ME Barber Story

8/12/2019 ME Barber Story

1/14

Section One

As unknown (2 Cor. 6:9)

M.E. Barber is little known, not only in the world in general, but also among most Christians. Some may realize

that her name appears in Streams in the Desert, but that is about all. She was British, but we cannot find her

name in The Dictionary of National Biography. She was a missionary, but she was not like David Livingston or

Hudson Taylor, who accomplished great things. Her sphere of work was not large; it was mostly limited to an

obscure village in a corner of China. She was not like John Wesley, who could say, The whole world is my

parish. She wrote hymns, but not like the hymns writtenby Charles Wesley or Isaac Watts, which can be found

in most Christian hymnals. She loved the Lord and matured in the spiritual life, but she was not like Madame

Guyon or Andrew Murray, who left many writings that remain to the present.

It seems that she was a lonely traveler who quietly appeared on the earth. She was born in 1866 in Peasenhall,

County Suffolk, England, the daughter of Louis (a wheelwright) and Martha (nee Gibbs) Barber. At 63 years of

age, M.E. Barber was taken by the Lord. Within her short lifetime, she was twice called by the Lord to go toChina. She gave up her home and traveled in a lonely way thousands of miles to a backward country.

She lived in a village close to Foochow where she quietly gave her best years to work for

the Lord, continuing faithfully unto her death on March 1, 1930. At her burial a brother said,

She has done what she couldlike Mary (Mark 14:8). Watchman Nee, who received

much help from her, was not present at her burial, but he wrote later of his appreciation for

her in his well-known book, The Normal Christian Life. In the last chapter, The Goal of the

Gospel(printed separately under the title,Why This Waste?), he quoted her words: Lord, I

am willing to break my heart in order that I may satisfy Thy heart! Once someone asked

her, What are the requirements to work for the Lord? She replied, The requirement to

work for the Lord is not to work. Some of the Chinese young people who received help

from her were worried about her. They wondered, Why doesnt she go out and establish

meetings and work in a bigger city? Instead, she lived in a small village where it seemed nothing was happening.

It seemed that it was a waste for her to be there. One brother almost shouted at her, No one knows the Lord as

you do. You know the Bible in a most living way. Dont you see the need around? Why dont you go out and

accomplish something? You just sit here seemingly doing nothing. You are wasting your time, energy, and

money; you are wasting everything!

Was there waste? After all these years, it is clear. She was a seed of life sown by God in

China. This seed surely went through loneliness, humiliation, and seclusion. But thank God,

He made her blossom and bear fruit. Only God knows how many people received spiritualhelp from her directly and indirectly. The marvelous thing is this: God caused her to bear fruit abundantly. While

she was alive, God did not let her know this. O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How

unsearchable are His judgments and untraceable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has

become His counselor? (Rom. 11:33-34).

Lord, I am

willing to

break my

heart in

order that I

may satisfy

Thy heart!

Was there

waste?


2/14

Section Two

Filled with the fragrance of the ointment (John 12:3)

Miss Barber went to glory more than 50 years ago. Those helped by her who are still alive today can be counted

on one hand. But time cannot dilute the deep impression she gave to us. One of the older sisters, who in her

youth saw Miss Barber, remembered her:

She was neither tall nor short. She had a round face that gave the impression of being kind, weighty, godly, and

sober. She was filled with the light of the Lord so that when people sat beside her they always felt comfortable.

While she was speaking, her tone was soft and full of joy. She always had a smiling face that caused people to

forget the suffering of human life. She could speak the Foochow dialect fluently.

Concerning the spiritual supply which Miss Barber rendered people, that same sister

recalled, The word she released was filled with light and life and caused people to leave all

and follow the Lord their whole life. An older brother, who was a student when he first met

her and who later became a spiritual son and co-worker of Miss Barber, remembered this:

The first time I met her, her eyes were like lightning, her hair was like silver, and her face

was shining like an angels. Her countenance was lovely, just like a mothers. Her behavior

was holy, her dress was simple, and she was always smiling and kind. She was different from other foreigners in

China. Her walk was sober. She not only had a good reputation, but also was a good pattern. Everything she did

was for the Lord, for the glory of God.

InThe Normal Christian Life, Watchman Nee mentions an older sister who deeply affected him. This sister was

Miss Barber. When she went to be with the Lord, he expressed his feeling: She was one who was very deep in

the Lord and, in my opinion, the kind of fellowship she had with the Lord and the kind of faithfulness she

expressed to the Lord are rarely found on this earth. He often mentioned her in ministering and in his private

talk. He said, In all my life, she gave me the most help, and, The biggest gain in my life was to know Miss

Barber.

