What's going on?

Every where you look blockades and security cameras.

I know about the cameras.

The CCP has put them all over,

so as to control all the common people.

That's correct.

But those blockades, what about them?

What about them?

You merely have to walk around any of the streets of China

and look all about.

What will you see?

All sorts of slogans, all sorts of banners too.

Will you get to the point?

What'd the slogans and banners say?

Hey, I can't even say.

What is it?

On this wall one says,

"All underground house churches must be banned at once."

On that tree one says,

"Strike hard and firm at illegal religious activities."

And that one there says,

"The Eastern Lightning must be eradicated!

Troops won't be withdrawn till the purge is completed."

Well, the CCP government has always persecuted and suppressed religious faith.

Be it urban communities or remote village streets, (Yeah?)

these anti-religion banners can be found all over the place now.

It's way more than just that.

Now even in small villages,

there are patrols and ID card checkpoints,

and they go door to door and do surprise inspections.

Christians are hemmed in and blocked at every turn.

We have to go through an obstacle course just to share the gospel.

That sounds like a village lockdown to me.

It certainly is!

Last week, I went to share the gospel with my aunt,

every three miles, there were "mine zones" all around the entire village!

Mine zones?

They're not minefields.

Let's just say that village is watched extremely closely by the government.

I get off the bus, and I see a big sign off in the distance.

Oh, what does it say?

"Dragon and Tiger."

Hey! Dragon and Tiger Village.

That name sounds too ferocious!

I look up and see

a high-resolution camera mounted on a swivel,

that's pointed directly at me!

Every village has those now.

Yeah, but once I step into the village, it takes a 3D image of me.

Now, now, here is the thing.

At least the person you're preaching to is your aunt.

It's visiting family.

You can go confidently!

That's exactly what I think!

So I confidently step forward and enter the village.

Oh, what is it you see now?

The sign says "Temporary Manned Checkpoint" here.

Rotten luck!

Hey, where are you going?

Aren't you on your way to your aunt's place?

But I'm carrying a book of the words of God!

We know China's law enforcement doesn't care about the actual law. (That's right!)

They'll search anyone at any time.

There would be big trouble if they searched your bag.

To play it safe, go another way.

Right, I'll take another route.

I walk through many fields and go over slopes.

I ford many creeks and make my way through the groves

to reach the east entrance.

You finally got around the checkpoint.

Yes, I make it, but I feel on edge!

You need to be on your guard!

Go on. ('Kay.)

At once, two people come around the corner and begin to yell:

Stop there!

What's inside that bag?

Just hand over all your valuables—(No, no, no.)

That's not how it goes.

So then they're not robbers?

Who are you? Where do you come from?

Why are you here? Huh?

I'm visiting family.

What family?

What are their names? Where do they live?

Those are specific questions.

Whose house you visiting?

What are you going to say?

All I can do is mention my aunt's name, only then'll they let me go. (Yes.)

Hold on, who exactly is questioning you now?

First I thought they were checking residence permits

but then I saw every one of them had on red armbands.

They're the village patrol.

That explains all those questions!

I've a relative who works for the government,

and he told me that the government ordered nationwide investigations to arrest Christians.

So patrols are set up all over the place

specifically to keep an eye on all strangers.

That's extraordinarily evil.

When these people see a stranger,

they question them, then follow them.

They maintain a constant eagle eye on them.

That's certainly a strict investigation.

Once they discover you're a Christian,

they make a report.

There's no need for formalities, the police just go and arrest you.

It seems the government wants to get all Christians in one clean sweep.

They certainly do!

So I look around.

What is it?

Patrols are posted at every intersection.

The place is just crawling with them!

Lucky for me, I am going to my aunt's.

Hurry up and go then!

So I'm walking when, huh?

What's that?

Why are so many people at that bulletin board?

What's … what's going on there?

I try to hear, there's some sort of lively discussion going on.

Huh? What are they saying?

There's an older man who's wearing a straw hat.

He pushes past the crowd.

There's a big reward for those people who report believers in God.

It's yet another attack against religious beliefs.

Believers are good people and they follow the right path,

so why is the government always so incredibly hard on all of them?

The Communist Party is atheist.

They hate believers more than anything!

A young man comes up and says:

Just reading this makes me angry.

