Mr. and Mrs. Loh were industrious and successful manufacturers of soybean curd in the city of Nanchang, Kiangsi, where they acquired a position of influence as wealthy citizens. When Nanchang was taken by the Japanese, however, they were robbed of all their hard-earned money. On returning from the country, where they had for seven months been hiding from the Japanese, they viewed the wreckage of their property with no little dismay. Their beautiful house had been torn down by the Japanese for firewood, and their shop was partly destroyed and completely looted.
Although no Chinese was permitted to engage in trade, this resourceful couple hoped that they might in some way be able to earn a living. It was only a few short weeks, however, before the Japanese seized Mr. Loh, compelling him to work as a coolie in one of their forced labor gangs.
Months passed by and Mrs. Loh had received no word whatever from her husband. Not knowing if he were dead or alive she offered gifts and incense to the idols, both in her makeshift home and in the temples, beseeching them to send her husband back home again; but nothing happened.
Destitute and at her wits’ end, one day Mrs. Loh heard the neighbors sneaking among themselves about some other people who had prayed to the Lord Jesus, and their prayers had been signally answered. That afternoon she went into her room and prayed, kneeling beside the bed: “Lord Jesus, if there be such an One as Thee, and if Thou canst hear prayer, bring back my husband and I will serve Thee faithfully all my life.”
For two days she prayed this prayer, and on the third day her husband returned. She asked where he had been and what had happened, and this is his story.
Pressed into service, Mr. Loh had carried ammunition and other supplies between the Japanese military depot and their front line, but in all that time he had not been allowed to send a message back to his wife. Three days previously Mr. Loh with his burden was lined up with others of the press-gang, passing the Japanese officer-in-charge who was checking the loads. Mr. Loh was startled when the officer pushed him out of the line with the butt of his rifle, gave his load to another man, and motioned our friend to get on his way. (Many of the Japanese could not speak Chinese, and used gestures, rifle butts, and bayonets to make their wishes known).
Mr. Loh stepped back and slunk off from the lines, fully expecting to get the usual bullet in his back, but the shot never came. He straightway made for home and arrived there on the third day.
Mrs. Loh heard this story with amazement and thankfulness, for on inquiring further she discovered that her husband’s release came at the same hour she had first knelt in prayer, asking God for His deliverance.
As a result of this experience the whole Loh family came to meetings in the gospel hall. There they were soon converted to Christ and became a real help to the missionaries in the difficult days which followed.
ML 12/24/1961