奇妙的四川之旅 五嫂
?這是我第一次踏足四川, 在短短的七天, 我們驅車跑遍四川幾?大市鎮, 包括廣元, 青川, 綿陽, 德陽, 沿路風景優美, 青綠的稻田, 簡樸小村屋, 若𣎴是愈近災區, 愈多帳篷湧入眼簾, 我差點忘記它經歷過五月地震的洗禮. 讓我數一數指頭, 分享這次奇妙感恩之旅.
(一) 如畫風光 : 從地理上, 四川是一個盆地，水量充足，物產丰富。我們由成都往廣元途中，蔚藍的天空配上綠悠悠的菜田，仿如一幅山水畫，真的要讚嘆造物者的奇妙，謝謝神，讓習慣忙碌的我，學習慢下來去欣賞大自然的曼妙。
(?) 處處傷悲 : 在12/5 發生的地震雖然短短?分鐘，卻令到無數人家園盡?，妻離子散，有許多不同傷悲的故事，記得在青川馬鹿鄉的 camp Site，遇到一對年青的夫婦，他們在外工作，唯一的兒子(一歲多) 交由岳父母照顧，怎知在地震中失去了小兒子，難得他還忍?淚水說：活?就是好了；有些小孩失去父母成為孤兒，尚不計有受傷的躺臥在醫院中，真令人傷痛！在小小的臨時帳幕， 規定要住8人，下雨會漏水，天氣又酷熱，真的不是人所能忍受。
(三) 處處商機 : 面對災區或次災區龐大的需要，如榮山教會禮拜堂的重建、居民房屋重建、彭州市磁峰鎮小學尚欠四所臨時課室、綿陽市江油社區綜合大樓計劃.......，如何將資源、金錢運用是一件相當考智慧的事，記得每當總領隊，領隊和副領隊與當地局長部長會面商討合作計劃，我們便會逼切禱告，希望他們<傾生意>順利， 把握機會(商機)，配合當地教會工作，把天國的事業開展，讓福音廣傳。面對這些商機，您的投資又是多少呢？
(四) 飲飲食食 : 四川是天府之國，有不少美食，我們有品嚐麻辣火鍋、時令生果、愛心的農村菜……， 當然還有與官員的飯局，可不要輕看這飲食文化，我們藉?飯局的傾談，有機會播下福音果子。記得總領隊帶我們往成都一間西?廳，昔日就是由西教士所建立，再傳給當地人，現在已有?間分店。
(五) 屬靈分享 : 在廣元市榮山縣探訪一位姊妹已塌坊的家，她憶述當地震發生時她就禱告主，還滿帶感恩說屋毀了，錢財沒了，但家人沒有受傷，是神的保守；那紮根的信心，對神的信靠很令我反思，我動輒會為工作不如意、上司責?、家人爭執而埋怨神，我的信心何其渺少。
(六) 肢体相交 : 這次醫療隊合共有?十人，來面自不同的教會和專業，有醫生、護士、心理諮詢師、院牧…，有些更是在机場出發才第一次見面，但因?相同心志，我們仿如一家人，彼此照顧、學習；佻皮的姊妹們更將八位弟兄按年齡分長幼，我因?與外子同行榮升五嫂，輩份添高不少呢！
(七) 心靈更新 : 短短七天的時間我根本作不了什麼，但神卻容讓我參與，學習與哀傷者同行，?懷不是幹什麼轟天大事，可是一個微笑、一個擁抱、一句慰問；也開放心靈，面對災難，不問為何，只問如何，如經上說作在最小弟兄的身上，就是作在我身上。
災後的重建是漫長的，需要金錢、禱告、長期有心志的人的參與，面面處處需要，您的投資計劃又如何？
The Amazing trip to Sichuan Man Yu Auntie 5
This was my first visit to Sichuan. In just a short period of 7 days, we covered a vast areas by coach including several big cities like Quang Yuan, Qing Chuan, Mian Yang, De Yang. The scenery along the way was beautiful. All in sight are endless Greenfield, dotted with plain village house. If it was not because of the increasing visibility of temporary tents, I would have forgotten that this place had just been baptized by the fierce disaster of earthquake. Let me recount and share my inner feelings of this trip of amazing grace.
