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Shalom, dear all!
Thank you for faithfully praying for us. The ladies in the workshop enjoy the course more and more. A short ceremony of delivering certificates last week and different snacks provided by me each day have also cheered them up. We have finished studying the Book of Esther with a thankful heart, seeing how God would change our sadness into joy, and extreme happiness came with sharing and charity instead of showing off or pride. The ladies are very willing to remove the stitches of wrong work since they are able to manage the emotion of frustration now. Those who have finished their work would like to continue coming and make a second one and a third one. Therefore, the workshop will not stop until this Friday. Most of them have done such a good job that I would like to buy the bags they have made. This is not only to encourage them, but also to give meaningful presents to family members as all of Douglas’ children grew up in PNG.
代禱勇士們，收信平安：
感謝您忠心地為我們禱告。參加購物袋工作坊的婦女們越做越起勁。上週一個頒發證書的簡短儀式以及我每天換著花樣提供不同的小點心，也讓她們挺開心的。我們一起查讀以撕帖記完畢，看見上帝把憂傷換成喜樂，又看見極度的歡樂是伴隨著分享與慈善，而不是炫耀與驕傲，我們的心中充滿感恩。婦女們現在已經能處理挫折的情緒，願意把縫錯的線拆掉重做。已經完成作品的人想繼續來做第二個第三個，因此，工作坊要到這個星期五才結束。大部分的人都做得很好，好到我想購買她們的作品。這不僅是為了鼓勵她們，也是為了送給家人意義非凡的禮物，因為道格拉斯的兒女們都是在新幾內亞長大的。
Four of the seven students have completed their work. One of the other three ladies started on the 7th day of the workshop. Another had to leave for 10 days in the middle. And there is a lady who has spent quite a longer time than the others struggling with frustration. It is good that the work that has been done wrong brings her to face her emotional problems. What we can do is accept her, let her land safely with her emotion, and guide her to understand herself mainly through Bible study. She has calmed down now and is catching up.
七名學生中有四名已經完成了她們的作品。其餘三位的其中一位婦女在研討會的第7天開始來。另一個不得不在中間離開10天。還有一位婦女，她比其她人花更長時間在挫折中掙扎。縫錯了的縫線讓她有個得面對自己情緒問題的機會，這也是件好事。我們能做的就是接受她、讓她帶著情緒安全著陸、並引導她主要通過查經來認識自己。她現在已經冷靜下來，正在追趕進度。
And I have learned something from her, too. In the first week of the workshop, I found out that she did not do the correct measurement when she drew some lines on the fabric. So, I told her to be careful with the measurement and draw the lines again. Being angry with herself, she stopped doing anything for an hour. And then, she offered me some money, wanting to buy some more fabric. I wondered why. There was nothing wrong with the original fabric. What she needed to do was draw lines in another color of tailor’s chalk with correct measurement. Now she was upset that I would not sell her some new fabric. Well, I am a mechanic minded person. And it took me quite a while to figure out that her problem was that she did not want to face those mistakes she had made, nor would she like to draw anything more on the original fabric that she thought she had screwed up with. Anyway, I made her face the real problem instead of running into the same mistake again and again. Have you ever screwed up with something? I do that quite often. And Fear can easily make people make wrong decisions. May God open our mind and give us strength to face our mistakes.
我也從她身上學到了一些東西：在工作坊的第一周，我發現她在她的布上畫的線條不合尺寸。所以，我告訴她要小心測量並且重畫一次。她生自己的氣，氣了一個小時，什麼事都沒做。然後，她給我一些錢要重新買布。這我可不懂啦！明明錯不在那塊布料，她只要好好量，用另一個顏色的粉土畫新的線就可以了。現在，她把怒氣轉到我身上了，因為我不賣給她。我也是個古怪的理工腦人，想了好一會兒才搞清楚，原來她不想面對自己犯下的錯誤，也不想在那塊她以為自己已經搞砸的布料上再做任何補救。然而，我終究還是讓她不得不面對真正的問題，而不是劃錯重點，老是在相同的錯誤中兜圈子。你曾經也覺得你把事情搞砸了嗎？我常常是。而恐懼常常使人做出錯誤的決定。求上帝打開我們的思路，並給我們面對錯誤的力量。
We had some turbulence on the past Sunday. A domestic violent event occurred in our staff dormitory in the property of PIM headquarter. And the only policeman in Ambunti was not in town. The trouble maker who was the husband of our long-term staff refused to leave PIM property after his violence. For avoiding bloody event, we did not call back the other staff whose dorm were half kilometer away. We hid the wounded wife in one of our missionary’s dormitory, and were terrified by her husband as he was walking around with an axe in his hand, looking for his wife. Thank God for keeping us safe over the night. The other staff came back to work, and the police came back to Ambunti on Monday morning. The trouble maker fled away after telling off Douglas for reporting to the police.