Brother Nee went to England and the United States in 1933. After meeting with some noted

Christian leaders such as D.M. Panton, George Cutting, James Taylor, and T. Austin-

Sparks, he said, It is hard to find someone who can compare with Miss Barber. In 1933,

when he talked with a co-worker concerning service, he expressed his feeling, If Miss

Barber were still here, our situation would be different. He considered her a shining

Christian. As soon as he entered her residence, he felt the presence of God. When BrotherNee started to work for the Lord, he determined in his mind to obey the will of God no

matter what the situation was, so he considered himself as already obeying the will of God.

But whenever he went to see Miss Barber and talked with her concerning the Lord or read

the Bible with her, he realized he was short in obeying the will of God.

When Miss Barber lived in Pagoda Anchorage, she always spoke for the Lord. God not only expressed His will

through her speaking, but He also spoke through her person. Once Brother Nee testified, I heard many brothers

and sisters talk about being sanctified, so I began to study the doctrine of sanctification. I found approximately

200 verses concerning sanctification. I memorized them and put them in sequence. But what sanctification was, I

still was not clear. I felt empty inside, until one day I met this elderly sister. She washoly. On that day my eyes

were opened. I saw what it is to be sanctified. The person I met was holy. I had a very strong impression of this.

That light caused me to push forward. I could not escape, and this caused me to see sanctification.

Everything

she did was

for the Lord,for the glory

of God.

As soon as

he entered

her

residence,

he felt the

presence of

God.


3/14

In 1922 Miss Barber was 56 years of age. Brother Nee was still young, having been saved

for no more than two years. He was filled with many blueprints, grand ideas, and wonderful

plans which could touch people and move them, all waiting for Gods approval. He felt that

it would be wonderful if the many things in his hands could be put into practice. He brought

these to Miss Barber with great excitement, hoping to persuade her to agree that all of them

should be done. Later he testified, Before I opened my mouth to speak about my plans, she spoke some heavy

words. Then the light came and put me to shame. My work was so natural, filled only with the human element. As

the light came in, I was brought to the point that I could only tell the Lord, Lord! My mindis only paying attention

to the activity of the flesh. Here is a person who never thinks about such things. Her only motive and hope is for

God.

In one of her papers she had written, I want nothing for myself; I want everything for the Lord. This was her

prayer to the Lord. This word may have been drawn from the autobiography of a prominent national leader, who

said, For myself, I want nothing. I want everything for my country. Later, Watchman Nee quoted this impressive

prayer as his motto. No doubt this prayer, which issued from the depths of her being, exactly described and

explained Miss Barbers life.

Section Three

Dwelt as a foreigner in the land of promise (Heb. 11:9)

Miss Barber first went to China in 1899. She was sent to the city of Foochow, Fukien, where she taught in the

Tau Su Girls High School (a school begun and operated by the Church of England) for seven years. Because

she had the rich life of Christ overflowing in her excellent living, many students were attracted and desired her

instruction. This made the principal jealous of her. The principal accused her of ten illegal matters. While she

was being carefully examined, she felt before the Lord, If the thumb argues with the little finger, it only hurts the

head; so I should just leave this school. She was completely obedient to the Lord and quietly left the Tau Su

Girls High School. Even so, a list of her crimes was sent to the headquarters of the British mission. At that time

she learned to remain silent under the shadow of the cross. She would rather suffer misunderstanding than

defend herself. She returned to England and continued to avoid vindicating herself until the brother responsible

for the mission told her, As your authority I charge you to tell me the facts of what happened in China. Dont hide

anything. Then she told him what had happened.

After her return to England, she met Brother D.M. Panton, the editor of the Christian

magazine, The Dawn. She received much help from him. He was clear about the matter ofdenominations. He also knew the prophecies of the Bible and the truths concerning

overcoming. He influenced her to live as a person waiting for the Lord to come back. She

stayed in England for two years. During that time she exercised faith and prayed that the

Lord would open the way for her to go back to work in China. Finally in 1909, with

fellowship from D.M. Panton and the Surrey Chapel, Norwich, where he ministered, she

returned to China. This time there was no big mission to support her. Her niece, Miss

Ballord, who was twenty years her junior, accompanied her to China. Miss Ballord had her

own little savings, but Miss Barber had only the Lord of Psalm 23 as her supply. Like

Abraham, she trusted the Lord to supply her needs and to lead her where she should go.

While the ship crossed the Min River in China, she quietly looked to the Lord in dependence for her needs and

her future. When she came upon the beautiful scenery of Pagoda Anchorage, she felt that this was the location

Her only

motive and

hope is for

God.

