親愛的弟兄姊妹平安，
耶和華要保護你，免受一切的災害；祂要保護你的性命。詩篇121:7
前天收到姊妹的信息，說她父母已經回國隔離完畢，平安回到自己的家中；另一名姊妹的父親的機票卻被延期，不知道要等到什麼時候才能回家。因為出來的時候知道只能待三個月，所以只帶了三個月的藥物出門，卻沒想到因為疫情，滯留在德國多了好幾個月。除了去拿長期要吃的藥之外，身體出了其他毛病也不敢去看醫生，因為只買了基本的旅遊健康保險。姊妹的丈夫才剛剛病逝不久，留下三個小孩，工作還沒有找到，又見到父親出點狀況，感到很大壓力。雖然她家與法蘭克福有點距離，但最近都比較多去探訪她們。上週六還與兩名弟兄和其中一名弟兄的父親同去，沒想到兩位老人家相逢恨晚，說等了七十多年才認識。弟兄的父親原來住在漢堡，剛好與兒子來法蘭克福住兩個星期，因此特別高興有這樣的機會。
廣東話查經班有一名年長姊妹會包粽子，一位弟兄便向她購買了一百隻粽子，然後與我和另外兩位弟兄分頭送給查經班裡的弟兄姊妹和慕道友。弟兄和我花了兩個星期六去探望弟兄姊妹，特別給年長的弟兄姊妹安裝zoom的軟件，讓他們也能遠距離上網參加查經班。最近幫助一位79歲的姊妹買了一部iPad，與弟兄去送粽子的同時給她設置並教她使用。由於她手會發抖，剛開始連開機都有問題。到了第二個星期去看她，手居然沒有很抖，開機也比較順暢。她很開心地告訴我們很值得，因為她可以與舊朋友視頻，又可以聽到用廣東話讀的聖經，因為她不太識字，只是在十幾歲的時候去了一年教會，透過聖經學了一點點字而已。
因著疫情的緣故，負責廣東話查經班的姊妹仍然沒有機會上班，加上我們在網上聚會，有弟兄建議我們每月有兩次聚會。又因為在網上聚會，我們也邀請了一些以前不能來聚會的弟兄姊妹參加，甚至是住在偏遠城市的弟兄姊妹。有一對年長夫妻在疫情期間經常會有些矛盾，弟兄心情不是很好，因為原本打算回香港退休，但由於疫情不能回去。自從參加網上查經班後，姊妹告訴我她丈夫心情好很多。
昨晚有二十人聚會，接近一半都是退休的弟兄姊妹。
由於在教會的實體聚會有很多限制與規矩，加上偶爾有教會爆發感染的新聞，法蘭克福華人教會和吉森團契仍然在網上聚會。本週中小學生開始放假，最快也就假期後再看情況是否進行實體聚會。
感恩與代禱事項：
- 為著能平安回家的博士生一家與來看望姊妹的父母感恩！為那些仍然停留在德國不能回家的家人禱告！
- 為姊妹的父親的身體健康禱告，不會因為延誤看病影響病情！求主憐憫姊妹，讓她得到一份合適的工作，減輕她面對的壓力！
- 感謝弟兄的愛心，藉著送粽子行動，探訪一些弟兄姊妹！也感恩他為年長的弟兄姊妹安裝好在網上聚會的軟件，使他們能參加網上查經聚會！
- 79歲的姊妹，因為有耳聾，需要配戴助聽器，求主憐憫她，讓她適應新配的助聽器！
- 一位七十幾歲的弟兄，由於沒有居住的地方，仍要在餐館工作，為得一棲身之地。最近又尿道堵塞，掛著尿袋工作。求主憐憫，醫治他的病，讓他早日考慮辦理退休的手續，能夠找到一個住處，安享晚年！
- 感謝主，藉著網上聚會可以接觸好幾位已經退休的弟兄姊妹！求主幫助，讓我們可以接觸那些還沒有認識主的退休人士！
- 求主眷顧，讓信徒能早日可以實體聚會！
- 求主憐憫這地，使這疫情能早日停息，使被感染的人數不再持續增加！求主憐憫安慰失去家人的人們！
- 求主憐憫這動亂不安的世界！
願主的平安與你們同在！願主的保護圍繞你們！
主的使女
鄧秀珍
二零二零年七月七日
下載 PDF 格式 （中文）
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Dear brothers and sisters,
The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; Psalms 121:7
A couple days ago, a sister sent me a message telling me the safe journey of her parents returning to their home in China. On the other hand, another sister’s father’s flight has been re-scheduled once again. He was not sure when he could return home. Since he knew that he could only stay for 3 months when he came, he only took 3 month’s medication with him. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19, he had to stay in Germany for many more months. Beside getting his necessary medication, he didn’t dare to visit a doctor for other medical problem because he only bought a travel insurance for basic health. The sister’s husband has just died recently leaving 3 children. She herself has not found a job yet. After seeing her father’s health having another problem, she felt that her pressure keeps coming. Although her home is in a small town away from Frankfurt, I have visited them more often recently. Last Saturday, 2 bothers and I and a father of one of the brothers also went to visit them. The two old men were happy to get to know each other though it was 70 years late. The father of our brother lives in Hamburg. It just happened that he came with his son to stay in Frankfurt for two weeks. He was very happy for that opportunity.
