In Living, the Treasure in the Earthen Vessel Manifested
In Departing, the Fragrance of Victory Overflowing
Brother Wu and I met in November 2007, when I was serving the students at SC University. A party of seven brothers had come to CD for the matter of the church's registration, and during the day there was much fellowship. The brothers had a full burden for the students, so the three of them—Brother Tao, Brother Hu, and another—came that evening to my home to visit the students. I lived on the sixth floor, and there was no elevator; the brother was also large in stature, and after climbing up he was truly exhausted, sitting on a stool with his eyes half-closed. But when thirty-two student brothers and sisters and gospel friends had crowded into a living room of about twenty square meters, the brother broke into a broad smile, full of energy, and first cried out three times, "Hallelujah!" Then for nearly an hour he fellowshipped, encouraging the students how to love the Lord, to consecrate themselves, to attend the full-time training, to preach the gospel, and so on, so that the small group at that time was greatly strengthened and the numbers also greatly multiplied.
The second time we met was in 2008, when he came to CD for relief after the earthquake. During the day the party of brothers exchanged with the relevant departments, and in the evening they fellowshipped concerning the practice of the local church and certain matters. There was one thing in particular he said: if the church was to register, it had to have clergy, and he said to me, "Brother Wen, you are a local; go and attend their clergy training." This training was not so important, but it was a condition for registration. In October of that year, I went to Malaysia to attend a conference, and during the breaks Brother Wu intimately fellowshipped with the brothers concerning the building up of the church.
The third time was in 2009, when I attended the Chinese-Speaking Conference in Taiwan. During the conference, one day the brother took the midday rest time to fellowship with the four of us brothers who had gone, concerning the church's leading onward; the brother was a pattern, and we brothers were full of enlightenment. When the conference ended, he personally saw us off to the airport, saying, "Just as I received you here, so I will send you all back safely, not one less."
The fourth time we met was in 2010, when Brother Wu, the elderly Brother Liu Sui, Brother Lin Hong, Brother Tao Guoqing, and others—a party of ten—came to CD, fellowshipping especially concerning the church's going onward and certain situations that had arisen in the church at that time. He encouraged me that my serving the students was very worthwhile, and he encouraged the students to attend the full-time training first after graduating, to be constituted with the truth. Later there were indeed students who, one after another, went to the United States after graduating to attend the full-time training.
By 2011, the situation in the church was not so good, and I was very troubled at the time, so I had some fellowship with Brother Wu. He sent me a message, and because he did not receive my reply in time, the brother telephoned me, using many words of comfort and encouragement, telling me by no means to stop my service to the Lord or my service to the students—the Lord knew my service. Finally he told me to read Psalm 73:16-17. I was greatly encouraged, and my service was made firm.
In 2012 Brother Wu telephoned me, telling me to attend a one-week training in Hong Kong. The brother used the evenings to fellowship with me concerning how to coordinate better in the service, to serve according to the burden the Lord had given me, the strengthening of the burden in serving the students, and so on; he was very concerned for my church life.
In 2013 Brother Wu, Brother Lin Hong, and others—a whole party—went to CQ, and Brother Wu telephoned me, asking whether I had time, for they were coming to CD, and he told me to come and meet them. Afterward eight of us brothers met and fellowshipped together. He told us brothers to enlarge our capacity and to fellowship more. The brother was like a kindly old man, his words weighty and earnest, shepherding us tenderly and in detail.
Later, every year when I went to Hong Kong to attend the conference, the moment Brother Wu had arrived and saw me, his first words would be, "You've come!" These two short words were full of nourishment within, refreshing me and adding faith to me. That a small brother like me received the brother's comfort, encouragement, and strengthening so many times—the Lord truly loves me.
Brother Wu said, "How glorious it is that today we can serve the Lord! How worthwhile! Do not think that we do this and do that; without the Lord's mercy, we can do nothing at all." The brother was a Christian of broad bosom and true love, neither affected nor given to empty talk; toward those in need he could spend all that he had to cherish them. He was of important help to my service in the Lord and stirred me up to love the Lord even more.
In living, the treasure in the earthen vessel was manifested; in departing, the fragrance of victory overflowed. The brother labored in his service to the very end of the way; he was indeed a drink offering, his whole being poured out for the Lord's church.