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Hi there, Reader:
You must be either incredibly bored or incredibly gracious to be reading this blog. I still don't know what "blog" means or what it's etymology is, though I suspect it's short for "web log." Who knows? I'm starting this because a few friends have suggested it, especially that I would make my public prayer letters more accessible to people.
Yeah, I'm a missionary, at least I'm preparing to be one, & God has been very gracious with me in adopting me as His child & putting me in His kingdom's service.
My favorite Bible passage follows: "Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5: 7,8). Yes, Christ died for me waaaaaaay before I ever repented or even knew He or I existed. His love for me precedes even my existence. And because of His love, I live.
Here's what I recently prayed when writing my latest prayer letter (2005 June 3):
"Dear God, please use this letter to be a blessing to Yourself & to all its readers. Guide me in writing it, & help my ideas to flow in a manner that clearly honors You. Above all I desire that its readers would be encouraged to find all of their satisfaction in You alone, & that You would be glorified not just in the words of this letter but even more so in the lives transformed by Your message of grace through me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen."
That prayer also applies to this whole blogging thing. May Jesus be praised.
Humbly Yours,
Sidney Stephen Chiayee Wu
(All previous newsletters were subsequently uploaded)
Monday, June 20, 2005
Friday, June 03, 2005
Snap photo #7
Visiting the "Z" early February
Pastor Jim Ziervogel, a long-time missionary pastor & researcher of Chinese peoples, recently went to be with the Lord after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease
二月初探望“Z” Jim Ziervogel牧師曾長時間致力與華人的傳教與研究。在長期與帕金森綜合症作戰後，最近歸回主裏。
Snap photo #6
Visiting old friends in Mexico late May
Our local church has had a relationship with Pastor Samuel & Ernestina Garcia in Ensenada since 1996
五月底在墨西哥看望老朋友 我所在的教會從1996年開始，與在Ensenada的Samuel牧師和Ernestina Garcia(師母)一直有聯繫。
Snap photo #3
Meet the family: Brother-in-law Eric, sister Ruth, father Paul holding nephew Nathan, & mother... Grace!
我的家人 姐夫Eric, 姐姐Ruth, 父親Paul抱著外甥Nathan, 和母親 。。。Grace!
Snap photo #2
Band of Brothers: God has used this group of men to encourage and strengthen me countless times
主內弟兄 上帝使用這些弟兄無數次的鼓勵堅定了我。
SNAP News 小吳新聞
June 3, 2005
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” Romans 16:19
Dear Reader:
What word would you use to describe the last six months of your life? “Uneventful?” “Roller-coaster?” “Chaotic?” “Smooth?” “A blur?” “Tragic?”
If I haven’t heard from you lately, I’d love to hear an update, & hear what word you’d use to describe your life in the last six months. From some of you I hear great and joyful news. Babies are being born, lovers are growing in their marriages, people are finding peace with God. To these people, I share in your joy. Praise the Lord for His goodness.
From others, I hear news of despair and sadness. Churches are stagnant, relationships are strained, loved ones are ill or dying. To these, please know I share in your sorrow. More importantly, please know that God Himself tells us that He is especially near to you (Psalm 34:18). I pray you will know His comfort and strength.
You’ll find out soon what word I use to describe my own last six months of life (and it’s not “snap”). I pray that from this newsletter you’ll be encouraged, challenged, and blessed to the glory of our very good God!
“Local Doctor Learns to SNAP!!!”
Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines the word “snap” as “to break suddenly with a sharp sound.” Several months ago as I sat in my clinic examining room with my 18-year-old patient Douglas, I learned a new definition to the word “snap”: an exclamation of surprised discovery. This young man taught me this new definition as I explained some of marijuana’s terrible side-effects in order to encourage him to stop using it. Apparently, Douglas never knew that marijuana interferes with the body’s sex hormones and can cause gynecomastia and testicular atrophy.
