Offering a Life of Faithful Devotion to the Lord,
Gaining the Crown of the Throne
From May 17 to 19, 2004, Brother Wu led thirty-three elders and co-workers serving in Taiwan to visit the mainland for blending. After arriving in Qingdao, they lodged at the Qilin Grand Hotel. When I went there, I saw him personally, one by one, calling out names and handing out the room keys. Later, in the departure lounge as he was leaving Qingdao to fly to Beijing, he again personally called out names and distributed the plane tickets one by one. These scenes touched me deeply. As I watched and pondered, I thought, "What kind of responsible brother is this! The uncle truly chose rightly when he appointed this steward!"
In the autumn of 2005, I learned that Taiwan Gospel Book Room could come to Beijing to take part in the international book fair, so I flew to Beijing together with my daughter. When we arrived and saw the books of the ministry on display, I was greatly comforted! But I simply could not find Brother Wu anywhere. After searching here and there, I finally discovered, in a corner of the bookstall, a large, heavyset figure bending over to bundle up books. Was this not Brother Wu? Did he look anything like the manager of Taiwan Gospel Book Room? He looked plainly like a hired hand doing the menial work! I was moved! I was filled with deep feeling! Softly I said to myself, "O Lord! I thank You!" Before supper he rolled up his trouser leg to show me—his lower leg was already badly swollen, and pressing it with a finger left a deep, large pit! Brother Wu's kidney disease was already very serious!
In the autumn of 2008, there was an autumn elders' and co-workers' conference in Kuching, Malaysia. Brother Wu, considering that the church in Qingdao had a group of brothers with somewhat younger life serving there—who were not qualified to attend such a conference, yet whom the building up of the church needed—broke through the framework and telephoned us, encouraging the brothers to register and attend. He also charged my daughter to take up the matters of registration and to bring the brothers to Kuching. The brothers who went to this conference benefited greatly! After returning to Qingdao, their spirits were stirred up and they were full of vigor, and the church gained a great revival. This was all the work of Brother Wu. It turns out that it was not by shouting and speaking loudly on the platform, but in the work of building up the churches in various places, that he actually played the role of adding brick upon brick.
During the four years from 2009 to 2012, Brother Wu repeatedly invited the brothers and sisters of the churches in the mainland to pay the price to go out of the country to Taiwan, to attend the New Spring blending conference, for the building up of the Body of Christ; it was called the "ice-breaking journey." Thank the Lord, the brothers dispensed all things and cooperated to the highest degree, finally beating back Satan's scheme and accomplishing God's divine purpose! Brother Wu never forgot the brothers and sisters in the mainland. Thank the Lord for His grace! We are all dear ones in the household of God!
In 2014, my husband, Brother Chen, was found to have lung cancer. When Brother Wu learned of it, he at once invited the two of us to come to America to attend the summer training that year, and he personally flew to Qingdao to inquire about the illness and the visa situation. He encouraged Brother Chen and comforted me, making us feel doubly warm. While we were in America, Brother Wu arranged visits and blendings in every aspect for us, making up for our lack in the knowledge and experience of Christ and the church, and letting us fully enjoy the rich supply of Christ. On July 29, 2016, Brother Chen was taken by the Lord. When Brother Wu learned of it, he first comforted me by WeChat, and the next day, in the midst of his busy schedule, he flew to Qingdao together with Brother Zhang Daixin (張代新) to comfort and encourage me and my family and to attend the rest meeting. I remember that the moment he came in the door, he and Daixin took hold of me and said, "Elder Sister, today Daixin and I have come simply to accompany you. Wherever you want to go, we will go. Whatever you want us to do, we will do." These few words, seemingly so simple and plain, hardly seemed words that should come from such a leading brother, yet they solidly comforted my grieving heart, and they made my son and grandson at my side feel so relieved and so moved. His words were like a clear spring, like a warm current, moistening and watering my whole family. The room was suddenly filled with life—it came alive! Thank the Lord! What Brother Wu brought was resurrection! He gave us a glorious hope!
As early as 2016 I had begun to teach the sisters to sing hymns. I had the desire to lead them to exhibit hymns in the various churches in Taiwan, to praise our Lord Jesus and our Abba Father together through hymns. After prayer, I was assured that the Lord permitted me, together with nine other sisters, to go to visit the churches in Taiwan, to blend, and to exhibit hymns. We would also bring our grandchildren to attend the college training along the way. Brother Wu greatly supported us and agreed to arrange the hospitality for the whole trip. After we came to Taiwan, we were warmly received by all the churches. I knew this was inseparable from Brother Wu's arrangement; especially the five hymns we exhibited, Brother Wu had arranged beforehand for the receiving churches to practice singing them in advance. So when we exhibited them at Hall One and Hall Fifty-three in Taipei, at the church in Yuanlin, and at the church in Kaohsiung, the whole assembly sang the hymns aloud in unison, praising my Lord and my God; the scene was exhilarating and deeply moving! Afterward, the sisters said that Brother Wu's service was truly thorough! So meticulous, so solid—no one could match it! We could only be moved! Filled with admiration! And thankful! Listen to what Sister Xu, who was with us on the trip, said: "He personally arranged our itinerary, treated us to a Western meal, personally and tremblingly stood in line to pay, and treated us to sightseeing at the 101 Tower…"
The night before we parted, we decided to wrap some extra dumplings for the kitchen of Hall One to leave behind, to be put in the freezer for the brothers and sisters to enjoy. But by the time we had bought back the flour and the various ingredients, it was already past ten o'clock at night. The sisters excitedly went to the large kitchen to knead the dough, wash the vegetables, and mix the filling. As we were preparing to wrap the dumplings, Brother Wu, weary from a full day's labor, actually came to the kitchen too, standing beside the worktable, watching us roll out the wrappers, keeping us company! When I saw that his face was ashen from a day's toil, I urged him to hurry back and rest. He flatly refused, saying that he would not leave no matter what. Smiling, he watched the sisters wrap the dumplings, accompanying us until they were all finished, and only then did he drag his heavy legs and stagger upstairs to go home. What kind of responsible brother is this! No airs, no cold face, no aloof bearing that keeps people at a distance, no lecturing, no rebuking…yet full of the love of Christ and a smile that comforts people.
The departure of Brother Wu grieves me deeply. Recalling the past, I am filled with countless feelings. Every contact was a testimony. The supply of life is beyond telling. In serving the members, he showed himself a slave. The power of his pattern stirs us to press on. Brother Wu will forever abide in my heart. For the rest of my life I resolve to love the Lord my God.
Tears of grief well up within my heart;
Offering a life of faithful devotion to the Lord,
Gaining the crown of the throne.
I have lost a good teacher and dear friend;
Wiping away tears, I look up to Mount Zion,
To see clearly the smiling face in the New Jerusalem!