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Shalom, dear all!

Thank you for faithfully praying for us. It was God’s presence and His work that the talk I gave at the women’s Bible study last Wednesday stirred up many hearts of the church ladies.

各位代禱勇士，收信平安。

感謝大家忠心代禱。上星期三的婦女查經會中，上帝的同在及祂的動工使得Sandy的短講激勵眾多姐妹。

We had a world communion service last Sunday. The words institution and distribution of the communion were read in six languages. Douglas and I were involved. I read it in Mandarin Chinese, Douglas in Tok Pisin, and some others in English, French, Spanish, and Hungarian. The later three were the languages that I didn’t understand at all. It was not that multiple languages made the communion holier. It reminded us that we were not to fence our vision of God’s family within the walls of an individual church, or ethnic groups we are familiar with.

上個星期天，教會舉行了世界聖餐崇拜。餅杯的經文是用六種語言讀的。道格拉斯和我參與其中。我用普通話讀，道格拉斯讀濱涇語，還有英語、法語、西班牙文和匈牙利。後三種是我根本不懂的語言。這並不是說多種語言會使聖餐更加神聖。它是提醒我們，我們不應該把我們對上帝家庭的異象限於個別教會的圍牆內或我們熟悉的種族群體。

During the past week, I had the opportunities to show how to make water dumplings to some of Douglas’ grandchildren, and Dan & Bev’s. I made the fillings and the pastry, and made they do the wrapping. Douglas asked me if I had tried to impress people by my cooking. Actually, if I had, I would have done the wrapping myself as beginners made the dumplings with thick pastry and little fillings. Many Chinese cuisines mean to bring the family members and friends get together, work together and enjoy one another as they really take a lot of efforts to make. I believe some cuisines in other cultures do the same thing. The purpose of working together is to work together and develop relationship. It might not go with the trend of the world as we are so familiar with the terms of individualism, goal orientation, and efficiency maximization. But what pleases God is relationship development and not just productivity. With global mission or any ministries, God's will is done by involving people who are imperfect. He would like to have His people be humble, work together, and develop relationships while working with Him. That gives Him much greater glory.

前幾天，我有機會教道格拉斯的幾個孫子女和丹尼爾與蓓芙琳的孫子女包水餃。我做了餡料和水餃皮，讓他們包餃子。道格拉斯問我是不是要藉此向大家展現廚藝。說真的，如果我有廚藝想要展現的話，我會自己包餃子，因為初學者包的水餃總是皮厚餡少。許多中華料理很花工夫，可以讓家人跟朋友相聚在一起，藉著一起忙碌，享受彼此相聚的樂趣，這不就是包餃子的目的嗎？我相信很多其它文化的料理也有相同的作用。一起做事的目的就是一起做事，同時建立關係。這可能不符合世界的趨勢，因為我們習慣的是個人主義、目標導向和效率最大化。但取悅上帝的是關係的發展，而不單是成就。關於普世宣教或任何事工， 上帝使用不完美的人來完成他的旨意。他希望他的子民謙卑，一起工作，並在與祂同工的同時發展關係。這帶給他更大的榮耀。

After asking me to share some more missionary’s stories and hearing them in wonders, some individuals said that they had been spoiled too much in the US. I enjoy being spoiled by God, too. But what I have seen, no matter in the US or in Taiwan, the danger is that if Christians pursue the resources God has granted to us instead of pursuing God, we could end up forsaking God, the Spring of living water, and digging our own cisterns that are broken and cannot hold water.

有好幾個人請我分享更多宣教士的經歷，他們聽了之後會感到不可思議，然後說他們在美國被寵壞了。我也喜歡被上帝寵愛，但無論是在美國還是在臺灣，我所看到的危險是，如果基督徒追求上帝賜予我們的資源，而不是追求上帝，我們最終可能會拋棄上帝這活水的泉源，而挖掘我們自己的蓄水池，破碎而無法儲水的蓄水池。

No matter where we are, in what culture we have been cultivated, or how much resource we are entrusted by God, let’s do a more Biblical job instead of doing a good job as what is good can be varied in different contexts. That is pursuing God’s will, enjoying work together with God and others, developing relationship, investing what God has entrusted us into His Kingdom that is far beyond our individual church and is going to last forever.

所謂的好與不好可能在不同處境會有不同的理解，無論我們身在何處，培養我們的是什麼文化，或者上帝交託了我們多少資源，讓我們做得符合聖經，而不是做得好。那就是追求上帝的旨意、享受與上帝同工時也和其他人同工、發展關係，並將上帝託付給我們的資源投入到祂的國度中---遠遠超出了個別的教會，並將永存的國度。

Please remember us in your prayers.

敬請繼續在禱告中記念我們：

1. May God give guidance to Meni Beach Baptist Church Wewak PNG in developing the ministry of making sanitary napkins for school girls and women who newly give a birth in the hospital.
求神引導新幾內亞威瓦克濱海浸信會發展衛生巾製作的事工(用以贈送給女學生以及醫院裡剛剛生下小孩的婦女。)

2. May God give confidence and willingness to those who have received Level One sewing training in Ambunti PNG that they will all use what they have been trained for developing Dorcas fellowship in their churches, and they will be better prepared for receiving Level Two sewing training.
求神將信心及願做的心賞賜給新幾內亞安布恩提接受過第一級縫紉訓練的婦女，使她們運用所學在教會推動多加團契，也好使她們更能預備好接受第二級縫紉訓練。

3. Douglas is getting ready for another board’s meeting of PIM that is going to take place on October 28th. May God bless their stewardship.
道格拉斯正在為十月二十八日太島宣教事工另一次理監事會議做準備，願神恩待他們作好管家。

4. May God make me a blessing to people I encounter when I am in the US, and make what I say and how I live deliver His message.
願神使用Sandy在美國期間成為周遭人的祝福，透過所說的話以及所過的生活來傳達祂的信息。

5. Due to high frequency of changing residences recently, I have some difficulties in spatial cognition. May God heal me.
Sandy因最近過於頻繁更換居所，在空間認知上有些混淆，求神醫治。

6. May God take care of my old parents, grant them salvation, health, peace and joy.
願神看顧Sandy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

Line ID : sandytw2014

IG: chao.sandy.png

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