Frances Wu 吳恩慧
今年是Frances第五次參加YSMP了，這次的旅程和以往有什麼不同，又帶給她怎樣新的收穫呢？
大家好，我叫Frances，中文名字是吳恩慧。今年是我第五次參加YSMP。这次非常有收穫，因為與以往相比，今年參加VBS的孩子是最多的。當我在思考今天要分享什麼的時候，我發现很難準確地寫出自己想要分享的內容。在培訓期間，我們學到了用不同的方式傳福音。然而，當我們實際去做的時候，卻從未逐步遵循那些方法，我們會讓神在我們心中作工，引導我們以談論一些與對方生活相關的話題。同樣的，現在我也向神禱告，希望我能信靠祂，求祂賜給我正確的話語，並讓我的見證能夠觸動你們的心。
在這次YSMP中，我負責的是晨間手工課和學前班的教學。今天我將著重於分享學前班教學的經歷，不過以後我也願意跟你們跟你們分享我在晨間手工課的經歷。作為學前班主要負責的老師，我教了三天全部的課程。我在此非常感謝我的助教們，他們忙碌周到地幫我維持課堂秩序，並確保所有孩子都能參與其中，因此，我能夠單單專注於教學部分。我有一個學生叫Isabel，她是我其中一個助教的姪女。她很安靜，似乎沒有專心聽講。她的姑姑總是要特別關注她，讓她在課堂上集中注意力。
在這三天裡，我最希望他們記得的就是福音和我們的主題記憶經文。我每天花大約五分鐘的時間，一遍又一遍地重複主題記憶經文。我知道他們開始厭煩了，但我想確定他們知道主題經文很重要。這句經文是羅馬書12:2。學前班的版本是：「認識神，選擇順服祂。」我會問他們「認識誰？」他們會回答「耶穌！」這是主日學的標準答案。我告訴他們，雖然他們的回答在某個層面上是正確的，但根據主題經文，我想要的答案是「神」。我還會問他們「選擇順服誰？」大多數人會回答「神」。我淺笑一下，因為那是之前我所说的答案，但我告訴他們，記憶經文上寫的是「祂」。我們這樣重複了幾次，然後就到了吃點心的時間。雖然看起來他們當中很多人沒有認真在聽，但我需要相信神正在他們心中動工，讓他們能記住我們的主題經文。
VBS的最後一天，有一半的學生提前離開，而這是我最後一次有機會教他們關於福音的內容，這讓我的心情有些低落。當我分享耶穌為我們所做的一切時，我多次問學生是否相信祂，以確保他們不是因為朋友舉手而舉手的。我很高興看到他們都舉了手。我知道這些學前班的孩子年龄還小，可能不太理解他們所做的決定，但我希望這能鼓勵他們繼續來教會。
在最後一天的聚會上，有一個環節是讓學生自願背誦主題記憶經文。我問了一個比較活躍的孩子是否願意上台背誦，他點了點頭。當我們排隊等待時，他突然不想去了。我說沒關係，於是我們回去坐下。我看向Isabel，想著是否應該要問她。她很安靜，似乎不太想上台。随着隊伍逐渐縮短，我感覺到神在催促我去問她，於是我問了。她慢慢地點了點頭，我們開始排隊。我和她一起複習了記憶經文，並準備和她一起背誦。
輪到她的時候，她開始變得害羞。於是，我開始和她一起背誦。我說「學習」，她跟著說「學習」。我說「關於」，她跟著說「關於」。當我要說「神」時，我給了她一個鼓勵的微笑。然後她自己背出了剩下的經文，不再需要我的幫助。我站在那裡，感到震驚和喜悅。她在課堂上有認真聽講，並且已經記住了經文。我露出笑容，對她說，「妳做得真棒！」我們回到座位上，她的姑姑很感謝我。她很感激我為她姪女所做的一切。我點頭微笑，但心裡想著，不，這不是我的功勞。這是神在我的課堂上工作，也在Isabel身上工作，讓她能夠在大家面前背誦出經文。這件事更讓我知道我不用為任何事擔心，因為神總是幫助我們。
在整個YSMP期間，最讓我們驚喜的是許多相對安靜的孩子公開承認了自己的信仰。這讓我想起列王紀上19:11-12「耶和華說：『你出來站在山上，在我面前。』那時耶和華從那裡經過，在他面前有烈風大作，崩山碎石，耶和華卻不在風中；風後地震，耶和華卻不在其中；地震後有火，耶和華也不在火中；火後有微小的聲音。」這提醒我在VBS期間，有很多孩子總是舉手或大聲回答問題，但也有些孩子很安靜，似乎不想回答問題，其實他們有在認真聽講，並且真的知道答案。這表明神在他們心中作工，成為他們的聲音，讓我們聽見他們。同時，神也推動我們去聆聽他們，去看見他們渴望認識祂的心。這也是我在YSMP期間感受到神做工的其中一種方式。
對我個人而言，目前是我在加州州立大學北嶺分校就讀的最後一年，未來有很多的不確定性。但正如神教導我在教學前班時要信靠祂，祂也在教導我要信靠祂來引導我的生活。祂讓我看到一些可以選擇的職業道路。我也和那裡的Paula師母談過，她給了我一些我從未考慮過的建議。（這些建議不屬於本文範疇，但歡迎隨時來問我。）
在整個YSMP期間，神讓我學會了更加信靠祂，並且在祂為我們準備的事情上更為靈活變通。儘管我們會感到不確定，但祂總是在那裡引導我們，並為我們制定了完美的計劃。我希望你們也能在生活中面臨任何不確定的時候，選擇更加信靠祂，希望我的分享能鼓勵你在明年加入到我們YSMP短宣事工中。謝謝大家！
以下為英文原文：
Trusting in the Lord
Hello, my name is Frances. My Chinese name is 吳恩慧. This is my fifth year at YSMP. This year has been very fruitful as we received the highest amount of kids joining us for VBS. As I was thinking about what to share today, it was hard for me to write it in the exact way I wanted to share it. During our training, we were taught different ways to share the gospel. However, when we actually share the gospel, we never follow it step by step. We tend to share the gospel in a way that relates to the person and we allow God to work in us to take the lead. So in the same way, I prayed to God and asked that I may trust in Him to give me the right words to say and for my testimony to touch your hearts in some way.
