By Zhong Zhen, China

Saturday, October 15, 2022, Sunny, Turning cloudy

Not long ago, Huaxi Church faced a large crackdown, and the leaders arranged for me to come and assist with the aftermath. Today after I arrived at Huaxi Church, Wang Ying took me to a host house and told me, “Many of our brothers, sisters, leaders and workers were arrested on September 26. Most of our homes are no longer safe; the police have the names and photographs of those of us who were not arrested, so it’s hard for us to show up for work.” My heart sank after hearing these words. I thought to myself, “I planned on going back as soon as my work here is done. But now I see that things here are much worse than I imagined. So many of our brothers, sisters, leaders and workers have been arrested; so many books of God’s words need to be moved. Finding a safe place won’t be easy right now, and on top of that, I have to discuss work arrangements with those whose safety is at risk. I never know when I’ll be watched and then arrested. The police are now nabbing believers like crazy. The way things are going, I’d be persecuted to death if I were arrested. If I were tortured to death by the police, wouldn’t I lose the opportunity to do my duty? How could I be saved then?” But then I thought that this environment had arisen under the sovereignty and arrangement of God. Guided by reason, I submitted to the circumstances and immediately began looking into the situation with the books of God’s words.

After Wang Ying left, the sister who hosted me told me that neither the books in her house nor those in a brother’s house had been moved, and that the brother had been arrested. As soon as I heard this, my heart tightened: Our brothers and sisters were arrested over 20 days ago, and these books of God’s words were still in unsafe places. If they were to fall into the hands of the police, the loss would be enormous. The books must be protected at all costs. But as soon as I thought about moving them myself, I became anxious. I remembered a sister who had been caught while transporting books and beaten to death by the police. What if I got caught while moving the books? The police would never let me go, and I would most likely get a heavy sentence. I might even be beaten to death. Wouldn’t that spell the end of my life as a believer in God? I was torn between my own future and the interests of God’s house. Pain and conflict surged through my heart. As a believer in God, I would be filled with self-reproach if I were to just stand by and do nothing while the books of God’s words remained in danger. So I quickly started discussing with the sister a place to store the books. But the environment here was hostile and we couldn’t think of a place that would be suitable. Seeing that the work was not progressing, it was as if a thousand-pound burden was weighing on my heart.

Monday, October 17, 2022, Cloudy

We discussed the work late into the night yesterday, so I ended up staying the night at Sister Song Yi’s home. This afternoon, Wang Ying came over, anxiously telling me, “There’s been an outbreak and the city was locked down last night. You can’t go back.” Hearing this, I became anxious. Dealing with the aftermath of the crackdown is already hard enough; now the plague has come and the city’s on lockdown. How will this work get done now that we’re facing such a double predicament? The plague is raging now; outside, patrols are going on everywhere. All checkpoints are strictly controlled. Even if I did find a safe place for the books, I wouldn’t be able to keep them safe if I were caught by the patrolling police while moving them. That would be an even greater loss. But I can’t just leave the books in unsafe places either. What should I do? My only hope is that the lockdown will be lifted soon and I can move the books as soon as possible.

Thursday, November 10, 2022, Overcast with rain

This morning, I anxiously looked out the window. On the street below, there was a long line of people getting PCR tests. I saw absolutely no sign that the lockdown was going to be lifted. Anxiously, I urged the sister hosting me to see if there was any other way out. Resignedly, she told me, “The plague is getting worse. No one is allowed to leave the neighborhood; everything is sealed off.” I became even more anxious upon hearing this, thinking, “How am I supposed to get this work done with the city completely locked down? If the lockdown persists, how am I going to move the books of God’s words? When will the lockdown actually end? I’ve been here for more than 20 days, and the sister who’s hosting me is also being pursued by the police. I’m at risk of being arrested at any time. The city is also a high-risk area for the plague, so even if the lockdown is lifted, I could very well get infected and then be quarantined once I go out. And what if I get infected and die here?” Thinking about this made my heart feel weak. I thought, “I don’t even have a safe place to stay now. It’s too dangerous! I have to finish my work here and go back as soon as possible so that I won’t have to hide from place to place and live in such a repressive state. But now the plague is raging; buses and trains are no longer running, so how am I supposed to go back?” I kept thinking about ways to return safely. The more I thought, the more distant I became from God. I became upset and perturbed. I was in torment.

