20230510
Shalom, dear all!
Thank you for faithfully praying for us. We have had earthquakes every day. But we are doing fine as life goes on. With Douglas’ instruction, a new pillar was put in to the room under our house last week. However, when we inspect more of the villagers’ houses, we realize some of them are worrisome.
感謝您忠心地為我們禱告。我們還是每天都有地震，但是日子還是繼續這樣好好地過。上星期，道格拉斯指導工作人員把我們住處樓下的柱子架設好了。然而，當我們查看更多村民的房子時，發現有一些真是令人擔憂。
Our new Level 1 class started on Monday. The students have better eyesight than the previous students. But learning to use rulers is challenging to them, too. We started with hand sewing. Drawing lines on the fabric, making a knot at the end of the thread, sewing with stead stitches, making a knot at the end of sewing…. Everything is new to them. I feel like a mother. The students also enjoyed our Bible story devotion. They generated many ideas about what they learned about God.
我們新的第一級課程星期一開課了。新學生的視力比以前的學生好，但學習用尺對他們來說還是個挑戰。我們從手工縫紉開始，在布料上畫線、在線端打結、用穩定的針跡縫製、在縫紉結束時打結......對他們來說，一切都是新的。我覺得自己像個母親。學生們也喜歡我們的聖經故事靈修，大家一起激發我們學習到有關神的很多想法。
Last week, I spent all the weekday afternoons helping the Level 2 students practice the exam for their Level 2 certificates. Well, they do struggle a lot with tailor’s rulers though they made a lot of progress, and I will have to make them come again after my level 1 classes are over in the beginning of next month. Doing this would screen out the real potential ones who will be able to reach the level that they can consistently teach sewing class in the church as what is truly needed for sewing is patience.
上星期周間的每個下午我都在幫助第二級的學生練習第二級證書的考試。雖然她們已經進步很多，但使用裁縫尺對她們來說還是很難。等我下個月初把第一級的課程結束後，還是得把她們再找回來繼續練習。這麼做可以把真正有潛力的人篩選出來，而這樣的人才有可能學到能夠持續在教會教裁縫班的程度，因為做裁縫真正需要的是耐心。
One of the students, Beverlyn, who is the pastor’s wife in SSEC church in Ambunti has put a lot of work learning and practice. And she also actively developed Dorcas Fellowship in the church after the material supply from me arrived in October last year. After she received Level 2 training in January and Februay this year, their Level 2 class in the church has worked even faster than when they were doing Level 1. More and more women have joined Dorcas Fellowship that she has to send 4 women to my new class so that she would have enough helpers in the church. Beverlyn is also the first student who is able to sell her sewing articles to others. She enjoys learning, working, sharing and teaching. This time I came with some special rulers that are necessary for learning pattern making but quite expensive for her to buy as shipping charges are high and a pastor’s income here is quite low. I have offered her the job helping me kill and clean the fish and bought our daily coconuts from her. And hopefully, she is going to accumulate enough money to buy those rulers. Working and chatting with her, I have learned a lot from her. She is like the virtue woman that is described in Proverbs 31. The enthusiasm of her and their church brings up my desire of wanting to help and give them more. Here in PNG, we need to find a good excuse for giving someone a gift, or everyone else would come and ask for the same thing. And I would like to find some excuses for giving this church the tailor’s rulers that is needed for running further sewing classes.
