Li Zhan's story

At the age of 19 Li Zhan was raped, her virginity stolen. She was left confused and suffering the psychological effects of the rape. In her confusion she felt if she married the man that raped her it would somehow make it better. So she sought him out, in the village, and asked if he would make it right and marry her.

They married and it was disastrous. He continued to drink and beat her often. After she had been married 2 months Li Zhan could not bear it any longer and left; leaving a note that said she could not stand his beating any more. She returned after 3 days for some of her things to find her husband dead -- he had committed suicide.

Filled with guilt and self hatred, believing that she had caused her husband's death, Li Zhan started on the road to prostitution. She believed that was all she was good for. She started to work in a brothel, but after a short time she was arrested and put in prison.

In prison, Li Zhan was abused and degraded by some of the prison wardens. She cut her hair off out of grief and she began to think of ways to kill herself. She wondered if there was any reason to keep on living.

Then one day out of the blue, her name was called out during visitation hours. "Who could this be?" she wondered. "No one would visit me here. No one knows my real name. (She had been working under a pseudo name.) I am worthless!" She looked through the bars at an unfamiliar but very friendly face. They introduced themselves as women from Eden Women's ministry.

These ladies made her feel for the first time since childhood a glimmer of hope that her life could change and there was a God in heaven who knew her pain, understood her, and loved her and wanted to give her a new life. Delighted with this, in a short time she received Jesus as her Lord and started to read some scripture verses that had been smuggled into the prison. She then began to pray for herself and other girls in the prison. Soon Li Zhan was running a small fellowship group in the prison.

Two months ago Li Zhan was released from prison. Together with four other ladies, they came to live in Eden's women's shelter. Li Zhan continues to visit other girls in the prison bringing them the message of hope.