親愛的弟兄姊妹平安：
「你們要讚美耶和華！敬畏耶和華，甚喜愛他命令的，這人便為有福！」詩篇112:1
前晚除夕夜，與弟兄姐妹分享耶和華的恩福，顯然與世俗人所祈求的祝福是很不同。神樂意賜福給我們，但是我們要聽從祂的命令，喜愛祂的律法，正如神吩咐以色列人，遵行祂的誡命的人就得福，違背誡命的受咒詛。
感謝神，讓我們一群長者可以每天一起細讀利未記，雖然講述很多有關以色列人的獻祭、潔淨的條例、律例典章，讀起來有點枯燥；但經過牧師講解，把它們連到耶穌基督的身上，就馬上與我們有關，不但感謝基督救贖的恩典，也體會神憐憫人的心意。感恩今天我們終於讀完利未記，若是請年長的弟兄姐妹自己讀的話，也許就無法讀完了。
去年找回的一位年長姐妹，不會廣東話，所以未能參加讀經聚會。最近她因為與房東有些矛盾，就來向我訴苦。我建議她申請老人公寓，但她想到申請手續麻煩，思想上有些掙扎。可能也是孤單一人，想找個人聊聊。特別是在疫情中，因害怕出門而困在家中。
去年年底，又開始了吉森的實體聚會，但是經常來的就只有兩家人，只要我和服事同工去，他們也來實體聚會。負責的同工體恤我們回家太晚，就帶點簡單的食物來與我們共享。三週前，因為吉森負責同工的孩子發燒，而我們的同工剛打完了第三針疫苗，我們就沒有實體聚會。沒想到原來孩子從學校得了Covid-19病毒感染，也傳給父母了。由於上述原因，我們沒有去，免受感染。同時另外一家的弟兄要做白內障手術，所以他與姐妹也沒去，他們也沒有機會受感染。不過很感恩，他們病了幾天就好了，小孩好得更快。
自從Omicron開始迅速傳播後，我們借用的德國教會要求更嚴厲，要打完第三針疫苗，或是打完兩針和感染後痊癒，再加上官方檢測的陰性報告，才可以參加實體聚會。由於我還沒有打第三針，週日在我家附近的檢測中心都不開門，所以只好參加網上聚會。自從去年七月打完第二針之後，我沒有停止過咳嗽，所以我對疫苗有所保留，還在觀望當中。
雖然教會要求嚴格，但在政府的法律允許之下，我們在節日期間仍然有家庭聚餐，主要邀請單身的弟兄姐妹和慕道友，讓他們過節不會覺得孤單。平安夜聚餐那天，一位慕道友收到公司正式聘請他工作的合同，大家為他高興，因為再找不到工作，他便要離開德國（昨天更聽到他拿到簽證的消息）。另外一位弟兄，他特別喜歡實體見面的時刻，所以他也很高興與大家一起聚餐。
一位弟兄的父親因為年老，去年搬來法蘭克福入住老人公寓。由於搬家那天，他看到那麼多基督徒為他搬東西，為搬家的人預備食物，他很受感動。加上我們聚餐也邀請他，這樣他與我們比較熟了，也願意幫我們煮餐，因為他是廚師。而我們更願意他看到基督徒的好行為，從傾向佛教的追求轉向基督信仰。
感恩與代禱事項：
- 感恩疫情期間，還可以網上聚會，有些過節的氣氛！感恩與年長的弟兄姐妹一起讀經，經過一年的時間，連失憶的姐妹最近也不用人教她就可以很快地上網！求主保守其中一位弟兄，明天飛回國內，要在酒店隔離十四天！
- 求主保守孤單老人的生活，不被疫情影響自己的心情！
- 感謝主保守負責吉森團契的弟兄一家，雖得到病毒感染，但身體已恢復健康，隔離也結束！感謝主的保守，讓一位年長弟兄順利完成了兩隻眼睛的白內障手術！
- 感謝主讓我們藉著聚餐，關心到慕道友在異鄉的思愁。其中一位學生總是埋怨神沒有給他一條順暢的道路，求主幫助他在學業上能通過他的考試！
- 感恩弟兄的爸爸很快就與我們相熟，他在觀察我們基督徒的行為，求主保守我們在人面前有好行為，以致他們願意接受神的救恩！
願主的恩福臨到你們與家人！
新春快樂！身、心、靈都健康！
主的使女
鄧秀珍
二零二二年二月二日大年初二
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Dear brothers and sisters,
“Praise the LORD! Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands!” Psalm 112:1
On Chinese New Year’s Eve, we shared with our brothers and sisters the blessings of the LORD, which are obviously very different from the blessings that secular people pray for. God is pleased to give us blessings, but we must obey His commands and love His laws, just as God commanded the Israelites that those who obey His commandments are blessed, and those who disobey His commandments are cursed.
