In the morning Iris took us to a leprosy hospital in Chiang Mai. The leprosy hospital was founded locally by early missionaries to take care of leprosy patients and teach them some survival skills. These things were approved by the king at that time, and northern Thailand became a place for missionaries. There are only a few older patients, and medical facilities are also open to ordinary people. Compared to the slightly cluttered surrounding buildings, this is a paradise. The environment is beautiful and tidy. Missionaries come here from thousands of miles away, not only to build a well-equipped hospital for leprosy patients, but also to teach them life skills for growing vegetables and crafts. They live in better conditions than those around them. This brings us to the teaching of Mark 12:31 on Jesus Christ that we "love our neighbor as ourselves". These missionaries gave themselves to these leprosy people in Thailand wholeheartedly. Because of God's love, they were able to surpass their own best through the Holy Spirit.
When we first arrived at the Student Center, we felt that conditions were much better than we thought. When we went into the mountains and into the hometowns of these students, we knew how broken their original living environment was. Our missionaries take them out of the mountain, give them the ideal living and learning environment, take them to know the Lord, grow up in the Lord's love, and hope that they can work hard and be an influence on society and their own ethnic groups. This is another way that missionaries show their love for their neighbors.
After the students were out of school in the afternoon, we continued to teach English and Pinyin. We taught them how to introduce themselves in English and Pinyin to give them the confidence to communicate outside of Thailand, and to improve their English and Pinyin to a certain extent in the process.
Students have a half-hour devotion time after dinner every day. Tonight Alina shared with the students how God led her in her college life. She used the verse Colossians 3:17. No matter what you do, whenever you speak or act, you are to give thanks to God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus. Her sharing was wonderful and the students listened very carefully.
In the evening we divided into 4 groups to teach the students. After the evening class, Alina also taught math and physics to high school students.
早晨Iris带我们参观了清迈的麻风病院。麻风病院是早期宣教士在本地创办的,目的是照顾麻风病人并让他们学习一些生存技能。这些事情得到当时国王的批准以致泰北成为宣教士集中的地方。现在只有少数年长的病人,医疗设施也开放为普通人服务。和周围稍显杂乱的建筑相比,这里是一个世外桃源。环境优美整齐,宣教士们不远万里来到这里,不仅为麻风病人建造了设施齐备的医院,更教给他们种菜及做手工艺的生活技能。他们的居住条件较周围的人来说,也是相当得好。 这让我们想到马可福音12章31节对耶稣基督我们“爱人如己”的教导。这些宣教士把自己毫无保留的给了泰国的这些麻风病人们,因着神的爱,他们给出去的是最好的,而不是自己多余的。带来的不仅是帮助,更是建造。
初到学生中心时,我们觉得这里的条件比我们想象的要好得多。进到山区,进到这些孩子们的家乡时,我们才知道他们原先的生活环境是多么的匮乏和破碎。 我们的宣教士把他们带出山,给他们理想的生活和学习环境,带他们认识主,在主的爱里长大,希望他们能够辛勤做工,做一个对社会,对自己的族群有影响力的基督徒。这也就秉承了早年宣教士们爱人如己的宣教心志。
下午孩子们放学后,我们继续教授英文和拼音。我们这次的教学目的是通过让孩子们学习用英文和拼音自我介绍,带给他们和泰国以外社会沟通的自信心,并能够在这个过程中在一定程度上提高他们的英语和拼音水平。
学生们每天晚饭后有半个小时的灵修时间。今晚Alina在学生中间分享了神如何在她的大学生活中带领她。她用的是歌罗西书 3:17 无论做什么,或说话或行事,都要奉主耶稣的名,借着他感谢父神。她的分享很精彩,孩子们听得都很认真。
晚上我们分成4个组给孩子们上课。 在晚上的课结束后,Alina还给高中的孩子们辅导了数学和物理 。