This evening, I fell ill. My head was pounding and my entire body ached with weakness. I could not walk steadily and my body was limp. I rested my head on the table, unable to lift it. I felt like I was experiencing the symptoms of the plague. I felt so confused about all this. How can I have suddenly fallen sick when I was perfectly fine before? What lesson am I supposed to learn? What is God’s intention in this situation?

Friday, November 11, 2022, Sunny

While doing my devotional this morning, I read these words of God which say: “In mainland China, God’s chosen people have all experienced the suppression and arrests of the great red dragon, and also experienced some temptations. No matter how many times they have been weak and failed, all those who are able to pursue the truth have gradually grown in stature and have had life entry. If they again encounter the environments and temptations they experienced in the past, they will have some faith. If their experience brings them to the point where one day they are unafraid of death, and can see clearly that the life and death of people are indeed in God’s hands and are orchestrated and arranged by God, doesn’t that mean their faith has become greater? Just like in the age of the Old Testament—why did the lions not bite Daniel when he was thrown into the lions’ den? It was because he had faith that God did not permit the lions to bite him. Then what was Daniel thinking in his heart? He did not complain about God. In his heart, he said: ‘God has thrown me into the lions’ den. I and the lions are both creations. If God permits them to eat me, then I should die. If God does not permit it, the lions will not eat me. That proves I should still live in God’s hands, and my lifespan is not yet over—I should not die. This is determined by the Creator.’ When Daniel encountered this matter, first, he did not deny God’s name; second, he had no suspicion toward what God did, did not make judgments, condemn, or rebel against God, and was able to submit to God’s arrangements. Satan was thus defeated and humiliated. So, what were Daniel’s actions and manifestations? They were testimony. Only when you have such stature will you encounter such trials. Even if God places you in the lions’ den, you will not be afraid, and the lions will not dare to eat you. This proves that you have true faith and that you have embarked upon the path of being made perfect. Life growth is exactly like this. Being thrown into the lions’ den is also a trial, just like Job’s immense wealth being taken away. What was Job’s manifestation? (Submission.) Why was he able to submit? It was because Job had no doubts about what God did. Whether God bestowed rewards or took away, it was fine for Job. Even if God gave one day and took away the next, Job still submitted. However God acted, it was fine for Job; he could let God orchestrate as He willed and submit to God. He was compatible with God. No matter how God acted, even if God toyed with him, he could still submit. … True belief contains true submission, and true submission gives rise to true belief. If you have true belief and can achieve true submission, what trial can defeat you? What environment can defeat you? None can defeat you. Even if you are thrown into the lions’ den, the lions will not dare to eat you. Isn’t this a good thing? (Yes.)” (God’s Fellowship). God’s words lit up my heart like a beacon. When Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den under the king’s oppression, he did not blame God even though he was facing death. Instead, he held firm to his faith in God’s sovereignty over everything and gave himself completely to God. He had genuine faith in God. Daniel’s experience inspired me. It showed me that I, like Daniel, need to have the same faith in God and submit to His sovereignty in an environment of persecution and oppression. But when faced with these real-life situations, I lacked the faith that Daniel possessed. When the church faced a large crackdown and the books of God’s words needed to be moved quickly, my first thoughts were about the significant risks involved in this duty. I feared I would be caught by the police along the way and beaten to death. When the pandemic broke out, I was afraid of getting infected and dying, and I lived in a state of fear and cowardice. I even wanted to abandon my duty to protect myself and to run away as fast as I could. This hostile environment revealed my lack of genuine faith in and submission to God. When nonbelievers see an entire city swallowed up by the pandemic, they wallow in terror and dread. This is because they don’t believe in God and have no one to rely on. Yet I, a believer in God, was still so fearful and I didn’t have faith in God’s almightiness and sovereignty, so how could I call myself a believer? I thought of Daniel, who found himself in a foreign land, and persecuted by a king who kept him from praying to God. Daniel refused to compromise with the forces of darkness, choosing death over succumbing, and he continued to pray to God. Ultimately, he was thrown into the lions’ den, but with God by his side, the lions dared not harm him. Similarly, whether we are confronted with the pandemic or arrests, it’s all in God’s hands. It’s entirely up to God whether or not I’m arrested. Even if I’m arrested and imprisoned, I should give myself to God and stand firm in my testimony to Him. If I catch the virus, I will submit to His orchestrations and arrangements. Even if I die, I will not complain. The most urgent matter now is protecting the books of God’s words. No matter the risk, I must rely on God to move them as quickly as possible. I must let go of my worries and work as one with my brothers and sisters to handle this aftermath work properly. Once I started thinking this way, I felt a great sense of relief. This afternoon, before I knew it, I was feeling better.