During this YSMP, I was in charge of Morning Crafts and teaching Preschool. I’ll be focusing on the experience I had with teaching Preschool but feel free to ask me about Morning Crafts later. I was the main teacher for Preschool and taught all three days. My TAs had a busier schedule, so I was able to be the one to focus on the teaching aspect of our class. I’m forever grateful to my TAs for helping me keep the class focused and making sure we had all of our kids. I had a student named Isabel. She was one of my TA’s nieces. She was really quiet and seemed like she wasn’t focused on what I was teaching. Her Aunt would always dote on her to focus in class.
Throughout the three days, I decided that if there was anything I wanted them to remember from VBS, it was the gospel and our theme memory verse. I took about five minutes each day to repeat the memory verse to them over and over again. I knew they were getting tired of it, but I wanted to make sure they knew it was important to know. The memory verse was Romans 12:2. The Pre-K version says, “Learn about God. Choose to Obey Him.”. I would ask them “Learn about who?” and they would say “Jesus!”, which is the Sunday School answer. I would tell them that they’re technically correct, but the answer I’m looking for is “God”. I would also ask them “Choose to obey who?” and most of them would answer “God”. I laughed a little because that was the previous answer, but told them the memory verse said “Him”. We did this a couple of times before it was time for Snacks. It seemed like a lot of them weren’t paying attention, but I needed to trust that God was working in their hearts to remember our memory verse.
It hit the final day of VBS and it was sort of disheartening. Half of my students left early that day and it was the last day to be able to teach them about the gospel. As I shared about what Jesus did for us, I asked my students multiple times if they believed in him to make sure they weren’t raising their hands because their friend raised theirs. I was glad to see that all of them raised their hands. I know these preschoolers are young and might not understand what they are committing their lives to, but I hope this will push them to continue to come to church.
During the closing rally, there was time for the students to volunteer to recite the memory verse. I asked one of my more energetic kids if he wanted to go up on stage to say the memory verse and he nodded his head. As we were waiting in line, he suddenly didn’t want to anymore. I said that was fine and we went back to sit down. I looked over to Isabel and wondered if I should ask her. She was quiet and didn’t seem like she wanted to. As the line got shorter, I felt God tugging at me to ask, so I did. She nodded her head slowly and we waited in line. I went over the memory verse with her and prepared to recite it with her.
When it was her turn, she started to get shy. So, I started to say the memory verse with her. I said “Learn” and she said “Learn”. I said “about”, and she said “about”. As I was going to say God, I gave her a reassuring smile. She then recited the rest of the memory verse, without my help. I stood there in shock and felt joy fill my soul. She was paying attention during class and she had memorized the memory verse. I felt myself grin and told her, “Good job!”. We sat back down and her aunt thanked me. She really appreciated what I had done for her niece. I nodded my head and smiled but thought, no. This wasn’t me. This was God working in my classroom and working in Isabel to be able to repeat the memory verse in front of everyone. To show that I had nothing to worry about and God always has our back.
Throughout YSMP, many of the quieter kids who professed their faith would be the ones who surprised us the most. It reminded me of 1 King 19:11-12, which says:
“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”
It just reminds me that during VBS there are a lot of kids who always raise their hand or they always shout the answer. But there are kids who are quiet and don’t seem to want to answer the questions, but they are paying attention and they do know the answer. It just shows that God is working in them to be their voice for them to be heard by us and that God is pushing us to hear them and see how much they yearn to know about Him. So, this is one of the ways that I felt God working during YSMP.
For me, personally, I’m currently in my last year of College at Cal State Northridge. There are a lot of uncertainties for me. But, as God taught me to trust in him as I taught the Preschoolers, he’s also teaching me to trust in him for my life. He showed me some career paths that I could take. I also talked to the Pastor’s wife there, Paula, and she gave me some advice that I never really thought about before. I won’t share it here, but you are welcome to ask me about it later.
Throughout YSMP, God has grown me to trust in him more and be flexible in what he has in store for us. He’s always there to guide us and has a perfect plan for us despite how uncertain it may feel to us. I hope that you will be pushed to trust in him more for any uncertainties going on in your life right now and maybe that will lead you to join us for YSMP next year.
Thank you!
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