“Douglas, did you know that marijuana can make you grow breasts?”
“SNAP!!!” he exclaimed with bugged-out eyes of disbelief. “You serious??!!! Nawwww, man. I gotta stop, man.”
“And did you know that marijuana can make your balls shrink?”
“SNAP!!!” he sputtered, again with bugged-out eyes, “What??!!! Aww, man, I don’t want that! No more, man… No more…”
On the outside, Douglas was a hard young man recently released from juvenile hall after serving a 3-year sentence. He had made some very bad decisions in life, and already he was the father of a young child. Though he wanted life to be different, he continued to make bad decisions, and it was hurting him. I was thankful for his honesty with me and his openness to my advice that day.
That day, Douglas not only welcomed the truth about his body and the important health decisions he needed to make. After I got his permission to share it, Douglas also welcomed the truth about the God who created him and died for him so that he could live a joy-filled, meaningful life. Though Douglas had grown up in a religious home, he knew that his life was not yielded to God’s authority. Before our short but joyful appointment was over, we prayed together for God’s strength and wisdom, that we would trust in the power of the Cross to make the right decisions.
A few months later Douglas returned to my clinic for a minor, unrelated problem. We quickly addressed that problem, and as I wrote out my prescription I asked him how he was doing in general.
With a smile, he answered, “I’m learning to trust God more.”
Snap!!! This time MY eyes bugged out (with joy)!
I asked him what he meant by “trusting God more,” and he responded that he was praying often and experiencing answers to prayer. He was no longer smoking marijuana, and was now employed at an uncle’s business. When I asked him if he was reading God’s Word to learn more about the God he was praying to, he replied that he found it too hard to understand though he had tried several times. I assured him that even the Bible says that nobody can understand it except by God’s help. Before he left for the day, we prayed again, thanking God for His faithfulness and asking for His help in understanding His Word. I encouraged Douglas to continue praying, to start reading the Gospel of John, & to find a trusted mentor to help him understand what he was reading.
Dear Reader, who do you think left these encounters more blessed, Douglas or I? I don’t know how heaven’s accounting department might answer that question, but I can tell you that I was unbelievably blessed by these encounters. Douglas himself deeply blessed me for his openness and evident joy. Even more, God blessed me with the opportunity to see His awesome life-changing power at work, and He gave me the grace of being used to help a younger brother in the faith. God’s grace is awesome!
“CAUTION: G.R.A.C.E. AT WORK”
Yes, God’s grace is truly awesome. In fact, I think GRACE is the word that best describes the last six months of my life since the last newsletter from November. God’s grace has been incredibly evident not only in my encounters with Douglas and other patients at work but also in all other areas of my life. Would you please join me in praising God for some particularly important graces of the last six months?
- By God’s grace, I passed last October’s national pediatric board examination! Yipee! I don’t have to take it again for another 7 years! (The internal medicine board renewal takes place in 10 years.)
- By God’s grace, I’ve been awarded a grant with Project MedSend, a ministry which will help pay off my educational loans while I’m serving overseas. This obviously is a big blessing because it removes a huge barrier to overseas service. The target departure date remains July 2006.
- By God’s grace, I’ve been able to serve brothers and sisters in my local church (Evangelical Formosan Church of the Inland Empire), particularly by way of leading monthly Mission Focus Sundays and visits to a local convalescent home. Many have gained a wider perspective of God’s world as I share what I have learned about missions, various peoples, and such issues as racism, suffering, and the meaning of worship.
- By God’s grace, I was given the opportunity to serve alongside other staff in my church’s mission board Global Life Enrichment Center (GLEC) in teaching an adult Sunday School unit on missions at a southern California church about an hour from my home. Several students mentioned they were encouraged by what we shared.
- By God’s grace, I completed my first seminary class! Serving In Mission (SIM), the secondary mission board I’m applying to, recommended some Bible training, and the class (English Bible Survey) I took at Westminster Seminary California has helped me to gain a greater understanding of God’s awesome power and goodness (GRACE again!) throughout eternity.