Like

Abraham,she trusted

the Lord to

supply her

needs and

to lead her

where she

should go.


4/14

God had arranged for her work. Later she rented a house in Pagoda Anchorage and lived there until she

departed to be with the Lord. The landlord was Sister Shia, who was the principal of an orphanage.

Pagoda Anchorage was an obscure place near the sea, and there Miss Barber lived in a

simple house. This was in sharp contrast to the fine house where she had lived the first

time she was in China. To reach her house from Foochow, one had to take a steamship to

Mai Wei, then a little boat to a nearby village, then walk along the path on the hillside to

some old wooden houses. In one of the houses was her bedroom, where she would

fellowship with the Lord. Other houses were for hospitality. Pagoda Anchorage to Miss

Barber was like Canaan to Abraham. It was her promised land. But would God take away

this land? After Miss Barber had been living there for a while, the landlord decided that she

needed the houses for the orphanage. She wanted Miss Barber to move, and she sent

workmen to make repairs on the houses. It seemed that this was t he end of Miss Barbers

stay there. However, she trusted that God would not go against what He had promised.

With confidence she prayed, O Father God! I beg You to make Your promise firm. In the end, the landlord sent

someone to tell her that the repaired houses would be hers to live in. She resided there until her departure to bewith the Lord in 1930. Miss Ballord continued to work in Pagoda Anchorage until 1950, when she left Gods

promised land and returned to England.

Section Four

Having patiently endured, he obtained the promise (Heb. 6:15)

Pagoda Anchorage was prepared by the Lord, but it was often clear that God hath not promised skies always

blue (Hymns#720). One day, because of pressure from every side, she was fully discouraged and had no hope,

but the Lord stood with her and empowered her. Because of this experience she wrote the following poem

(Hymns#662):

On toward the goal! Press on!

Alone, yet unafraid;

He cut the path, who beckons thee,

On then, and undismayed.


The eyes that are a flame

Are watching thee, what then are men?

What matter praise, or blame?


Look not behind thee now,

When just ahead lies His Well done,

And crowns await thy brow.


Blind, deaf and sometimes dumb

Along the blood-marked, uphill way,

Hard after Christ, press on!

With

confidence

she prayed,

O Father

God! I beg

You to

make Your

promise

firm.


5/14

From the loneliness and hardship expressed in this poem, one can see what one of her co-workers meant when

he recalled:

From the prosperous mountain city, Hwei Chen, she moved to unfamiliar Pagoda Anchorage, where she led a

lonely, quiet life. No one had the same mind as she had. No one sympathized with her. She had no financial

support; she simply trusted the Lord to meet all her needs. At that time the western missionaries who lived in

Foochow heard the rumors, Miss Barber is staying in Pagoda Anchorage. She has a hard and poor life; often

she does not have enough food and clothing. A missionary sister went to visit her to find out what was

happening. When she arrived at Pagoda Anchorage, Miss Barber was feeding bread and milk to a puppy. This

sister said, The rumors concerning you are lies. God is giving you such amazing grace. Miss Barber listened

and smiled, saying, Thank the Lord! Praise the Lord!"

It was not the fact, however, that she never went through financial hardships. Once she had bills to pay, but her

pockets were empty. At that time a modernist came to offer her some monetary help. Since he had told her not to

be superstitious about God, she refused his help.

Even though she needed the money desperately, she was faithful to trust the Lord, and the

Lord took care of her needs. The next day, she received a large sum of money from Brother

D.M. Panton in Norwich, England. She wrote a letter asking why he had mailed her the

money. He replied that, at the time of her need, he had not been aware of her situation, but

while he was praying, he had sensed that he should mail her the money.

Miss Barber cared for spiritual principles. She wanted to live like the Israelites who

gathered manna in the wilderness every day or like Elijah who stayed by the torrent Cherith

(1 Kings 17:3) waiting for God to command ravens to feed him with bread and meat. One

day two brothers came from overseas to visit Miss Barber and her co-workers. Thesebrothers were concerned about the co-workers living and finances and suggested that the

co-workers do some business for the Lords sake such as mailing some Chinese green tea

and embroidery to them. They would sell the tea and make a profit for t he Lords work. Miss

Barber, however, refused their suggestions. She was faithful to keep her spiritual principles.

Section Five

Revive your work in the midst of the years (Habakkuk3:2)

Miss Barber was very much a person of prayer. She trusted that the Lord would supply not only her need but also

the needs of the work. Both she and Miss Ballord deeply felt how limited they were in their flesh. Some wondered

what two women could do for the Lord. They were weak sisters without the support of a mission, but they were

not weak in spiritual insight.