Thursday, December 15, 2022, Rainy

How quickly time goes by. It’s been two months since I arrived here. I’ve been handling the aftermath of the crackdown ever since I got here, but due to the hostile environment, progress has been slow. Yesterday evening, I learned that somebody had acted as a Judas and sold out many leaders, workers, brothers, and sisters. I thought to myself, “The homes here that could have hosted people are no longer safe. All of our work has been greatly hindered, and now the situation has gotten even worse. Just how long will it take to complete this work?” The thought made me feel suffocated. Tonight, Wang Ying came by, saying she had very likely been followed the previous night and that it was no longer safe here. She suggested that I go back. I found her suggestion most agreeable, and I thought, “With things this bad, it would be best to go back. In any case, it wasn’t as if I didn’t want to stay here, but it’s just there’s no safe place to stay. Now I would be perfectly justified in leaving.” But as soon as I thought of leaving, I started feeling guilty again. There is still so much work to be done here. Would it be right to abandon my duties and leave? Despite the hostility of the current situation, our brothers and sisters still find a way to come here and discuss work. If I were to go back, I wouldn’t be able to follow up on work. But there is nowhere safe to stay here. I find myself living in constant fear and anxiety, like a frightened bird. I feel so conflicted. Should I go, or should I stay? I don’t know what to do.

Sunday, December 18, 2022, Sunny

Today, I continued to ponder, “Why do I always want to flee when I am confronted with a hostile environment?” I happened to receive a letter from a sister, and I was deeply moved after reading it. She spoke of how, after being released from detention, she had wished to stay in the church to deal with the aftermath of the crackdown. But because she was worried she could be arrested by the police at any time, she left. As a result, she was not able to do her duty for a while, which left her with regrets. In particular, she quoted a passage from God’s words that was quite relevant to my own state. Almighty God says: “In the process of performing your duties, on the positive side, if you can treat your duties in the correct manner, never abandon them regardless of the circumstances you face, and even when others lose faith and stop performing their duties, you still hold fast to yours and never abandon them from start to finish, remaining steadfast and loyal to your duties until the end, then you are genuinely treating your duties as duties and demonstrating complete loyalty. If you can meet this standard, you’ve essentially met the mark for performing your duties adequately; this is on the positive side. However, before reaching this standard, on the negative side, one must be able to withstand various temptations. What kind of problem is it when someone can’t withstand temptations in the process of performing their duty, so they abandon their duty and flee, betraying their duty? That amounts to betraying God. Betraying God’s commission is to betray God. Can one who betrays God still be saved? This person is done for; all hope is lost, and the duties they previously performed were merely laboring, which vanished into nothingness with their betrayal. So, it’s essential to hold fast to one’s duty; by doing so, there is hope. By loyally fulfilling one’s duty, one can be saved and earn God’s approval. What does everyone find to be the most difficult part of holding fast to one’s duty? It is whether they can stand firm when faced with temptation. What do these temptations include? Money, status, intimate relationships, feelings. What else? If some duties carry risks, even risks to one’s life, and performing such duties might result in arrest and imprisonment or even being persecuted to death, can you still perform your duty? Can you persevere? The ease with which these temptations can be overcome depends on whether one pursues the truth. It depends on one’s ability to gradually discern and recognize these temptations while pursuing the truth, to recognize their essence and the satanic tricks behind them. It also requires recognizing one’s own corrupt dispositions, one’s nature essence, and one’s weaknesses. One must also continually ask God to protect them so they can withstand these temptations. If one can withstand them, and hold fast to their duty without betrayal or escape under any circumstance, then the likelihood of being saved reaches 50 percent. Is this 50 percent easily achievable? Each step is a challenge, fraught with peril; it’s not easy to attain!” (The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. What Is the Adequate Performance of Duty?). God’s words moved my heart deeply. God’s intention is the hope that I always hold fast to my duties no matter the circumstances that befall me without betraying or running away. Only then will I have true testimony. If I retreat in cowardice and fear in the face of a hostile environment, abandoning my duties in the name of self-preservation, I will be betraying God and lose my testimony. With so many brothers and sisters being arrested, there is an urgent need to attend to the aftermath of the crackdown. I have read so many of God’s words and enjoyed everything that God has provided, but in the moment of truth, I am unable to remain loyal to God or play my role as a created being. I even want to use the hostile environment here as a justification to leave. How selfish and cunning I am! If I leave, I would not be able to discuss the work with my brothers and sisters face to face. This would impact work. Moreover, brothers and sisters are becoming a bit timid and fearful because of the mass arrests, so we have to support and encourage one another at this time. I will need to fellowship with them more often about God’s intention and how to do our duties well in the face of persecution and hardships. So, it is beneficial to the work that I stay here. If I were just concerned about my own interests and abandoned my duty because I feared death, then I would be a downright deserter and traitor to God. How selfish, despicable, and lacking in humanity that would be! With these things in mind, I know what I need to do. I cannot allow the present circumstances to frighten me, nor can I abandon my duty and leave just because Wang Ying is being followed and I am afraid of being implicated. I must rely on God and do all I can in seeing to the aftermath work I was sent here to handle. No matter the perils that may befall me or how difficult the work may be, I am willing to offer my loyalty. Whether I live or die, I will entrust myself to God, allow Him to orchestrate everything, and submit to His sovereignty and arrangements. Even if it costs me my life, I will get this work done well.

