A Christian man who was working to help other Christians open a bookstore in Shanxi Province, China is being released from a Chinese prison.

Wenxi Li, a native of Beijing, has been working with Chrisitans in Shanxi when he was asked to come to a police station on December 19, 2012 to pick up books that had been seized by authorities.  When he arrived, he was immediately arrested and thrown in jail.

They denied him bail and he was sentenced to two years in prison on June 17, 2013.

Family members say that they are optimistic the Chinese government will follow through on their word to release Wenxi.  He has been transferred to a prison where he’s receiving better medical treatment and food and has been able to make short phone calls to his family.

His wife, Cal Hong Li, told Voice of the Martyrs that her husband has been able to share Christ with many of his fellow prisoners during his time behind bars.  She said that she is thankful God found him worthy to suffer for His sake.

Cal Hong said she hopes her husband will take some time to rest and spend time with her before going back into the field to serve Christ.