Written by Tina
In mid October, I found myself in one of the guest rooms of an orphanage and rehab center (AHCZ) in the southern part of China with roommate and fellow RM short term service trip (STST) member sister Tso. The walls of the room were thin; I could hear the chatter of children greeting one another as they pushed their walkers toward the dining hall for breakfast. As a retired occupational therapist, I had been asked to visit AHCZ to observe and offer recommendations; when I arrived, I was given a list of 20 children to evaluate over the course of 2½ days. This unexpected assignment turned out to be a blessing.
閱讀中文版 (一個終生難忘的體驗(上)).
It was not my plan to return to China again so soon – within four months — but when I was offered the opportunity to return to southern China and visit AHCZ, I asked the Lord to guide me. He knows I hate long-distance travel and am anxious in airports, especially those where I cannot speak or read the primary language. Through prayer and godly advice, He planted and nurtured a strong desire to return to China to follow up on the children and a paralyzed woman I met in northeastern part of China back in June as a member of an 11-person Rainbow Missions STST team. He also assured me He would help me in CZ and throughout my time of travel.
Our first visitation was to AHCZ. Many of the children will always be childlike in size, personality and cognitive abilities. On the other end of the spectrum, one young lady with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy has set her sights on attending Harvard University to become a fashion designer. One of the brightest moments of my stay was when I was able to train a child to use adaptive techniques to dress and undress himself. His mother had tears in her eyes as she said “I always did everything for him.” Now she has hope and can see he has abilities. Another beautiful moment was enabling a boy to sit independently on the floor for the first time through therapeutic stretching exercises and use of some of the equipment in the rehab center. With the help of wonderful mandarin interpreter who has since become a close friend, I was able to teach the physical therapists, parents, caregivers, and children therapeutic techniques.
At the AHCZ, I had the opportunity to meet parents and listen to their concerns. They want to know what can be done to keep their child from drooling, how to teach their child to alert them of their need to use the bathroom before they soil their clothing, how to get them to open their mouths wider to chew food more easily and speak more distinctly, and — in one case — what to do to control a daughter’s incessant singing. Even though we may not have the answers to all their questions, God is at work in and through the lives of parents and their children. And do you know what? He can empower and use volunteers like us through the power of His Holy Spirit.
Two STST trips to China are scheduled in 2018. Are you interested in visiting and staying at the orphanage for a few days? Rainbow Missions sincerely invites you to walk with us. Open up your life, live out the love in your heart, become their blessings and walk with them.
一個終生難忘的體驗 (上)
去年十月中，我與同是彩虹工程短期服務隊成員的曹姐妹來到位於中國南方的一間福利院(AHCZ) 服事。記得當時我們在一個訪客室坐著，穿過薄薄的牆壁，孩子們推著助行器到食堂吃早餐和互相聊天問候的聲音清晰可聞。其實我是一位退休職業(職能) 治療師，被邀請到福利院觀察孩子的需要並提出建議，但當我們到達福利院的時候，我卻收到了一份共有二十位孩子的名單，並且需要於我們在那裡逗留的兩日半時間內，為他們進行職能評估。想不到的是，這個突如其來的任務，卻成為了一個美好的祝福。
其實，我從沒想過在短短的四個月之內會再次回到中國服務。當我被邀請再度前往CC服務及前往AHCZ探訪的時侯，我祈求神的帶領。祂知道我不喜歡遠行，而且在機場裡，我會時常感到著急焦慮，特別是要去一個語言不通的地方。但透過禱告和一些屬靈的建議，神慢慢地在我心裡培植著一個强烈的渴望，就是要回到中國去探訪跟進那些在六月我們的服務隊所服事過的殘障孩童及一位癱瘓的女士。神也向我保證，在整個探訪、服事的旅程中，衪都會幫助我，與我同行。
我們的行程是首先前往AHCZ福利院。那裡有許多患有腦癱的孩子，他們一般在體型、性格和認知能力方面都是長不大的(沒法成長的)。然而，卻有一位被診斷患上腦癱的年輕少女並沒有放棄追求理想，她立志要到哈佛大學進修，希望成為一名時裝設計師。在這次探訪中，其中一個最精彩的時刻就是當我運用專業的知識和技能，訓練了一位孩子成功地穿上和脫下衣服時，他的母親淚流滿面地說︰「我一直為他做著所有的事情！」現在，她有了盼望，她也看到他的能力了。另一個美好的時刻，是透過伸展運動和使用康復中心的一些設備，我幫助一位男孩能夠第一次獨立地坐在地板上。此外，在一位現在已經成為好朋友的國語翻譯員的幫助下，我能夠訓練當地的物理治療師、家長、照顧者和殘障孩童一些技巧和治療技術。
在福利院中，我有機會與孩子們的家長見面，並聆聽他們的憂慮：他們很想知道有什麼方法才能讓孩子不再流唾液，如何教導他們說出上廁所的需要、張開口咀嚼食物及清晰的說話等等，更有一個案例是怎樣停止女兒不停地唱歌？雖然我們無法回答所有家長的問題，但我知道神一直都在這些孩子與家長的生命中動工。你知道嗎？神能夠透過聖靈的大能，給予我們這些義工足夠的能力，幫助有需要的孩子及其家人。
在2018年，我們將有兩次短期服務隊到中國服事。你是否也有感動到中國探訪在福利院的殘障孩子呢﹖彩虹工程摯誠邀請你與我們同行，敞開你的生命，把心中這一份愛活出來，成為別人的祝福。