"In a remote village in Kunming, Yunnan, there is a special choir consisting of people of all age groups, from teenagers to people in their 60s and 70s."
A program launched by Phoenix Television on March 17 told the story of "the choir of Meng'en Miao Church in a Yunnan village". It was shot last winter.
In the beginning scene of the second episode, the crew of C'est La Vie entered the home of an elderly believer in Dapingtan Village, Wuhua District, Kunming. The room was a little dark and there was an open fire pit on the ground. They talked as they walked, saying that the family was preparing for the celebration. Speaking in a dialect, the old woman told visitors that there was on the second floor plenty of corn from last harvest and showed it to them. Her son said the family lived on raising chickens and pigs. She told stories of her family, and how all her ancestors had believed in the Lord.
The brother showed visitors his father's old pedal organ, which his father had used to serve in the church. He said that when he was in the fourth or fifth grade in primary school, the cost of buying an organ was 200 yuan, almost a year's income for his family. His family sold a cow, which was worth 1,500 yuan, for him to buy a new organ and learn to play it. They carried out the organ and played for a while.
He recalled the old school days when his family had to borrow money to get through hard times and he had to have a corn meal at school. There were only two junior high school students in the village, and they were the most educated people in the village. He was a little sad because many of his classmates had gone to school together, but most of them had dropped out halfway.
They looked at the old pictures. Years later, new houses had been built in the village, and the brother's eldest son had already graduated from the seminary. Thanks to their faith on God, the whole family has always had harmonious relationships even though they had lived a hard life.
The picture then changes. Pastor Wang Ziwen had driven the sheep back. He shared that the family had been believing since his grandfather's generation, so he was a third generation believer. During special times, they could not worship God publicly, so instead they sang and prayed in their hearts. He began to organize gatherings in late 1979 and early 1980 after the policy of religious freedom was administered.
"LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! Or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!" Faith in the Lord Jesus is just enough, and everything can be satisfied. As one old believer was singing, she beamed with joy as she spoke of her faith in God. She had joined the choir since she was six years old.
The church's Christmas gratitude service was about to start. So everyone got ready and set out. The church people lined up on both sides and welcomed people to the celebration.
Pastor Zhang Shaohui shared that in 1906, the Gospel was brought to the Miao area by missionaries from the Chinese mainland, and the church celebrated the first autumn harvest Thanksgiving that year. At that time, believers from the surrounding churches came to celebrate together. Pastor Zhang recalled the prosperous time when the faithful devotedly provide for the preacher, which was very touching. They carried grain, potatoes and corn on their backs as they went to church for the feast and celebration.
"At that time, there was no Miao Bible, so the preachers first used the Chinese Bible to preach. They told parables in order to spread the Gospel. Then they combined parables with the stories and legends which were well known to Miao people. Many Miao people felt that some of the stories were so similar to the history of their own culture, so they immediately accepted the Gospel." Zhang said.
In the kitchen, the co-workers sang impromptu songs, potatoes were baked in the fireplace and buns were steamed in a pot on the stove. The vegetable-washers, meat-cutters, and other co-workers who were serving randomly sang hymns. “The river of life, the river of joy, flows slowly into my heart...”During the gathering, they cooked meals together and enjoyed a love feast.
In the end, the team filmed the scene of the Christmas thanksgiving service, the pastor's prayer, other activity scenes and the singing scene. The story of a special church choir had been told in all its fullness.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
凤凰卫视《冷暖人生》栏目走进云南苗族蒙恩堂唱诗班（下）
“在云南昆明一个偏僻的村落，有着一个拥有上至花甲古稀的老人、下至十几岁孩童组成的特别诗班。”《冷暖人生》栏目组继续讲述着苗族蒙恩堂唱诗班的故事，它拍摄于2019年冬天。
画面开始，栏目组人员走进了一位老信徒家，房间里有些黑，地上有火塘，他们边走边交谈，说家里正准备过节。老奶奶说着方言，告诉来访者二楼有丰收时的玉米，并指引他们上去看。她的儿子说，这个家庭靠养鸡和猪来生活。她讲述了家里的情况，祖辈都信主，还翻出赞美诗，顺时唱了起来。
弟兄给客人看了父亲用过的脚踏风琴，曾用它在教会里服侍，他说那时自己读小学四五年级，买风琴的费用是200元，差不多是家里一年的收入。他们抬出风琴，弹了一会儿。他继续分享，后来家里为了让他学琴买琴，还卖过一头牛，那时一头牛价值1500元。
他回忆起了上学的时光，家里要借钱，吃的就把玉米面带到学校。那时整个村子只有两个初中生，这已经是最有文化的人了。他有些难过，因为那时一起读书的同学很多，但大部分都辍学了。
他们看起了照片，多年后，村里已经建起了新式小洋房，弟兄的大儿子已经神学院毕业。由于信主，整个家庭一直很和谐。
画面一转，王子文牧师赶羊回来，他分享，家里自爷爷辈就开始信主，他是第三代信徒。在特殊时期，他们只是暗暗地做信徒，在心里默默唱诗和祷告。宗教信仰自由政策落实后，1979年末和1980年初，他开始带领大家聚会。
