2011.6 India Mission trip testimony
This was my second India mission trip; I thank God for letting me experience His presence and faith. Compared to the last mission trip, I was more prepared this year. Because last year I was invited to join India mission trip suddenly, I didn’t think it’s possible for me to get 10 days-off from work, because I work at hospital. I thought I should pray first and join the team next year. It was also a big challenge for me to be in a complete strange place where you couldn’t communicate with languages you known. But after praying, God wanted me to trust Him completely, for He is the Lord who can make anything happen. Therefore when I gave my concerns into His hand, God truly opened the way for me and led me to join the mission trip last year. I also learned to work with brothers and sisters with one heart to experience God’s awesome deeds in India.
When I came back from India last year, I made decision to join the team next year. Therefore I reserved my days-off for 2011 at the end of year 2010. I was so confident before I left for this mission trip, then God gave me two new challenges to teach me the lessons of trusting Him as before. 1. Challenge one, the hospital I work for scheduled and evaluation before the mission trip, but the schedule kept being postponed. If the schedule happens to be set during the mission trip, my head of nurse wouldn’t let me take days-off. 2. Challenge two, Nick invited me to be part of community hygiene team this year, because the leader, Janet will attend seminary in United States in response to God’s calling for her. I was really shocked when I first heard this invitation. Though I am a nurse, I have never use English that I am not familiar with teaching health education to patients or patients’ family. So I was in denial and thought there should be someone else more suitable for this position. I struggled for quite a long time and cried to the Lord, “Is this really the thing you want me to do? I don’t think I am competent for it yet. But thanks be to the Lord, through the leader, Janet’s encouragement and God’s comfort, I knew I should to trust the Lord again, instead of my strength.
When I let go of my concerns and prayed to give my burdens into His hand, God started to work. First, he let the date of the hospital’s evaluation become sure. It ended right before the date we left for India mission trip, and therefore my head of nurse had no reason not to let me take days-off. I praise my Lord and my God, for His plan and thoughts are always higher than my plan. I got rid of my hesitation and started preparing the lessons I will teach in India; preparing my heart to be with my team members and to walk with God.
The other thing I need to thank God be that Nick kept emphasizing that prayer should be the most important thing for us during this mission trip. He encouraged us to be committed in praying during the whole trip. Ever morning, our mission team would have devotion and prayer time together and let God’s words feed our spiritual need for whole day. We also shared how God’s word has moved us and the changes it brought to us. The most important thing was that we prayed for the challenges and the people we would serve in each team each day to be in God’s hand. We also prayed that God would work in their lives first, so that we could follow his steps and walk with Him each day with an alerted heart. And we could also see His wonderful deeds.
There were three team members in my community hygiene team. Our main responsibilities and duties were:
1. To teach them how to mange and value their community hygiene to reduce the incidence of illness, because lots of Indian people’s illness were caused by the water source, the soil pollution and mosquitoes, bugs, bacteria, and parasite. We also taught them to know some common diseases and how to prevent getting the diseases.
2. To feed their spiritual needs, we taught them the importance of the relationship with God, and devotion time and studying the Bible. We also taught them how to share with others about their testimonies and how to share the gospel.
There were 12 students in our class; they were from eight churches planted by Dalsingpara church. There were 9 students whose age is twentyish; the other three were church pastors and elders. We have 23 churches sent students to learn from us including these 12 students in the past two years. Our goal is that 35 churches planted by Dalsingpara church can send students to take class, though we couldn’t have many students each time. If each one of them can teach their villagers and congregation after they go back, 35 villages can have opportunity to be changed.
Though we can’t see the result of our teaching each time, we believe that God is the Lord who is in charge and who can change people’s hearts. So we try our best to accomplish what the Lord gives us to do, and we wait patiently and pray. A good response from one church is that when the students went back to share what they learnt from us, six families built their toilets. It might be hard for us who live in Taiwan to imagine how hard it could be, but for them it is really a big change, since they need to alter their habits of using the back yard of their house as a toilet. They also need to build toilets and learn to keep it clean all the time. Therefore when we heard some of them are willing to make such a change, we really praise the Lord and we hope we can hear more good new from them in the future.
I also learnt in our class. Though I am the one who taught them health common sense and knowledge, I gained more than they did. The first lesson I learn is to be flexible. For instance, when all students were ready for class, we found out our teaching materials were in medical team’s car. My leader and I decided to change our teaching schedule and our order of teaching at that moment. We encouraged each other to be calm, and thanks God that everything went smoothly. In two hours, the local church brothers brought the materials back to us. During the class, I need to adjust what I prepare for them from their responses. Sometimes the materials are not suitable for the local condition. Sometimes it is too hard for them. Because I am the first timer in this team, it’s really challenging.
