decided to come to Christ and be baptized. After she shared her true story with her husband and neighbors, her husband also became a Christian and resigned from his official position at the local custody and repatriation center to serve in the church. The couple continued to pray and evangelize the other villagers, and when more than 100 villagers came to faith, Nanshangguan Church was established. Many members offered financial support to build a new chapel, and many seekers came to Christ and were baptized.
Despite living in poverty, Hao adopted and raised more than ten handicapped orphans after coming to Christ, and one of these children has even graduated from a seminary.
(This article was written by a special contributor to the Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Joyce Leung
5月13日，山西省临汾市和侯马市的教会分别为教会里的2个热心服侍的女执事和女信徒做追思礼拜。
临汾市尧都区教会马太牧场临钢二区接待点的程玉梅执事，在世九十年。她在年轻时信主，1996年受洗归主名下，此后一直在临钢二区活动点服侍。多次参加圣经培训后，她成为传道员，做讲道服侍。当看到信徒没有地方聚会时，她就把自己的家奉献作为活动点，接待信徒祷告、学圣经、做礼拜。最多时来聚会的有二十多人，她的丈夫和儿女也很支持，一起参与服侍。一直持续到2018年，教会有了新的礼拜场所。
她还和聚会点点上的同工经常看望年老的、患病的和软弱的肢体，进行劝勉和鼓励。在年老体衰之时，她也坚持每天读经，写读书笔记，为教会的圣工和基督徒代祷，直到生命最后一刻。
郝凤琴老姊妹是侯马南上官教会信徒，5月8日安息主怀，在世89岁。其丈夫是侯马教会的长老，被主接去已有二十多年。夫妻二人服侍教会，还收养了十多名孤残儿童。
郝信主以前体弱多病，1985年教会信徒带着她去邻村西城教会参加聚会，其间明白了神的话语，得到圣灵的引导和医治，身体明显好转，于是决然受洗归主。此后她把自己的亲身经历，讲给了丈夫和邻舍听。此后丈夫也信了主，辞去收容遣送站的公职在教会服侍。夫妻二人不断祷告，在本村福传，信主人数增至100余人，成立了南上官教会。众多基督徒奉献建起了礼拜堂，同时也有不少慕道友受洗归主。
她蒙恩归主后，在自己家庭十分匮乏的情况下，相继收养抚育了被遗弃的十多名孤残儿童，其中一位还上了神学。
注：本文作者为福音时报特约撰稿人。
追念安息主怀的两位老仆人
On May 13, two churches in Linfen and Houma City, Shanxi, held memorial services for a dedicated deaconess and a sister in Christ, respectively.
Cheng Yumei was a deaconess at Matthew's Pastures Church in Yao Du District, Linfen, and served at the reception point in Lingang District No. 2 since her baptism in 1996. Cheng came to Christ at a young age and passed away at the age of 90 years old. After various Bible trainings, she became a preacher and began to preach at Sunday services. When she saw that there was no gathering place for the congregation, she opened her home as an activity point for believers to pray, worship, and study the Bible. At its peak, more than 20 people came to the meetings. Cheng's husband and children were supportive and joined her in ministry. This continued until 2018 when the meeting point had a new place to meet.
Alongside her co-workers who serve at the meeting place, Cheng often visited the elderly, sick, and weak members to give them support and encouragement. Even in her old age, Cheng insisted on reading the Bible, taking notes every day, and praying for the ministry and members of the church until the last moment of her life.
Our elderly sister in Christ, Hao Fengqin, was a member of Nanshangguan Church in Houma City. She passed away on May 8 at the age of 89. Her husband was an elder in the Houma church and had been with the Lord for more than 20 years. The couple was active in the ministry of the church and adopted more than ten handicapped orphans.
Before Hao's conversion, she was weak and often fell ill. In 1985, a believer took her to a church meeting in the neighboring village of Xicheng. At the meeting, she understood the word of God, and her health improved greatly as she received the guidance and healing of the Holy Spirit. So, Hao decided to come to Christ and be baptized. After she shared her true story with her husband and neighbors, her husband also became a Christian and resigned from his official position at the local custody and repatriation center to serve in the church. The couple continued to pray and evangelize the other villagers, and when more than 100 villagers came to faith, Nanshangguan Church was established. Many members offered financial support to build a new chapel, and many seekers came to Christ and were baptized.
Despite living in poverty, Hao adopted and raised more than ten handicapped orphans after coming to Christ, and one of these children has even graduated from a seminary.
(This article was written by a special contributor to the Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Joyce Leung
In Memory of Two Elderly Servants Now Resting in the Lord's Arms