其中一名學生蓓弗琳是安布恩提SSEC教會牧師的妻子。她投入了大量時間來學習與練習。去年十月她收到我寄來的材料後，她就積極在教會中發展多加團契。在她今年一月與二月份接受第二級培訓後，她們教會的第二級課程比她們去年做第一級時的速度還要更快。越來越多的婦女加入多加團契，她必須將4名婦女送到我這次的新班級，這樣她的教會中才會有足夠的幫手。蓓弗琳也是第一個能夠將她的縫紉作品賣給別人的學生。她享受學習、工作、分享和教學。與她一起工作和聊天，我從她身上學到了很多東西。她就像箴言31章中描述的那個賢德的女子。她和他們教會的熱情激發了我更多的渴望，想要幫助他們並給予他們更多。在新幾內亞，我們需要找到一個很好的藉口才可以給別人送禮物，否則其他人都會來要求同樣的東西。我就是想找一些藉口，給這個教會提供進一步的縫紉班所需的裁縫尺。
I have again experienced the power of God’s words when I gave consultation to the Level 2 students over the past week. As some of the students, since my first time of holding the sewing class here, have wished me not to teach many students. They come to my class but don’t welcome many to join the class they hold in their churches. Well, they hold the class in the church only to keep them qualified to come for further training and they think they would get away with having only two participants in the Dorcas Fellowship in their churches. But they don’t learn well and they forget what has been taught quickly as we all know that we learn the most when we teach others. Sabeth, one of those who came to practice for Level 2 exam, was very grumpy to me as she had forgotten all and found it difficult to bring it back since she had not practiced or taught anyone. Her grumpiness had seriously interrupted my teaching and the practice of other students. The others and I had tried very hard to persuade her to be patient and to be willing to help with the Dorcas Fellowship in her church. Eventually it reached the stop loss point I had set and it was time to talk her into not coming to further training as she had kept saying on and on that she was tired of both practicing and teaching the women in the church. After a long chat, she still decided that she would not change. And it might have been that she thought it was my job to keep her able to receive further training in the future. We could do nothing but praying that God would talk to her by Himself. On Sunday, the pastor gave a sermon on Galatians 6:1-7 and Matthew 25:14-30, 40, 45. And Sabeth’s heart was struck by God’s words. (…For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them…. The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’…) She came to me after the service and talked. Well, I have to give her a second chance as she promised to change. And, of course, she needs you and me to pray harder for her. I think we can fall into the same situation that we are frustrated by the big gap between what we are and what we would like to be. How do we row from A to B while maintaining holy relationship with God, with others, and with ourselves? Please kindly write to me if you have any idea to contribute as I need someone to talk about it.
在過去的一周裡，當我諮商第二級學生時，我再次體驗到了上帝話語的力量。因為有些學生，自從我第一次在這裡上縫紉課以來，就希望我不要教很多學生。她們來上我的課，但不歡迎很多人加入她們在教堂舉辦的課程。在教會裡教課只是為了讓她們自己有資格來接受進一步的培訓，並且以為她們的教會裡的多加團契只需要有兩個學員就說得過去了。但是她們學得不好，也很快就忘記了所學的東西，因為我們都知道，當我們教別人時，我們學到的最多。莎白是來練習第二級考試的婦女之一，她常常對我講話非常暴躁，因為她所學的都忘記了，並且覺得很難把它學回來，因為她自己沒有複習過，也沒有教過任何人。她的暴躁脾氣嚴重打斷了我的教學和其他學生的練習。其他人和我都非常努力地勸說她要有耐心，並要願意在她教會的多加團契幫忙。情況並沒有改善，而且最後達到了我原先設定的停損點，是時候勸說她不要來接受進一步的培訓了，因為她一直嘮嘮叨叨地說她厭倦了練習，也厭倦教導別人。經過長時間的交談，她仍然決定不改變。可能她認為讓她將來能夠接受進一步的培訓是我的責任吧。我們什麼也做不了，只能祈禱上帝會親自對她說話。星期天，牧師講道是取自聖經加拉太書6：1-7和馬太福音25：14-30，40，45。莎白的心被神的話打動了。(…因為凡有的，還要加給他，叫他有餘；沒有的，連他所有的也要奪過來。…王要回答說：我實在告訴你們，這些事你們既做在我這弟兄中一個最小的身上，就是做在我身上了。…) 禮拜結束後，她來找我說話。好吧，我必須給她第二次機會，因為她答應改變。當然，她需要你和我為她更加努力地祈禱。我想我們可能會陷入同樣的狀況，也就是我們對現在的自己和我們想要成為的人之間的遙遠距離感到沮喪。我們如何從A划到B，同時保持與上帝、他人和自己的神聖關係？如果您有任何想法可以貢獻，敬請不吝寫信告訴我。我很需要有人談談。
A village named Yalaku needs help from PIM. It is a village on a steep hill that is surrounded by water. Many years ago, PIM used to have a sawmill and helped Yalaku build the church building and set up water tanks on the top of the hill. Now, the timbers have been damaged by termites, and they need PIM to help them build a new church building with steel trusses as PIM has a metal fabrication. So, Douglas took me and some of the PIM staff to Yalaku last Saturday. It took a one-hour-long boat ride to get there. The motor boat first sailed on the Sepik River, and then it turned to a smaller stream, and then it sailed cross a big lake, and then a very narrow crook. Finally, the boat reached a pond at the foot of the hill. And then we climbed up the hill on very steep paths for 30 minutes to reach the top where the church is. As Douglas was instructing the men to set up the corner markers. We ladies and children were watching and chatting. Well, please imagine what I have described about this village plus that the villagers have to come to the top of the hill to fetch their daily drinking water, and go to the pond at the foot of the hill to take their bath, wash their laundry, kill their fish, and do their washing up. We might assume that they are trapped in the surrounding water and can’t go anywhere without rowing a boat; living in an environment with many mosquitoes and without running water or electricity can’t be easy; and doing the daily errands, they have to walk back and forth on steep mountain paths … that is very inconvenient and frustrating, right? In fact, they told me they were very happy and content. They have mountains and water, so they have endless fish, mountain produce, and bird meat. In addition, they grow cash crops such as cocoa beans and vanilla, and they live happily. Two of the young ladies are planning to come to Ambunti and attend the Level 1 sewing class in the middle of May. It will take them 4 hours to row their canoe to Ambunti and they will stay for 2 weeks. I am looking forward to learning more from them.
