Four sisters were vital to Watchman Nee in his life and work. He was saved through the preaching of Dora Yu, perfected under Margaret Barber, and sustained by two elderly co-workers, Ruth Lee and Peace Wang. Dora Yu and Margaret Barber were of the older generation, whereas Ruth Lee and Peace Wang were of the same generation as Watchman Nee.
Ruth Lee was born in the province of Hupei in 1894, about nine years before Watchman Nee. Her Chinese name was Lee Yuan-ru.
The following excerpts are from her personal testimonies given at different times and recorded by Dr. Chang Yu-lan and Weigh Kwang-hsi.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I was born and raised in a non-Christian family. I considered myself a good person who had no need of salvation. During my first year in the Girls' Normal College in Wuchang, I experienced some fear of sinning against God, although at that time I was not sure there was a God. After passing through some years of schooling and acquiring more knowledge, I became careless.
Later I taught in a school in Tientsin, established by a relative. My maternal uncle was a believer, and I respected his character and learning. Yet I considered him somewhat superstitious. I learned English under a Western lady missionary but would not attend her Bible study. When I was dean of Nanking Public Normal College, I frequently advised the students not to believe in Christ.
In March 1918 while sailing on the Yangtze River, I was enjoying the scenery. At that time I realized that there must be a Supreme Being superior to mankind, who was wise and almighty, as mentioned in Romans 1:19-20.
One day one of my colleagues, a Miss Cheng, opened her Bible and called my attention to Romans 2:28-29. She also read Romans 3:29. At that time I realized that there was a God and that He was also my God.
At the end of April, Miss Cheng invited me to a luncheon held at the home of Miss Mary A. Leaman, an American missionary, where I discovered that my friend had been praying for me. After lunch Miss Leaman admonished me to believe in the Lord and asked me to kneel down and pray with her. After the prayer some of those present sang the following hymn for me: "That my Savior were your Savior too! For you I am praying, For you I am praying" (#933, Hymns).
From then on I read a few verses of the Bible every day. One day I knelt down and prayed that if God was true and if the Bible was true, He must enable me to believe the Bible. After rising up, I was able to believe.
I then desired to learn how to pray and how to sing the hymns. I secretly asked one of my Christian students to copy the words and music of a hymn for me. How wonderful when I sang the first stanza of the hymn: "O happy day that fixed my choice on Thee, my Savior and my God!" I determined to believe that Jesus was my Savior. I sang the chorus, "When Jesus washed my sins away," and rejoiced exceedingly. I felt that God had told me that Jesus had washed my sins away. On that day I was saved.
Later the light of God came to me again. I realized how sinful and heavily burdened with sins I was. I confessed all my sins to God and received His forgiveness. From that time on, whenever I remembered having wronged anyone, I would confess it to them. Thus, in my daily life and in my inward desire, there was a great change.
One day I read Luke 12:8. I determined to confess before men that I believed in Jesus. However, I simply did not have the nerve to confess the Lord before men. I struggled with this for a long time and was greatly troubled. One day I heard a voice within me saying, "Are you willing to forsake everything and follow Me?" At first I did not know what it meant, but later I knew. When I realized what this word meant, I told the Lord, "Lord, I am willing." After I made the decision, I went to the principal and resigned my job.