Sister Chen Yan’s on-site report on the experiences of Pastor Wu Wuqing and the Long Island brothers and sisters on May 17, 2023.
Every morning, when the Christians in Shuangliu District’s Blue Light Long Island International find their water, electricity, cars, doorbells, and locks working normally, they especially shout Hallelujah!
Today was particularly tight and full of ups and downs, let me tell you about it:
At 7 am, Brother Song and Brother Xiao’s cars, parked in another jurisdiction, with two cameras, by the roadside opposite the police room. Their cars had four valve cores stolen, deflating the tires.
I called the police at 8:33. During this time, I chatted with the community police office, telling them we are Christians and persecuted. He said he couldn’t do anything. I replied that he just needs to listen.
Around 9:00, police from the Wuhou area arrived. I spoke directly to them about the reason. It turns out we are old acquaintances. He handled Brother Axin’s case and was troubled. Indeed, which police station in Chengdu isn’t familiar to us? After a simple record, I praised them for being more formal than the Jiujiang police station, at least knowing to bring a notebook. The Jiujiang police often don’t act on the spot and only know to take you to the police station.
After dealing with the car and buying groceries, before I could catch my breath, I saw many messages after lunch and a nap.
At 11:10, Pastor Wu Wuqing sent a message: I’m moving a bed, a wardrobe, and a dining table to Phase I of Long Island. I’m currently blocked by the property management at Gate 1 and negotiating. I don’t know what will happen next.
12:20 Pastor Wu: The police came but didn’t solve the problem. They reminded both parties not to engage in physical conflict and to seek legal means for rights. They also requested not to block the fire passage. It seems that moving in is not possible. Brothers and sisters who need them can come and take them away.
12:43 Pastor Wu: Now the security won’t let me into the community, calling the police again.
13:14 Pastor Wu: Sister Shu Qiong was forcibly taken away by the police while filming the police’s response.
13:51 Pastor Wu: I accidentally got into the community, and the lock on the door was violently broken, but the door wouldn’t open. (Indeed, the pastor’s treatment is higher, and the property staff and related personnel are also busy. Think about it, they work for money, and we work for preaching the gospel, so everyone is even.)
13:57 Brother Song at Blue Light Phase I’s property center spoke with someone about the situation and preached the gospel.
14:32 Sister Shu Qiong returned home from the Jiujiang police station.
17:00 The locksmith was intercepted at the entrance of Phase I and not allowed to unlock Pastor Wu’s door.
17:50 Pastor Wu’s furniture left at the entrance of Phase I was dragged to the garbage station. On April 24, Sister Xuan Bin moved things into Blue Light Long Island International Phase I and was blocked. Forced to leave her belongings at the entrance due to the dark and rainy night, they were stolen the next day, the same method.
18:20 Brother Xiao, riding an electric bike, intercepted Pastor Wu Wuqing on his way to my house for dinner. He accidentally scratched the foot of someone blocking the way (no one ever stood guard there before) and was threatened by a group of property staff. One claimed he wanted to drag him somewhere and beat him up. Both parties called the police.
18:50 Not allowing Pastor Wu Wuqing in, thinking of some wicked people who puncture our tires, deflate them, cut off water and electricity, block locks, spray paint, and other tricks, we called the brothers and sisters in the community to come down and sing hymns, openly preaching the gospel.
19:17 I went to the police station with Brother Xiao and Xiao Lao San in the car. I hummed hymns on the way, and the police told me to shut up. At the police station, only auxiliary police were present, and no action was taken. The police let the property staff drive to the hospital for an injury check. We said it would take a long time at the hospital, and they should call us after checking. We then left.
17:51 We returned to Blue Light Long Island International Phase III and joined the ongoing hymn singing and gospel preaching meeting.
20:35 Sister Manna explained to someone that we are not heretics. She was questioned by the police, leading to a conflict. Later, they forcefully put her in the police car, causing soft tissue injuries as she screamed. Sister Shu Qiong was also taken away in the police car. The police shouted anxiously, warning that anyone who blocks the police car today will be dealt with severely! If we weren’t a group of Christians, it would have been tough. (Many onlookers: grid members, property staff, residents, community members, etc.)
21:00 We accompanied Pastor Wu Qing to the entrance of Phase I, where property management young men (visible) and some community personnel (hidden) wielding trivial authority still wouldn’t let him enter. We negotiated, prayed, and waited.
