20230424
Shalom, dear all!
Thank you for faithfully praying for us. Douglas and I left Taiwan on the 15th, arrived in POM, the capital of PNG on the 16th, Wewak on the 19th, and will be going to Amunti tomorrow, the 25th. When staying in POM, we worked well with our agent there, finishing all the documents she required. And during our 6 days in Wewak, we have been blessed with sufficient power supply though we don’t have a generator. The network issue in Ambunti was sorted out two days after we arrived in PNG. So, Douglas has been able to make necessary contacts with the PIM staff there. We are so thankful for God’s listening to the prayers of us all.
感謝您忠心地為我們禱告。我和道格拉斯於15日離開臺灣，16日抵達新幾內亞首都莫斯比，19日抵達威瓦克，明天25日將前往安布恩提。在首都停留期間，我們與那裡的代辦人合作愉快，完成了她需要的所有文件。在威瓦克的6天裡，儘管我們沒有發電機，還是很蒙恩地得到了足夠電力供應。安布恩提的網路問題在我們到達新幾內亞兩天後得到解決。因此，道格拉斯能夠與那裡的PIM工作人員進行必要的聯繫。非常感謝上帝傾聽我們所有人的祈禱。
The document work that we failed to finished in Taiwan was left to Grace, one of our dearest friends. We believe that we have done all the errands that has to be done in person. This week we finally succeeded in making the appointment with AIT. Thank God that everything is getting together gradually. It was my first time to experience DHL mail from PNG this afternoon as I needed to mail the letter of authorization to Grace. And I got to learn that it cost 95 USD to mail a letter to Taiwan through DHL.
大概所有必須親自辦理的事，我們已經跑完了。在台灣未能處理完成的文件，後來決定交給好友格蕾絲。本周，我們終於成功地與美國在台協會預約到一個時段，可以把文件送去。感謝上帝，一切都在逐漸步入軌道。由於需要將授權書郵寄給格蕾絲，今天下午是我第一次體驗從新幾內亞寄出DHL郵件，我學到的功課是：通過 DHL 郵寄一封信回台灣需要 95元美金。
Three of the PIM Ambunti headquarter staff came to Wewak last week and left for POM on Sunday for the National Medical Conference. The total number of 18 members of PIM medical ministry including 8 community health workers, 4 clinics in the remote villages, and several medical support staff were accepted into the governmental medical system of PNG last year. Such an achievement after great effort PIM has put in over many years goes well with the motto of PIM “~~~ to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up~~~ Ephesians 4:12”.
PIM安布恩提總部的三名工作人員上周來到威瓦克，並於周日前往莫斯比參加全國醫學研討會。去年，PIM的醫療部包括8名社區衛生工作者，偏遠村莊的4家診所和幾名醫療後援人員，總名額17名被接納進入新幾內亞政府的醫療系統。經過PIM多年的努力，這樣的成果切切符合PIM的座右銘“~~~為要成全聖徒，各盡其職，建立基督的身體~~~ 以弗所書4：12”。
And because of what happened to 3 of them going to POM, I learned something very amusing, and it took me 8 years to learn: Have you heard of “over communication”? I used to translate prayer requests for another missionary for 1 or 2 years. After I had done the translation, I would pass on a copy to my pastor and his wife as I had co-worked with that missionary and knew very well how much she needed prayer support. And I was told off by them that gave too much information in the message I pass on to them and made them feel bombarded. That was the message that I merely translated from that missionary’s prayer requests. And I was wondering how come that could be too much.
由於他們3人去莫斯比的事情，我學到了一件非常有趣的事，這件事我花了八年才學到：你聽說過「過度溝通」嗎？我曾經有一兩年時間為另一位宣教士翻譯代禱事項。翻譯完成後，我會傳一份副本給我的牧師和師母，因為我與那位宣教士合作過，非常清楚她有多麼需要禱告支援。結果他們責備我說，我傳給他們的代禱事項訊息量太大了，讓他們感到被轟炸。我只是單單把從那位宣教士的代禱事項翻譯成中文而已，怎麼會訊息量太大呢？
Douglas was received a lot of very long letters last year through email from a missionary who had been in the mission field for 50 years. I was wondering why she repeated quite a lot of the statements and made everything in very details. That made it difficult to finish reading her letters. But Douglas was very patient in reading her letters, answering every of her questions, and giving comments to her detail statements.