The second lesson I learn is the lesson of faith. During the class, there were many times I couldn’t find suitable English to express the symptoms of diseased I want to teach. Then I found out that God gives us great gift of body language. When I tried hard to express my thoughts through body language, the interpreters translated into their language. And we asked them questions, we found them really understand what we taught. Thanks be to the Lord! Another impressive faith lesion is that, on the last day of our ministry in India, all our team members would serve together in Rajabathawa Church. It usually took medical and children outreach teams one hour to be there by driving, and also need to go through a riverbed to get to the church. On that day, after few hours’ rain, the creek became a river and was difficult for cars to pass through. Two cars tried to go through first. It was really scary and we started prayed for the drivers. When it came to our turn, our driver hesitated and wouldn’t dare to try, so we encouraged him and prayed for him, pray for God will come to help us. There’s only one thought on my mind too cry out to the Lord, and prayed that God could make us no doubt and no fear. Since Lord Jesus can walk on the sea, He can also bring us through, after praying for a while we went through the riverbed safely. After we went through, we prayed for the next car. Thanks God for bringing all of us to drive through that scary riverbed.
The third lesson is that learn to return to our pure loving heart for the Lord like we first came to believe in Him. I remember every time when we saw students were tired from class, we invited them to stand up and sing their worship songs. Though they were from different churches, they didn’t need song book or power point or practice in advance, they could sing praising songs together, and dance together to praise the Lord. Though I didn’t understand their language or lyrics, I was really touched and full of joy. And when we said “Let’s pray together.” They started praying out loud without ceasing. Think of myself, sometimes I hesitated or wait for others to pray first or to pray quietly. Through the way they pray, God reminds me that I should return to the passionate prayerful heart like I first came to know Him.
