8. Manna issue 89 - True Jesus Church Myanmar Missionary Work 真耶穌教會緬甸宣道事工
Philip Shee—Singapore 新加坡 Philip Shee
The True Jesus Church (TJC) was established in Myanmar in the 1990s
when a few local Christians from the ethnic Chin[1] group contacted our International Assembly (IA).
They were interested in the beliefs preached by TJC,
particularly our doctrines relating to the Sabbath day and the Holy Spirit.
About the same time, some members were working and doing business in Yangon,
so they were able to assist in this pioneering work.
After missionaries were sent to Myanmar in the mid-1990s,
the first batch of believers was baptized.
A church was then established in Sakankyi,
a village in the plains below the Chin Hills in Northwest Myanmar.
Over time, TJC was established in several other villages.
在1990年代，真耶穌教會 (TJC) 於緬甸成立，
當地有一些來自 Chin[1] 欽族的基督徒群體，聯繫了聯總 (IA) 。
他們對真耶穌教會，所宣揚的信仰很感興趣，
特別是我們關於安息日和聖靈的教義。
大約同一時間，有一些信徒在仰光工作經商，
所以他們就能協助這項開拓聖工。
於1990年代中期，有差派傳道到緬甸，
就有第一批信徒受洗。
然後在 Sakankyi 建立了一間教會，
而 Sakankyi 是緬甸西北欽山下平原的一個村子。
久而象之，真耶穌教會亦在其他幾個村莊成立。
From 2000 onwards, the IA tasked the Singapore TJC to pastor and develop the church in Myanmar.
Since then, with the help of members from Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan,
Myanmar TJC has conducted annual programs
such as Bible camps, short-term theological training courses for students and youth,
spiritual meetings and various training seminars.
The church has run full-time theological training programs for two cohorts of preachers.
自2000年起，聯總委派新加坡真耶穌教會，來牧養發展緬甸的教會。
此後，在新加坡、馬來西亞和台灣信徒的協助下，
緬甸真耶穌教會舉開了年度活動，
例如聖經研習營、針對學生和青年的短期神訓班，
靈恩會及各種講習會。
教會已經為兩批傳道，開辨了全職神學訓練計劃。
Currently, TJC is present in the city of Yangon
and in three other rural localities in Northwest Myanmar,
namely, Taungzalat and Natkyikong in the town of Kalaymyo,
and Sawbuayeshin, a village about seventy-two kilometers from Kalaymyo.
Two full-time local preachers and one deacon pastor some three hundred members in Myanmar.
目前真耶穌教會位於仰光市，
及緬甸西北部的其他三個農村地區，
也就是 Kalaymyo 鎮，有 Taungzalat 和 Natkyikong 二處，
以及 Sawbuayeshin，
他是距離 Kalaymyo 約 72 公里的一個村莊。
當地有兩名全職傳道，和一名執事，牧養緬甸約三百多名信徒。
Pathian in Malsawm ang—God Will Bless Us
Enoch Chin—Singapore 新加坡 Enoch Chin
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Amen.
(Mt 28:19–20)
19所以，你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒，奉父、子、聖靈的名給他們施洗
（或作：給他們施洗，歸於父、子、聖靈的名）。
20凡我所吩咐你們的，都教訓他們遵守，我就常與你們同在，直到世界的末了。
阿們。
(太 28：19-20)
This is Jesus’ commission to us
—that we must go and make disciples of all the nations.
Making disciples is not easy,
as it is not simply baptizing people;
rather, it involves nurturing them to be true followers of Christ.
When we bring the gospel to developing countries,
the task of making disciples is complicated
by existing cultural and religious backgrounds,
language barriers, poverty issues, differing personalities, and life’s challenges.
Despite the many obstacles we face,
we must not be afraid but press on,
for our Lord Jesus has promised to be with us always.
