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The price of faithfulness

Anna Wiens

After many years away from China, where we had previously served as missionaries, my husband Roland and I decided to return in 1980 to seek out an old friend, Lian San Sheu. Upon clearing customs at the Shanghai airport, we entered the lobby. There were many people standing around. One woman in particular was waving and appeared eager to attract someone’s attention. She was looking in our direction, and I supposed she was waving to someone behind me. When she came toward me and seemed to be looking directly at me, I still did not know what to make of it. Finally she came right up to me, reached out and said, “I’m Ling San Sheu!” We threw our arms around each other and wept for joy. Here she was – the person we had made this trip for – and we had not recognized her. We had not expected to meet her in Shanghai, especially at this airport far removed from the city. And, through years of suffering, she had aged extremely.

Later, when we were alone, she was able to talk freely about what took place after we left China in 1951. With her husband in prison, she had a difficult time supporting her family. Since she had had some university education before her marriage, her friends urged her to get a government loan and go back to school so that she could get a teaching job. After her studies, she was assigned a teaching position in another city.

In 1966, the Cultural Revolution began, and her troubles resumed. The Cultural Revolution incited young people to believe that culture, education and religion were enemies of the people. An era of rampant destruction began. Ling San Sheu was arrested, put into a hovel of a room and repeatedly questioned. If she did not reply as her tormentor wished, she was beaten. Then, to humiliate and torture her further, a sign was made on which her accusations were written: She had been the wife of a criminal, she was a Christian, and she had American friends. The sign was hung around her neck, fastened with thin wire knotted in the back. A sack containing heavy stones was fastened to the bottom of the sign. The weight of the stones caused the wire to cut into her neck until the blood dripped to her feet. She was forced to march through the streets displaying what a wicked person she was.

Miraculously, she escaped death. When the Cultural Revolution finally ended in 1976, she was set free and restored to her teaching position. During the years of her suffering, there was no money to send to her three sons and her husband’s aged mother. God provided for them through the love and sacrifice of a friend who had been a fellow member of our church choir before communism took over in 1949. We were now able to help Lian San Sheu repay some of those loans.

It was a very emotional time for Lian San Sheu as she shared these painful experiences with us. After she finished pouring out her bitter experiences, Roland read portions of Scripture and prayed with her. She felt loved and comforted. Then we had to say goodbye, and again we thanked the Lord for so miraculously bringing us together. My dream of seeing her again after 29 years had come to pass.

In 1984 we received word from Ling Tsian Fee that his aunt, Ling San Sheu, had died suddenly on February 23, 1984. He sent some pictures that had been taken at the funeral home. In the coffin, she was covered with an afghan I had made for her – he said she had been very fond of it. This was a symbol of our close friendship.

It is customary in China to have the funeral procession walk through a downtown street. Ling San Sheu’s procession followed the same route she had been forced to walk during the Cultural Revolution. Back then, crowds had lined the street, jeering her as a criminal. Now it was different. Banners honouring her name were strung across the street, and crowds of people lined both sides of the street in respect for the contribution she had made as a faithful teacher. It was a victory parade, escorting a daughter of the King to glory!

In 1947, Anna Wiens, her husband Roland and six other missionaries left by ship for China. They served as church planters with MBMS International until they were forced to leave in 1951 due to the communist revolution. They served for the next 33 years in Japan (1951-84). Anna currently resides in Reedley, CA. Reprinted, with permission, from China Then and Now (1993) and from True Life: First-hand Stories of Mission (MBMSI, 2000).

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Last modified January 11, 2001.

© 2001 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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