20240213

Shalom, dear all!
Happy Chinese New Year! Thank you for faithfully praying for us. Douglas and I have 80% recovered from our flu.
代禱勇士們，收信平安：
春節快樂!!! 感謝您忠心為我們禱告。道格拉斯和我感冒好了七八分了。

Today (Tuesday) is the fourth day of Chinese New Year. As I am the only person with Chinese background in this area, there is not any atmosphere of New Year at all in Ambunti. Life goes on: I am doing the housework and teaching the sewing course, and Douglas busy working on multi-tasks, including leading the morning devotion to repairing the generators. In the past 12 days, he wounded his head (that made him have to raze his head), cut his big toe, had cuts on his nose by his glasses, and had a big cut on his shin again (on the same spot). You can imagine what Picasso’s paintings look like. Even in the evening, he needs to work at the desk on the spread sheets of accountant, replying emails, dealing with very complicated issues with firms and draw construction plans.
今天(星期二)是農曆新年初四。由於我是這地帶唯一有華人背景的人，安布恩提絕沒有一分春節氣氛，生活沒兩樣地繼續：我照顧家事並教授縫紉訓練課程，道格拉斯還是忙碌於眾多繁複的事工：從帶領晨更到修理發電機。在回到安布恩提的這十二天中，他撞傷了頭(只好裡個光頭)、割傷腳上的大拇指、被眼鏡刮傷了鼻子，並且再一次在脛部擦出了一道長長的傷口(跟上次的傷口同一個位置)，這下子你腦中可有浮現出畢卡索的畫作？甚至在晚間，他還是在書桌前忙著檢查帳目的表單、回覆郵件、處理很複雜的廠商問題，以及繪製工程圖。

The trainees in the sewing course are still recovering from the mode of the kids’ school vocation, fights among the villages, and robberies on the river and the highway. Some of them have to move to other locations because of the needs of making a living. Therefore, have only few students this time. Thank God that we enjoy closer interaction in class and deeper fellowship. One of them confessed her former misunderstanding towards me. Hoping missionaries’ help doesn’t lower their esteem but establish their confidence and ability, I also told them I could lose patience towards students who don’t want to serve in the church or ask me to give fabric and sewing tools for free. We pray that, about the sewing class and the sewing ministries in the church, God’s Will be done, not ours.
縫紉課程的學員仍在從小孩學校假期、村莊之間的爭鬥事件以及河上和公路上的搶劫事件中恢復過來。由於謀生的需要，他們當中的一些人得搬到其他地方。因此，這次只有少數學生參加縫紉課程。感謝上帝，我們在課堂上比以前有更親密的互動和更深的團契。其中一人坦承了她以前對我的誤解；我也告訴她們，對那些不想在教會服事及要求我免費提供布料和縫紉工具的學生，我會失去耐心。希望宣教士帶來的幫助不是壓低她們的形象，而是建立她們的信心及能力。我們祈求，關於縫紉班和教會的縫紉事工，願上帝的旨意成就，而不是我們的所欲。

We also prayed about the financial need of the pastor’s family. Beverlyn, the pastor’s wife has completed the Level Two sewing training and taught many church ladies what she had learned. I do hope financial need of the family does not hinder her from the sewing ministry in the church. I have been trying my best in helping her in my own way. But facing the huge need of school fee of the boarding school, she looks crushed. Almost all pastors’ wives here have to work very hard in order to support the family. They sell buns, produces, sewing works and whatever they can make both in the morning market and in the afternoon market. Beverlyn is one of them that spend more time in the church ministries besides making money. And she is the most patient with the church ladies but is never dominative. Yesterday evening, I was praying for her again, thinking of her financial burden. And few minutes later, I received a transfer from a Taiwanese pastor. This morning, I gave her the money. We both thank God, who make eyes and ears, for seeing ours needs and hearing our prayers.
我們也為牧師家庭的經濟需要禱告。牧師的妻子貝芙琳（Beverlyn）已經完成了第二級縫紉培訓，並且她也將她在縫紉訓練課程所學的，在教會裡教導了很多婦女。由於不希望家庭的經濟需要妨礙她在教會的縫紉事工，我一直在盡我所能以自己的方式幫助她，但面對寄宿學校巨大的學費需求，她顯得被壓傷。這裏幾乎所有牧師的妻子都必須非常努力地工作以養家糊口。不但是在早上，甚至連在下午，她們都得在市場上販售麵包、農產品、縫紉作品以及任何她們能做的東西。貝芙琳是其中之一除了賺錢之外，還花了更多的時間在教會事工上的師母。她對教會的女士們最有耐心，但從來沒有強勢作風。昨天晚上，我又在為她禱告，想著她的經濟負擔。幾分鐘後，我收到了一位臺灣牧師的一筆轉帳。今天早上，把錢交給她，兩人一起向造眼睛造耳朵的主獻上感恩，祂看見我們的需要，並且聽見我們的禱告。