Even

though she

needed the

money

desperately,

she was

faithful to

trust theLord, and

the Lord

took care of

her needs.

They

wanted

China... to

turn to


6/14

They wanted China, no matter how backward and vast it was, to turn to Christ. This

seemed to be a distant dream, but they realized that God would raise up some young

people for His own sake. For this they prayed specifically for over ten years.

God answered their prayer. Near their residence a big revival took place, and God raised

up some young people who loved the Lord. Among them were Leland Wong, Lian Zin

Wong, Faithful Luke, Zai-Shen Chen, Shin Zen Chang, and Watchman Nee. Among the

sisters were Son-Fan Gi, Shi Gen Song, and Rei-Yu Lin. These sisters were deeply

impressed with Miss Barber and moved in order to live with her and work together. Sister Gi gave up her job as a

teacher, moved to Pagoda Anchorage, and stayed with Miss Barber until her departure. Later, when the Lord had

taken Miss Barber and in memory of her, Sister Song felt led of the Lord to move to Pagoda Anchorage and be

with Sister Gi until she also went to be with the Lord.

To meet the many spiritual needs, Miss Barber prepared a group of houses around her residence for the purpose

of hospitality. One of those houses was used as a place of meeting. Here meetings were held regularly for

edification. For one or two weeks she would help those students and young people who so desired. Some recallthat during conferences three sessions of Bible study were held daily. After each meeting those who attended

were expected to review their notes, write poems, and carry out other assignments. In addition to these

conferences, truth classes were set up for friends in nearby villages who were hungry for the gospel. In these

classes gospel truths such as the existence of God, mans sin, judgment, and the Lords salvation could be

expounded systematically. How was Miss Barber able to carry out the work of raising up people by training them?

She did not rely on donations, nor did she trust in advertising or in strong financial backing. She simply trusted

that God would meet the needs.

Once a brother named Dr. Mike visited Pagoda Anchorage from abroad. He went to see

Miss Barber and contacted many of the dear co-workers. He was very happy and quite

impressed with what he saw. Since the co-workers did not have a regular salary, he felt that

their living must be hard. So he made a suggestion: Why dont you give your group a

name? After I go back to my country, I can report to my mission. They will mail you money

regularly. Then you can work without ever worrying about finances. Miss Barber, however,

stubbornly refused his suggestion. The way of faith is truly a lonely way.

What kind of help did she render the young people? We can get some idea from the recollections of an older

sister:

Out of respect for her age, we called her Aunt Barber. She, however, did not agree. She said, We are all in the

Lord. No matter whether we are old or young, we are all the same. There is little difference concerning age in theLord. You can just call me Sister Barber. From that time on, all the older sisters were called sister.

Her teaching of the sisters stressed that they should be serious and should aspire to be quiet and submissive.

She referred repeatedly to the books of 1 Thessalonians and 1 Timothy, expounding these two books in detail.

This left a deep impression.

She taught the sisters to obey the truth and the authorities. She stressed the crucial importance of head covering.

She encouraged the sisters to speak less, to learn to trust God, and not to have contentions of words, which are

useful for nothing but to bring ruin to the hearers. She respected and treasured those who genuinely loved the

Lord. She cared for Watchman Nee, Kwang-hsi Weigh, and Faithful Luke, taking them as her genuine children in

faith. They, in turn, were touched to forsake everything and to serve the Lord all their lives.

Christ... For

this they

prayed

specifically

for over tenyears.

The way offaith is truly

a lonely

way.


7/14

Section Six

Apples of gold in pictures of silver (Proverbs 25:11)

Around 1922, almost every Saturday for about a year, Watchman Nee would go to Sister Barber to receive help.

Some young brothers who were raised up by the Lord with Brother Nee also went there for help. Soon, however,

most of them were afraid to go, because she rebuked them severely. Her rebukes bothered them. One brother

felt her dealing was unreasonable. But after being dealt with, they all felt they had received much help.

At that time there were seven young brothers meeting in Foochow every Friday for fellowship concerning church

affairs. However, most of the time was spent in arguments between Brother Nee and another leader. This leading

brother was five years older than Brother Nee. Each thought he was right and liked to criticize the others ideas.

Sometimes Brother Nee lost his temper and did not want to apologize. He would go to Sister Barber to complain

and to ask her to judge the situation. Sister Barber, however, rebuked Brother Nee and said: The Bible says the

younger should obey the elder. You should obey him.

Brother Nee did not want to obey. He said, I cannot possibly do this. A Christian should act

reasonably.

Sister Barber answered, Whether it is reasonable or not, you need not care. The

Scriptures say that the younger should obey the elder.