星期天我們這裡有一些動盪：在PIM總部的員工宿舍發生家暴，安布恩提唯一的警察偏偏不在。肇事者是我們資深員工的丈夫，他肇事後拒絕離開PIM的房舍。為了避免流血事件，我們沒有召回住在半公里遠宿舍的員工，而是把受傷的太太藏在宣教士的一個宿舍裡面。她丈夫手裡握著斧頭走來走去尋找她，把我們都嚇壞了。感謝上帝保守我們一夜平安。周一早上，其他員工都回來上班，警察也回到安布恩提。肇事者來責備道格拉斯報警，然後就逃跑了。
The annual Crocodile Festival will start next week. It’s too bad that I will not stay and observe this big event in Ambunti. Douglas and I are to leave next Monday as his visa is due. Both of us are extremely busy now as the date of departure is approaching. I have to hire helper with the housework, including kids for the work of removing peanut shells. They are adorable, aren’t they? Thank God for allowing me to admire these children’s smiles again. They made miss the days that I used to work with kids for twenty years. That was the years that I could never imagine that I would come to PNG, nor would I think of doing women’s ministry. There are seasons in our life, and God has His good plans in these different seasons. We all have to be aware of God’s guidance all the time and be flexible in different seasons in our life, trusting that He knows what is best for us.
一年一度的鱷魚節將於下周開始。很可惜我不會留下來參觀這個安布恩提的重要活動。道格拉斯的簽證到期了，我們將在下週一離開安布恩提。出發日期將至，我們倆現在都非常忙。我忙到必須僱用幫手做家務，包括雇用孩子們幫我撥花生殼。他們真是可愛，不是嗎？感謝神讓我可以再次欣賞小孩們的笑容。他們讓我很懷念以往從事兒童工作二十年的日子。我那時候從來沒有想過我會到新幾內亞來，也從來沒想過我會從事婦女事工。我們的一生可分成不同的季節，神在這些季節中有各自美好的計畫。我們都得隨時洞察神的帶領，並且相信祂知道什麼是對我們最好的，在人生不同的季節中保持彈性。
Please remember us in your prayers.
敬請繼續在禱告中記念我們：
1. May God be in charge of the fuel crisis in PNG.
願上帝在新幾內亞的燃油危機中掌權。
2. Susan, a teacher who serves in a PIM school in a remote village, has been suffering for three years from pain on a big swelling on her waist. She has taken numerous trips to the hospital in Wewak, being disappointed by no show of the doctor who had promised her to give her an operation. May God grant His mercy on Susan with His divine healing.
蘇珊是一位在偏鄉服務的PIM學校教師。她腰上長了一個又大又痛的腫塊已經三年了。威瓦克醫院的醫生答應她多次要開刀，可是每次她長途跋涉去到那裏，開刀的醫生都沒來。求上帝施憐憫給蘇珊，賜下屬天的醫治。
3. May God protect all our staff in Ambunti and Wewak, and all PIM teachers who serve in remote villages.
求神保護PIM在安布恩提及威瓦克所有的工作人員，以及在偏鄉服務的所有PIM學校教師。
4. May God give courage and patience to the women of SSEC church that they are able to make good sewing works and raise the fund for the church generator.
求神賜勇氣與耐性給SSEC教會的婦女，使她們有好的縫紉作品來為教會購買發電機籌募資金。
5. May God heal Douglas’ swollen ankle.
願上帝治癒道格拉斯腫脹的腳踝。
6. We have booked the Ambunti – Wewak flight that is supposed to pick us up on the 7th Monday. May God bless us with a safe journey.
我們已經訂了八月七日星期一從安布恩提到威瓦克的小飛機。願上帝保守我們飛行安全。
7. Douglas and I are supposed to leave PNG for the US. But my work visa has not been approved yet, and my passport is in the tube. May God pave our path.
道格拉斯和Sandy 八月十三日將離境到美國，但Sandy 的工作簽證還沒消息，護照也還在政府部門，求神開路。
8. Douglas has many projects in hand that need to be complete before our departure. May God guide him and the local staff he leads to work efficiently.
離境之前道格拉斯手中多項項目必須完成執行，求神保守他所帶領的當地工作人員有較高的工作效率。
9. Our missionary dormitory in Ambunti that was built in 1962 is in danger of collapsing. The addiction that was made in 1982 needs a lot of repairing. Douglas is working on it. May God bless he and the staff’s efficiency and safety at work.
我們在安部恩提的宣教士宿舍（建於1962）有傾倒的危險。建於1982的增建部分需要很大維修。道格拉斯正在處理。求神保守工作效率及工作安全。
10. 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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