"I Will Go Straight to God"

Jack Vinson
Kiangsu Province, Mainland China
1931

The bandit told the missionary, I'm going to kill you. Aren't you afraid?" 

Jack Vinson replied simply, "Kill me, if you wish. I will go straight to God."

Jack Vinson's death inspired at poem by his friend E.H Hamilton in honor of his sacrifice:

Afraid? Of What?

To feel the spirit’s glad release?

 To pass from pain to perfect peace,

The strife and strain of life to cease?

Afraid    of that?

Afraid? Of What?

Afraid to see the Saviors face

To hear His welcome, and to trace

The glory gleam from wounds of grace?

Afraid    of that?

Afraid? Of What?

A flash, a crash, a pierced heart;

Darkness, light, O heaven’s art!

A wound of His a counterpart!

Afraid   of that?

Afraid? Of What?

To do by death what life could not—

Baptize with blood a stony plot.

Till souls shall blossom from that spot?

 Afraid of that?

I guess we should all just ask ourselves…what am I afraid of? We should remember that if God asks us to face suffering than he will give us the strength to endure it. Compared to dying giving up some unfruitful things in our life is nothing. 

“Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal. If any of you want to serve me, then follow me” Jesus- John 12:23-26

No one said it was easy

Yun
16 Years old
Mainland China
From the book Jesus Freaks by dc Talk

"There is a book that tells how to get to heaven?"
"Yes Yun. I have seen it with my own eyes," answered the old man.
"Where is this book?" asked Yun. "I must see if for myself!"
"It is far away-over 35 mile," the old man said sadly. "It is too far to walk, and you have no bicycle."
"I will go!" replied Yun. This young man walked the 35 miles and met with the owner of the Bible. Eventually he was able to get a Bible of his own. Yun then joined with another Christian, and together they went from village to village telling about Jesus. As this was illegal, the police would often come to stop them. Yun came up with a way around the problem. He had read in 1 Samuel 21;13 that David once pretended to be crazy to escape from his enemies. When the police came, Yun did the same thing: he made a spectacle of himself. The police laughed at him and let him go. After they were gone, he would become serious again and continue to speak to the people about salvation. Before long, however, Yun was cruelly beaten and put in prison for his faith. Afterwards, he had to stand public trial in a marketplace. Yun was small and thin. He was dressed in rags and barefoot, his face deformed from the beating. The Judge said to him, "We will give you one last chance to save your life. If you leave the underground chruch and join the Three-Self Patriotic Church, we will make you one of it leaders." Yun remained silent. He knew the government church worked closely with the Communists and often turned house-church Christians in to be imprisoned or beaten. The judge brought in a doctor who said to him sarcastically, "I will heal your dumbness!" The doctor forced needles under Yun's fingernails. When Yun passed out, the policemen walked on his back and saying, "Your stubbornness lead to this." He was brought back to a cell where other prisoners urinated on him. His only treasure was a tin cup on which he had painted a cross. This was thrown .in the toilet. Weeping he fished it out and pressed it to his heart. Yun faced often, praying for the Chinese churches, his fellow inmates, and himself. He was finally released after years, still strong in faith and refusing any compromise with the world or with the government-supported church