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Shalom, dear all!
Thank you for faithfully praying for us. Douglas and I overnighted with Bill & Elaine in the south of Chicago on the 15th, and then reached Kalamazoo, Michigan on the 16th. And we have been staying with Penny & Eric Schering, who are the older sister and brother-in-law of Doug’s past wife. It was blessed for us to be able to make three one-day-long trips to visit Douglas’ sisters in Grand Rapids, Michigan and cousins in Grand Haven, Michigan last week.
各位代禱勇士，收信平安。
感謝你忠心地為我們禱告。15日，道格拉斯和我在芝加哥南部的比爾和伊蓮家中過夜，16日到達密歇根州的卡拉馬祖。然後我們一直住在佩妮和埃裡克·謝林家裡，他們是道格拉斯先妻的姐姐和姐夫。上周，我們很蒙福能夠三次一天來回，分別拜訪道格拉斯在密歇根州大急流城的妹妹們和密歇根州格蘭德黑文的表兄表妹。
Michigan has got its winter one month earlier this year. It started snowing on the day we arrived and the snow storm got stronger and stronger on the three days we visited relatives. We drove on the icy roads in the heavy snow storm. On the highway, we saw quite a few cars trapped at the side of the road or buried in the snow in the dividing ditch. There was so called “whiteout” caused by snow blown off the tree toward the road on the way back last Saturday. We couldn’t see anything and it was praying hard to God that made us keep going without causing a car crash. Eventually, we were directed by Google map to make a detour off the freeway since there was a crash of 20 vehicles including large trucks. The sun started to shine yesterday after 22 inches high of snow had accumulated.
密歇根州今年冬天提早一個月來臨。我們到達的那天開始下雪，在我們探親的三天裡，暴風雪越來越強。在暴風雪中結冰的道路上行駛時，我們在高速公路上看到不少汽車被困在路邊，或者被埋在分界溝的雪地裡。上週六回來的路上，強風將樹上的雪吹往道路，造成了所謂的「白化」。我們什麼也看不見，唯有努力向上帝祈禱，才讓我們繼續前進而不發生車禍。最後，我們不得不靠著Google導航下高速公路繞道而行，因為高速公路上有20輛車追撞，包括大型卡車在內。昨天，在積雪22英寸高後，終於開始出現陽光。
Now, I realize why Douglas hasn’t told me his plan of our trips. It is too much dependent on the weather. And we can hardly decide what to do next week. Douglas hit some ice on the toe of his injured leg last Friday morning while he was walking on the trail near the house. That caused very a bad cramp on his lower leg and made the swollen on the ankle quite bad. We are blessed to be able to borrowed an aircast boot from Ed & Lisa, who are Eric’s brother and sister-in-law. And I managed to find a pair of crutches in the nearby Goodwill store. Now, he has to elevate his right leg quite a lot of time. We thank God for His timing provision and time He allows us time to be active or to be still.
現在，我了解為什麼道格拉斯一直沒有告訴我行程計劃。取決於天氣，我們很難決定接下來一周該做什麼。上週五早上，道格拉斯在房子附近的小徑上行走時，他原本就受傷的那條腿的腳趾撞上到冰塊。 這導致他的小腿嚴重痙攣，並使腳踝腫脹加劇。我們很幸運能夠從埃裡克的弟弟和弟媳Ed & Lisa那裡借到氣墊復健靴。我又得以在附近的慈善義賣商店找到了一對拐杖。現在，他必須常常抬高右腿。我們感恩上帝給我們及時供應以及讓我們動靜有時。
Time to be active or to be still might means different to some people. When we visited Douglas’ cousin Jim last Saturday, it was a day that people were supposed to stay in their cozy homes since the snow storm was really bad, and the roads were too icy though it had been salted. Jim wanted to show us to the beach of Lake Michigan as I would barely have the chance to see the rough lake in the snow storm like this. Observing raging waves splashing at the light house, we saw some people jumping off the pier with their wetsuits on, throwing themselves into the violent and icy cold lake and try to do their surfing. We didn’t know what they were thinking and hoped that no one would die from doing that in such weather. Trying to think what they could think, I understood that it might be the “proper” weather for big waves for surfing, and they didn't want to miss it. I would never do it myself, but it doesn’t make it wrong for others to do it.