The graces in my life are just too many to count! Even the simple events of spending time in relationship with family and friends, seeing beautiful landscapes, and watching my little nephew Nathan grow up before my eyes are graces in themselves.
What do I mean when I say “grace”? I mean that I don’t deserve even one small bit of any of these very good things, yet I still get them! It is a wondrous mystery to me why God would love me so much as to send His Son Jesus to live a perfect life (because I can’t) & die for my sin (so I wouldn’t have to), and then, to top it off, provide all kinds of good things through that already-supreme gift! Someone has said that G.R.A.C.E. stands for “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense,” and it describes a great truth: Christ’s life bought these good things for me. I can but only thank Him for His goodness.
“GRACE REQUESTS”
Dear Reader, I hope that you already know that I consider even my relationship with you to be an amazing grace. May I ask that YOU be an extra-special instrument of God’s grace to me specifically in the prayer items below?
- July 9-30 SIM conference in North Carolina. During that time it will be clarified what kind of overseas assignment I will take, where that assignment will be, when the assignment will start, and what kind of final preparations I will need to make. It appears that mission hospitals in Niger, Ethiopia, and Nigeria top the list of potential sites. Please pray specifically that there will be good coordination between my local church, my denominational mission board (GLEC), and my secondary mission board (SIM) to the glory of God.
- my family. 2006 is but a year away, and it will be here before we know it. Please pray that my time with both nuclear and extended family would be meaningful and fruitful in the time remaining with them.
- my heart. A few months ago during one of my lessons with GLEC on preparing to become a missionary, I shared that while occupational, financial, organizational, and physical preparation are very important, HEART preparation is far, far more important. Please pray, perhaps now more than ever, that my heart would be faithful to the Lord in all areas of my life. While I very seldom share what I write in my prayer journals, perhaps it would help you to understand what I’m asking if you read part of what I wrote March 6 (edited for clarity):
Jesus, though I mobilize hundreds for overseas missions service, yet not abide in You, I am but a misguided fool. Though I extend the health & lives of thousands yet not find my hope in You alone, I am but a broken & diseased invalid. Though I cause thousands of little children to laugh & play, yet not find my joy in You alone, I am but an object to be scorned in shame. Though I help thousands of old men & women to stand & walk straight with renewed dignity, yet not find my strength in You alone, I am no better than a dirty wet noodle fallen behind the oven. If I win the fame & acclaim of millions yet not know my meaning in You alone, I am to be pitied more than any other. And if I could understand all intricacies of Scripture & theology, yet not walk with You, I would know but nothing at all.
O Jesus, in You alone there is life. In You alone there is hope. In You alone exist true joy & strength. I can find meaning & understanding in You alone. Thank You for the gracious gifts, that perhaps as I depend on You alone You might use me to inspire another to serve You, that some might be restored to health. Some children may laugh; some old brother or sister may know their importance in this life. As I walk with You, perhaps You might find it to Your glory that I have the respect of some. Thank You, that in You there will be good fellowship with brothers & sisters. Perhaps You might even extend to me the grace of a loving wife! But forbid that I should ever set these gifts above the Giver! Help me, O Lord, to worship You alone!
Dear Reader, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for being God’s instruments of grace in my life. He is totally awesome, isn’t He? May we know intimately His goodness & share it always. Thank you so very much for your love & care. Please let me know how you are doing as well, & how I may be of service to you.
By His Mighty Grace,
Sid Steve Wu
SID’S KIDS
-Daniel (age 9) while brother Paul (12) is getting some warts frozen off: “I like pain… I like to see my brother in pain.”
-Donshay (7), in response to the question, “Why do you have a belly?”: “So the food don't fall out!”