All across China today,

you'll find drinking, gambling, whoring, cheating and thieving,

and yet the government does nothing. (That's true.)

They just work on persecuting Christians.

Are they doing their duties? (Yeah, exactly.)

This country is a real mess!

Could it be any good under CCP reign?

Hey sir, take it easy now.

From the founding of the country till now,

the CCP has done many horrible things like this.

If you want to believe in God and be a good person here,

it simply won't fly.

This old man really understands.

Come on now, sir! (Oh, there is more.)

You can't say things like that just anywhere, right?

If that is passed on to the Party, it will be beyond terrible!

No one dares to be honest. (Okay, okay.)

You nursing women, all of you playing Mahjong,

get out of here quick!

If more than three people are found here,

it could be considered an illegal gathering!

Don't stay here too long. You should get going too!

I want to get going,

but there are two people here staring at me.

In a village this is normal, staring at a stranger.

They're squinting at me, their shoulders down.

They look like trouble, smiling but sinister!

Hold on. Just what does all that mean?

After the announcement, you'll understand.

Hey there. Hello?

Listen up, now.

It's the leader of the village.

If you hear about a Christian family

or strangers here to preach the gospel, report them right away.

There's a reward! Rewards for reports.

No wonder those hooligans are staring at you.

They've been emboldened by that promise of a reward.

Those guys there, they're slyly watching me the whole way to my aunt's.

I stride along boldly and bravely.

I stride along boldly and bravely.

Then I jog.

Then I jog.

I drop my pace to a slow amble.

I drop my pace to a slow amble too. (I get in a vehicle.)

What the…? How'd you do that so quickly?

Luckily, the brother-in-law of my aunt happens to be driving a large tractor

and comes chugging down the road just then,

and what's more he's even going my way.

So it seems you lost those hooligans at last.

I climb inside, but I still feel just a little bit uncomfortable.

Well, how could you not?

Just to share the gospel with your own aunt,

you need to jump through all those hoops. (It's true.)

It's hard to preach the gospel and believe in China.

As the Lord Jesus said:

It's really so dangerous to preach the gospel in China.

I feel weak within my heart and I think about retreating,

but then, I remind myself of a hymn of God's words:

God's words bring me such encouragement. (Indeed!)

I was chosen by God,

which gives me an opportunity to read His words,

and be personally guided by Him.

Therefore, shouldn't I repay His deep love

and share the gospel with others who are also longing for the Lord's coming?

That is right!

And could I really let myself be scared off by some obstacles on my path?

Thinking of all that

I have a sense of being on a crucial mission.

No matter what dangers or hardships I face,

I must rely on God and break through all barriers

to bear witness to God!

I pledge to uphold my duty! (Amen!)

As devout Christians, we have to always be faithful to God's commission.

That's how we attain dignity as humans!

I get to my aunt's with more than a little effort.

I'm about to knock when I hear a faint little creak.

Oh, your aunt's at the door. Go in quickly!

She's not, it's the neighbor's door opening.

From the doorway, I see a head poke out.

His face is sunburned, and he is as brown as the door.

His two dark eyes circle round and round, and then he looks me up and down.

Oh, it's you, Ming.

Just stopping by seeing your aunt?

The people in that village are really friendly!

How could they not be so?

The CCP does have its Five House System.

Five House System?

Five households per group to keep an eye on one another.

If they learn someone follows Almighty God

or that someone is coming to preach,

they must report it at once, and then they'll be rewarded.

And what if they do not?

All five go down!

It's no wonder.

It really is a village blockade as well as a ban on faith.

It's like some fortress, with defense after defense! (It is.)

Thankfully, you got inside safely.

You're able to breathe a sigh of relief.

My aunt sees me, and she's so excited!

That's right, it's hard to meet in person.

Dear Ming, you're really here at last!

I've thought hard about what you said that last time we spoke.

The more I read His words,

the more certain I am that Almighty God is indeed the Lord Jesus returned.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Ming,

I've been waiting for you to come, so you can tell me more!

The CCP makes that village an impregnable fortress.

Coming to visit is difficult.

My dear, I don't understand.

Since we started believing in the Lord,

we have all been persecuted by the CCP government.

The more the true God appears and works, the worse their persecution.

Just how can they be so evil?

You know,

that's not clearly seeing their essence of resisting God and hating truth.