Feb. 2024

Dear Friends,

Electricity can ease manual labor, cook or cool food, enable communication to the other side of the world, run medical machinery and give light in the darkness. It’s taken for granted in countries with reliable power. Some towns in PNG have few interruptions of their power, while others have long blackouts.  Most rural villages have no connection to an electrical grid.  However, villagers can buy inexpensive hand sized solar panels to charge batteries on small lights or their basic phones.  Unfortunately running a generator consumes expensive fuel so villages do without many of life’s conveniences or improvements. If only power was free.
親愛的朋友，

電力可以用來減輕體力勞動、烹飪或冷卻食物、使人得以與世界另一端通信、運行醫療機械並在黑暗中提供光明。在電力穩定的國家，大家都認為這是理所當然的。新幾內亞有一些城鎮很少停電，也有另一些城鎮長時間停電。 大多數偏鄉則沒有電路連接。 然而，村民們可以購買便宜的手掌大小的太陽能電池板，為小燈或基本手機上的電池充電。 可惜的是，運行發電機必須消耗昂貴的燃料，因此在偏鄉裡沒有許多生活的便利，也沒有進步。如果能夠不花錢就能發電，那該有多好！

This is one of the challenges for PIM teachers at village schools. There is no power for a computer so they have never acquired any computer skills. PIM’s three-week January course led by Anne Thomas and her friend Christine changed that. 40+Teachers began practicing typing on the 4 laptop computers which were setup with the appropriate programs. For many it was their first opportunity to touch a computer. Teachers were instructed how to use a program to organize their written stories into booklet form. The photocopier and printers had a workout keeping up with all their projects. Anne was thrilled that many also attended an optional advanced writer’s workshop.

這是鄉村學校PIM教師面臨的挑戰之一。那裏沒有電源可供電腦使用，因此他們從未學過任何電腦技能。由安妮·湯瑪斯（Anne Thomas）和她的朋友克麗斯汀（Christine）領導的為期三周的一月份PIM課程改變了這一點。40多位教師開始在4台筆記型電腦上練習打字，這些筆記型電腦都設置了適當的程式。對於許多人來說，這是他們第一次接觸電腦的機會。課程中指導教師如何使用程式將他們的書面故事組織成摺頁冊形式。他們的作品又都由複印機和印表機印了出來。安妮很高興許多人還參加了選修的進階寫作工作坊。 

One of the participants gave a short description about what they learned. “Writing is all about the “W” questions, who, what, where, when, and why? Plus ending with, how.” At the closeup meeting it was a privilege to hear the reading of a devotional written by one of the teachers, plus several more stories from other participants. Teachers have returned to their classrooms. Refreshed and beginning another year. Teaching when taken seriously, requires hard work because not everyone learns quickly. Patience and diligence by a teacher is needed throughout the school year. As Christian teachers equip these young minds with tools they need for their future vocations, we trust that the Holy Spirit will also use what is taught and bring students into a walk of faith. Many things in life including power are not free, but this we know, that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

其中一位學員簡要介紹了他們所學到的內容。“寫作就是關於'W'的問題，”誰、什麼、在哪裡、何時、為什麼”，結尾加上”如何”。在一個近距離的聚會中，我很榮幸地聽到有人朗讀了一位老師寫的靈修文章，以及其他學員寫得故事。老師們現在已經回到了他們的課堂，煥然一新地又開始了新的學年。認真對待教學需要努力工作，因為不是每個人都能學得很快。在整個學年中，教師都需要耐心和勤奮地工作。當基督徒教師為這些年輕人提供他們未來職業所需的技能時，我們相信聖靈也會使用所教導的，並帶領學生走上信仰的道路。生命中的許多東西，包括能力，都不是白白得來的，但我們知道，上帝白白賜予的禮物就是在我們的主基督耶穌裡的永生。

Thank you for your part in the outreach of PIM, 

Douglas Heidema

感謝您參與PIM的外展事工

道格拉斯．海德瑪