We thank God for the opportunity to read the book of Leviticus with our elderlies every morning. Although it was a bit boring to read, the pastor who was reading it connected it to the person of Jesus Christ, and it became immediately relevant to us. We are thankful that we finally finished reading Leviticus today. If we had asked our older brothers and sisters to read it by themselves, they would not have been able to finish it.
I found an older sister last year after losing her contact for some time. Unfortunately, she does not speak Cantonese, so she was not able to join the reading group. Recently, she called me because she had some problems with her landlord. I suggested that she applied for an apartment for the seniors. But she had some struggles in her mind because of the trouble she had to go through the application process. She was probably lonely and wanted to talk to someone. Especially during the pandemic, she was stuck at home because she was afraid to go out.
Near the end of last year, we resumed our physical meeting at Giessen, but only two families came regularly. Whenever I went with my co-worker, they also came to the physical meeting. The leader of the fellowship was sympathetic to our late arrival home, so the family brought some simple food to share with us. Three weeks ago, we didn’t have a physical meeting because our co-worker had just finished his third vaccination and the leader’s child had a fever. Little did we know that the child had gotten the Covid-19 infection from school and passed it on to his parents. Due to the above reasons, we did not go to the meeting and thus, avoided the infection. At the same time, a brother from another family had to have cataract surgery, so he and his wife did not go either, and they too did not have the chance to get infected. But thankfully, the family recovered within a few days and the child recovered even faster.
Since the Omicron infection spread rapidly, the German church we borrowed for Sunday service has become more stringent in requiring a third vaccination, or a second vaccination/recovered from Covid-19 plus an official negative test before we can attend a physical meeting. Since I had not yet received my third vaccination, the testing center near my place was not open on Sunday, so I only attend the online meeting. I haven’t stopped coughing since I got my second shot last July. So I have some reservations about the vaccine and am still waiting to see what happens.
Despite the strict requirements of the church, we still have family dinners during the holidays, as allowed by the government law. We mainly invited single brothers and sisters and non-believers so that they will not feel lonely during the holidays. On Christmas Eve, one of our non-believers received a job contract from his company, and we were happy for him because if he didn’t find a job within the month, he would have to leave Germany. Yesterday we heard the news that he got his visa. Another brother, he especially liked the physical meeting moment, so he was happy to have a dinner together.
One brother’s father moved to Frankfurt last year to live in an apartment for the seniors because of his old age. On the moving day, he was touched to see so many Christians help to carry his things and prepare food for the movers. He was also invited to our dinner party, so he got to know us better and was willing to cook for us because he is a retired chef. But we would like him to see the good Christian behavior and turn from the Buddhist pursuit to the Christian faith.
Thanksgiving and prayer items:
- We are thankful that during the pandemic, we can still meet online and have a festive atmosphere for the Chinese New Year! I’m thankful that after a year of reading the Bible with older brothers and sisters, even the sister who has bad memory can get online faster without being taught! Pray for the brother who will fly back to China tomorrow and be quarantined in a hotel for 14 days!
- Pray that the Lord will keep the lonely elderly from letting the pandemic affects their lives!
- Thank the Lord for keeping the family of the Giessen Fellowship, who has recovered from the Covid-19 infection, and that their quarantine is over! Thank the Lord for the elderly brother’s successful cataract surgeries on both eyes!
- Thank the Lord that we were able to care for the non-believers by inviting them for meals during festive holidays. One student always complained that God did not give him a smooth path! Pray that the Lord will help him prepare and pass his exams!
- We are thankful that our brother’s father soon became acquainted with us, and that he was observing our Christian behavior. Pray that the Lord would keep us in good behavior before people so that they would be willing to accept God’s salvation!
May the Lord’s blessings come to you and your family!
Happy Chinese New Year! Be healthy in body, mind and spirit!
Serving Him,
Karen Tang
