Voice of South and Central America | 來自中南美洲的呼聲

Dear brothers and sisters, peace be to you!

As the world focuses on the proposed truce between Ukraine and Russia and on how to contain the new coronavirus, we unknowingly bid farewell to 2022. Although the global circumstances are chaotic and ever-changing, and the future is unknown, our Lord promised us: "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). The Lord Jesus is our only hope.

The year 2022 marked the 50th anniversary of the Chinese Christian Church of Baltimore, a jubilee year worth celebrating. I also thank God for leading me to retire at the end of 2022 after 25 years of pastoring at this church. Although I have retired from the current church, my heart of serving the Lord has not retired. Since I responded to God’s call in 1977, I have served the Lord for 45 years: beginning from the mountains of Taiwan to the cities, from the seminary to the church, from Taiwan to the United States, from the West to Central America, and from Central America to Eastern United States. Whatever wherever, at any moment, the Lord Jesus is really like the Great Shepherd described in Psalm 23. He is everything to me – He is my all in all. He loves me to the end, and so I will serve Him to the end.

In the recent years, God broadened my missionary horizons and made me see the needs in impoverished Honduras, Panama, Peru, and Argentina during two short-term missionary trips and missionary exploration trips. But I told God that I did not want to go out of pity or sympathy or just out of my personal desire unless it was His calling. During a devotional in the early morning of last December, God revealed His seal through James 1:27. The scripture records: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” I asked God, are not the mentioned ‘orphans and widows’ the very ones I met in Central and South America? There are too many social problems in Central and South America that the world cannot see. There are also cries for help that the church cannot hear. Families living in tribes in the marginal areas average one or two meals a day, and there is not enough water. There is poverty, children without parents, wives without husbands, young girls who are victims of rape, and elderly who do not receive care. The church is powerless to deal with social problems and chaos, and the Christian life bears no witness. Now that the Lord has made me see, what can I do? After a few days of prayer, I decided to join the cross-cultural mission team of Living Hope Global Ministries. Their ministry is not only in Central and South America, but also in Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia.

After my retirement from the church, I will enter overseas missions. I will still forward "Today's Devotional Meditation" on time after seeing positive feedback on "Spiritual Meditation" from different places. I am greatly encouraged by stories of life change and spiritual renewal so I will continue to share with you, but I need your prayers. Perhaps you cannot be a missionary across the sea, but you can still do missionary work locally. Perhaps you cannot go with me now, but we can still work together on missions by praying for each other. Some of us preach on stage while others pray in the background. Some people work on the front lines, and some people support them with financial support behind the scenes.

Presently, we are willing to share in each other’s burden because it is God's love that motivates us. If you want to learn more about Living Hope Global Ministries, you can go to: www.livinghopeglobalministries.org , or view their newsletter. If you are willing to be my missionary partner, or want to be updated on my journey, please let me know your mailing address, and I will report on our ministry regularly. If you would like to support financially, please click "Support Pastor Paul Shen" below for online payment or mail a check to "Living Hope Global Ministries" and indicate Pastor Shen missionary ministry (or Rev. Paul Shen Mission Fund). All donations receive a tax-deductible receipt. If you have any questions, please contact the main office by phone: 215-542-0777. May God bless you and your family.

Emanuel
 
Your missionary co-worker,

 Paul Shen

親愛的弟兄姐妹 平安！

當世人把焦點放在烏俄的停戰和新冠病毒的遏止時，我們不知不覺地向2022揮別了，很快就是嶄新的2023。雖然世局千變萬化，亂象不斷，但我們的主應許我們:『在世上你們有苦難，但你們可以放心，我已經勝了世界。』（約16:33）唯有主耶穌是我們的盼望。

今年是我所牧會巴城中華基督教會的第50年，是值得慶賀的禧年。除了讚美神的恩典，我也感謝神的引領，讓我在教會的50年裡走過25年後於今年年底退休。對我而言，只是從現在的教會退任，事奉主的心沒有退休。自從1977年我回應神的呼召，事奉主整整45年了，從台灣的山上到城市，從神學院到教會，從台灣到美國，從美西到美中，從美中到美東，無論在哪裡，在任何的時刻，主耶穌實實在在是像詩篇23篇所講的大牧人：在我缺乏時，祂是我的供應者；在我驚慌時，祂是我的保護者；在我迷失時，祂是我的引導者；在我孤單時，祂是我的安慰者；在我掙扎時，祂是我的釋放者；在我絕望時，祂是賜我盼望者；在我無助時，祂是我的拯救者；在我爭戰時，祂是我的元帥，為我爭戰。祂是我一切的一切，祂愛我愛到底，我要服事祂服事到底。

我去過貧困的洪都拉斯短宣兩次，也去過巴拿馬、秘魯、阿根廷的宣教探索之旅，神大開了我的宣教視野，也看到那裡的需要，但我跟神說，我不是因為可憐、同情他們才去，也不要因為我想去才去，除非是您的呼召。十二月初的清晨靈修時，神藉著雅各書1:27顯明裡祂的印證，經文記載：『在神我們的父面前，那清潔沒有玷污的虔誠（religion），就是看顧在患難中的孤兒寡婦，並且保守自己不沾染世俗。』我問神，『患難中的孤兒寡婦』不就是袮讓我看到的中南美洲嗎？中南美洲有太多世人看不到的社會問題，也有教會很多聽不到的呼聲。在邊緣地區的部落，一天平均一餐到兩餐，水源不夠，到處是貧困家庭、沒有父母的孩子、沒有先生的太太、任人強姦的少女、無人照顧的老人。教會對社會的問題和亂象無能為力，基督徒的生活沒有見證。主既然讓我看見了，那我能做什麼？經過幾天的禱告後，我決定加入《新希望全球事工》Living Hope Global Ministries的跨文化宣教團隊，他們的事工除了在中南美洲，還擴及非洲、東歐、亞洲等。

我的服事從教會走出去到宣教，但我會依然按時轉發『今日靈修默想』。看到許多來自不同的地方對『靈修默想』的積極回饋，生命改變，靈命更新，我大得激勵，我會繼續跟大家分享，但需要您的代禱。現在您不能跨海作宣教士，但您在本地至少可以做宣教的事。現在你不能同我去，但我們照樣可以在宣教上彼此同工，相互代禱。有人到前線宣教，有人在後方禱告。有人在前線做工，有人在後方以金錢支持。

今天我們願意彼此分工，都因為是神的愛激勵著我們。若你想要了解《新希望全球事工》Living Hope Global Ministries，可上網：www.livinghopeglobalministries.org ,可參閱出版的通訊。若您願意成為我的宣教夥伴，或想了解我的宣教動態，煩請告知您的通訊地址，我會定期匯報我們的事工。若您願在財力上支持，煩請點擊下方“支持沈牧師宣教事工”進行網絡支付，或郵寄支票到《新希望全球事工》並註明沈德來牧師宣教事工（或Rev.Paul Shen Mission Fund）。所有的捐贈都可獲得免稅收據。若有疑問，請以電話與總辦公室聯絡：215-542-0777。 願 神賜福您和全家。

以馬內利

與您宣教的同工，

沈德來