Yan* is not a minister. But for more than 10 years she has been ministering to people that the rest of the world seems to have forgotten. They are elderly, disabled, or sick. Some live alone. All are lonely.
Yan explains, “It is difficult for the elderly, sick, and disabled to attend church. They are forgotten and looked down on.” But, she adds, “They are also created by God. … They really don’t need human strength, but the strength of God.”
When her church in rural China first recruited Yan to make home visits, she didn’t have Bibles to hand out. Instead, she would clean their homes, bring them food, and read Scripture with those she calls her “friends.”
That changed when American Bible Society’s financial partners heard about Yan’s work. Through your support, Yan received 112 Bibles to give away to those she visits. As a result, God’s Word has worked wonders in her friends’ lives. Yan was overjoyed when she received the Bibles because she knows how Scripture has strengthened her life and her ministry.
“The Bible lets them see hope, like seeing God. They cling to the Bible on their chest and refuse to let go — like clinging on to God not to forsake them,” she says.
One such friend is Jiang*, a man who has paralysis in his legs from a congenital condition and cannot move his left arm due to a fall. He is taken care of by his aging parents who spend most of their income on Jiang’s care. Jiang’s family received their first Bible through Yan thanks to American Bible Society’s financial partners. They read their Bible every day and know the joy of the Lord is Jiang’s strength.
“Having God’s Word in my life helps me to learn from Jesus and honor God and love people,” Yan says. “I have the strength to care for the needs of others.”
In return, Yan and American Bible Society’s financial partners who helped provide the Bibles are blessed by her friends. “They always pray for us,” she says. We are grateful for the support of our partners in growing the Kingdom.
*Names changed for privacy
