親愛的弟兄姊妹平安：
「施比受更為有福！」使徒行傳二十35下
去年春節在家吃完火鍋餐後，就遇上百年一遇的新冠肺炎疫情，至今已一年多不能開設實體聚會了。不過因為使用網上平台的方便，我們反而增加了網上見面的機會。又因大家被逼限制活動，很少出門，在家悶得發慌，所以都很期待每週的聚會。自年初以來，我們給會友安排一週查經，一週初信造就課程。初信造就課程要求參加者背經文，參加的老姊妹起初都說背不來，因為她們年輕的時候都在餐館工作，沒有接受過太多教育。不過當她們知道課程的要求後，上週看到她們真的背起來了，聽兩位說她們之前一晚都花兩個小時背經文。聽到她們的分享，實在讓人感動，畢竟她們已年過七十歲，還是很認真的學習神的話，令我們很鼓舞。
去年疫情開始不久，就與一位年長的姊妹一起讀聖經，一年下來，終於在上週讀完了新約聖經。近日，我留意到廣東話查經班裡有好幾位獨居或年老的姊妹，便逐一邀請她們一起讀經，感恩她們都願意參與。於是這週二開始，我們就一起聽一個讀經廣播，因為她們的視力不好，所以選擇了一個她們可以聽懂的平台。沒想到，第二天，其中一位姊妹又邀請她的朋友上來。現在共有五位差不多七十歲的姊妹參加。她們都很高興，總是準時上來，這一切都表明她們有樂意的心（因為她們過慣了悠閒的退休生活，平時想睡到何時起來就何時起來）。上次代禱信提到以上的姊妹開始有點憂鬱，現在因為她認識了其他姊妹，可以私下聯絡交往，她又活潑起來了。
自疫情以來，我們又發動第三次的愛心行動。趁著春節，我們拿了些糕點去一位姊妹家，豈料換來的是更多糕點可轉送給團契的弟兄姊妹和慕道朋友。我們一家一家送上傳統年糕、蘿蔔糕、芋頭糕、豆沙年糕、叉燒等，又給單身年輕人送上餸菜。因為距離太遠，我們走訪了八家住在外圍城市的人，第二週才送給住在法蘭克福的人。因為參加了廣東話查經班，弟兄姊妹的愛心被激勵，製作已多年沒有造過的新年食品，讓不會造的也可以享受美食，使大家在這寒冷的天氣也能感受到主的溫暖。一位年過90歲的姊妹與兒子生活，她兒子因為擔心媽媽血壓高，所以煮菜放很少鹽，怎料姊妹因此而缺鈉要住院檢查。她兒子收到弟兄給她煮的餸菜後，姊妹回饋說非常美味，實在感恩。
感恩與代禱事項：
- 感謝主，感動年長的姊妹都積極開始背誦聖經金句！求主以祂的話鼓勵安慰、堅固她們的信心。
- 感謝主，感動我們成立了一個早上讀經小組，使年長的姊妹能對神的話語有更多認識，每天生活也更豐富！
- 感謝主激發弟兄姊妹的愛心，在春節期間造出一些美食贈予弟兄姊妹和慕道朋友，讓他們歡喜快樂去感受神的恩典！
- 週四送別一家三口，他們學成回國發展。求主引導他們前面的道路，找到屬靈的家，繼續在真道上成長！
- 今年的全德造就營將於4月2-5日以網上形式舉行，求主藉此形式讓我們接觸更多的基督徒，保守一切網絡上的暢順！
願主保護你們，在這疫情裡身、心、靈都健康！
主的使女
鄧秀珍
二零二一年二月二十八日
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Dear brothers and sisters,
It is more blessed to give than to receive!” Acts 20:35b
After the hot pot dinner at my house last Chinese New Year, we encountered this once in a life time pandemic of the Coronavirus, which prevented us from meeting physically for already a year. However, we have been seeing each other more often because of the convenience of meeting online. Being forced by government lockdown, we rarely went out, and some even got bored at home, we rather looked forward to seeing each other every week. Since the beginning of the year, we have been having a bible study on one week and a new believer class on another week. The new believer class requires attendants to memorize bible verses. Our older sisters said they couldn’t memorize the scriptures because they had worked in restaurants when they were young and hadn’t received much education. However, last week we saw that they really memorized the scriptures, and we heard two of them said that they spent two hours the night before memorizing the scriptures. After all, they are over 70 years old, but they are still studying God’s word very seriously, which is very encouraging to us.
Last year, shortly after the pandemic started, I read the Bible together with an older sister and finally finished the New Testament last week after a year. Since there are several sisters in the Cantonese Bible study group, who live alone or are elderly, I invited them one by one to read the Bible with us. To my surprise, they were all willing to do so. So this Tuesday, we started listening to a Bible reading together. Since their eyesight is not good, we chose one bible reading that they could listen to. The next day, one of the sisters invited her friend to come. Now there were five of them, all of them were near and over seventy years old. They were all very happy and came on time. This shows their willingness to come because they are used to a leisurely retirement life and usually get up at whatever time they want to. The sister mentioned above was a bit depressed at first as I wrote in my last prayer letter, but now she is lively again because she has met other sisters and they can contact each other in private.
Since the pandemic, we have launched our third love campaign. Because of the Chinese New Year, we took a little bit of Chinese cake to one sister’s house and in return, more cakes were distributed to brothers and sisters in the fellowship and some seekers. We delivered traditional sticky rice cakes, turnip cakes, taro cakes, bean paste sticky rice cakes, barbecue pork, and dishes for the single young people. Because of the distance, we visited eight families who live in the outer cities. The next week, we delivered to those who lived in Frankfurt. Because of the Cantonese Bible study group, the brothers and sisters were inspired to make Chinese New Year’s food again, which they had not done for many years, so that those who did not know how to cook could enjoy the food and felt the warmth of the Lord in this cold weather. A sister who is over 90 years old lives with her son. Her son was afraid of her mother’s high blood pressure, so he put very little salt in his cooking. As a result, her mother had to be hospitalized for sodium deficiency. After her son received the food cooked by our brother, he gave him feedback that it was very delicious.
Thanksgiving and prayer items:
- Thank the Lord for touching the older sisters to start reciting the scriptures! Pray that the Lord would encourage and comfort them with His word and strengthen their faith.
- Give thanks that the Lord has moved us to form a morning Bible reading group, so that the older sisters will have a better understanding of God’s Word and a richer daily life!
- We thank the Lord for inspiring brothers and sisters to make some delicious food to share with brothers and sisters and seekers during the Chinese New Year, so that they can feel God’s grace with joy and happiness!
- On Thursday, we sent off a family of three who had graduated and returned to their home country. Pray that the Lord will guide them on the path ahead and that they will find a spiritual home to continue to grow in the truth!
- This year’s Easter Camp will be held online from April 2-5. Pray for the Lord to reach out to more Christians through this format and everything will run smoothly on the internet!
May God protect you from this pandemic and stay healthy physically and spiritually!
Serving Him,
Karen Tang