對某些人來說，動靜有時可能意義不同。當我們上週六拜訪道格拉斯的表哥吉姆時，這一天人們應該呆在舒適的家中，因為暴風雪真的很很強，而且撒過鹽的道路依然結冰嚴重。吉姆想開車帶我們去密歇根湖的岸邊，因為我幾乎沒有機會看到像這樣的暴風雪中波濤洶湧的湖面。 觀察著巨浪拍打在燈塔上時，我們看到一些人竟然穿著潛水服跳下碼頭，投進水勢兇惡的冰冷湖面，試圖衝浪。我們不知道他們在想什麼，希望沒有人會在這樣的天氣中喪命。試著換位想著他們可能怎麼想，我明白這可能是他們不應該錯過的「適當」天氣，在極端氣候下進行衝浪訓練的好機會。我自己永遠不會做的事，不代表別人不應該做。
What could be the “proper” occasions in life in that our faith could be trialed? We would never ask for them, but they happen to us. Facing the hardest trials in life, Beethoven asked God to give him courage that would enable him to conquer himself. And his grief became the soil for the beautiful flowers of life. Conquer himself? Yes. Getting older, I can fathom better what he said. The world keeps infusing us with its way- trying to influence us in the ways things should happen in life. That makes us doubt about God as God’s plan is always higher than ours, and things in life don’t always happen as what we want them to be. Times in trouble can be the “proper” occasions in life to train our faith.
生活中哪些「適當」的時機可以試煉我們的信心？我們不會自討苦吃，但不可避免它們發生。面對人生中最艱難的考驗，貝多芬祈求上帝賜予他勇氣，使他能夠戰勝自己。他的悲傷成了美麗生命之花的土壤。征服自己？是的。隨著年齡的增長，我能更多理解他說的話。世界不斷向我們注入「生命中事物應該照著我們想要的方式發生」的想法。這將使我們對上帝產生懷疑，因為上帝的計劃總是高於我們的計劃，生活中的事情並不總是像我們想要的那樣發生。生命中的急難可能是訓練我們信心的「適當」時機。
This is my 14th year of writing updates. Thanks to God for the ups and downs He has brought me through over the years and the intimacy in Jesus Christ. And in the season of Thanksgiving, I would like to thank many of you participating in my journey, watering my flowers of life with your prayers. Thank you for not missing the “proper” occasions in that my faith has been trialed.
這是我寫代禱信的第14年。感謝上帝多年來帶領我經歷的起起落落，以及在耶穌基督裡的親密關係。在感恩節的季節，我要感謝你們當中的許多人參與我的旅程，用你們的祈禱澆灌我的生命之花。感謝你沒有錯過我的信心經歷試煉的「適當」時機。
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. There are 50 teachers serving in PIM schools in the remote areas in PNG. May God grant them safe journey to their home villages for annual school break and Christmas holidays, and make them give good testimonies for Christ to their families and relatives.
PIM (太島宣教事工) 有五十位老師在新幾內亞偏鄉的PIM學校服務。求神保守他們返鄉度年假及聖誕節旅途平安，並使他們在家人親戚中為基督做美好見證。
3. The changes in the international situation has created difficulties in printing PIM text books for Christian religious education in high schools in PNG. May God grant Devine wisdom in reconsidering in which country to print these books that are requested in larger amounts every year, and bless our relationship with the printers and the distributers.
由於國際情勢的改變，PIM所供應新幾內亞高中基督教宗教教育的教科書，在發行上出現了問題。求神賞賜屬天的智慧讓我們可以決定這些每年需求量越來越大的書籍要在哪個國家印製發行，並且保守我們與印刷商及經銷公司的關係。(註：書籍由宣教士著作，由PIM出資印刷，使經銷公司可以用低廉的價格從印刷商將書籍進口到新幾內亞。)
4. Douglas and I will be on our way back to PNG after Christmas. 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.
道格拉斯和我將在聖誕節後返回新幾內亞。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。
5. Douglas and I are going to go back to Reno on the 30th of November. May God heal his injured lower leg and ankle and bless our flight.
道格拉斯和我將在11月30日回到里諾。願上帝治癒他受傷的小腿和腳踝，並保守我們的飛行。
6. 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。
7. 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。
8. May God bless our time visiting relatives and friends in Michigan.
願神賜福我們在密西根州探親訪友的這段時間。
9. 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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