On October 30, Elderly Evergreen Fellowship held a thanksgiving worship service for 90-year-old Li Chonghui, who was baptized on her birthday.
Attending the fellowship on Friday as usual, more than 60 senior believers celebrated her birthday in the small chapel of the Yaodu District Church of Linfen City, in China’s northern Shanxi Province.
Elderly Li had a rough life. Her father was a capable person who served as the head of Linfen County before the liberation of China. Abandoning his wife and children, he set up another family and later was suppressed by the government during the political revolution. Her mother, who had bound feet, had no one to rely on. Living in the east courtyard of the church, her sisters and her had many skills and their childhood in the church deeply influenced their later lives. As a classmate of Deacon Li Suzhen and Elder Wei Chengen (both who have passed away), she forged a close bond with Jesus Christ. After serving in the military, she worked to support her younger siblings’s studies. She was skillful in painting, especially drawing sketches. She held exhibitions of her paintings and volunteered to teach poor children how to paint.
She often attended church services after she retired, but was never baptized, which was her biggest regret.
At the special service, Rev. Geng Fuqin explained the meaning of baptism. Dressed in clerical robs, Rev. Geng and Elder Xie Chunlan baptized Sister Li by sprinkling, declaring that Jesus Christ was now the Lord of her life. She burst into tears as she was emotionally overcome.
After that, Elder Chen Li gave birthday wishes to her. Lighting the candles, they sang together to bless her and later shared in eating birthday cake with a thankful heart to God.
- Translate by Abigail Wu