21:50 Sister Shu Qiong at the Jiujiang police station spoke with the Religious Affairs Bureau, conveying: “They asked me to tell you to disperse and not to stay there anymore. They said we were distributing cards and using loudspeakers, which has a bad influence.” I replied, “We haven’t even set up tents yet!” Meanwhile, a police car arrived at the scene, initially seeming to let Pastor Wu Qing in, then changed their mind after a phone call. They said a few words about contacting the landlord and then hurriedly left.
22:03 I called the police at 110, but no police appeared. A brother called the mayor’s hotline, and as expected, it was ineffective.
22:30 Elder Ying Qiang arrived at Blue Light Long Island from Deyang, and several brothers also rushed to the scene.
22:47 “The Religious Affairs Bureau came to brainwash, we counter-brainwashed, no one could persuade the other, each did their duty, and then went home.” The police car took Sister Shu Qiong and Sister Manna back.
23:20 New Moon mentioned that people in Deyang were looking for Ying Qiang, who was anxious and angry. Elder Ying Qiang went home on his own, everyone dispersed to their homes, and Pastor Wu Qing went to a brother’s house. At the entrance of Blue Light Phase III, Sister Manna was again obstructed from entering the community but finally got in. (If this standoff continued, it would be a repetition of today’s events)
00:47 Elder Ying Qiang: “Thank the Lord! Very grateful to have met everyone today.” Pray that the Lord continues to lead the brothers and sisters to fight by grace. Everyone went to sleep.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
(Matthew 6:33-34 NIV)
Transferring Sister Shu Qiong’s two statements:
1. “Yesterday, I talked with the Religious Affairs Bureau, and I asked, ‘If you had two choices in front of you, to be detained for five days or imprisoned for five years, which would you choose?’ Everyone would make a choice because this is visible. But let me tell you, hell is not a matter of five or ten years. I might live another twenty years, even if you arrest me and sentence me to life imprisonment, it’s just twenty years of suffering. But hell is eternal, which is more frightening? Am I not afraid of prison? Yes! I’ve heard about the daily interrogations in detention centers, not allowing sleep, and various methods of tormenting people. But I’m more afraid of hell. God’s judgment is even more terrifying, the fire there is unquenchable, the worms do not die, and the soul is immortal. Think about how terrifying that is! You don’t believe now, but when you see hell, it will be too late.”
2. “Yesterday, the Religious Affairs Bureau said that preaching should be done in designated places, not outside distributing cards or using loudspeakers. If someone doesn’t believe, or if they believe in Buddhism, isn’t this forcing others? I said: We don’t force anyone, they can choose not to believe. This is our Great Commission, as Jesus said: ‘Go and preach the gospel to all nations!’ Besides, communism is your belief, you plaster socialist values everywhere, even inserting red flags into churches, posting socialist values in churches, and asking Christians to love the country and the party. Christians believe in Jesus, not the Communist Party. Isn’t this forcing us to believe? What if you put the red flag in the church, and I put the cross on top of the government building, would you agree?”
3. Yesterday, the Religious Affairs Bureau also mentioned that our thinking is westernized. I clarified two points to him: First, I have never been to any Western country. Second, I don’t have any Western foreign friends, so I don’t understand Western culture, nor am I interested in understanding it. If you insist on saying we are westernized, then maybe our values are all derived from the Bible, which is a universal value! Take the United States as an example, I don’t think it’s that great. A country with too much freedom, where homosexuality is rampant, is not perfect for Christians. In this world, no country is perfect, so wherever we are, it’s the same. To talk about understanding, you should understand more than I do. Many officials send their children to Europe and America, you must have done research, otherwise, why not send them to Russia or North Korea? Aren’t they brother countries?”
He said: “We won’t discuss this!”
I said: “No, we must discuss this. This is what you brought up, how can we not talk about it?”
Transferring Sister Manna’s words:
“I was in so much pain last night that I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. I want to remind everyone of the police’s cunningly violent tactics.
They wear law enforcement devices and won’t throw a punch at you, but they will use both hands to grip and aggressively squeeze your body. When two police officers hold you, that’s the force of four hands, leaving no marks on the skin but causing internal injuries to muscles, fasciae, and other soft tissues.
If you shout ‘The police are hitting people!’ they will immediately accuse you of lying, saying they did not throw any punches. This is their deceitful definition of assault, and they even use it to attack your faith, asking if your God teaches you to lie.
Therefore, when facing such cunning violence, our first reaction when calling for help should be to loudly shout ‘Violence!’, ‘Police violence!’, or ‘Violent law enforcement!’, among others. The term ‘violence’ has a broader scope, instilling fear in them and preventing them from being excessively harsh.”
Leave a Reply