Tuesday, December 20, 2022, Sunny

Reflecting on what has been happening to me, scene by scene, I pondered: “Why is it that I wish to flee and abandon my duty the moment I encounter a perilous environment? What nature is controlling me?” In my seeking, I saw two passages of God’s words: “Antichrists are extremely selfish and despicable. They do not have true faith in God, much less loyalty to God; when they encounter an issue, they only protect and safeguard themselves. For them, nothing is more important than their own safety. As long as they can live and won’t get arrested, they don’t care how much harm is done to the work of the church. These people are extremely selfish, they don’t think of the brothers and sisters at all, or of the work of the church, they only think of their own safety. They are antichrists. … Antichrists abandon the work of the church and God’s offerings, and they do not arrange for people to handle the aftermath. This is the same as permitting the great red dragon to seize God’s offerings and His chosen people. Is this not a covert betrayal of God’s offerings and His chosen people? When those who are loyal to God know clearly that an environment is dangerous, they still brave the risk of doing the work of handling the aftermath, and they keep the losses to God’s house to a minimum before they themselves withdraw. They do not give priority to their own safety. Tell Me, in this wicked country of the great red dragon, who could ensure that there is no danger at all in believing in God and doing a duty? Whatever duty one takes on, it entails some risk—yet the performance of duty is commissioned by God, and while following God, one must take on the risk of doing their duty. One should exercise wisdom, and one has need of taking measures to ensure their safety, but one should not put their personal safety first. They should consider God’s intentions, putting the work of His house first and putting the spread of the gospel first. Completing God’s commission of them is what matters most, and it comes first. Antichrists give top priority to their personal safety; they believe that nothing else has anything to do with them. They do not care when something happens to someone else, regardless of who it might be. As long as nothing bad happens to the antichrists themselves, they feel at ease. They are devoid of any loyalty, which is determined by the antichrists’ nature essence” (The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Nine (Part Two)). “Antichrists show no loyalty to God. When they are assigned work, they accept it quite happily, and make some nice declarations, but when danger comes, they run away the fastest; they are the first to run, the first to escape. This shows that their selfishness and despicableness are particularly severe. They have no sense of responsibility or loyalty at all. When faced with a problem, they only know how to flee and how to hide, and think only of protecting themselves, never considering their responsibilities or duties. For the sake of their own personal safety, antichrists consistently display their selfish and despicable nature. They do not prioritize the work of God’s house or their own duties. Even less do they prioritize the interests of God’s house. Instead, they prioritize their own safety” (The Word, Vol. 4. Exposing Antichrists. Item Nine (Part Two)). God exposes the selfishness and despicableness of antichrists. When encountering a hostile environment while doing their duty, they think only of themselves wherever they go. They place particular value on their own safety and lives. Once their own interests are affected, they abandon the work of God’s house and show no loyalty to God. Reading God’s words exposing the antichrists, I was pricked in the heart. Didn’t I act in this way? Seeing the bad environment here in the church and the outbreak of the plague, I feared that I would be arrested and tortured to death by the police; I also feared I would contract the virus and die. I was particularly afraid of death and wished to flee as quickly as I could. Having been living by satanic poisons like “Every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost,” “A person’s destiny is in their own hands,” and “A bad life is better than a good death,” I believed that we should think of ourselves in life; I would rather drag out an ignoble existence than pay a price for doing my duty. I am too selfish and despicable! Those brothers and sisters who loyally do their duties, despite knowing the risks of doing so in hostile environments, hold fast to their duties by relying on God, risking their lives and ultimately protecting the books of God’s words and the safety of other