In the end of my sharing, I’d want to thank God for choosing each one of our team members to work with Him. I believe it’s not coincident for each team member. I also believe that each one of us has a willing heart to response to God’s calling. I believe God not only want to use us in this team. He also calls those brothers and sisters in our church who haven’t joined mission team, but do we always prepare our heart to respond to God’s calling?
May God keep blessing people in India. Though they are poor in material, they are rich in spirit, for they came to know the Lord Jesus Christ. May God also bless and shine the light on people in Taiwan. We should learn to be more grateful for the abundance that God gives us, and we should pursue the Lord Himself, for He is the one who can satisfy people’s spiritual need and hunger.
Love in Christ!!
Winny
2011.6 印度短宣隊見證
在我跟大家分享印度短宣的前，我先跟大家簡單的介紹一下我自己，我是一位護士，工作了大約十五年，在我工作的前五年，我是在一個工作壓力非常大的心臟外科加護病房工作，那時的我雖然認為自己小時候有去過教會，應該就是基督徒，但我卻還不認識耶穌是誰，當時的我工作很努力，希望盡自己最大的能力來讓病人更舒適，也希望他們的病可以治癒或期待他們的生命可以延長 ，但那樣只讓我生活當中的壓力越來越大，生命中的喜樂及對工作的熱誠與活力也一天天的耗盡，因此我決定再去進修念書。就在我去念大學護理系的時候，我的同學帶我來到教會，讓我重新去認識上帝是誰，和我的生命到底有什麼關係。當然認識上帝也不是一朝一夕的事情，當時最吸引我的就是聖經裡約翰福音14:6所寫的：「我就是道路、真理、生命，若不藉著我，沒有人能到父那裏去。」 那時真的點醒了我，我一直在追尋生命的意義，原來就是那麼簡單 ，生命的掌控權根本不是在我或者在醫生的手中，我應當追尋的是更加認識耶穌基督。而當我更加認識祂，我發現生命當中的重擔及問題真的變的輕省和簡單多了，因為我知道我沒辦法也不再需要完全依靠自己的知識與能力，我要做的乃是天天與耶穌同行，天天將我的重擔與擔憂交託在祂的手中，而祂也知道我所面臨的是什麼，所需要的幫助是什麼，因為祂是我天上的父親，這一路走來真的感謝愛我的耶穌基督，雖然我信主後的生命仍會碰到挫折或者挑戰，但我 知道我的生命不再一樣了，我的生活重心和價值觀變的更有意義和盼望了。
在接受耶穌成為我生命的救主後，我的屬靈生命成長也分為幾個階段，從認識耶穌(讀經、禱告、靈修、弟兄姊妹的生命見証)→委身於教會團契→接受屬靈的裝備→走出自己的舒適圈，一步一步上帝推著我走我自己不敢跨越的路。
這是我第二次參加印度短宣，感謝上帝能讓我再一次在短宣中經歷祂的同在與信實。比起上一次參加短宣，今年我已經比較有預備心，因為去年臨時被邀請參加印度短宣，一點心理準備都沒有，記得剛開始自己還覺得不太可能，想說先禱告隔年再參加比較合適，因為我在醫院工作，要臨時請10天的假實在不太容易，而且要到印度一個完全陌生、語言又不通的地方，實在是一個很大的挑戰，但禱告後上帝要我完全信靠祂，因祂是一位凡事都行的主，所以當我全然交託之後，上帝果真為我開道路，讓我去年能順利的去參與短宣，且學習與整個團隊的弟兄姊妹們同心的在印度經歷上帝的美好作為。
因此去年回來，我已作好決定，隔年要繼續加入印度短宣的行列，所以在去年底，我已經先預約今年的假期，在要出發前的三個月，我都還信心十足，沒有任何的猶豫，結果上帝就給了我兩個新挑戰，教導我要再像以往一樣的信靠祂。挑戰一：是在短宣前，我工作的醫院要經歷一個醫院評鑑，但是時間一直延期，假若時間剛好是我要去參加短宣時間，那我的護理長可能不會讓我請假；挑戰二：Nick邀請我，希望我今年能從醫療組跳到社區衛生教育組，因為這個組的組長Janet這次將是她最後一次加入這個團隊，因為上帝對她有新的呼召及計劃，要帶領她到美國讀神學院，所以鼓勵我到這個小組來學習，剛聽到這個邀請對我來說，實在是一個很大的衝擊，因為雖然我也是護士，但我從來沒有用我不熟悉的英文對病人或家屬作過衛生教育，所以我當時的心一直在否認，應該有其他人比我更合適在那個組吧！我內心爭戰許久，常呼喊主啊，這真是你要我做的嗎？我覺得我的能力還不行！但感謝主透過組長的鼓勵及上帝自己的安慰，讓我知道我應該再一次的學習信靠主，而不是自己的能力。
果真當我放下自己的擔憂，禱告完全交託我的重擔後，上帝就開始動工了，先是讓我們醫院的評鑑的日期確定，就剛剛好在我們出發的前一天結束，所以我的護理長沒有理由不讓我請假。當時心裡真是要高唱哈利路亞，讚美我主我神，上帝的計畫與意念永遠高過我的計畫。我也開始卸下猶豫，好好的準備要去印度教課的內容，預備自己的心與我的團員在印度和上帝同行。
