{"id":42950,"date":"2022-06-29T14:00:46","date_gmt":"2022-06-29T05:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=42950"},"modified":"2022-06-29T14:28:06","modified_gmt":"2022-06-29T05:28:06","slug":"vomk-report-210","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2022\/06\/29\/vomk-report-210\/","title":{"rendered":"FIRST KNOWN CHINESE MARTYRS ON FOREIGN SOIL HONORED ON INTERNATIONAL MARTYRS DAY"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”42921″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Voice of the Martyrs Korea, an NGO which serves persecuted Christians worldwide, unveiled a plaque on its Martyrs Timeline commemorating Chinese Christians Meng Lisi and Li Xinheng on the International Day of the Christian Martyr, Wednesday June 29. The plaque was unveiled at a press conference at its office in Seoul.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” el_class=”headline”][vc_column_text]Meng and Li had been teaching at a language center in Quetta, Pakistan prior to being forced into a car at gunpoint when they were walking down the street on May 24th, 2017. The terrorist group Islamic State released video footage on June 8, 2017 showing the execution of the two by throat slitting.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Voice of the Martyrs Korea CEO Pastor Eric Foley says formal recognition of Meng and Li by Christians around the world is long overdue.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”42926″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cMeng and Li are the first known Chinese martyrs on foreign soil,\u201d says Pastor Foley. \u201cTheir story should be remembered, celebrated, told, and re-told by Christians around the world until Christ returns.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to Pastor Foley, Meng and Li\u2019s story is not well- or accurately known among Christians because of international political tensions. \u201cFrom the moment it happened, powerful interests wanted the story denied or distorted or covered up, each for different reasons,\u201d says Pastor Foley. \u201cChina didn\u2019t want other Chinese Christians to follow in the footsteps of these martyrs, and they didn\u2019t want their economic partnership with Pakistan damaged. Pakistan didn\u2019t want to look like a nation of Islamic extremists where terrorists killed other country\u2019s citizens when they visited. Korea didn\u2019t want to look like a nation of Christian extremists engaging in reckless mission activity. And the mission agencies and churches in China and Korea seemed to decide that staying silent was the best way to avoid further trouble with these governments and to keep their other workers safe.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”42930″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Pastor and Dr. Foley place a new plaque on the VOMK Martyrs Timeline commemorating Chinese Christians Meng Lisi and Li Xinheng.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]As a result, says Pastor Foley, Meng and Li are being forgotten or remembered wrongly by Christians.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]\u201cGovernments and their representatives have claimed Meng and Li were either students who were deceived or pressured or enticed into mission work, or that they were immature or impetuous Christians who didn\u2019t realize the seriousness of their actions, or even that they weren\u2019t missionaries at all,\u201d says Pastor Foley. He says his organization\u2019s investigation indicates otherwise.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the past two years, Voice of the Martyrs Korea has carefully researched and documented the story of Meng <\/span>Lisi<\/span> and Li <\/span>Xinheng<\/span>,\u201d says Pastor Foley. \u201cOur team and associates traveled across Korea, China, and to Pakistan itself, including to the very site of their kidnapping, to talk to eyewitnesses, to examine documents, and to record all the details of the story.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Pastor Foley says that the real story is not about governments, mission agencies, or churches but rather a story of deep faithfulness of two young Chinese Christians.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”42933″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Meng and Li had been teaching at a language center in Quetta, Pakistan prior to being forced into a car at gunpoint when they were walking down the street on May 24th, 2017.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_single_image image=”42936″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Chinese Christian martyrs Meng Lisi and Li Xinheng.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cOur investigation confirmed that they were not brainwashed or deceived or enticed into naively going to Pakistan,\u201d says Pastor Foley. \u201cThey knew and loved and served the Lord long before they ever <\/span>thought about going on mission, and they became Christians the way most Chinese Christians do: By hearing the gospel from other Chinese believers. Meng and Li each learned the gospel from their homes, not from Korean missionaries. They each had Christian parents. They each prepared for their mission for years. They each studied for years at the university level to be equipped for their calling. Their vision came from God, not from a church or mission agency. Meng and Li knew the dangers of serving Christ. In full knowledge of the risks, they willingly chose to lay down their lives as faithful witnesses to Christ.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to Pastor Foley, Meng <\/span>Lisi<\/span>, who was 26 years old, was originally from <\/span>Hubei Province while Li <\/span>Xinheng<\/span>, who was 24, was from Hunan Province<\/span>, more than 300 kilometers away. They did not know each other until they met in Pakistan, and even <\/span>then<\/span> it was only as coworkers in Christ.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cMeng <\/span>Lisi<\/span> was actually engaged to be married back in her home province,\u201d says Pastor Foley. \u201cShe had attended church with her mother ever since she was little. She loved children and felt a special calling to share God\u2019s love with children from Pakistan. <\/span>So<\/span> she majored in preschool education at Network College of Huazhong Teachers\u2019 University. After her graduation, she made a plan to study Urdu, the national language of Pakistan.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”42939″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Li Xinheng pictured with his mother.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_single_image image=”42942″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”A memorial service was held for these missionaries in America in 2017.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Pastor Foley says Li <\/span>Xinheng<\/span> graduated from Xi\u2019an University of Electronic Science and Technology and joined a student fellowship while he was studying in university. \u201cAfter graduation, Li went to Zhejiang mission seminary to study. He learned Arabic, Aramaic, and English. He learned to share the gospel in Urdu.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Pastor Foley says that the Christian maturity of the two missionaries can be seen in the video footage of their execution released by the terrorist organization Islamic State on June 8, 2017. \u201cThat video shows the final moment of their lives,\u201d says Pastor Foley. \u201cThey were not begging or crying or shouting like na\u00efve students or frightened language teachers. With their last breath they showed the dignity and discipline of faithful servants of Christ.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Pastor Foley says Voice of the Martyrs Korea <\/span>has posted <\/span>a <\/span>short video about Meng and Li\u2019s martyrdom<\/span> at <\/span><\/span>https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/<\/span>en\/<\/span><\/span>dotcm\/<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”42945″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Li Xinheng” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”42948″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Meng Lisi” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cAccording to church tradition, June 29 marks the martyrdom of the Apostle Paul, so Christians around the world set aside that day to honor the legacy of those who have sacrificed their lives in faithful witness to the gospel,\u201d says Pastor Foley.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Voice of the Martyrs Korea\u2019s previous honorees on the Day of the Christian Martyr include Colombian lay evangelist Rocio Pino, who was martyred on March 6, 2011 by the Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia; North Korean underground Christian Cha <\/span>Deok<\/span> Sun, who was martyred between 2005-2010; and the so-called \u201cUnknown Martyrs of Communism\u201d: Christians who died under communist rule from 1921 to the present, which Voice of the Martyrs Korea and other analysts estimate to be between 25 to 30 million people.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vaLZoPjxFzg”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”42921″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Voice of the Martyrs Korea, an NGO which serves persecuted Christians worldwide, unveiled a plaque on its Martyrs Timeline commemorating Chinese Christians Meng Lisi and Li Xinheng …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":42922,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[857,235,869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russian-special","category-special-column","category-china-special","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42950"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42950\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}