'I am still holding on to my faith in Jesus'—one woman's resilient testimony in China

Fen*, a Christian in China, knows what it’s like to be pressured and oppressed for faith in Jesus.

She’s seen family members deeply wounded because of their faith in God.

She’s weighed the cost of sharing her faith with friends and family.

And she’s been handcuffed by police and paraded through the streets because of her faith.

And yet, this 60-year-old woman remains faithful to Christ, despite all that’s happened to her. Her testimony and witness are a series of miracles and bold stands—and every Christian can learn more about faith from her.

A book that heals

Fen and her husband Long* accepted Christ back in the 1990s. Long had been suffering from chronic disease for an extended time. As a mother of two, Fen felt scared of her husband’s illness—she wasn’t sure she could take care of her family and her mother-in-law if something happened to Long.

“My husband was having issues with his stomach, even the doctors were not able to identify the diagnosis,” Fen explains. “But one time, there was a nurse in the ward, and she was a Christian. She told me there was a book that could heal my husband.”

At first, Fen did not believe the nurse. She wondered: How would there be a book that can heal someone? They left the hospital and did not think much more about the nurse’s words. She brought Long to an animist healer, but Long’s condition did not improve.

One night, Fen had a dream. “I was standing in the rice field, and suddenly it was getting dark, and I was very afraid,” she remembers. “Surprisingly, a light came down from the sky, and it became a form of a human standing in front of me. That person called out my name and said to me not to be afraid.” Fen woke up and assured herself it was just a dream. She ignored the dream and went back to sleep.

Another night, in another dream, Fen dreamed she was standing on a hill, when she saw a flood. “I was in a house. Suddenly, a light appeared, and I followed the light out of the house,” she remembers.

Three days later, her husband’s nurse came to Fen and Long’s house with a Bible.

“Can you show me the book?” Fen asked the nurse. She took the Bible and opened the first chapter.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth …”

The words drew Fen in. She read three chapters at once. It was like God was speaking to her!

This encounter with the Word was what made her decide to accept Christ as her personal Savior. After two weeks, Long recovered from his illness. He learned that Jesus had healed him, and he, too, accepted Christ.

Sharing the gospel, and counting the cost

Fen and Long began to study the Word together. After half a year, Long’s disease was fully healed.

Overjoyed, Fen and Long introduced Jesus to Long’s mother. After accepting Him, miraculously, Long’s mother’s rheumatism was healed. Then, they went on to share the gospel with their family, and more and more family members came to Christ.

Fen’s niece Aihan* also became a Christian, but Aihan’s in-laws strongly opposed her belief. They told her she had to either renounce her faith or get a divorce.

Standing at a crossroads, Aihan chose Christ.

Aihan’s family demanded she return the “bride price,” a Chinese tradition where the groom pays a price—in money or commodities—to the bride’s family. This tradition signifies the intent of the groom to marry the bride.

Aihan agreed to repay the bride price. But her in-laws still weren’t satisfied. They reported Aihan and her whole family—including Fen and Long—to the police, telling the authorities that the family was doing something “unusual.”

“The police came to our house and confiscated our valuable possessions, even the pigs we fed,” Fen shared.

The police also decided to fine them. “We were asked to pay based on how long we have been Christians—1,000 renminbi (roughly $138 US) for each year [of faith],” Fen says. “During the same period, this also happened to other believers in the area, and they gave up their beliefs in Christ and never returned.

“After paying fines, some decided to give up following Christ. That time, I was handcuffed and was paraded through the streets. All this did not affect my faith in Christ, and after more than 20 years, up to this day, I am still holding on to my faith in Jesus.”

Ongoing faith and training

Fen still goes to church regularly.

“Fen shows true grit and she’s also full of joy,” observes Yu*, an Open Doors partner in China. “She gives credit to God for His grace and mercy, and she still follows Christ despite what happened. Today, she has a very good relationship with other villagers, and she shares the gospel with them whenever it’s the right opportunity.”

Recently, Fen attended a Bible training held by Open Doors partners in southwest China. She was joined by older believers just like her. Although the training was short, Fen expressed her gratefulness.

“I am thankful for this training,” she says. “I feel more relieved compared with the past. I could hardly remember the content in the past, but now, after I am introduced to a systematic view of learning the Bible, I think I have become more solid [in my faith].”

This kind of training is only possible thanks to the gifts and prayers of Open Doors supporters—people like you!

“Over the years, we have heard many stories from believers in the country about their pure and bold faiths in Christ,” says another Open Doors partner, Yingfei*. “God has blessed Open Doors to walk with them along the way. Thank you for your support for our brothers and sisters. It is crucial to help them navigate their journey in this narrowing space.”

*Names changed for security reasons