The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”--- 1Tim 5:17, 18

那善於管理教會的長老，當以為配受加倍的敬奉；那勞苦傳道教導人的，更當如此。因為經上說：「牛在場上踹穀的時候，不可籠住牠的嘴」；又說：「工人得工價是應當的。」---提摩太前書5：17, 18

PIM staff are salaried. But I have to pray and I my own way in helping the trainees of my sewing course who do sewing ministries in the church. I think most missionaries have to face this issue, too. We can’t help in the way that all their relatives would like to rely on them. Nor do we expect them to have the “strong” faith that we don’t even have. Concerning wealth, Christianity is not based on asking for more and more in order to fill up the deep hole of human desire, but is to sharpen our faith and seek for wisdom from God between our needs and God’s provision.
PIM員工是有支薪的。但對於縫紉課程的學員有在教會從事縫紉事工的人，我必須祈禱並找出我自己的方式來幫助她們。我想大多數宣教士也必須面對這個問題。我們無法幫助他們太多，導致親戚都想要來依賴他們，也不指望他們擁有甚至我們都不具備的“堅定”信心。在錢財方面，基督教信仰不是基於祈求大富大貴來填補慾望的丘壑，而是在我們的需要和上帝的供應之間磨礪我們的信心並尋求從神而來的智慧。

“Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. ---Proverbs 30:7-9

我求祢兩件事，在我未死之先，不要不賜給我：求祢使虛假和謊言遠離我；使我也不貧窮也不富足；賜給我需用的飲食，恐怕我飽足不認祢，說：耶和華是誰呢？又恐怕我貧窮就偷竊，以致褻瀆我　神的名。---箴言30：7–9

Please remember us in your prayers.

敬請繼續在禱告中記念我們：

1. May God give wisdom to the government of PNG in dealing with the aftermath of the riot that happened on January 10th.
願上帝賜下智慧給新幾內亞的政府以處理一月10日暴動的後續問題。

2. May God cease the fights among villages and grand us His Spirit of Peace.
願上帝止息村落中的打鬥，賜下和平的靈。

3. PIM has been having a project with The Education Department of PNG, distributing 100,000 copies of religious education textbooks to high schols in all provinces in PNG. May God bless the big job of distribution.
PIM與新幾內亞教育部已經展開合作方案，發送十萬份宗教教育教科書到各省的公立中學。求神保守此龐大的分發工作。

4. MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) has had three accidents last year. They are elevating the standard of requirements to the airstrips in the villages. May God bless them in enforcing their new regulation.
MAF（宣教飛行團契）去年發生了三起事故。他們正在提高各村莊裡飛機跑道的要求標準。願上帝保守他們執行新的規定。

5. May God give me wisdom in efficiently helping the ladies here in long term with pricy sewing resource like sewing machines and tailors’ rulers.
求神給Sandy智慧有效且長效地幫助這裡的婦女解決昂貴的縫紉物資的問題，譬如縫紉機及裁縫尺。

6. May God remember Beverlyn’s heart in serving Him in the sewing ministry, and provide her family with their needs.
求神記念貝芙琳在縫紉事工事奉祂的用心，供應她家庭的需要。

7. May God make us recover from our flu soon.
願上帝醫治我們的感冒，使我們快快復原。

8. May God remember Douglas’ hard working and bless him with good health.
願上帝記念道格拉斯的工作辛勞，保守他有健康的身體。

9. We have heard bad news about my work visa renewing process. It seems what we have worked on it over the months is in vain. May God pave our path to renewing my work visa.
我們得知工作簽證的結果是壞消息，好幾個月的努力似乎是白費了。求神為Sandy工作簽證的續簽程序開路。

10. May God grant His mercy in my old parents’ financial needs, take care of them, and grant them salvation, health, peace and joy.
願神憐憫Sandy年邁父母的財務需要、看顧他們，賞賜他們救恩、健康、平安及喜樂。

11. May God watch over my brother’s family：remember their hard working and traveling, and bless their work and study.
願神看顧Sandy弟弟的家庭，記念他們的辛勤與奔波，賜福他們的工作與學業。

All for Him

願神得榮耀

主內末肢

In Christ

Sandy

Line ID : sandytw2014

20240213

P. S. 今年華人動員宣教協會不再將您對Sandy的奉獻轉給Sandy。Sandy仍需要您的支持。若您有感動為Sandy奉獻，敬請與我聯絡。願神賜福給您。

The latest update of Douglas Nov. 2023 道格拉斯近期通訊 2023年十二月