20221017
Shalom, dear all!
Thank you for faithfully praying for us. Douglas and I have been doing well.
各位代禱勇士，收信平安。
感謝大家忠心代禱。道格拉斯和Sandy一切都好。
Dan & Bev are visiting their daughter’s family in Seattle. Before leaving, Bev told me that I was allowed to harvest their produce in the back yard. It has been very inner healing to pick different types of tomatoes and cucumbers in a small garden. There are a lot of things for me to learn, too. The other day, I said to Douglas, “This is a very safe community that Dan and Bev don’t need to keep a dog to watch the house.” Douglas found it amusing and said, “People here don’t keep dogs for watching the house. We keep dogs for company.” Switching among the cultures of Taiwan, PNG, and the US, I have a lot to learn. And I am blessed that people surrounding me are always patient and allow me time to improve. I have never seen a dishwasher in PNG. In Taiwan, very few of my friends use dishwashers, and many people consider it wasting to use a dishwasher, or even a washing machine. In the US, I was often told, “Sandy! Why are you washing the dishes in the sink? Put them in the dishwasher.” That means people in PNG would not know what I talk about when I mention about dishwashers; people in Taiwan think dishwashers consume too much water and electricity; and people in the US think dishwashers help people save water as well as time. There are a lot of culture lessons that are to train us to be understanding and cultural aware. Apostle Paul said, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” It’s good for me to learn to accept differently as long as it’s Biblical.
丹尼爾和蓓芙琳正在西雅圖探望他們女兒一家人。在離開之前，蓓芙琳告訴我，我可以採收他們在後院的果菜。在小花園裡採摘不同類型的番茄和黃瓜非常療癒。在這裡我也有很多事物需要學習：前幾天，我對道格拉斯說：「這是一個非常安全的社區，丹尼爾和蓓芙琳不需要養狗來看房子。」道格拉斯覺得我說的話很有意思，他說：「這裡的人不會養狗來看房子。我們養狗是為了作伴。」在臺灣、新幾內亞和美國的文化之間切換，我有很多要學。很幸運，我周圍的人總是很有耐心，讓我有時間改進。我從未在新幾內亞見過洗碗機。在臺灣，我的朋友很少人有洗碗機，許多人認為使用洗碗機甚至洗衣機是浪費的。在美國，我常聽到：「Sandy！你為什麼在水槽裡洗碗？ 把它們放在洗碗機裡。」這意味著當我提到洗碗機時，PNG的人不會知道我在談論什麼；臺灣人認為洗碗機消耗了太多的水和電；美國人認為洗碗機可以幫助人們節約用水和時間。這有什麼對和錯呢？不重要吧？有很多文化經驗可以訓練我們文化意識，使我們可以體諒不同人的不同想法。使徒保羅說：「向甚麼樣的人，我就作甚麼樣的人。無論如何，總要救些人。凡我所行的，都是為福音的緣故，為要與人同得這福音的好處。」只要不違背真理，學會接受別人不同的做事方式對我總是好的。
Douglas and I went to a special funeral this month. Dr. David died a few days after we arrived in Reno. He and his wife, Diane, served in PNG right after he retired in 2007. And he also served in Myanmar and some African countries, setting up orphanages. As he was enthusiastic in helping people, and he was always there when his colleagues were in need, it was hard to believe that he was a father of 12 children. Several his children went up to the stage and talked about him, they all mentioned about the adventures he had taken them to. Listening to their stories of adventures, I was impressed that one of his sons said that he was actually quite scared walking on the narrow trails along the cliff in the Great Canyon, crossing rivers that were deep and running rapidly, camping in the middle of nowhere in darkness. But his Dad was with him, hugged him in his warm arms and comforted him when he was scared, and that gave him peace and strength to keep going.
這個月，我和道格拉斯參加了一個特別的追思禮拜，大衛醫師在我們到達里諾幾天後去世了。他和他的妻子黛安在2007年退休後立即到新幾內亞服事。他還在緬甸和一些非洲國家建立了孤兒院。由於他熱衷於幫助別人，而且當他的同事有需要時，他總是立即伸出援手，所以很難相信他是一個有12個孩子的父親。他的幾個孩子上台談論他時，都提到了他帶他們去經歷的探險。聽著他們的探險故事，令我印象深刻的是，他的一個兒子說，他實際上很害怕走在大峽谷懸崖邊的狹窄小徑上，穿過深邃而湍急的河流，黑夜中在不毛之地中露營。但是他的父親和他在一起，並在他害怕的時候將他抱在溫暖的懷中安慰他，這給了他平安和力量繼續前進。
I have been having more opportunities to share messages recently. People like to know about stories of challenges of missionaries. Instead of talking about challenges, I would rather like to focus on how God leads a weak person like me to do something I have never thought of, and how God guides me, protects me, provides me, and comforts me. “Emmanuel” means God be with people. This is the most common Christian greeting, and is the central concept that gives consistency to the entire Bible. God is our good father. Emmanuel makes you and me able to keep going.
我最近比較有機會分享訊息。人們喜歡聽宣教士遭遇的挑戰。與其談論挑戰，我比較傾向把焦點放在上帝如何帶領像我這樣的軟弱的人做我從未想過的事情，以及上帝如何引導，保護，供應，安慰。「以馬內利」的意思是神與人同在。這是最常見的基督徒問候語，也是貫穿整本聖經的核心概念。上帝是我們的好爸爸。祂的同在使你和我能夠繼續前進。
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. (The two pastors’ wives are figuring out how to get the fabrics that are suitable, affordable, and available.)
目前兩位師母正在尋求適用、買得起並且買得到的布料。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 the annual 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年度理監事會議做準備，願神恩待他們作好管家。
4. ouglas and I have to drive over the mountains to and from home and the office every week, passing some construction sites. May God keep us safe in the journey.
道格拉斯和Sandy每周必須開車翻山越嶺往返住處與辦公室，並行經施工路段，求神保守行車平安。
5. I am supposed to make a major alternation with my website due to the switch of my identity. May God grant me His Divine Guidance.
由於身分的改變，Sandy的網頁必須於近期做出重大的改版，求神賞賜屬天的智慧。
6. 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。
7. 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
20221017