Brother Nee had wept two days previously, after the dispute, and now after listening to Miss

Barber, he was angry and wept again. He wished that he could have been born earlier, so

that the other brother would have to obey him. It so happened that the brother who was

older than Brother Nee did not obey an even older brother in a later dispute. This time

Brother Nee felt that he was obviously right and that his co-worker was wrong. This time he

would win the victory. But when he went to Miss Barber, she said: Whether the co-worker

is wrong or not is another matter. While you are accusing your brother before me, are you like one who is bearing

the cross? Are you like the Lamb?

Brother Nee later testified: That is all she said. I felt very ashamed. That year I learned some of the most

precious lessons of my life.

Sister Barber really knew how to help others. Once Brother Nee wrote several good hymns in one night. He

thought he would receive a compliment, but instead Sister Barber poured cold water on him. She said, A hymn,

like milk and honey, is the outflow of a life that has learned lessons and is dealt with. This cannot happen in oneday and one night.

After Brother Nee decided to serve the Lord, he met Sister Barber. She asked him, Are you serving the Lord?

What does the Lord want you to do?

Brother Nee answered, The Lord wants me to serve Him.

Again she asked, What were you going to do if the Lord didnt want you to serve Him?

He replied, The Lord surely wants me to do something.

She said, A

hymn, like

milk and

honey, is

the outflow

of a life that

has learned

lessons and

is dealtwith.


8/14

Then she read from Matthew chapter 15 about the breaking of bread and asked, How do you understand this

passage?

Brother Nee said, First the Lord took the loaves and fish in His hand. Through His blessing they were multiplied

and fed four thousand.

Sister Barber spoke in a serious tone: All the loaves in the Lords hand were broken and

given out by the Lord. The unbroken bread could not be transformed and feed others.

Brother, please remember, many times I was just like the bread saying, Lord! I give myself

to You. However, in my heart I still held out hope, as if to say, Lord, even though I have

given myself to You, dont break me. We always want to offer the bread whole, not broken.

But no loaf which has been put in the Lords hand has ever been left unbroken.

Sister Barber often helped people through a touching word that met their need. One day an

elderly sister was criticized for obeying the Lord, and she went to tell Sister Barber. She

warned her, If Satan attacks, you must learn to stand firm in the Lord. Beware of Satans smile, lest yousurrender. Another time she wrote a letter to Miss Dora Yu, saying: If Satan can seize our thoughts, then he

already controls our life. Whenever someone was sick, even if it was only a cold, she always asked: Do you

know why?

The Lords servant, Brother Chen, recalled the help he received by listening to Sister

Barbers word: She taught us the lessons of faith and encouraged me to walk the way of

faith. She often told me: Dont be afraid; just believe. I will never forget this word.

Once while praying with a younger brother, she read Ezekiel 44, the chapter about serving

the Lord or serving the temple. She said: Young brother, when I read this chapter about 20

years ago, I immediately closed the Bible, knelt down, and prayed: Lord! Let me serve You,

not the temple.

The help that she gave these young brothers was more profitable than many conferences

and messages. Later, it proved to be the most effective and permanent kind of help, since it supplied the receiver

throughout his life.

Section Six

Apples of gold in pictures of silver (Proverbs 25:11)

Around 1922, almost every Saturday for about a year, Watchman Nee would go to Sister Barber to receive help.

Some young brothers who were raised up by the Lord with Brother Nee also went there for help. Soon, however,

most of them were afraid to go, because she rebuked them severely. Her rebukes bothered them. One brother

felt her dealing was unreasonable. But after being dealt with, they all felt they had received much help.

At that time there were seven young brothers meeting in Foochow every Friday for fellowship concerning church

affairs. However, most of the time was spent in arguments between Brother Nee and another leader. This leading

brother was five years older than Brother Nee. Each thought he was right and liked to criticize the others ideas.

Sometimes Brother Nee lost his temper and did not want to apologize. He would go to Sister Barber to complain

The

unbroken

bread could

not be

transformed

and feed

others.

She taught

us the

lessons of

faith and

encouraged

me to walkthe way of

faith.


9/14

and to ask her to judge the situation. Sister Barber, however, rebuked Brother Nee and said: The Bible says the

younger should obey the elder. You should obey him.

Brother Nee did not want to obey. He said, I cannot possibly do this. A Christian should act

reasonably.

Sister Barber answered, Whether it is reasonable or not, you need not care. The

Scriptures say that the younger should obey the elder.

