The weak and foolish things of the world? You bet. Even a 56 year old woman living in a cow pen in Bamboo region can help transform her community with the love of Jesus.
We just traveled to Bamboo region with a small team of Filipino, Indian and Chinese missionaries, and the testimonies we witnessed were incredible. Lives are being changed with the love of Christ in this extremely poor area. Here is the story of Auntie Zhang, a 56 year old woman living in hideous conditions, and yet faithfully serving the Lord Jesus.
Ten years ago, Auntie Zhang was diagnosed with an unknown heart condition. The doctors were far from optimistic, and after a series of tests, said there was nothing more that they could do for her. After hearing the news, her husband just couldn’t take the pressure. He left her, along with Auntie Zhang’s four sons. She was left with nothing—no home, no income, no family.
The last ten years of Auntie Zhang’s life have been a tremendous struggle as she simply sought to survive by herself. But in 2008, she met Jesus through one of Bamboo’s local Christian evangelists.
“We met Auntie Zhang while we were out preaching in the rural areas around Bamboo region,” our local missionary said. “Much of Bamboo region is extremely poor, but we were surprised at Auntie Zhang’s living conditions. She was staying in the only place that she could find: a dirty cow pen.”
After sharing the message of Jesus with Auntie Zhang, she heart was touched by the love of these strangers talking to her. She received Jesus right there in the stable, and began attending the Bamboo church—a two and a half mile walk from her cow pen.
You see, God loves stables.
Two months before Christmas 2010, Auntie Zhang’s heart condition intensified, and she fell ill. She was unable to leave her home to attend church. The Bamboo church leaders traveled to her cow pen and prayed for her. “We will come back and take care of you,” they told her.
But the next Sunday they were surprised to see Auntie Zhang there at church. She had walked the two and a half miles to church, and testified that after our local missionaries laid hands on her, she was completely healed. She went back to the hospital, and the doctors were amazed. Her heart was perfectly normal. Everyone marveled at her healing.
From 2008 to 2010, at the height of her pain and suffering, Auntie Zhang shared the gospel to many people in Bamboo region. A number of them got saved, and began attending the church. Four of the most faithful members of Bamboo church were led to the Lord through Auntie Zhang’s strong witness of the love of God.
Today, Auntie Zhang still lives in a cow pen. She has nowhere else to go. She does not even have the two mites that the widow of the New Testament had to give away. She is the poorest of the poor, and yet rich in the kingdom.
But we want to help change her situation. We want to take her out of the cow pen that she now lives in, and rent a small apartment for this powerful Christian woman. For only $15 Dollars per month we can find a decent place for her to stay near Bamboo church.
$15 Dollars per month? That’s a meal for two at your local fast food joint. Will you sacrifice a meal today to help relocate Auntie Zhang to a cozy apartment? Seriously. Please pray about it. She is the “least of these” and deserves better than a cow pen.