“耶和华，人算什么，你竟顾念他，世人算什么，你竟顾念他……”只有信主耶稣，凡事都能满足。一位老信徒唱着唱着，说到信仰时满脸的喜乐，她6岁开始就参加了唱诗班。
教会的圣诞节感恩崇拜到了，大家整装出发，教会的人排成两边，欢迎前来过节的人。
张绍辉牧师分享，1906年，福音由内地会传教士带入苗族地区，教会就有了秋收感恩节，那时周边教会的信徒都过来，一起庆祝。张牧师回忆起了那时的盛况，信徒们都奉献，供应传道人的生活，他们各自背着粮食、土豆和玉米，一起到教会过节。
“那时没有苗文圣经，教会最早用寓道故事，结合汉文圣经进行讲道，之后还结合了苗族的故事与传说，不少苗族人觉得一些故事和本民族的经历相似，一下子就接受了福音。”张牧师说。
在后厨里，同工们即兴而唱，火塘里烤着土豆、灶上锅里蒸着馒头。摘菜、剁肉及其他服侍的同工们也是随口就来，唱起了赞美诗。”生命的河，喜乐的河，缓缓流进我的心窝……”。聚会之余，他们一起做饭食，享受爱宴。
最后，栏目组拍摄了圣诞感恩崇拜现场、牧师的祷告、活动现场以及唱诗的场景，一个教会唱诗班的故事就此讲完了。
"In a remote village in Kunming, Yunnan, there is a special choir consisting of people of all age groups, from teenagers to people in their 60s and 70s."
A program launched by Phoenix Television on March 17 told the story of "the choir of Meng'en Miao Church in a Yunnan village". It was shot last winter.
In the beginning scene of the second episode, the crew of C'est La Vie entered the home of an elderly believer in Dapingtan Village, Wuhua District, Kunming. The room was a little dark and there was an open fire pit on the ground. They talked as they walked, saying that the family was preparing for the celebration. Speaking in a dialect, the old woman told visitors that there was on the second floor plenty of corn from last harvest and showed it to them. Her son said the family lived on raising chickens and pigs. She told stories of her family, and how all her ancestors had believed in the Lord.
The brother showed visitors his father's old pedal organ, which his father had used to serve in the church. He said that when he was in the fourth or fifth grade in primary school, the cost of buying an organ was 200 yuan, almost a year's income for his family. His family sold a cow, which was worth 1,500 yuan, for him to buy a new organ and learn to play it. They carried out the organ and played for a while.
He recalled the old school days when his family had to borrow money to get through hard times and he had to have a corn meal at school. There were only two junior high school students in the village, and they were the most educated people in the village. He was a little sad because many of his classmates had gone to school together, but most of them had dropped out halfway.
They looked at the old pictures. Years later, new houses had been built in the village, and the brother's eldest son had already graduated from the seminary. Thanks to their faith on God, the whole family has always had harmonious relationships even though they had lived a hard life.
The picture then changes. Pastor Wang Ziwen had driven the sheep back. He shared that the family had been believing since his grandfather's generation, so he was a third generation believer. During special times, they could not worship God publicly, so instead they sang and prayed in their hearts. He began to organize gatherings in late 1979 and early 1980 after the policy of religious freedom was administered.
"LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! Or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!" Faith in the Lord Jesus is just enough, and everything can be satisfied. As one old believer was singing, she beamed with joy as she spoke of her faith in God. She had joined the choir since she was six years old.
The church's Christmas gratitude service was about to start. So everyone got ready and set out. The church people lined up on both sides and welcomed people to the celebration.
Pastor Zhang Shaohui shared that in 1906, the Gospel was brought to the Miao area by missionaries from the Chinese mainland, and the church celebrated the first autumn harvest Thanksgiving that year. At that time, believers from the surrounding churches came to celebrate together. Pastor Zhang recalled the prosperous time when the faithful devotedly provide for the preacher, which was very touching. They carried grain, potatoes and corn on their backs as they went to church for the feast and celebration.
"At that time, there was no Miao Bible, so the preachers first used the Chinese Bible to preach. They told parables in order to spread the Gospel. Then they combined parables with the stories and legends which were well known to Miao people. Many Miao people felt that some of the stories were so similar to the history of their own culture, so they immediately accepted the Gospel." Zhang said.
In the kitchen, the co-workers sang impromptu songs, potatoes were baked in the fireplace and buns were steamed in a pot on the stove. The vegetable-washers, meat-cutters, and other co-workers who were serving randomly sang hymns. “The river of life, the river of joy, flows slowly into my heart...”During the gathering, they cooked meals together and enjoyed a love feast.
In the end, the team filmed the scene of the Christmas thanksgiving service, the pastor's prayer, other activity scenes and the singing scene. The story of a special church choir had been told in all its fullness.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
Yunnan Miao Church Choir's Singing Gift: Part 2