這是耶穌對我們的託付，
—我們必須出去，使萬民成為耶穌的門徒。
要做門徒並不容易，
因為它不是單純只為人施洗而已；
相反，這涉及要培養他們，能成為基督真正的跟隨者。
當我們把福音傳到發展中國家的時候，
使人成為門徒的任務會很複雜，
因為要面對現有的文化和宗教背景，
語言有障礙、貧困生計問題、人有不同的個性，和生活中要面對很多挑戰。
儘管我們會面臨許多阻礙，
我們千萬不要害怕，而是勇往直前，
因為我們的主耶穌，已經應許要與我們永遠同在。
By God’s grace, I have been given the opportunity
to serve in the Myanmar Mission Committee (MMC) since 2011.
During these years of service, I have truly experienced God’s guidance.
Pathian in Malsawn ang is a phrase I hold dear to my heart,
because it represents all my mission trips to Myanmar.
Pathian in Malsawm ang means “God will bless [us]” in the Mizo language,
a dialect of the Chin people in Myanmar.
God has blessed and will continue to bless the Myanmar mission work.
No matter how difficult the work is, I am resolved to do my part.
I would like to share three instances of God’s blessings during my trips to Myanmar.
靠著神的恩典，我得到了這個機會，
自從 2011 年起，可以在緬甸宣教委員會 (MMC) 任職。
經過這些年的事奉，我真正感受到了神的帶領。
Pathian in Malsawn ang 是珍藏於我心中的一句話，
因為它代表了我全部緬甸的宣教之旅。
米佐語 Pathian in Malsawm ang 的意思是，“神會祝福 [我們]”，
這是緬甸欽族的一種方言。
神已經祝福並會繼續祝福緬甸的傳教工作。
無論聖工有多麼困難，我都決心盡自己的力量。
我想分享，緬甸之行三個神祝福的故事。
GOD’S PROVISION IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CHURCH BUILDING 神預備建堂
In April 2013, I was part of a team sent to Myanmar to conduct a youth camp.
Just like the previous trips,
we brought along funds for the camp, trip reimbursements and members’ education welfare benefits.
During this particular trip to Kalaymyo, a town in Northwest Myanmar,
we encountered a problem
—there were insufficient funds
to complete the construction of the church building in the nearby village of Sawbuayeshin,
which was scheduled for dedication the week after our trip.
The shortfall was due to rising raw material costs
and an underestimation of the amount of materials required.
The local church board approached us at the last moment;
they had to obtain the funds that very same day
to ensure that the construction would be completed in time for the church dedication.
2013年4月，我參加了派往緬甸展開青年成長營的團隊。
就像之前的旅行一樣，
我們為成長營活動、旅行補助和信徒教育福利，帶來了資金。
在這次前往緬甸西北部城鎮 Kalaymyo 的特別之旅中，
我們遇到了問題，
—資金不足
不能完成隔壁村莊 Sawbuayeshin 會堂的建設，
原本預計在我們旅行後的一周，要進行獻堂。
資金會短缺的原因，是由於原材料的成本上升，
並且過於低估了所需材料的數量。
當地教會的職務會在最後一刻找到了我們；
他們必須當天要獲得資金，
才能確保建堂的工作，能在教會獻堂前按時完工。
After counting all the money we had,
we found that what we had brought was just enough to make up for the shortfall.
Discussions with the MMC chairman, local ministers and church board followed;
it was agreed that we would give the money we had on hand
to complete the construction.
This was God’s amazing provision
because no man could have made such accurate calculations!
I believe God had arranged for us
to bring the exact amount of funds required to finance the building construction.
在計算完我們所有帶來的錢之後，
我們發現，所帶來的金錢，剛好可以彌補不足。
隨後就與緬甸聖工委員會的主席、當地神職人員，和教會職務會進行了討論；
最終得到允許，我們得到這筆手頭手資金，
來完成建堂。
這是神奇妙的預備，
因為沒有人，能夠做出如此精準的計算！
我相信，神已經為我們安排好了，
能帶來建堂施工所需資金的確切金額。
GOD’S PROVISION DURING A DIFFICULT JOURNEY 艱困旅程中，神必預備
In October 2013, I took part in a mission trip
to conduct a youth leaders’ training course
and youth spiritual meeting in Kalaymyo.
