While I was seeking to know the Bible in a thorough way, there appeared in my hometown a Christian periodical entitled The Morning Star. I obtained and read all available issues of that paper. As I read, I frequently noticed articles under the by-line of Watchman Nee. It was obvious that those articles were the most outstanding ones on biblical truths. They were the best in the whole paper. The more I read them, the more I enjoyed reading them. From the way this writer addressed his readers, I imagined he was an aged Christian teacher, perhaps over sixty years of age. Actually, he was a young man only two years older than I. Then an issue of the paper was published with a notice saying that Watchman Nee would publish his own paper, to be entitled The Christian. Immediately, I subscribed to this magazine. From 1925 through 1927 I received all twenty-four copies. When one issue would come, I would devour the whole thing in the same day if possible. Besides reading The Christian, I purchased all the books he published on the spiritual life. From these I received the greatest help in the matter of life. I greatly appreciated and highly treasured this magazine and these books.

At the same time, I was led to read Watchman Nee's article in The Lamp unto My Feet, a periodical published by the Newton Brethren in Chefoo. This article also deeply impressed me.

During these days I began to correspond with Watchman, and this initiated our first contact. I wrote, asking him questions about the Bible, all of which he answered. In one letter I asked him for advice concerning the best book on understanding the Bible. He answered that to his knowledge, the book which could be of most help in knowing the Bible was John Nelson Darby's Synopsis of the Books of the Bible. He added that unless I read it four or five times I would not be able to understand it well. Eight years later, while I was staying as his guest in Shanghai, he gave me this set of books as a gift.

After being saved, I still attended the Sunday morning services in the Chinese Independent Church for about two and a half years. But through the reading of Watchman Nee's writings, I began to realize that the denominations were wrong and that there was such a thing as a proper church. Though inwardly I was through with the denominations, yet I still remained there. In that denomination there was a young man who realized that I was different from others in seeking after the Lord. One day he asked, "How can we know that we are saved?" Taking the opportunity to help him with the assurance of salvation, I handed him a book on the subject by Watchman Nee. After reading it, he became clear and was saved. His name was Du Chung-chin. A relationship developed between the two of us, and that relationship was likened by our pastor to the one which existed between Joshua and Caleb. Later this brother was transferred by his business to Shanghai, and I encouraged him to attend a meeting where Watchman Nee was ministering. Seven years later he became one of the first three elders of the church in Shanghai.

At the end of 1927, the Chinese Independent Church elected me to be a member of their board. This was an unusual distinction for such a young man as me. But I was forced at that time to tell them that I could not accept the position and would remain in their denomination no longer. I rather asked them to remove my name from their "book of life." Henceforth, I began to meet regularly with the Brethren Assembly, attending all their seven weekly meetings. I sat among them, earnestly absorbing all the doctrines they taught. I remained with them until 1932. While I was still with them, I was baptized by immersion in the sea by their leader, Mr. Burnet, in 1930.

One day in August 1931, as I was walking down the street, the thought suddenly occurred to me that all the teachings I had received in the Brethren Assembly were mostly doctrines. I considered how much knowledge I had accumulated and yet how dead I was. True, I never returned to the world, yet, though I attended seven meetings a week, I was utterly cold and fruitless. At this time I experienced a deep and real repentance.

The next morning at an early hour I climbed to the top of a small mountain near my home. I cried to the Lord and wept in desperation. Morning by morning I went there to pray. From that day on I cared little about talking; I only wanted to pray. This experience lasted for several months, from August until February or March of the following year.

During the time I was seeking the Lord, in September 1931, Watchman was about to have his second overcomer conference in Shanghai. At that time I corresponded with him and enrolled as one of the attendants in that conference. But because of the Japanese invasion into Manchuria, close to the province of Shantung, I was prohibited from attending that conference.

In the spring of 1932, Brother Du Chung-chin returned to Chefoo from Shanghai and came to see me. He told me of all the good meetings and all the good things of the church in Shanghai. This made me all the more eager to travel to Shanghai and partake of the blessings there with the saints.