Brother Nee had wept two days previously, after the dispute, and now after listening to Miss

Barber, he was angry and wept again. He wished that he could have been born earlier, so

that the other brother would have to obey him. It so happened that the brother who was

older than Brother Nee did not obey an even older brother in a later dispute. This time

Brother Nee felt that he was obviously right and that his co-worker was wrong. This time he

would win the victory. But when he went to Miss Barber, she said: Whether the co-worker

is wrong or not is another matter. While you are accusing your brother before me, are you like one who is bearingthe cross? Are you like the Lamb?

Brother Nee later testified: That is all she said. I felt very ashamed. That year I learned some of the most

precious lessons of my life.

Sister Barber really knew how to help others. Once Brother Nee wrote several good hymns in one night. He

thought he would receive a compliment, but instead Sister Barber poured cold water on him. She said, A hymn,

like milk and honey, is the outflow of a life that has learned lessons and is dealt with. This cannot happen in one

day and one night.

After Brother Nee decided to serve the Lord, he met Sister Barber. She asked him, Are you serving the Lord?

What does the Lord want you to do?

Brother Nee answered, The Lord wants me to serve Him.

Again she asked, What were you going to do if the Lord didnt want you to serve Him?

He replied, The Lord surely wants me to do something.

Then she read from Matthew chapter 15 about the breaking of bread and asked, How do you understand this

passage?

She said, A

hymn, like

milk and

honey, is

the outflow

of a life that

has learned

lessons and

is dealt

with.


10/14

Brother Nee said, First the Lord took the loaves and fish in His hand. Through His blessing they were multiplied

and fed four thousand.

Sister Barber spoke in a serious tone: All the loaves in the Lords hand were broken and

given out by the Lord. The unbroken bread could not be transformed and feed others.

Brother, please remember, many times I was just like the bread saying, Lord! I give myself

to You. However, in my heart I still held out hope, as if to say, Lord, even though I have

given myself to You, dont break me. We always want to offer the bread whole, not broken.

But no loaf which has been put in the Lords hand has ever been left unbroken.

Sister Barber often helped people through a touching word that met their need. One day an

elderly sister was criticized for obeying the Lord, and she went to tell Sister Barber. She

warned her, If Satan attacks, you must learn to stand firm in the Lord. Beware of Satans smile, lest you

surrender. Another time she wrote a letter to Miss Dora Yu, saying: If Satan can seize our thoughts, then he

already controls our life. Whenever someone was sick, even if it was only a cold, she always asked: Do you

know why?

The Lords servant, Brother Chen, recalled the help he received by listening to Sister

Barbers word: She taught us the lessons of faith and encouraged me to walk the way of

faith. She often told me: Dont be afraid; just believe. I will never forget this word.

Once while praying with a younger brother, she read Ezekiel 44, the chapter about serving

the Lord or serving the temple. She said: Young brother, when I read this chapter about 20

years ago, I immediately closed the Bible, knelt down, and prayed: Lord! Let me serve You,

not the temple.

The help that she gave these young brothers was more profitable than many conferences

and messages. Later, it proved to be the most effective and permanent kind of help, since it supplied the receiver

throughout his life.

Section Eight

Yes, Father (Matt. 11:26)

Why did the Lord so use Sister Barber? What was the secret of her work? Clearly her ministry corresponded toher life. Brother Nee later explained, The Lords work is only the outflow of life. It is not a matterof working for

the Lord, but of letting the Lord work in you. She could work for the Lord because she allowed the Lord to work

on her and mold her.

She had a heart to love the Lord and to live unto Him. Once she was facing a situation that

was difficult because the price it demanded involved everything she had. In this situation

she lifted up her eyes with tears and said, Lord! In order to satisfy Your heart, I am willing

to have my heart broken.

Another time, Brother Nee asked her about her experiences of obeying and doing the will of God. She said,

Whenever God delays in telling me His will, I find that I still have a disobedient heart and an improper motive

The

unbroken

bread could

not be

transformed

and feed

others.

She taught

us the

lessons of

faith and

encouraged

me to walk

the way of

faith.

The Lords

work is only

the outflow

of life.


11/14

within me. She learned this through many, many experiences. She often asked Brother Nee, Do you love Gods

will? She did not ask, Do you obey His will?

One time Sister Barber was disputing with the Lord concerning a certain matter. She knew

what the Lord wanted, and in her heart she truly wanted the same thing, but it was too

difficult for her. Brother Nee heard her pray, Lord, I admit that I am not will ing to learn this

lesson. But please do not surrender to me. Lord, please wait! I will surrender to You. She

did not want the Lord to surrender to her and lessen His demands on her. She did not want

anything other than to please the Lord. Several months after Sister Barber passed away,

someone sent Brother Nee a box of her possessions. Among them was a note with these

words: Lord, thank You for this commandment: You shall love the Lord your God with all

your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind!

