China (MNN) — After two years, a Chinese Christian has finally been released from prison.
Yang Caizhen, along with her husband and four other Linfen-Fushan church leaders from Shanxi Province, was sentenced to criminal detention two to several years on November 25, 2009.
The church leaders were arrested for organizing a prayer rally on September 14, 2009–the day after 400 military police raided the church's grounds, seriously wounding 30 believers and destroying 17 church buildings. The leaders were accused of "gathering people to disturb the public order" for organizing the prayer.
For the past two years, Yang has been in criminal detention in Linfen Prison. Voice of the Martyrs has featured Yang in their "Prison Alert" e-mails over the past couple of years, asking people to pray and write encouraging notes to Yang.
Voice of the Martyrs, Canada recently announced that God answered prayer for Yang's release. The ministry reported that she has been free since February but has spent much of her freedom in the hospital, as she is very ill.
VOM Canada asks that you thank God for Yang's release but also pray for her healing. Pray for Yang's husband, Yang Xuan, and for Pastor Wang Xiaoguang, Yang Rongli, and Zhang Huamei, who were arrested at the same time as Yang Caizhen; they remain in prison.
Pray that the Lord would continue to speak through all of these Christ followers, in or out of prison.
