Hainan Island (China)

During my walk with the cross through China we carried the cross the length of Hainan Island.

The story of the crosswalk in China is given in my report of that nation. My dear friend Jack Hunter was with me on this walk through China. We had a bus and driver and several other people including two interpreters and a cook.

Jack and I carried the cross and as we reached Hainan Island the local Chinese team began to want to carry the cross.

We walked the highway along the coast down toward the south.

From my diary:

This morning during the walk I had an awesome moment. A man had come into town on his bicycle to get some vegetables. He was about 60 - 65 years old. He saw the cross, turned around and followed us. Finally when I stopped to wave at the people, he spoke to me in English. I suppose he assumed I spoke English. When I asked him why he spoke to me in English, he said, "I learned it years ago as a child and young man."Benji said, "Do you understand the meaning of the cross?" "Yes, " the man replied in excellent  British English, "It is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ". When he used those words 'Our Lord' I knew he was a believer. I said, "You believe in Jesus as your Savior?" "Yes," he said and his eyes were bright and wet with tears.

He told us, "I saw the cross - I was stunned - I could not believe it." He was so moved with emotion, "This is the first cross I have seen in 40 years, it's the first time I have spoken English in 40 years". He could not believe Benji was from Shanghai and was walking openly with the cross. This man lives in a farming area far away and thought that all Christians were dead, that they had been killed or had been gone from China or stopped believing. He thought he was the only Christian left. As we shared with him about Jesus, a large crowd gathered around. I gave the man my address and he will write to me and I also gave him a gospel tract that I had in Chinese. This one man was worth the trip, how many more are like him. When I told him I was walking with the cross with Government permission he said he knew it to be true, otherwise it could not be done. He was thrilled and shocked beyond words. Also a short distance later another man came up, a young man, though he did not believe in God, he spoke in English and we had a great witness to him.

Praise the Lord. Today Harry gave his heart to Jesus. Jack prayed with him and he was truly converted. After 22 days of real struggle he finally accepted Jesus as his Savior and Lord.

On the road today Benji took a photograph as a crowd gathered,. Then a young girl about 20 years old with eyes alive, emotions overflowing as Benji tried to interpret she asked, "Was this like the cross Jesus died on?" She was a believer, a Christian and she was so excited she wanted us to come to her House-Church.

You wouldn't believe where we are staying tonight - at the Xinglong Hot Springs Guest House, a lovely place. We moved to the Presidential Building, a large palace-like place, and five rooms with a huge lounge.

Tonight we stayed at a fabulous place that is now a hotel resort. Chairman Mao Tse Tung, the Communist Party leader, built it as a retreat for himself. I slept in a big king- sized bed that Mao Tse Tung had slept in. I took a bath in a huge bathtub, the biggest tub I have ever seen, you could almost swim in it. And I put my cross in the living room. Praise God. What glory. After Chairman Mao had tried to destroy all remembrances and all witness of Christianity and the message of Christ, the cross was in his living room and an evangelist slept in his bed. Hallelujah!

My bed is ten by seven feet, with an overhanging canopy. It is in at least a 50 by 30 foot the room. The bathroom is larger than most bedrooms and the floors are covered in thick red carpet. The bath is about 10 foot long by 5 foot wide, with a 50-foot high ceiling. Chou En-Lai had also slept here. The rest of our team is staying in the other rooms of the chambers. It is just unbelievable.

We had a great Bible Study this afternoon with Harry, Lee, Benji, Mama and Jack. We are teaching the new converts the basics of the gospel. It is awesome; I must write a new book that is completely geared to the convert who has absolutely no knowledge of the gospel of the cross or anything.

This was one of the greatest days of walking ever, we had some good witness to the people along the way, but today was quite dramatic. Lee, Chin and Benji carried the cross a total of 22 km today - the Chinese Team. Jack and I carried the cross 25 km for a total of 47 km along the main highway of Hainan Island to Sanya. I walked all the way even when I was not carrying the cross. Our fellows are not ashamed of the cross or of their faith or being a public witness to Jesus.

Praise the Lord - we made it - all the way to the end of Hainan Island to Sanya . All Glory to God.

A pilgrim follower of Jesus,

Arthur Blessitt

Luke 18:1