Due to the closure of the Kalaymyo airfield for runway repairs
and issues with the timing of the express buses,
we hired a private van to travel from Yangon to Kalaymyo for the youth activities.
The journey would typically take about twenty to twenty-four hours,
with the first twelve to fourteen hours on the expressway and trunk roads,
followed by eight to ten hours on mountainous roads.
However, what was not told to us was that
many roads along the way to Kalaymyo were affected by the cyclone
that had battered Myanmar the week before we arrived.
2013年10月，我參加了一次 Kalaymyo 宣教之旅，
舉辦青年領袖講習會和青年靈恩會。
由於 Kalaymyo 機場關閉，以進行飛行跑道維修，
以及快速巴士時刻表安排的問題，
我們雇了一輛私人廂型車，從仰光前往 Kalaymyo 村莊，參加青年成長營活動。
這趟旅程，通常會需要花費大約20到24小時，
前面12到14個小時，會在行駛在高速公路和主要幹道上，
後面是8到10個小時則會走山路。
然而，所沒有告訴我們的是，
許多要去 Kalaymyo 的道路，都受到了颶風的衝擊，
這颶風在我們到達的前一周，襲擊了緬甸。
After an uneventful first leg of the journey,
we started traveling on dirt tracks and mountainous roads.
The driver felt increasingly uneasy
as he was unfamiliar with the route and unused to driving on dirt roads.
After a slow and cautious drive past the first mountain stretch,
our van met with a flood on the plains, with water reaching knee level.
The driver refused to drive through the floodwaters,
insisting that we waited for the water to subside so as to not damage the car engine,
even though it seemed like the water level was lower than the engine.
After negotiating for two hours and seeing countless vehicles drive past us,
we managed to convince the driver
to allow us to push the van past the flooded stretch and continue the journey.
在順利的第一站旅程之後，
我們開始行駛於泥土道路和山路上。
司機感覺越來越不安，
因為他不熟悉這條路，也不習慣在土路上開車。
經過緩慢小心開過第一段山路後，
我們的廂型車在平原上遇到了水災，水位高達膝蓋。
司機拒絕開車穿越積水區，
堅持要等到水位消退，這樣才不會損壞汽車引擎，
雖然看起來水位是低於汽車引擎。
經過兩個小時的協議，看到有無數車輛從我們身邊經過，
我們就想設法說服司機，
讓我們推廂型車經過淹沒的路段，並繼續旅程。
Within fifteen minutes of resuming the journey,
we reached a steep downward slope,
followed by an immediate upward slope after a right turn.
The driver drove very slowly downslope and was caught in the mud at the bottom
due to the lack of speed and momentum.
Some passers-by helped the driver to free the vehicle.
After the short upward slope, we drove to Kane-yi, a rural farming village.
The driver stopped the van and refused to take us any farther.
He insisted on turning back to Yangon
and said he would try to get a replacement vehicle for the rest of the journey.
However, we would need to wait for at least a day with no guarantee of a replacement.
在繼續旅程後約十五分鐘，
我們到遇到了一個陡峭的下坡，
接著右轉，要立即往向上坡爬。
由於司機下坡時開得很慢，沒有速度和推力，
結果被卡在底部的泥巴裡。
有一些路人來幫忙司機推車松脫泥坑。
經過了短程的上坡路段後，我們開到了鄉下農村 Kane-yi。
司機停下了車，拒絕再帶我們走得更遠的路。
他執意要回去仰光
並說，他會試著尋找一台接替的車輛，來繼續我們接下來的旅程。
但是，我們至少需要等待一天，而且並沒有一定會找到替換車輛的保證。
Kane-yi was a village without proper amenities and electricity.
