Deng¹

Deng is a Global Mission pioneer in eastern China. She dreamed of starting a house church in her elderly mother’s home in a village with no Adventist church. Deng traveled to the village twice a week to share God’s love with her mother’s neighbors.

She ministered to the elderly and the sick whom she met during her neighborhood visits, and then she invited them to hear God’s message of love. A little group began meeting in Deng’s mother’s home, and within a year some 40 people came. They crowded into the small home, filling every available space.

Someone complained to the authorities about the unauthorized meetings in Deng’s mother’s house, and the police shut down the house church. Deng went to the government and explained that she was helping the people. “Some are old, and others were sick; they have no one to care for their needs. Go and ask them who is caring for them,” she challenged.

The local people begged the police not to close down the church. “Deng is a good person. She is helping us,” they said. The police allowed the house church to continue meeting while Deng sought formal permission to find a church in which to worship.

The church members found a small house to rent and converted it into a church. But soon it, too, was too small. But when Deng asked for land on which to build a church, the local authorities couldn’t help her.

The congregation found an old movie house for sale, and Deng requested permission to buy it. But she learned that a businessman wanted it and could afford to pay far more than Deng’s congregation. The believers prayed that God would influence the government to let them buy the building. But the price rose, and the congregation had to release its bid to buy the cinema.

Deng felt impressed to return to the government and ask them to intervene with the businessman to let the church buy the cinema. The official explained Deng’s work in the village to the businessman, and he withdrew his bid to buy the building.

Deng’s congregation didn’t have the money to buy the building, but the 46 Adventist churches in the region agreed to help buy the cinema. Within two years the little congregation grew to some 150 people.

Global Mission pioneers such as Deng work in many regions of China and throughout the unreached world, sharing God’s love and reaching souls who otherwise might never hear the message of salvation. Your mission offerings support the work of Global Mission. To meet more Global Mission pioneers, visit www.Global-Mission.org.

Deng is a Global Mission pioneer working in eastern China.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.
Find more stories like this at AdventistMission.org

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