去年，一位在宣教禾場服事了50年的宣教士給道格拉斯寫了很多封很長的電子郵件。我很不瞭解為什麼她重複很多陳述，並且非常詳細地描述所有事情，這使得她的信很難讀完。但道格拉斯非常耐心地閱讀她的信，回答她的每一個問題，並對她每個鉅細靡遺的詳細陳述給予他的意見。
The 3 staff would like to go to POM a few days before the conference, so a guest house was booked for them according to their request. Knowing that it could be the first time for them to stay in a guest house that would require payments, Douglas asked them if they had the money needed with them the day before they left for POM. He thought he had made sure they knew what they would need to pay as he not only had double-checked with them but also talked to the vice manager of the PIM Ambunti head quarter. Well, very early this morning, we were wakened up by their phone from POM. Guess what! They did NOT have the money to pay for their stay in the guest house. In Ambunti, they live in the dormitory provided by PIM. When they come to Wewak, they always stay in the PIM base in Wewak. When they go to other places, they would stay with their relatives. It is really hard for them to understand the payment for their stay only for few days in the guest house.
這三名工作人員想在研討會前幾天提前去莫斯比，所以差會根據他們的要求為他們預訂了莫斯比的旅社。道格拉斯知道這可能是他們第一次住在需要自己付款的旅社，所以在他們出發去莫斯比的前一天問他們是否有帶著所需要的錢。他認為他已經確保他們知道他們需要支付的費用，因為他不僅與他們再三確認，而且還與PIM安布恩提總部的副經理談了這件事。結果，今天一大早，我們還是被他們從莫斯比打電吵醒了。你猜怎麼著！他們沒有錢支付旅社的住宿費用。在安布恩提，他們住在PIM提供的宿舍里。當他們來到威瓦克時，他們總是住在PIM在威瓦克的基地。當他們去其他地方時，會去住親戚家裡。他們真的很難理解只在旅社住幾天要付什麼錢。更何況是跟宣教機構很熟的旅社。
Between laughter and tears, Douglas made his conclusion: over communication is the key point. Well, that means droning on and on. It is a habit that missionaries can get since we live in more than 2 cultures for many years. To people who are in different cultures, we can never make our points clear enough even though we speak their languages very well and live among them for many years. And to people who are in the same culture, we can be considered over communicating or bombarding others with too much information. We often have difficulties shifting between cultures. And it takes us quite a lot of effort to think how much detail we should make statements and communicate with others.
在哭笑不得之間，道格拉斯得出了自己的結論：重要的是要過度溝通才行。 嗯，這意味著喋喋不休吧。這是宣教士很容易養成的習慣，因為我們多年來生活在兩種以上的文化中。對於不同文化的人來說，即使我們語言說得很溜，並且在他們中間生活了很多年，我們再如何清楚地表達我們的意思都永遠不夠清楚。對於相同文化的人來說，我們可能被認為過度溝通或用太多訊息轟炸他人。宣教士經常要花一點時間才能在不同文化之間轉換。並且必須花費一番工夫來思考我們應該如何拿捏與他人溝通的詳細程度。
Please remember us in your prayers.
敬請繼續在禱告中記念我們：
1. PNG is facing severe fuel crisis that leads to power blackout, many flight cancelations, and other social issues. May God’s mercy dwell in PNG.新幾內亞正面臨嚴重的燃料危機，這導致電力危機、大規模航班取消和許多其他社會問題。願上帝的憐憫臨到新幾內亞。
2. PIM has found out the way to make successful transfer of the fund to PNG though it costs 4 times as it was done before. May God bless the fund wiring process. 儘管要花費以前的4倍的匯費，PIM (太島宣教事工)已經找到了將資金匯到新幾內亞的方法。求神保守資金電匯的流程。
3. The parts Douglas has ordered for the generators of PIM have not arrived to us yet, but we are told that they have arrived in PNG. May God have his mercy on the maintenance of the power supply system in the headquarter of PIM in Ambunti, and pave the way for Douglas to get the parts and test them. 道格拉斯為PIM的發電機所訂的零件聽說已經抵達新幾內亞，但是還沒有放行出來。願上帝施憐憫PIM在安布恩提總部的供電系統維護，並開路讓道格拉斯得以收到零件並進行測試。
4. May God bless our participants who attend the Level Two training course of sewing and Bible story devotion in Ambunti PNG, and give them divine love and courage to be able to conducts Dorcas Fellowship in their own churches.願上帝保守參加新幾內亞安布恩提縫紉和聖經故事靈修二級培訓課程的學員，並給予他們屬天的愛與勇氣，使她們能夠在自己的教會中進行多加團契。
5. May God heal Douglas’ swollen ankle. 願上帝治癒道格拉斯腫脹的腳踝。
6. May God protect and bless the 3 PIM staff who are to attend the national medical conference in POM.求上帝保守三名在莫斯比參加全國醫療研討會的PIM工作人員。
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
20230424
The latest update of Douglas 道格拉斯近期通訊 （Feb.）
The latest update of Douglas 道格拉斯近期通訊 （Mar.）