Qin Defu (right), Xiao Hongliu (left), and their children. (Photo: ChinaAid)
(Chengdu, Sichuan—June 15, 2020) Xiao Hongliu, the wife of an imprisoned Early Rain Covenant Church elder, wrote a plea for prayer.
Xiao’s husband, Qin Defu, is serving a four-year prison sentence for his involvement with the church. He was taken into custody during a mass crackdown on the church, during which around 100 people were seized on Dec. 9, 2018. He was later charged with “illegal business operations.” During his trial, it was learned that the charge was given because of 20,000 Christian books the church used.
In her letter, Xiao begged other Christians (referred to as “brothers and sisters”) to pray for her. She described the intense pain she has undergone since she lost contact with Qin in March, saying it, “makes my heart worry.”
Xiao’s letter can be read below.
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Intercessory prayers
Dear brothers and sisters,
My name is Xiao Hongliu, I am Qin Defu’s wife. I am begging for intercessory prayers for my family and me.
Defu has been in jail for more than six months.
I had received his phone calls from the jail at the beginning of his sentence.
Although the calls were only two or three minutes long, as long as I could hear his voice, I knew he was safe and alive.
Although I could not see him personally, I knew he was alive somewhere, where God could see him.
However, since the end of March, I have not received his calls anymore.
I have lost contact with him for more than 70 days, which makes my heart worry.
My reasoning makes me believe he is still alive, and God is with him.
However, not hearing from him is like an enemy. It hurts me so much that I suffer every day.
Normally, my husband would be managing the church, busy before and after, and I would merely hope for him to return home a bit earlier each night.
Now, my hope is causing me pain.
Every day, I just want to receive one three-minute call from him, but this apparently has become an extravagant hope.
Dear God, please let me follow behind you, pulling on the hem of your clothes, because I am no better off than the women who suffered from a blood issue for 12 years.
I know my weakness, so I am begging for my brothers and sisters to pray for me and Qin Defu.
God, please, out of charity, give us mercy. We are so lowly we cannot bear it!
-Qin's wife
June 11, 2020
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