On November 5, a special memorial service was held in the Lvliang Mountains, west of Linfen in Shanxi, for Elder Yan Guiying, head of the Sixth Pastoral Area of Yaodu District Church, who went to be with the Lord in the early morning of October 29.
Due to illness, Elder Yan came to believe in the Lord and was baptized, thereafter dedicating herself wholeheartedly to serving Him. Initially, she held services in her own home and later helped establish over a dozen meeting points, spreading the gospel far and wide throughout the surrounding mountain villages. Despite her limited formal education, she persevered in studying and spreading the gospel, traversing difficult terrain to preach. In 2009, she was ordained as an elder.
During the service conducted in Majiazhuang Village, Zhentou Town, Yan’s son reminisced about his mother’s kindness and the way she taught them, saying she was a devout and faithful servant of God. She dedicated herself wholeheartedly to church administration. Even when gravely ill, she continued to care about the church and its members, becoming a role model for younger generations.
Her family shared that she left behind a stack of thick notebooks from her personal devotions and studies.
(Originally published by the Gospel Times, the article has been edited under permission.)
- Edited by Karen and Translated by Abigail Wu