brothers and sisters. By contrast, I feel so ashamed. Here, the environment is hostile, the plague is a bit worse, but there are still brothers and sisters putting themselves at risk by hosting me, yet I keep worrying about myself, unable to wholeheartedly devote myself to my duty. I’m truly lacking in humanity! If I had any conscience or reason at all and knew that the books of God’s words were at risk, I would do my utmost to ensure the aftermath work was done properly and minimize the losses. If I really did flee and the books of God’s words were not moved in time, they would very likely fall into the hands of the great red dragon. Even more brothers and sisters would be in danger of being arrested, and the life entry of brothers and sisters would suffer even greater losses as a result. This way, even if I did evade capture and save my own life, I would leave behind a serious transgression. I would be filled with overwhelming regret, yet it would be too late to do anything about it! I recalled what the Lord Jesus said: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). “He that finds his life shall lose it: and he that loses his life for My sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:39). I also recalled a passage of Almighty God’s words which says: “Family, wealth, and the material things of this life are all external things; the only thing that is related to the self is life. To every living person, life is the thing most worthy of being treasured, the most precious thing and, as it happens, these people were able to offer their most precious possession—life—as confirmation of and testimony to God’s love for mankind. Until the day they died, they did not deny God’s name, nor did they deny God’s work, and they used their last moments of life to testify to the existence of this fact—is this not the highest form of testimony? This is the best way of doing one’s duty; this is what it is to fulfill one’s responsibility. When Satan threatened and terrorized them, and, in the end, even when it made them pay the price of their lives, they did not abandon their responsibility. This is what it is to fulfill one’s duty to the utmost extent. What do I mean by this? Do I mean to have you use the same method to testify of God and to spread His gospel? You do not necessarily need to do so, but you must understand that this is your responsibility, that if God needs you to, you should accept it as something you are honor-bound to do. People today have fear and worry inside them, but what purpose do those feelings serve? If God does not need you to do this, what is the use in worrying about it? If God needs you to do this, you should not shirk this responsibility nor reject it. You should cooperate proactively and accept it without worry. No matter how one dies, they should not die before Satan, and not die in Satan’s hands. If one is going to die, they should die in God’s hands. People came from God, and to God they return—such is the reason and attitude that a created being should possess” (The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Spreading the Gospel Is the Duty to Which All Believers Are Honor-Bound). God’s words made me understand that when danger and the threat of death befall me while I am doing my duty, I should remain loyal to God. Even if it means sacrificing my life, I shall hold fast to my duty and never yield to Satan. This is the most powerful testimony of defeating Satan, which is approved by God. When facing threats to my life, if I refuse God’s commission out of my fear of death, it will become a mark of shame and be detested by God. Those prophets and apostles throughout the ages faced gruesome deaths for the sake of preaching the gospel and testifying to God: Some were quartered by horses, others were hacked to death, while some others were burned to death. Peter was even crucified upside down for God. In the last days, many brothers and sisters have been arrested and brutally tortured by the Communist Party for propagating the gospel of the kingdom. Even on the brink of death, they still refuse to deny God’s name; while some, even when being tortured to death, refuse to become Judas or betray God. They have borne beautiful and resounding testimonies for God. They have used their own lives to defend the true way and proclaimed and borne testimony to this evil world with their death that God is the one true God, the Creator. Even if it means sacrificing their lives, they still will not hesitate. Giving one’s life to testify for God is a valuable and meaningful act. It is the highest form of testimony. Realizing this, I was less afraid. I was willing to face this environment by relying on God.

