親愛的弟兄姊妹平安：
「耶和華所賜的福使人富足，並不加上憂慮。」箴言十22
時間過得特別快，轉眼就已經是年初七了，所有查經班的新春活動終於在昨天順利完成了。雖然昨天的亞沙芬堡查經班特別少人，因流感生病的、女兒要補課等原因不能來參加，連開餐館的弟兄姊妹都不在。姊妹聽到父親入院，馬上回家照顧他。雖然身在中國，她還是鼓勵我們不要停止聚會，告訴我們她的弟兄還在德國，讓我們照常聚會。昨天弟兄出外辦事，留下女兒在餐館幫忙。女兒因為大學考完試，有假期就去餐館工作。她是第一次參加我們的查經班。她已經受洗，雖然她在這裡長大，但是中文很好，都聽懂我們的分享。另外一個驚喜就是餐館弟兄的表哥也坐下來聽神的話，並且接受聖經的教導。他不是基督徒，也在餐館工作，之前每次叫他，他都不願意留下來參加聚會。
聖誕節聚會結束後，吉森團契馬上又開始準備春節聚會。因為好些家庭都有孩子表演節目，所以吸引了一些家庭來參加。至於學生方面，因為開始準備考試，他們比較晚到，但是都表示吃得非常飽足。這兩週因為考試期間比較緊張，都沒有來參加聚會。上週卻來了一位剛從國內來的父親，他女婿在德國上班，女兒在家帶孩子。女兒也參加過查經班，對信仰有好感，可是她先生卻沒有興趣。但是因為岳父是基督徒，想來看看這邊的基督徒聚會，所以他就把岳父和小姨帶來。小姨仍未信主，但因陪父親來探親，也就陪父親來查經班了。
法蘭克福華人教會也按往常一樣，崇拜後有包餃子活動慶祝春節。那天來了很多人，包括一間德國教會的年輕牧師和他的會友，他們也學習包餃子；弟兄姊妹也邀請朋友來參加。
廣東話查經班成立了接近一年，非信徒都沒有去過教會。但是去年聖誕節聚會邀請每一個團契演出一個節目，所以查經班就排練了一首歌。他們都很高興能夠參與，連一位做餐館的女士都在休息時間趕來和我們一同表演。雖然教會兩位最老的姊妹都沒有團契生活，但因為她們都會廣東話，她們也很高興被邀請一起上台表演。另外兩位慕道友也參加了春節包餃子活動。
負責組織查經班的姊妹受洗才幾年，而且工作要輪班，不是每週都能參加主日崇拜；加上剛開始不太聽懂普通話，所以聖經基礎不深。自從開始了查經班，覺得聖經知識不夠，所以都願意學習，有空便來我家上信徒裝備課程。
去年被教牧同工推選為今年復活節全德造就營營會的主席，所以有比較繁重的統籌工作，特別早前為了報名事宜忙了一陣子，因為需要確實報名人數。今年特別感恩，各地的查經班／教會都提早遞交報名表，因為知道名額有限。結果發生了很少見的事情，就是截止日期還沒有結束，就已額滿，還有兩家教會的肢體未能安排。所以，要負責註冊事宜的同工在回國過年前把房間增加好，確保那兩家教會的報名人數都能參加。今年也有一個新的挑戰，就是應講員的建議，準備了一個四十天的連鎖禁食禱告鏈，讓報名的弟兄姊妹可以為營會付上禱告的代價，經歷聖靈的復興。
感恩代禱事項：
- 感謝主的帶領，在人數少的時候帶領別的人來參加聚會！求主感動亞沙芬堡餐館弟兄的表哥繼續有興趣參加查經班，更多的來認識 神，接受基督的救恩！感謝主帶領吉森的慕道友，藉著父親的探訪，讓妹妹有機會接觸基督信仰，回國後可以跟父母去教會。求主也感動這位慕道友繼續穩定參加查經班，不要被別的事務阻擾。
- 求主眷顧考試中的學生，特別是那些還不認識 神的同學，因為壓力的緣故，就不來參加查經聚會！吉森學生組三位負責的姊妹中，有兩位已經回國過年與家人團聚。求主賜恩給留下來的姊妹，讓她有力量來服事。
- 感謝主，讓負責組織廣東話查經班的姊妹看見自己的缺乏，願意在靈性上有所追求，求主保守她屬靈生命，願意聽從父神的話，有更多的擺上，有更多的愛心忍耐服事那些未信者！
- 感恩有機會服事參加全德造就營的弟兄姊妹，求主賜能力能妥善安排各樣事宜。求主賜下話語給兩位講員，讓他們來激勵我們的弟兄姊妹，更好的為主而活。
- 感謝主帶領德國年輕傳道人來服事教會的第二代。短短幾個月，看到青年人都比較穩定參加青年主日學，有幾位青年人跟傳道人學吉他，上週雙語崇拜的時候已經可以以吉他詩歌來一同敬拜主！除了主日以外，很感恩她也願意服事我們兩個團契的小孩們，當大人聚會的時候，小孩也同時可以學習聖經。以前大人聚會，沒人管小孩，他們便自己玩。所以，傳道人來了，家長也很感恩！求主使用這位德國傳道人，讓青年人的信仰更堅固，讓他們帶來的未信朋友有機會認識 神！
求主也賜恩給你們，新春蒙福！
主的使女
鄧秀珍
二零一八年二月廿二日
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Dear brothers and sisters,
“The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it.” Proverbs10:22
Time really flies! Before you know it, it is already the 7th day of the Chinese New Year! We finally finished all the Chinese New Year activity in our bible study groups. Yesterday there weren’t many people who came to the Aschaffenburg bible study due to sickness by flu and make up class for daughter. Even the owner couple of the restaurant was not there. The sister went home immediately after hearing her father being hospitalised. Even though she went back to take care of her father in China, she still encouraged us to continue meeting for bible study because her husband was at the restaurant all the time. But he went out to do some duties leaving his daughter to help out yesterday. His daughter has just finished her exams and was on semester break. She joined our bible study for the first time. She was already baptised. Even though she was born here, her Chinese was pretty good and understood what we shared. Another surprise was that the cousin of the restaurant brother stayed to listen to God’s words and agreed to what was being taught. He is not a Christian and also works in the restaurant. Before yesterday, whenever we asked him for bible study, he never joined.