-Mother of Shane (2) as I closely examined a flaky scalp problem and asked how long it’d been there: “Oh that? A bird pooped on his head just as we were coming in from the parking lot!” SNAP!!!
For more information on these organizations, check out their websites:
Serving In Mission (SIM) www.sim.org
EFC’s Global Life Enrichment Center (GLEC) www.glecenter.org
Project MedSend www.medsend.org
“願我主耶穌基督的恩常和你們同在。”（羅馬書16：19）
親愛的讀者:
你會用什麽字來概括你最近六個月來的生活？ “無所事事”？ “動蕩起伏”？ “混亂”？ “平順”？ “謎盲”？ “悲哀”？
如果近來沒有聽到你的消息，我希望可以瞭解你的近況，聽聽你會用什麽字來描述你最近六個月來的生活。從有些朋友那裏傳來令人欣喜的消息。嬰孩的出生，相愛的人在婚姻中共同成長，人們從上帝中得來平安。對於你們，我真誠的分享你們的快樂。也讚美主的美好。
我也從有些朋友那裏聽到讓人焦慮傷痛的消息。教會的停滯不前，感情的破裂， 所愛的人患病甚至過世。對於你們，請記得我也希望能分擔你們的悲傷。更請記得，上帝親自應許我們此時他將更貼近我們（詩篇34：18）。我祈禱你們可以從他那裏得到安慰與力量。
你們將很快找出我用以描述我這六個月的詞（而那個字不是SNAP）。我禱告借著這份報導，我們上帝的榮耀將鼓勵，提醒，祝福每一位讀者。
“SNAP” – 當地醫生學習 “SNAP”
Merriam-Webster字典對“snap” 的注解如下：在刺耳的聲響中忽然斷裂。幾個月前，我在診所的診療室中，從一位十八歲的病人Douglas那裏學到了“snap” 的全新含義：用以抒發對某些發現驚訝情緒。爲了鼓勵這位年輕人停止使用大麻，我當時正在向他解釋大麻的副作用。與此同時，我也從他那裏學到了 “snap” 的新含義。Douglas顯然不瞭解大麻對人體性激素的影響，以至導致男子乳房發達和睾丸萎縮.
“Douglas, 你知道大麻會讓你長出胸部嗎？”
“SNAP!!!” 他瞪大了雙眼抒發他的難以置信。“你是說真的嗎？？！！！啊呀，我必須要停了它。”
“而且你知道大麻會讓你的蛋蛋縮小嗎？”
“SNAP！！！”他大喊，再次瞪大了雙眼，“什麽？！啊呀，我才不要這樣！夠了！夠了！”
從表面看來，Douglas是個缺乏情感的年輕人，他曾在少年監獄服刑三年，最近才被釋放。他一生中有過一些很 錯誤的決定，他甚至已經是一個孩子的父親。雖然他希望生命有所不同，他還是繼續作出錯誤的決定，而這些決定也繼續傷害著他。我爲他那日對我的誠懇，對我建議的坦然接受感恩。
當日，Douglas不僅願意接受關於他身體健康的事實。在征得他的同意後，Douglas也欣然接受了上帝。那位創造了他，爲他死，讓他的人生因此擁有喜樂與意義的神。雖然Douglas在有宗教背景的家庭長大，他知道自己的人生並未服從神的權柄。在我們短暫卻快樂的會面結束前，我們一起爲力量與智慧向上帝禱告，祈禱借著對十字架的信仰，我們會作出正確的決定。
幾個月後，因爲其他的小問題，Douglas 再次來到我的診所。問題很快就解決了，之後我一邊寫要給他的處方，一邊打聽他的近況。
他微笑著回答，“我在學習更加信任上帝。”
Snap!!!這次輪到我登大了雙眼（因爲喜樂）。