She once said: The secret to understanding the will of God is that 95% is a matter of

submitting to the will of God, and only 5% is a matter of understanding. She herself

proved to be a person who truly understood the will of God and knew God.

Once Brother Nee brought this question to her: All in all, did the Lord request more from

His disciples than they requested from Him? Brother Nee thought that the Lord requested

more.

Sister Barber answered, No! We see the outward failures of men; the Lord sees their

hidden victories. This kind of understanding must have been learned lesson by lesson

before the Lord. No wonder she could be so confident in believing God and could stand

so firmly in rejecting the enemy!

One time she was sick for four days in a row. She had no co-workers with her and no

money, and even the cook had gone home. She asked God why she was sick. The Lord showed her clearly that

the sickness was not from God, but was an attack from Satan. She told the Lord, If I am wrong, then the

sickness will continue. But if this is Satans attack, then I shall not continue to be sick. She had already suffered

with a high fever for four days, but she rose up immediately and wrote a hymn whose first line reads, To the foe

my word is always, No. After finishing the hymn, she went out to work; the sickness was gone. However, God

did not only teach her lessons through sickness; He also arranged many other environments to test whether she

could always say yes to the Father.

Section Nine

The full knowledge of Him (Eph. 1:17)

Sister Barber was rich and deep in the Lord, both in objective knowledge and in subjective experience. Brother

Tzaisheng Chen, who had lived in Pagoda Anchorage and was a co-worker of Sister Barber, summarized her

understanding of the truth this way:

She believed that all Scripture is Godbreathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for

instruction in righteousness. She preached Gods word by cutting straight the word of the truth. She led us to

know the truth, to discern right and wrong, and to be honest and sincere. She prevented heresies and cults from

She did not

want

anything

other than

to please

the Lord.

The secret to

understandingthe will of God

is that 95% is

a matter of

submitting to

the will of God,

and only 5% is

a matter of

understanding.


12/14

coming into the church, fought against the evil spirit of temptation, and encouraged the saints to admonish one

another, to pray, and to stand against the devil to resist his deception. She preached the truth of the kingdom,

encouraging us to enter into the kingdom and to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. She preached the

truth of the cross - that we have died with Christ and have been buried with Him and resurrected with Him - and

admonished us to reckon ourselves to be dead to sin, but living to God in Christ Jesus. It is no longer I who live,

but it is Christ who lives in me (Gal. 2:20). She preached the truth of overcoming, admonishing us to a nswer

Gods calling, to be an overcomer of God, to be a soldier of Christ, and to follow our Captain into glory through

sufferings. She preached Christs second coming, so that we would not be foolish virgins nor evil and slothful

slaves burying our talent (Matt. 25:1-2, 26).

The most striking points in her subjective spiritual experience were the lessons of faith that she learned and the

way of faith in which she walked. Brother Tzaisheng Chen wrote the following about these experiences:

Sister Barber had good health, and by Gods grace she retained her youthfulness. Her freshness was like

Moses, and her physical strength, like Calebs. Throughout her life she had no serious illness, only minor

sicknesses. She advocated being healed by God, believing tha t Gods wonders and signs would follow us.

Therefore, the co-workers would not see a doctor if they were sick, nor would they take medicine. Every sickness

was to be healed by God to testify that He is the Almighty God.

In daily living, Sister Barber learned to watch for Gods provision in very small things, even in one bar of soap or

one hair clip. Her hair was blond, so it didnt match her black hair clip, which was made in China. She prayed

concerning this. Not long after, she received a blond hair clip from abroad.

There was a sister who had three daughters and one son. They were very poor and could not support

themselves any longer, so they sent a daughter, Yuhjy Liu, to the Lai family as a maid. Miss Liu was very

beautiful, and one member of the Lai family wanted to take her as a concubine. When the mother and daughterheard this, they wept together, because the Lai family would not release her unless a payment of $240 was

made. Sister Barber heard about this matter. Her heart of love could not bear to allow Sister Liu to become a

concubine. (By that time the mother and daughter had been saved.) She encouraged both mother and daughter

to pray to God. Sister Barber did not have much money at the time, so she also prayed that God would provide

the ransom for them. God indeed heard their prayer and sent $240 from abroad to ransom Sister Yuhjy Liu, who

later married Brother Chu.

Like Abraham of old, Sister Barber not only learned to receive Isaac from the Lords hand, she also learned to

return Isaac to His hand. In her old age she once hoped for a fur coat to protect her from the cold. She prayed,

and the Lord touched a believer in the USA to send her a fur coat. One day while wearing the coat, she

encountered a brother, who said: Sister Barber, you are the Lords co-worker.