After Christmas meeting, Giessen Fellowship started preparing for the Chinese New Year meeting. Since some children of several families participated in the performance, some non-believing families also came. However, since it was examination time for the students, they came later. They expressed their gratitude for the plenty and good food. For the past two weeks, since they were very anxious about their exam, they did not come for our bible study. But last week, God brought a father who just came from China to visit his daughter here. His daughter has come to our fellowship from time to time and had a good impression on our belief. Her husband works here but showed no interest in our bible study. Since his father-in-law who was a believer wanted to see how it was like regarding Christian meeting was concerned, he brought him and his sister-in-law to our bible study last week. His sister-in-law also had little knowledge about Christianity. Because she had to accompany her father, so she came also.
Like in the past, after our Sunday service, we had our wrapping Chinese dumpling to celebrate the Chinese New Year. There were many people including a young pastor with some of his members from a German church. They also learned how to wrap the dumplings. Our brothers and sisters also invited some friends to come.
It is almost one year since the establishment of the Cantonese bible study group. Our non-believers have never visited our church. But because every fellowship was asked to perform something for our Christmas meeting, our group also practised a Christian song for that event. As such, most of us went to church to perform. They were happy to have participated. One lady who worked in a restaurant also rushed to join us during her rest hours. Although the two oldest sister in our church had no fellowship for them, they also joined us to sing because they knew Cantonese as well. They too were very happy to sing on stage. Two of the non-believers also came for the wrapping of dumplings.
The sister who organised this Cantonese bible study group has been baptised for only a few years. She worked on shifts and could not attend every Sunday service. In addition, her mandarin was not that good at the beginning. So, her bible knowledge was not that good. Gradually, she herself felt the lack of biblical knowledge. So, she would come to my home for a discipleship course whenever she found time.
Last year I was elected by our pastoral co-workers in Germany to chair our annual Easter Camp for all Christians in Germany. So, I had to organise the camp with other co-workers. I was busy earlier because I had to find out the exact no. of applicants for the camp. This year we are grateful because most of the fellowships and churches submitted their group application form early for they knew of the limited seats available. So, it seldom happened that even before our deadline, the application was already full leaving two churches not being able to apply. In order to accommodate all these applicants, I had to ask the co-worker to apply for more beds before she left for vacation. This year, we also had a new challenge. Upon the request of one of our speakers, we prepared a link for applicants who would sign up for a 40 days fasting prayer chain so that they could pray for this camp and might experience a revival by the Holy Spirit.
Thanksgiving and prayer items:
- Thank God for His guidance! He brought some others to attend bible study meetings when there were few people joining the bible study. Pray that God will touch the heart of the cousin of the restaurant brother to continue to join the bible study so that he will come to know our God and accept Jesus’s salvation! Thank God for bringing the father of the non-believer to visit her so that her sister would get a chance to have contact with Christianity. Pray that she would go to her parents’ church when they return home! Pray also that non-believer would attend our bible study group more regularly and would not be hindered by other business!
- Pray that God will bless those students who are having their exams, especially those who do not know God yet! Because of exam. pressure, they do not come to meetings! Two of the three sisters who help out in the student group went home for Chinese New Year and family reunion. Pray that God will help the one left behind the ability to serve!
- Thank God that the sister who organises the Cantonese bible study group saw her needs for strengthening her spiritual life! Pray that she would listen to God’s words and will be willing to serve those non-believers with more love and patience!
- Thank God for the opportunity to serve brothers and sisters who join the Easter Camp! Pray that God will give me the ability to do all the necessary arrangements! Pray that God will give the two speakers His words to encourage our brothers and sisters to better live for Christ!
- Thank God for bringing the young German pastor to serve our 2nd generation! Only in a few months’ time, we can see that some of our youth have been coming to church regularly! Some youth take guitar lessons from the pastor. Last week, the youth group was able to use guitars and singing to worship with the adults in our bilingual service. Besides Sunday school, we are grateful that the youth pastor is willing to serve our younger kids for two other fellowships. Before she came, the children were left playing by themselves while the adults were having their bible study. Now she also teaches the children. The parents are so thankful! Pray that God will use this German pastor to strengthen the faith of our youth and also evangelise to the friends that were brought by the youth!
May God bless you during this Chinese New Year season!
Serving Him,
Karen Tang
