台灣短宣見證

台灣短宣見證

江福嶺

自從去年世欣弟兄應鄉福之邀前往台灣時,我的內心就有了強烈的感動,希望自己也能成為這項事工的一員,當世欣與宏達回來之後,他倆提出鄉福的暑期雙語營需要此美教會配合,似乎 神的呼召有了更明確的方向。

 

今年三、四月間,鄉福機構總幹事陳文逸牧師前來ACCCN傳講主日信息,當晚在洋一弟兄家晚宴,我更清楚了解陳牧師的異象,立刻承諾願為此行領隊,此後一個多月至報名截止,自己的信心常有不足,但經歷了 神自己不停的加添,隊員一個個的出現,洋一弟兄安排的午餐義賣,使得這個短宣隊順利產生了。六名隊員在匆忙間做了積極的準備工作,於六月下旬在教會長老們的差派下,分兩批前往台灣。

我們在台灣的工作分為兩梯次,共十五天。七月一日星期六我們在彰化縣大村基督教會報到,以後的七天就住在教會中。我們的工場在大村國中,對象是這批國中學生。林逢泉牧師對我們照顧的無微不至,深怕我們由美返台的這一群因嬌貴而不能適應。加上今年台灣夏天特別炎熱,這群小老美也確受了些煎熬,因此更加領受了牧師,師母們對我們招待的感情。我們與中興大學的學生搭配,他們在一位英國傳教士Angela的帶領下,共有20位同學,他們與我們的孩子們在沒有大人的協助下,充分發揮出認真合作的精神,將四天的雙語營辦的有聲有色。雖然期間Crystal傷踝,Kate傷腰,但主的恩典夠我們用,她倆能繼續邁入第二個梯次。這期間要特別提出我們的牧師,師母不顧自己傷痛的病體,由台中前來慰勞,安撫了我惶恐的內心,孤獨的感覺被平安取代,臨行前又強留了一萬元台幣,真要感嘆 神的恩典與數算,我離台時身上只剩600元台幣。

七月八日星期六依依不捨的與學員們,中興大學的工作夥伴們分別後,前往嘉義縣東在石鄉,此時炎熱的太陽躲入烏雲身後,但潮濕的悶熱更加難熬,我們到達時已是昏暗的傍晚。東石教會的物質條件較差,孩子們離愁加上鄉愁,又有陌生的環境需要適應,真是要向這群小弟兄姊妹致敬,他們依舊認真地面對新的工作,建立新的友誼(新的夥伴是清華大學的學生),新的學員是東石國小的學生,由7~12歲組成,英文程度有很大的差別。但這一切都被處理的妥當,如果不是期間幾位隊員身體微恙,加上走前兩天颱風過境,可真說是駕輕就熟了。離開東石鄉的前一晚,我宣布回台北的車票已買好時,隨著孩子們愉悅的眼神,內心的重擔突然消失了,取代的是慚愧,這個重擔比主耶穌要我們背的十字架不知輕省多少。

鄉福一行順利完成,由mission impossible to mission complete。我們體會了神的同在。祂一步步地帶領,祂聆聽鄉福同工們的禱告,向我們此美弟兄姊妹們呼召,運用祂賜下的語言能力,進行台灣鬆土撒種的事工。收成之日可能遠至30年後,但在這塊被綑綁的土地上,卻可清晰的看到了那線光亮。我們要讚美我們的 神,也要紀念這群在第一線戰場上的忠心僕人們,他們的需要我們如何去配合與支持?ACCCN已踏出成功的第一步,還要繼續,不停地踏,願 神帶領與祝福。

Crystal Chiu

I have always felt an obligation to the people of Taiwan. Since I have the ability to speak Chinese, I feel that I should use my gift to communicate with the people and tell them about Christ. Village Gospel Mission allowed me to combine my love for working with children with my sense of duty. The Village Gospel Mission trip to Taiwan this summer deeply impacted my life. Without realizing it, my three weeks in Taiwan had become a memory of a lifetime. It wasn’t that the towns Da Cun or Dong Shih were unique or even special. It was the people that I met. It was the friends I made, and the fellowship with the college students we created. When we started preparing for this mission trip, being the slightly neurotic girl that I am, I thought that it would be an impossible task to accomplish. We arrived in Da Cun more than slightly clueless as to what exactly we were supposed to do. Yet, what we lacked, our Taiwan counterpart from Chung Shin University made up for. This trip taught me that I did not need to manage everything, but that I should have faith.

During the two weeks, I faced more frustration than I anticipated. First off, I NEVER expected to tear a ligament and be stuck on crutches for the whole trip. My physical disability became one of the hardest things I dealt with. My stress came not only from the mental tiredness from working from morning until evening, but also physical exhaustion at the end of the day. I never had to deal with four flights of stairs with crutches before, or asking people to help me with even the simplest thing like going upstairs to help me get something I had forgotten. Also, I felt awkward with my small group, since Alice and Ashburn (my fellow counselors) were really good friends.

However, with time, Alice and Ashburn became friends with me as well. When I went to the hospital, both Alice and Ashburn accompanied me! Moreover, my impediment unexpectedly created a blessing. Since I couldn’t run around at play with the kids, I was able to use that time to create power points that we didn’t realize that we needed to make. One of my strongest memories was when one day after school was out; all the counselors spontaneously came over and prayed over me as a group. It was then that I realized that even though I was struggling, I wasn’t alone because everyone was there to help me. There is so much more that I want to share, but the space I have is limited. The people from Chung Shin University became my friends. The children I worked with were so excited to be there. They were there even when a typhoon was coming, and they waited outside half an hour before class started every morning. The children I taught became my friends as well. God blessed me. I pray that God blesses you.