一個名叫雅拉庫的村莊需要PIM的幫助。這村莊位於一個被河流湖泊包圍的陡峭山丘上。許多年前，PIM有開設鋸木廠，並幫助亞拉庫在山頂上建造教堂建築，並設置儲水槽。現在，木材已被白蟻損壞，他們需要PIM幫助他們用鋼桁架建造一座新的教堂建築，因為PIM有開設鐵工廠。所以，道格拉斯上週六帶我和一些PIM工作人員去了亞拉庫。我們乘船一個小時才到達那裡。動力船首先在希比克河上航行，然後它轉入一條較小的溪流，然後駛過一個大湖，然後是一個非常狹窄的小溪。最後，船到達了山腳下的池塘。然後我們沿非常陡峭的小路爬山30分鐘，到達教堂所在的山頂。道格拉斯指揮男人們設置建築的角落標記時，我們女士和孩子們在旁觀看閒聊。好吧，請想像一下我對這個村莊的描述，再加上村民們必須到山頂汲取他們每天的飲用水，也得去山腳下的池塘洗澡、洗衣服、殺魚、洗碗盤…。我們可能會想說，他們被水困住，到哪裡都得划船；生活在蚊蟲眾多又沒有自來水也沒有電力的環境，每天做什麼差事都得來來回回走在陡峭的山路上，很不方便也很感到無力吧？實際上，他們告訴我他們非常快樂滿足。他們有山又有水，因此有吃不完的魚、山產和鳥肉。又加上他們種植可可豆與香草等經濟作物，生活十分幸福。其中兩位年輕婦女計畫五月中要到安布恩提參加第一級的縫紉課程。到時她們得划四個小時的獨木舟來到安布恩提，會在這裡住上兩個星期。我很期待從她們身上學到更多。
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. Recently, the bank used by PIM updated their security system, and there were many problems in the process that could not be solved, some people had less money in their accounts, some people had a lot more money than they should have had in their accounts, and we could not check the balance and transaction details online. PIM have to make fund transaction from the US to PNG several times a month. May God bless the fund wiring process.
最近PIM使用的銀行更新他們的安全系統，過程發生很多問題尚未能解決，有些人帳戶裡的錢少了，有些人帳戶裡多出很多錢，我們也無法上網查詢餘額及交易明細。PIM每個月要從美國將數筆資金匯入新幾內亞，求神保守資金電匯的流程。
3. The parts Douglas has ordered for the generators of PIM have arrived in Ambunti and been put into the generators. There is some more work to be done before deciding the results. May God have his mercy on the maintenance of the power supply system in the headquarter of PIM in Ambunti, and give Douglas His wisdom in sorting out the power supply issue.
道格拉斯為PIM發電機訂購的零件已運抵安布恩提並裝入發電機中。在決定結果之前，還有一些工作要做。願上帝憐憫安布恩提PIM總部供電系統的維護，並賜予道格拉斯解決供電問題的智慧。
4. May God’s Spirit be with us in the sewing classes that is going to last until May 19th, and prepare the heart of the students whose are coming for the next class that will start on May 22nd.
正在進行的縫紉課要持續到五月19日，求神的靈與我們同在。下一班課程將在五月22日開課，求神預備學員的心。
5. May God heal Douglas’ swollen ankle.
願上帝治癒道格拉斯腫脹的腳踝。
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
20230510
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