June, 2014 The Sharing and Report of the Children’s Village

Living in the children’s village for about a year, facing more than 60 children day and night, my moods fluctuated every day between love and “hate”, as there is something new every day. To the third-year high school graduates, I feel that it is a bit too late to “hate” them. Actually, they really need a lot more help and guidance to correct their inadequacies in their characters and their daily life habits.

Right now it is the final examination of the third-year students. They revise and prepare for examination until mid-night, being nervous, worried and stressed. Some other children are sick and insomnia. We both try our best to accompany, encourage and support them. We also prepare midnight snacks, so as to let them have enough physical strength to cope with the examination. We prayed for them, wishing the heavenly father will look after the children, and let them know and recognize the source of their help.

To prepare for the coming semesters, we admitted 20 newcomers (5 kindergartners, 15 first-year to third-year high school students). There really are some feelings of beginning anew and because of this, we prepare actively. We once again interview all the current students, aiming to let them review the regulations and identify themselves with the goal and the future of the children’s village. More important is to let them prepare psychologically to accept and help the newcomers on their daily life matters. We are hoping to build up a good environment, a positive atmosphere and willingness to follow regulations habitually for the newcomers, so as to let all the children can happily grow up together.

We both plan to stay in China during summer holiday, and go to Hong Kong to start summer camp at around end of July to August. But because the weather is too hot and moist, the average temperature is 33°C (90°F+), sometimes up to 35°-38°C. Most of the time and places do not have air conditioning, we sweat heavily. Therefore, it is hard to tell ourselves “it is cool if our hears are peaceful”, especially when the children made us angry. We can only rely on God’s grace to get through, knowing that the heavenly father is our shade.

In His Love
司徒志雄, 陳雅芳夫婦
Maddy & Flora Szeto

Intercessory prayers:
1. The newcomers can adapt to the children’s village, because they are pretty young, very unaccustomed to the new environment and probably will cry a lot.
2. Need two more caring parents to lead the children’s daily lives. Because we really encountered difficulty to hire suitable persons for a long time on this matter, we pray to God to prepare candidates for us.

The Principal’s Words : Feb-Mar, 2011

Dear friends: It has been a month since I came back. I am living happily. Every day, from 6am, when the alarm clock rings, to 9pm, when I return to my warm nest, days keep going by quickly. In the afternoon, I can take a bit of rest after the children have gone to school. Fulfilling life passes by quickly. Sometimes the strong pressure makes me wish that time can run faster and look forward to holidays.

親愛的守護者

新年蒙恩！謝謝你一直以來願意花時間來閱讀我的分享，希望透過我事奉的心路歷程能激勵你的心靈。要知道堅持寫代禱信不容易，堅持閱讀它也一樣的難，所以假如你一直還是緊貼著我這裡的生活點滴，與我一起歡笑，一起流淚的話，我要再次衷心地謝謝你。

三月的話

二月底從馬來西亞回來的時候孩子們已經比我先回來。有好幾位孩子不能及時適應兒童村的生活，想念著家鄉的 家人。有的找我傾訴，找我哭，我一一安慰他們。我能夠體會並明白到一下子並不能完全適應過來。

親愛的守護者

四月份從香港來了幾位老師為我們同工作培訓工作。有時候覺得理論往往只是一套理想想法，實際情況和經驗才是最有效的，但是只要凡事虛心學習，總會有所領悟。這次短短幾天的培訓有非常正面的幫助，到現在我還時常想起麥老師的方法。

十月的話

“天父，祢喜歡我們今天為祢的演出嗎？” 那一夜，回到房間梳洗以後站在窗前看著天，問了這個問題。臉上露出從心底處發出微笑，感覺肩膀輕了許多。是的，我相信天父很喜歡。

~感恩的季節~

又來到我最喜愛的季節。十一月和十二月是我最愛的季節，因為這是愛的季節。今年的感恩節，我們像往常一樣有感恩大餐。蒸魚，滷鴨，蘋果派，水果等美食。我們還請了義工朋友們一起來聚餐以及參加我們的感恩晚會。

新年蒙恩！

在迎接新的一年的同時，我們也回顧過去一年所走過的路。回頭一看，發現時間真的過得很快。當我們安靜下來憶起往事，將會勾起許多回憶。過去一年所到過的地方，見過的人，說過的話，無論是造就人的還是讓人受傷害的。

前院長的話

我來自美國費城。丈夫已經退休。兒子為傳道人已婚。女兒以教鋼琴為業。從2005年8月我提早退休來三明兒童村服侍孩子至今已經踏入第五年。

很多時候是隻身一人在中國。 我和副院長馬雪珊姐妹本著聖經上帝的教導“教養孩童使他走當行的路，就是到老他也不偏離”（箴言22：6）在孩子的全人教育上戰戰兢兢的負起重任。在兒童村工作，常常與孩子共同經歷成長的痛苦與喜樂。看著孩子們在善與惡之間掙紮，在是與非中做取捨。錯了又改，改了再錯；與此同時也看到孩子們更新了，走出了那捆綁他們的繭，快樂的生活，心裏感恩滿滿。

我終於見到Abby了

談起Abby 就要重提去年暑假的事情。大概2007年初我收到一個郵件是從美國芝加哥來的。寄信人名叫何秀蘭。她自己介紹是與我兒子的朋友，是我兒子給她我的地址的。原來她很想過來參觀兒童村，想多瞭解我們的工作。於是我們一直保持聯絡。

十一國慶有感

因為今年國慶有閱兵，所以我也抽時間和孩子門看電視。早上十點前都是廣播員介紹中國六十年來的改進，還有穿插很多廣告。部分孩子不耐煩都離開了。等到十點閱兵開始，大概只剩下三分之一的孩子在觀看。

我親愛的同工

多謝你們在國慶其間帶給孩子們的回憶。我想這次你們不但帶給他們歡笑與愛，而且還令他們領悟了許多人生的哲理。從他們的口中和文章裡，我知道從遊戲中和洗腳的過程裡所領受功課已經深深種在他們的心靈深處。

給孩子的信

親愛的孩子： 謝謝你的笑容，讓我的一天變得更明亮； 也謝謝你的冷漠，讓我知道我需要更多注意你。

前院長許阿姨給孩子的信

親愛的孩子： 許阿姨多麼希望你們將來會過好日子。許阿姨多麼希望你們的生活充滿幸福，快樂。 我多麼難過當我踏進永安監獄的牢房接見室。四面的視窗上貼著“當心玻璃”和“請講普通話”的標語。

院長的話: 2009年11至12月

十一月中旬從美國回來，發現寒冷的冬季已經到來。整個星期沒有太陽，氣溫最低跌到攝氏4度，讓我非常想家！想念馬來西亞的陽光與溫暖啊！不過還好，氣溫慢慢升高，太陽也偶爾出來上班，讓我不必常常縮在一團。

院長的話: Nov to Dec 2009

It was already cold when I got back from America in mid-November. The tempreture dropped to 4 degree and it was no sun for almost a week. It makes me miss home so much coz there is always sunshine there!