It had a couple of small sundry shops for the locals and no restaurants or cafes,
much less a place for us to stay.
Also, we had not seen any vehicles since we entered the village,
except for a couple of motorcycles and bullock carts.
We persisted in our negotiation with the driver to resume the journey
or find us a feasible solution.
As minutes turned into hours,
we decided to ask a villager
if there was a vehicle in the village or nearby villages
that could take us to a bigger town to secure our transport to Kalaymyo.
Kane-yi 是一個沒有足夠公用設施和電力的村子。
它只有幾家當地人的小雜貨店，並沒有餐館或咖啡館，
更不用說有我們可以住宿休息的地方了。
還有，自從我們進村之後，就沒有看到有任何往來的車輛，
除了有幾輛摩托車和牛車經過。
我們堅持與司機協商，繼續行程，
或是為我們找到可行的替代方案。
當時間由幾分鐘變成小時過去之後，
我們決定去尋問一個村民，
是不是村里或附近村莊有車子，
這車輛可以帶我們到一個更大的城鎮，以確保我們找到去 Kalaymyo 的交通工具。
Unexpectedly, the villager pointed us to an alley where there was a man with a vehicle.
Seizing the opportunity, we went to the vehicle owner to ask for help.
What happened next was beyond our expectations:
the vehicle owner was willing to take us all the way to Kalaymyo
and would only need thirty minutes to prepare before setting off.
What was more amazing was that the refund we would get from the original driver
was exactly the same amount that the new driver was asking from us!
We could see God’s marvelous provision and care;
He arranged a vehicle to take us from the middle of nowhere to Kalaymyo.
In hindsight, we realized that
the first driver lacked the necessary skills to safely navigate the mountainous dirt tracks,
and we might not have arrived unscathed or in time for the church events.
沒想到，村民給我們指著一條小巷，那裡有一個男人有車。
我們抓住機會，去向車主求助。
接下來發生的事情，出乎我們的意料之外：
車主願意帶我們直接到 Kalaymyo ，
而且只需要三十分鐘的準備，就可以出發了。
更令人感到奇妙的是，我們從原來司機，所得到一些退款，
其金額，正完全是新司機所開出來的新價格！
我們可以看到神奇妙的預備和看顧；
他安排了一輛車，把我們從偏僻的地方帶到 Kalaymyo。
事後回想，我們才意識到，
第一個司機缺乏那些必要的技能，可以安全地在多山的泥濘小道上行駛，
我們可能沒有機會毫髮無傷地到達目的地，或者能夠準時趕上教會活動。
GOD’S PROVISION FOR THE TROUBLED 困難中，神必預備
During our trip to Myanmar in April 2019 for a youth and students Bible camp,
we witnessed the amazing grace of God once again.
A total of eleven participants received the Holy Spirit during the camp.
There was a young brother who,
on hearing an encouraging message from a preacher,
decided to pray for the Holy Spirit in his spare time,
in addition to the scheduled prayer sessions.
Despite it being a hot summer night,
he gathered a few friends to pray before bedtime.
Although they had just had an exhausting day of lessons and activities,
and there was no electricity due to a power outage,
they prayed to God with a sincere heart and sought after Him.
在我們 2019 年四月前往緬甸之旅，參與了青年學生聖經研習營期間，
我們再次體驗了神奇妙的恩典。
活動期間，共有 11 名學員領受了聖靈。
有一個年輕的小弟弟，
聽到了傳道的鼓勵信息後，
除了固定安排好的禱告會之外，
還決定在休息時間禱告求聖靈。
儘管那是個炎熱的夏夜，
他召集了幾個朋友在睡前禱告。
儘管他們剛剛才經過了一天令人筋疲力盡的課程和活動，
由於停電，沒有電力，
他們以虔誠的心，向神祈禱，並尋求祂。
The next day after lunch, the same group of students gathered once again
to pray in the church hall of their own accord.