另一件要感謝上帝的就是讓Nick在這次的印度短宣中，不斷的強調禱告是我們這次短宣中最重要的事，鼓勵我們大家要委身於禱告當中，每天早晨我們整個短宣隊的夥伴先一起靈修禱告，讓上帝的話先來飽足我們一整天靈性的需要，也彼此分享個人對上帝話語的感動及所帶來的改變，更重要我們彼此也將不同組每日所要面對的挑戰及要服事的人交在上帝的手中，禱告上帝先在他們生命動工，好叫我們天天都能警醒的跟隨上帝的腳步與祂同行，並看見祂所要行的奇妙事。
這次在我的社區衛生教育組裡有三個成員，我們主要的職責與任務有兩個，
- 教導他們如何管理及重視他們的環境衛生，以減少他們疾病的發生率:因為他們很多的疾病原因是因為水源、土壤的污染及蚊、蟲、寄生菌的孳生繁多；並給予他們一些他們比較常見的疾病的認識與預防。
- 屬靈上的餵養:例如教導他們與神的關係、靈修、讀經的重要性，並教導他們如何與人分享自己的見證及如何傳福音。
我們的課堂中總共有12位學生，他們是來自八個由Dalsingpara教會所
分建出去的教會而來，有9位平均的年齡都在二十出頭，另外三位則是教會的牧師與長者。在過去的一年多當中加上這次的學生陸續已有23個教會差派學生來上課，我們的目標是希望所以由Dalsingpara教會所植堂的35個教會中都能差派人來學習，這樣雖然我們每次所教導的人數不多，但當他們每一位回去若都能在他們的教會當中來教導及影響他們的會眾與村民，這樣就有35個村落的人有機會可以被改變。
雖然我們每次的教導可能都沒辦法馬上看到成果，但我們相信上帝才是那掌權及改變人的主，所以我們就盡心盡力作主所交託我們要做的，其餘的就耐心等候並禱告交託在主的手中。有個好消息是在前一次的課程當中有聽到有一個教會的回應，是當他們的學生回去教會分享及教導我們所教的後，有六個家庭建了他們自己的廁所，真的很感謝上帝，以我們在台灣的生活中可能很難想像這有什麼難的，但這對他們而言就是一個很大的改變，因為他們必須先改掉平常只要在家後面的樹林隨地大小便就可以的習慣，他們也要自己蓋廁所，並學習勤快的來清洗維持廁所的乾淨。所以聽到他們有人願意做這樣的改變真的是讚美主，希望未來可以陸續聽到他們改變所帶來的好消息。
在課堂中，我自己也不斷在學習，雖然說我是預備要去教導他們衛生知識的，但其實我自己的收穫更多。第一個學習的功課：就是要時常保持一個彈性的心態，記得我們第一天教課的時候，當所有的學生已經坐好要迎接我們了，結果我們才發現去年所留下來的教材都被醫療組的車帶走了，當下組長就與我們討論可能要臨時改變一下今天的課程表及個人教課的順序，我們當下彼此鼓勵要冷靜，結果感謝主一切都很流暢，且兩個小時後就有當地的弟兄幫我們把教材送回來；還有常常在教課的過程中，因為我是第一次去，所以上課中我常要謹慎的從學生們的反應中去調整我所準備的內容，有時不適合他們當地的情況，有時則怕教的太難，而常要修改用他們比較容易懂得方式來表達，實在很有挑戰性。
第二個學習的功課是：信心的功課。特別是對自己的語言能力，上課中很多次我找不到合適的字眼用英文來表達我所要教的疾病症狀，後來發現上帝給我們很大的恩賜就是肢體語言，當我用比手畫腳努力的表達了我要講的，翻譯的弟兄姐妹看完之後也會努力的幫我翻成他們語言，結果之後從我所問的問題再聽他們所回答的答案經過翻譯之後，發現他們真的有聽懂，真是感謝主。另一個印象深刻的信心功課是在我們在印度服事的最後一天，我們三組的團員都一起到Rajabatkhawa教會，平時醫療組和兒童組的團員每天到那裏都要花一個小時左右的車程，而且都要開過一條小溪；那天不但如此，因為連續下了幾個小時的大雨後，那條小溪變成了小河，河水不但急促而且高漲到可以淹沒車子的輪胎，原本以為還好，沒想到司機們都紛紛下車研究是否可以開過河，當時有兩台車嘗試先開過去，場面真的很嚇人，我們就開始為他們禱告，感謝他們平安開過去了，當換到我的這台車要開過去時，我們的司機當下猶豫了許久遲遲不敢往前開，所以我們整車的人就鼓勵司機，要他勇敢的往前開不要害怕，然後由我們全車的人一起握手禱告，禱告上帝來幫助我們，我當時的心只有一個念頭就是呼求主，讓我們沒有懷疑及害怕，因為主耶穌既然能夠在海面上行走，一定也能夠帶領我們渡過這河，就這樣閉眼禱告一陣子我們就安然渡河，下車後我們又繼續為著下一輛要渡河的車禱告，感謝主就這樣讓我們全員及當地服事的弟兄姊妹們都平安的渡過那條駭人的河。
第三個學習的功課是：學習再次回到剛信主那樣純真愛主的心。記得課堂中每當看到學生已經疲憊聽課的時候，我們就會邀請他們一起站起來唱他們的詩歌，看他們雖來自不同的教會，但彼此不需歌譜也不需要PPT更沒有事先的排練，卻能一起唱同樣的讚美歌，並且還能一起跳舞讚美主，雖然我聽不懂他們語言與歌詞，但內心真的很感動且充滿喜樂。(PS：我們的兒童組的組員也為了當地的孩子們預備了很棒的帶動唱，不只帶給那些孩子們很多的歡笑，也讓我們整個團隊更活潑有生氣。)而當我們說同聲一起禱告時，他們就大聲的開口禱告不停歇，想想自己有時還會猶豫一下，等別人先禱告或小小聲的禱告，透過他們這樣的禱告，上帝也提醒我應當再回到剛信主時那樣火熱禱告的心！
最後要分享的就是要感謝主，揀選我們團隊的每一個成員在這次印度短宣當中能與祂同工，相信每一個參加這次短宣的組員都不是偶然來到這個團隊的，也相信我們當中每一位都有一顆願意的心來回應上帝的呼召，更相信上帝不只是要使用我們幾個人而已，祂同樣也呼召我們教會其他還沒有參加過短宣或宣教的弟兄姐妹，但是我們是否都常常預備好我們的心要來回應上帝呢？
願上帝繼續祝福印度那塊土地上的人，雖然他們的物質貧困，但因為他們認識了主耶穌基督，他們靈裡卻成為富裕的；也願上帝祝福及光照我們台灣這塊土地上的人，不但要學習感恩上帝已給我們的物質上的充足，更應追求那真正可以滿足靈裡饑渴的主。
Love in Christ!!
Winny