The

following

precious

story shows

that Sister

Barbers

faith not


13/14

How could you wear such a nice fur coat? When Sister Barber heard this, she put away

the coat. From that day on, until the Lord received her to Himself, she never again wore

that fur coat. If the coat would stumble others, she would rather not wear it.

The Bible says, The righteousness of God is revealed in [the gospel] out of faith to faith (Rom. 1:17). Faith is

like a plant, which grows. The following precious story shows that Sister Barbers faith not only grew but also

matured. One time, Sister Barber felt that God had commanded her to prepare ten additional rooms or

apartments specifically for hospitality. She prayed for this. God arranged to close an engineering school, and the

building was subleased to her. Four years later, this school reopened. Brother Watchman Nees father was a

trustee on the school board. When Brother Nee heard the news, he went to Sister Barber and asked whether she

had heard about it. She said that she had already been notified that the school would reopen for the fall

semester. Two engineers from America had been hired, and they were on their way. According to the school

authorities, the reopening could not be avoided. Brother Nee asked her whether they should move her or not.

She answered, We're not moving. He asked her i f she had prayed, and she said, No. This time she did not

even need to pray. Another brother told her she was being deceived by Satan. She said, Wait and see. Brother

Nee asked how she could be so confident. She said, God is not joking with us. He said to take the apartment, soI did. He did not stop me. How could He kick us out? So she took her summer vacation peacefully in Kuling (later

the location of Brother Nees training center), as if nothing had happened. Just when she was about to go back, a

letter suddenly arrived. It said that the school would not open and asked her to rent the building again, because

the school had gone bankrupt.

Sister Barber gave Brother Nee, who was very young at that time, much spiritual help. However, they did have

some differences in their understanding of the truth. For example, they held different views about sisters

prophesying. Sister Barbers cousin, Sister Lee, later testified that they never argued about this matter.

Sometimes Brother Nee came to Pagoda Anchorage. Sister Barber generously gave him the podium to speak.

She herself sat and listened quietly. This shows how deeply the Lord had worked within her. It requires a life of

selflessness to endure others differing viewpoints while remembering their merits.All these things affected young

Brother Nee very deeply.

There is no doubt that Sister Barber received much help from Brother Panton in

understanding the Bible. The Lords return is not just a matter of knowing but also of

waiting. She was truly one who lived for the Lords return. This is evident in the many

hymns she wrote concerning waiting for the Lords coming back. On the eve of 1925,

Brother Nee and Sister Barber were praying together. She prayed, Lord, will You really let

the year 1925 pass away? Although it is the last day of the year, I still ask You to come

today. A few months later Brother Nee met her on the street. Sister Barber took his hands

and said, This is strange. Why has He still not come, even up to today? Maybe He willcome before next year. As she walked with Brother Nee on the street, she said that they might meet Him at the

next corner.

She, like the Shulamite, was drawn by the Lord all her life. She also was not alone. As in Song of Songs 1:4, the

one who is drawn is the Shulamite, but we - many virgins - will run after You.

only grew

but also

matured.

She was

truly one

who lived

for the

Lords

return.


14/14

Section Ten

I have fought the good fight (2 Tim. 4:7)

Sister Barber was full of faith. She would not see a doctor, take medicine, or take an injection when she was sick.

At the end of February 1930 she contracted enteritis. Her cousin, Sister Lee, was also sick and bedridden. Sister

Barber asked her roommate, Sister MuShe Lee, to do the massage for her high fever. After her temperature

came down, she prayed for many of her co-workers by name.

Sister Tsou asked her, Sister Barber, when you should be praying for yourself, why do you

only pray for us? She answered, All of you co-workers are always on my mind. I am

burdened, so I pray for you. After several days of sickness, she left this world. It is said that

before she departed she was shouting, Life, life!

She had a few hundred dollars at the time of her death. After her funeral expenses, only

about twelve dollars were left. She had truly stored up her treasure in the heavens. Uponhearing the news of her death, many co-workers cried as desperately as if they had lost

their own parents. Brother TsungShin Chen wept, saying, I cant reach my spiritual mother,

who loved me and corrected me. Some co-workers, like Sister MuShan Lee, suffered a grief that could not be

soothed until they received a letter from overseas that said, This thing is from the Lord.

Sister Barber was buried in a cemetery for foreigners on top of the mountain at Pagoda Anchorage. Several

brothers, including Brother LanJu Wang, bore her coffin from her house to the cemetery. Her tombstone was

engraved, The Resting Place of Sister Barber.

It is said

that before

she

departed

she was

shouting,Life, life!

ME Barber Story

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