(1) Picturesque Scenery: Geographically speaking, Sichuan is a base with ample water supplies and natural produces and resources. Along the way from Chengsu to Quang Yuan, the green fields framed with the blue sky extending beyond the horizon made you feel like traveling inside a picturesque Chinese water painting. I thanks God that it helped a busy person likes me to slow down to learn how to appreciate the beauty of the wonderful creation of our Lord.
(2) Grief Everywhere: On 12/5, the earthquake took place perhaps in just a short period of 2 minutes, it brought devastating destruction to countless families and their homes, losing parents and children, resulting in numerous sad stories. I still recalled the young couples I encountered at the temporary camp sites at Ma Luk Village of Qing Chuan. They both work in other province leaving their only son (about one year old) to be looked after by their parent-in-law. Despite they lost their son in the earth quake, they still composed themselves not to burst into tear saying that being able to survive is already good enough for anyone. It was so painful to come to terms with the facts of children losing their parents becoming a orphan and not to mention those countless others lying injured in the hospitals. In a small temporary tent, it is regulated to accommodate 8 persons. When it rains, there will be water leakage and when it is sunny, the temperature will become unbearably high. The environment is really too tough for person to endure for any longer period of stay.
(3) Opportunities Everywhere : Facing the paramount needs of the heavily hit disaster zone or those secondary affected areas, for instance, the need for resettlement and building of the church at the Ron Shan town; vast rebuilding needs of all the local residents; the shortage of another four class rooms for the primary school at Chi Feng of the Pang Zhou Town; the General Community Complex of the Jiang Yau Community in Mian Yang … etc. It demands quite a bit of wisdom to make best use of the money and optimum allocation of the limited resources for meeting all those needs. I still remembered how we prayed earnestly when our leader team of three engaged into negotiation with the local Government authorities on various partnership projects. We all prayed that positive and smooth outcomes could be reached enabling the local churches to grab hold of the rare opportunities for extending their capability of gospel outreach for the sake of expansion of the Kingdom business. Facing those gospel opportunity, how would you manage your own investment portfolio.
(4) Enjoying Gourmet Food: Sichuan is known as the heavenly kingdom on earth famous for its varieties of gourmet food. We tried varieties of spicy “Hua Kuo”; seasonal fruits, home made dishes at the village; of course many formal dining occasions with those government officials. We should not take lightly of the importance of the dining culture, through causal conversation in those dining occasions, gospel seeds could be planted. It can be witnessed by the fact that we were guided to have dinner at a Western Style restaurant. It was founded by missionary and inherited by local believers which have expanded from one to five restaurant in three cities. (Chengdu, Shanghai and Beijing)
(5) Spiritual Sharing: Wile visiting a sister in Christ whose house had collapsed during the earth quake at Ron Shan town, Quang Yuan City, she recalled how she prayed when earth quake took place that she was graceful for God’s protection of their whole family despite the great loss of her house, and all her earthly possessions. Her deeply rooted faith and trust in God caused me to reflect on my own spiritual status. How small faith do I have that I used to grumble against God for all the hiccup in work, the criticism of my boss; the arguments I have with my family members etc.
(6) Fellowship amongst members in Christ: The medical team was consisted of 20 members coming from different churches and professional backgrounds such as doctors, nurses, counsellors, hospital chaplaincy. Most of us met each other for the first time at the airport but we quickly build intimate ties like a family because we are all like minded in Christ. We care and learn from each others. Those naughty sisters even took all the trouble to find out the order of ages of all the male members. Because my husband is ranked as the number five brother, I am honor to be elevated to the position of number five aunt.
(7) Renewal of heart : We really could not do much things within a period as short as just seven days. But God still let us participate so that we could learn to grieve with those who grieve. Rendering care is not anything of great significance, but just a smile, a hug or a word of comfort will help to set free the bounded soul. Facing disaster, we don’t ask why, but how we could learn and grow from this experience. As quoted from the bible, Jesus said anything that you do on the least one is doing it on me.
The post-disaster restoration work would be a long process, needing a lot of money, prayers and the long term commitment of willing volunteers. How would you formulate your investment plan in meeting all those needs of great varieties? |