This time, the prayer took place during the hottest hour of the day
with a temperature of forty-five degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).
Under a heat-conducting zinc roof
and away from the fans that were circulating the hot air,
this group of students, some as young as seven to eight years old,
were determined to seek God and His precious Holy Spirit.
God truly hears the prayers of those who diligently seek Him;
He poured down His Spirit onto a number of them,
including the brother who initiated the prayer.
隔天午飯之後，他們同班同學再次聚集，
自願同心在會堂裡禱告。
這個時間，他們於一天中，最熱的時候開始祈禱，
那時溫度約為四十五攝氏度（華氏 113 度）。
身處於容易導熱的鋅製的屋頂下，
遠離那些正在循環熱空氣的風扇，
這群學生，有的年僅七至八歲，
就決心尋求神，並得到祂寶貴的聖靈。
神真的垂聽那些，會殷勤尋求祂之人的禱告；
祂賜下聖靈給這群孩子其中的一些人，
包括那個發起這次禱告的弟兄。
During that prayer, the brother saw a vision of bright light,
which lifted him toward the light source.
After he was lifted up, he saw a golden building surrounded by very beautiful lakes and trees.
He also saw birds and a lion roaming freely.
When we asked him to tell us more about his vision,
he was at a loss for words and could only describe the place as beautiful beyond words.
God heard the prayers of this brother and understood his troubles.
He was facing a lot of problems at home.
Not only was his family poor, but they also had difficulty making a living.
His mother had left home recently, abandoning his father and the three children.
When this brother confided in God and sought Him with all his heart,
God provided him with the Holy Spirit and comforted him through the vision.
在那次禱告中，這位弟兄看見了一道亮光的異象，
並且將他昇起來飛向光源。
他飛起來之後，他看到了一座金色的建築，周圍環繞著非常美麗的湖泊和樹木。
他還看到飛鳥與獅子自由四處漫遊。
當請讓他告訴我們更多有關於他異象的事情時，
他一時不知所措，只能用言語無法形容的美麗，來描述這個地方。
神垂聽了這位弟兄的禱告，也明白他的難處。
他在家裡要面對很多問題。
不僅他的家境貧寒，連維持生計都困難重重。
他的母親最近離家出走，拋棄了父親和三個孩子。
當這位弟兄把一切交託神，全心全意尋求祂，
神賜給他聖靈，並通過異象安慰他。
CONCLUSION 結論
Yes, there are challenges, and we could even face failure
when we want to make disciples of all the nations.
However, Pathian in Malsawm ang—God will bless us!
This is the work of God, so He will personally lead us.
God will bestow His grace upon us.
As servants of God,
our duty is to go and preach and make disciples.
When we do so with a willing heart, God will be with us!
是的，當我們想要使萬民成為主耶穌的門徒時，
就會有許多挑戰，甚至可能會面臨失敗。
然而，就像 Pathian in Malsawm ang 這句話 —神會保佑我們！
這是神的聖工，所以祂會親自帶領我們。
神會將祂的恩典賜給我們。
作為神的僕人，
我們的職責就是出去傳道，使眾人成為門徒。
當我們心甘樂意這樣做的時候，神就會與我們同在！
[1] The Chin people form one of the major ethnic groups in Myanmar.
Many Chin live in the Chin State and Sagaing Region of Myanmar,
where the town of Kalaymyo lies.
They are mostly Christians (as opposed to the Buddhist majority in Myanmar),
with many belonging to Protestant denominations.
Around fifty percent of our Burmese members are Chin.
[1] 欽族是緬甸的主要民族之一。
許多欽族居住在緬甸的欽邦和實皆地區，
也就是 Kalaymyo 鎮所在之地。
他們大多數是基督徒（而不是緬甸佔多數的佛教徒），
他們許多人，都屬於新教教派。
我們緬甸的信徒大約百分之五十，是欽族人。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
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