There was a sister who knew how to wrap rice dumpling. A brother bought 100 rice dumplings from her. Then, he and I plus 2 other brothers help distribute them to our bible group members. The brother and I spent two Saturdays to visit brothers and sisters while helping the elderlies to install the zoom app so that they could join the on-line meeting. Recently, I helped the 79 years old sister to buy an iPad. So when we brought her the rice dumplings, the brother helped to set up the iPad for her and taught her how to use it. Due to her shaky hands, she had hard time opening the iPad at first. But a week later, we visited her again and saw that her hands were more controlled and could open the iPad more easily. She was so happy to tell us that it was worth getting the iPad. She could Face-Time with her long-time friend as well as listening to the Cantonese bible reading. She learned only a few words by reading the bible when she was in her teenage year attending a church for a year.
Due to the pandemic, the sister who helps organise the Cantonese bible study group is still being asked to stay at home. Since we are meeting on-line, a brother suggested that we meet twice a month instead of once a month. Since we meet on-line, we could invite those who could not come to meet at all, even those who live in another cities. A couple always had some arguments during the lockdown period. The brother had bad mood because he planned to retire in Hong Kong but due to the pandemic he could not go back. Since he joined us for the on-line meeting, his wife told me that he was happier.
Last night there were 20 people in the bible study meeting, almost half of them were retirees.
There are some restrictions and rules to follow if we meet at church. We also heard occasionally that there were infections after people met at church. So, our Frankfurt Chinese Church and Giessen bible study group are still meeting on-line. The students start their summer vacation starting this week. So, we are looking to see after the summer vacation if we could meet at church.
Thanksgiving and prayer items:
- Thanks to God for bringing the PhD student and her family as well as the parents of our sister home safely! Pray for those who are eager to go home but are still staying in Germany!
- Pray for the health of the sister’s father so that his condition would not be worsen due to a delay for examination! Pray that God will have mercy on the sister so that she could find a suitable job to release her pressure!
- Thanks to the brother’s love! Through the distribution of the rice dumplings, we visited some brothers and sisters! Thank God also for the brother who helped the senior members to install the zoom app so that they could join the meeting on-line!
- The 79 years old sister had hearing problem and needed a hearing-aid. Pray that God will have mercy on her so that she can adapt to the hearing-aid soon!
- A 70+ brother has no place to live. So he has to work in a restaurant in order to have a place to live. Recently, he has some blockage in his urethra and needs to carry a urine bag to work. Pray that God will heal him and that he will consider applying for his retirement so that he could find a place to retire!
- Thank God that we could reach out to our retired brothers and sisters through the on-line meeting! Pray that God will help us to reach out to those retirees who are not yet believers!
- Pray for God’s favour so that believers could meet at church soon!
- Pray that God will have mercy on this land so that the pandemic will die down soon and the numbers of infection will not increase continuously! Pray that God will comfort those who have lost their loved ones!
- Pray that God will have mercy on this unstable world!
May God’s peace be with you!
Serving Him,
Karen Tang
