Faithful in the Face of Persecution

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."
- I Peter 4:12-13

From May 2004 to July 2009, I lived in the southeast prefecture of a very poor and underdeveloped province of southwest China. This prefecture consists of 16 counties and I lived and studied in the prefecture capital city. In the north part of the county I resided, about an hour and a half bus ride away, there is a village that has grown to be a very small town. Though this town has elements of "town", being, buildings, it still is mostly old school village.

In one of this town's backyards lays 3 graves. These people really don't care for the graves and has offered them to a friend of mine; gravestones, bodies and all. But these graves are special to the rest of us. Here's whats engraved on the tombstones.

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The first grave belongs to a local man:

新故潘公
生于咸丰七年五月十六日为传福音真道不料于光绪二十四年九月二十一日路过重安江遇害寿终四十二岁
孝男义德女桂珠
光绪二十六年三月吉日立
为真道杀害身体
蒙主恩得救灵魂

Translation:
Pan Gong (is most likely his full name though we know for sure that his family name is Pan).
He was born in the 7th year 5th month 16th day of the reign of Qing Dynasty Emperor, Xian Feng (1857).

Because he preached the gospel of the True Way he was unexpectedly murdered at the Chong An River in the 24th year 9th month 21st day of the reign of Qing Dynasty Emperor, Guang Xu (1898). He was 42.

He was survived by a son, Yi De (Yi means righteous/righteousness and De means moral/morality), and a daughter, Gui Zhu (Gui is a kind of tree in South China and Zhu means pearl).

This grave was erected in the 26th year 3rd month of Guang Xu (1900).

Because of the True Way his body was killed.
Because of God's grace his soul is saved.

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The second grave belongs to a Westerner.

主赐尔永生 is written at the top of this tombstone. It means "The Lord gives you eternal life"

Shall Rise Again
In loving memory of William S. Fleming of the China Inland Mission.
Aged 31.
Died Novem 4.1898 at Tsong An. *
First Protestant Martyr in Kueicheo. **

Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel's shall save it. Mk viii 35

Erected by the bereaved family.

必定复活
明鉴光先生来黔传福音于光绪二十四年九月二十一日路过重安江遇害寿终时年三十一岁

Translation:
He will definitely rise again.
Mr. Fleming (I think his Chinese name was 明鉴光) came to Guizhou to preach the Gospel and in the 24th year 9th month 21st day of the reign of Guang Xu (1898) at the age of 31 he was murdered at the Chong An River.

* Tsong An - Chong An, a river and town in Guizhou province. It is the out-dated romanization of the Chinese characters 重安 (Chong An).
** Kueicheo - Guizhou, a province in China. It is the out-dated romanization of the Chinese characters 贵州 (Guizhou).

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The third grave also belongs to a Westerner:

The top of this man's tomb reads 耶稣使死无权 (Jesus makes it so that death has no power)

In loving memory of Charles Chenery whose body lies here waiting for the appearing of his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness.

秦公尔锐英人也于光绪二十八年遵 主命来黔传福音引人悔改弃假归真不幸于光绪三十一年三月十四日离世归 主享年三十有二岁
光绪三十一年十月二十一日立

Translation:
In the 28th year of the reign of Guang Xu (1902), Charles Chenery (I think his Chinese name was 秦公尔锐), an English man, also obeyed the Lord and came to Guizhou to preach the gospel, lead people to repent and abandon what's false, and return to the Truth.

Unfortunately, in the 31st year 3rd month 14th day of the reign of Guang Xu (1905), Chenery left this world and returned to the Lord at the age of 32.

This grave was erected in the 31st year 10th month 21st day of the reign of Guang Xu (1905).

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Something interesting that I find is this: Pan Gong and William Fleming were murdered at the Chong An River in 1898 for telling people about Jesus. In 1902 Charles Chenery went to the same area of the same province to do the same thing that got two men killed just four years earlier! It may have been a little different if just the local man was killed and the foreigner got kicked out of the area or vice versa. But the fact that the locals were so hostile to hearing about Jesus that they would kill a foreigner and a fellow local is not to be overlooked. But Charles Chenery went to that place just four years later to serve God. He didn't die of martyrdom. He just died. I don't know the cause of his death. Maybe illness. But the thing that I wanted to point out is this: Fleming and Pan did not back down when hateful men murdered them in a river. Chenery did not back down when he answered God's call to be a missionary in a place where missionaries are killed. These men were faithful in the face of persecution.