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Shalom, dear all!

Thank you for faithfully praying for us. Kellen and I have finished more than half of the reports. And a film in Chinese has been made. Having been busy, we failed to make rice dumplings for the Dragon Boat Festival. Several reports are required mainly because this is our first project after having been hindered from coming to PNG for two and a half years due to the pandemics, and this is our first time working in partnership with PIM (Pacific Island Ministries).

各位代禱勇士，收信平安。

感謝大家忠心代禱。我們已經做好半數以上的報告了。也做了一支中文影片(連結在此)。因此忙到沒有包粽子慶祝端午節。這次需要對不同的對象交出許多份報告，最主要是因為這是疫情阻隔我們在新幾內亞服事兩年半後的第一個事工項目，也是我們與「太島宣教事工」(PIM) 建立夥伴關係的第一次合作。

As we have been working on the reports and looking back with cultural issues, God has guided us to make a constructive path in dealing fairly with people from different cultural background. Expecting them to think the way we do can be unfair, even if we do suppose we are right. Expecting us to think the way they do can be foolish too. It might make peace sometimes but we will lose our identity God has impowered our culture to cultivate us, and that will lead more confusion in the future.

在我們一面寫報告一面反思文化議題的過程，神引導我們面對不同文化族群時要以建設性的思路，合宜對待他們。期待對方想法與我們一樣並不盡公平，即使我們認為自己的想法沒有錯；然而，若是期待自己的想法能跟對方一樣也不是聰明的做法，或許有時為了和平相處必須這麼做，但是那會失去神透過我們自己文化所賦予我們的特色，最終會導致更多的混淆。

I am reminded of a story my PNG friend Bodi told me many years ago: There was once a westerner missionary serving in a tribal jungle area in PNG. At a celebration of a festival, every man was supposed to dance in a circle with their traditional wearing of man, that was to barely cover the private part. This missionary was so willing to be like the local, and he wore like a local man in the circle of dancing. At first, people were caught off guard but danced on for few minutes. Then the chief went up and took the missionary out of the circle. Not wanting the missionary to think he had done something wrong, the chief said gently to him, “We really appreciate your wanting to dance with us. But we feel sorry that you look like a tree without bark today.”

這讓我想到我的新幾內亞朋友巴蒂很多年前講給我聽的一段趣聞：曾經有一位西方宣教士在新幾內亞的叢林部落裡服事。在一個節慶活動裡，男士們必須穿著傳統服飾也就是只有遮住重點部位，並且圍成一圈跳舞。這位宣教士很願意當個接地氣的人，他跟當地人穿一樣的傳統服飾，跟大家圍成一圈跳舞。剛開始大家愣了一下，仍然繼續跳了一會兒。酋長忍不住去把那位宣教士拉出來。為了不要讓他認為自己做錯事，酋長很溫和地說：「我們很感激您願意一起來跳舞，但是今天看到您像一棵樹被扒掉樹皮，我們真是不忍心。」

Missionaries encounter all sorts of challenges that can be easy in their home town but hard to sort out in the mission field. This week we heard one of our missionary friends needed to go to a doctor in Australia, the other POM the capital city of PNG. Two needed to go back home for further medical treatment. The nose pad of Kellen’s eye glasses spilt at the support point of the nut last weekend. What could we do? We could not have a pair of eyeglasses made in Wewak. After making me her guide dog for 2 days, she found the tool bag the optician gave her 6 years ago, got rid of what was stuck in the hole for the nut, and installed a new nose pad. Without God’s mercy, we could have been screwed up just due to something so small.

宣教士面臨的問題在自己家鄉可能很容易解決，在宣教禾場卻不簡單。這星期，我們聽說一位宣教士朋友需要到澳洲去看病，另一位要到首都莫斯比港看病，有兩位必須要回家鄉接受進一步治療。上個周末Kellen的眼鏡鼻托從鏍母的支撐點斷裂，我們該怎麼辦呢？在威瓦克是不可能配眼鏡的。我當她的導盲犬當了兩天，她終於找到六年前眼睛行老闆送給她的工具包，把塞鏍母的洞清乾淨，才把新的鼻墊裝上去。若沒有神的憐憫，一點點小事情都可以把我們弄得什麼事都做不了。

Please remember us in your prayers.

敬請繼續在禱告中記念我們：

1. I am still working on the reports this week. May God give me strength and efficient network.
這星期Sandy仍然要做許多份報告。求神給我體力，並賜暢通的網路。

2. May God protect our fruit of work in Ambunti and inspire the students to start Dorcas Fellowship in their churches.
求神保守我們在安布恩提做工的果效，激勵學員們在教會興起多加團契。

3. There is something like boil forming in Kellen’s nose. It’s very painful. May God heal her.
Kellen的鼻子長了一個像疔瘡的東西，非常疼痛。求主醫治。

4. The car we have bought was owned by a Taiwanese officer. And the document of transfer has been held at the Foreign Affairs Office. May God be in charge.
我們是向一位台灣官員買的車，過戶文件卡在外交部一段時間了。求神掌權。

5. May God give us wisdom and insight while working with churches and other organizations.
求神給我們智慧與洞察的心，讓我們可以順利與眾教會及其他機構配搭。

6. May God take care of our old parents, grant them salvation, health, peace and joy.
願神看顧我們年邁的父母，賞賜他們救恩、健康、平安及喜樂。

All for Him

願神得榮耀

主內末肢

In Christ

Sandy

(新幾內亞的點滴分享，在line貼文串或IG，歡迎您來了解。若神感動您參與事工，請與我們聯絡。惟這裡網路不好，請耐心等候。)

IG: chao.sandy.png

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