At this moment, these words of God came into my mind. Almighty God says: “Regardless of how ‘powerful’ Satan is, regardless of how audacious and ambitious it is, regardless of how great is its ability to inflict damage, regardless of how wide-ranging are the techniques with which it corrupts and lures man, regardless of how clever are the tricks and schemes with which it intimidates man, regardless of how changeable is the form in which it exists, it has never been able to create a single living thing, has never been able to set down laws or rules for the existence of all things, and has never been able to rule and control any object, whether animate or inanimate. Within the cosmos and the firmament, there is not a single person or object that was born from it, or exists because of it; there is not a single person or object that is ruled by it, or controlled by it. On the contrary, it not only has to live under the dominion of God, but, moreover, must submit to all of God’s orders and commands. Without God’s permission, it is difficult for Satan to touch even a drop of water or grain of sand upon the land; without God’s permission, Satan is not even free to move the ants about upon the land, let alone mankind, who was created by God. In the eyes of God, Satan is inferior to the lilies on the mountain, to the birds flying in the air, to the fish in the sea, and to the maggots on the earth. Its role among all things is to serve all things, to serve mankind, and to serve God’s work and His plan of management. Regardless of how malicious its nature, and how evil its essence, the only thing it can do is to dutifully abide by its function: being of service to God, and providing a counterpoint to God. Such is the substance and position of Satan. Its essence is unconnected to life, unconnected to power, unconnected to authority; it is merely a plaything in God’s hands, just a machine in service to God!” (The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique I). “When people are ready to sacrifice their lives, everything becomes trifling, and no one can get the better of them. What could be more important than life? Thus, Satan becomes incapable of doing any more in people, there is nothing it can do with man” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Interpretations of the Mysteries of “God’s Words to the Entire Universe,” Chapter 36). God’s words carry authority and power. Everything is under God’s sovereignty and arrangement. As savage and vicious as Satan may be, even it cannot escape the boundaries set by God. Without God’s permission, it dares not cross the line, let alone harm us. Just as Satan wished to devastate Job, God did not allow Satan to take Job’s life. And though Satan employed every trick and scheme at its disposal, it dared not go after Job’s life. This made me realize that God’s authority is beyond the reach of any hostile forces. As bad as things are here, I haven’t been arrested. This is all because of God’s protection. One time, I went to a host house, but the sister never came to pick me up. Later on, I found out that the home had been sold out by a Judas and was under heavy police surveillance. That I did not make it there was all God’s protection. Moreover, this plague has tied the hands of the police, hindering their efforts to arrest brothers and sisters. Otherwise, who knows how many more brothers and sisters would face arrests. This is all God’s miraculous deed, wisdom and almightiness. Even in the midst of this hostile environment, the CCP does not dare touch me without God’s permission. It’s all up to God whether I will be arrested and given a heavy sentence. I can no longer live for myself; I am ready to give myself to God and let Him lead me through each and every day. No matter how hostile the environment is here or how hard the plague rages, I will hold fast to my duty until the very end. Realizing this, I found peace of mind and threw myself into my duty.

Saturday, December 31, 2022, Sunny

Yesterday, Su Xiao and I arrived at a church. To our surprise, the brother who hosted us offered us a place to store the books. We were both thrilled and then decided to split up the work. Su Xiao went to understand the situation with the house while I returned to discuss with the brothers and sisters the matter of moving the books of God’s words. By this afternoon, we successfully moved the first batch of books.

Tuesday, February 14, 2023, Sunny

We’ve been moving books of God’s words continuously these past few days, finally moving the last batch of books today. At around 3:00 this morning, I saw the brothers who had been moving the books return safely, and I was overcome with emotion that words could not express. During this period, we managed to safely move all of the books despite such a hostile environment. This is all the result of God’s guidance and the unified cooperation of the brothers and sisters. As I sat on the bus on my way home, I was filled with a sense of peace and security. Throughout the journey, I kept pondering: Despite coming here to work in a perilous environment, I’ve come to deeply realize that it’s precisely in perilous environments such as this that we’re able to see God’s miraculous acts, and recognize that God’s authority and power are beyond the reach of any hostile forces. I also now understand that experiencing such hostile environments can perfect my faith, help me understand God’s almightiness and sovereignty, and reveal my selfishness and despicableness. When in a perilous environment, I tended to protect my own interests and think only of my own future and fate. God’s words led me to break through Satan’s dark influence, persevere to the end and complete the work I was sent to do. I’ve gained so much throughout this journey. This is an unforgettable experience and a precious treasure in my life! Thank God!