• Bro. Zhanxiang Liu •
The Example of Faithfully Serving the Saints
Branded in My Heart
When I was in the first grade of my primary school (At that time, I was about 7 years old), brother Liu transferred to the Church in Yilan to serve. His family lived in a wooden house in the alley near the meeting hall. My mother, sister Zeng-Yuan Rulin was born in Fuzhou, Mainland China, graduating from a normal school. During her first year in junior high school, my mother listened to the gospel preached by the uncle of brother Liu’s wife for a week, then she transferred from the denomination to the Lord’s recovery. During that period of time, in the church of Fuzhou, Wangzai and his wife were major serving ones there to my mother’s generation (brother Nee may have gone to Shanghai at that time). For my mother and brother Liu’s wife were countrymen, they often had the fellowship with each other.
At that time my mother primarily served to play the piano during hymn singing, therefore every evening she went to the meeting hall for a meeting, she would take me to brother Liu’s home to read books or to do my homework. Brother Liu’s three children: Ming-Shi, Chen-Shi, and Li-Shi, are around my age, so whenever I went to brother Liu’s home, I did homework and played with their children until the conclusion of the meeting, and then my mother picked me up to go home. Each time I have to go home, I always did not want to leave.
Children Writing Diary Daily and Handing them Over
to Him to Review at the Lord’s Day
Sunday afternoon was the time when the children’s meeting took place back then, there was about 50 children, brother Liu himself was there to serve. He asked each child to write diary entries daily and then hand over to him to review. He seriously urged us and hoped that through the writing of the diary, this would surely enhance our writing ability after a period of time. Brother Liu not only paid attention to the propagation of the children’s work, but also he took heed to the service of all other aspects in the church. From the older saints’ fellowship, I know every time before the meeting on the Lord’s day, brother Liu cleaned the meeting hall personally, wiped the tables and the chairs. Meanwhile, he positively supplied every spiritual richness and taught the divine truths during the meeting. After the meetings, he also came to visit brothers and sisters who haven’t attended the meeting. He was truly laborious and diligent.
Faithfully Serving the Saints,
Having Branded into My Heart
One Sunday afternoon, with his colleagues my father rode a bicycle carrying me (At that time I was about ten years old, studying in third grade in elementary school) to go the outskirts for an outing. It was in the summer at that time, when we reached a village on the mountainside, I feel a surge of chilly mountain wind hitting me. At this moment, unexpectedly I saw Uncle Liu riding a light-weight aluminous bike, struggling to ride from the foot of the mountain upward to this small village. I was very surprised that in this wilderness I could still meet brothers and sisters. The fact was that brother Liu did use the time when there were no meetings to visit and provide for the saints who lived in such remote places. The scene that here was such an example of faithfully serving the saints has been branded into my heart. Although over fifty years has passed, this picture has been still vividly living in the depths of my heart. During my process of living the church life, sometimes I encountered difficulties beyond my power in my service, yet when I think of this example, I gained new strength, continuing to have the drive to serve.
Setting up an Example like a Cloud Surrounding Me
Later, brother Liu was transferred to Changhua to serve. More than 60 saints saw them off at Yilan railway station. At that time uncle Liu and his wife with their four children were together, and sister Liu held a newborn baby in hand. When I saw this, I almost burst into tears and a sad feeling surged in my heart. After I left the army, I took up work in Kaohsiung, it surprised me that some saints inquired me about the testimony of brother Liu’s faithful service. They heard of some testimony about brother Liu and asked to confirm. There is still much testimony about brother Liu, details of which have been blurred due to the time. Such a living service has set up an example like a cloud surrounding me, setting straight the hands which hang down and strengthen the sore knees. May the Lord bless the descendants of brother Liu.
Brother Yongpan Zeng
December 16, 2015