我詢問Douglas什麽是他所謂的“更信任上帝，”他回答說他常常禱告，也從禱告中尋到答案。他不再吸食大麻，也開始在叔叔的公司工作。當我問他是不是通過閱讀神的話語來更瞭解他禱告的對象。他說雖然有嘗試過幾次，但始終覺得有些困難。我安慰他說，即使是聖經本身也說離開了神的引導，沒有人能夠理解聖經。在他離開前，我們再次一起禱告。我們感謝神的信實，也祈求他幫助我們理解他的話語。我鼓勵Douglas繼續禱告，閱讀約翰福音，並且尋找值得信任的指導人幫助他理解他所閱讀的。
親愛的讀者，你認爲這次的會面使我們哪個得到更多益處，Douglas或是我？我不知道天堂的會計部會怎麽回答這個問題，但我可以說這件是對於我的祝福是難以置信的。Douglas以他的坦誠與喜樂深深的祝福了我。在此之上，上帝也以給我機會讓我看到他改變生命的大能的運行。他也使用我來幫助年輕弟兄的信仰。上帝的恩典是如此美妙。
“注意：G.R.A.C.E. 恩典運行”
是的，上帝的恩典是如此美妙。其實，我覺得“恩典”最好的概括了我自十一月的報道之後六個月來的生活。上帝的恩典不只在我與Douglas及其他病人的會面中顯現，也在我生活的其他方面顯現。請你也與我一起來讚美主在這六個月來的恩典。
應著上帝的恩典，我在十月通過了全國的小兒科測驗！吔！我有七年不用重考那個考試了！（美國內科協會要求每十年對證書進行更新。）
應著上帝的恩典，我收到Project MedSend 的經濟補助。Project MedSend將在我在海外服侍其間幫我付清我的教育貸款。這顯然是一大祝福，因爲它解決了海外服侍的一大障礙。計劃離開的日子定在2006年七月。
應著上帝的恩典，我能夠服侍我所在教會的弟兄姐妹（臺灣福音教會恩聯分會），特別是帶領每月的“宣教關注周”與拜訪附近的養老院。通過我對全球福音傳播，不同種族，以及種族歧視，受難，敬拜的意義的分享，很多人對上帝有了更廣意的瞭解。
應著上帝的恩典，我有機會與我教會福音傳播會的會員，普世豐盛生命中心(Global Life Enrichment Center, GLEC) 一起服侍。在離家一小時的南加某教會，我在查經會上討論了福音傳播的問題。部分學員提到我們的分享讓他們的到了鼓勵。
應著上帝的恩典，我完成了我第一堂神學院的課程！我申請的令一個福音傳播會，Serving In Mission (SIM) 推薦了一些聖經輔導。而我在Westminster Seminary California上的課程（English Bible Survey）幫助我更透徹的瞭解了上帝永恒的大能與美好（恩典再現！）。
我生命中的恩典真是難以記數！即使是簡單的與家人朋友相處，欣賞美麗的風景，或是看我的小外甥Nathan在我的眼前成長，每件事本身都是恩典。
我這裏提到的“恩典”究竟是什麽呢？我是指我不配得到這麽美好的事物，但我卻依然擁有了。上帝因爲如此愛我而賜下他的獨生子耶穌基督，在地上行了完美的一生（因爲我的不完美），爲我的罪而死（因此我可以不用爲我的罪而死），而且，在此如此了不起的禮物之上，還賜下其他美好的事物。對我來說，這一切始終是個偉大難解的迷題。有些人用“God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense,” 來注釋G.R.A.C.E.(恩典)。這描述了一個偉大的真理；耶穌基督的生命爲我換取了這一切美好。我只有爲他的美好感恩。
“祈求恩典”
親愛的讀者，我希望你已經瞭解，我們的關係，對我來說也是一種奇異的恩典。我是否能夠請你成爲上帝恩典的特別器皿，幫我爲以下的幾項禱告？
- 七月9-30日SIM的北卡羅來納州的交流會。我將會得到我海外服侍的具體內容，服侍的地點，開始的時間，我需要進行的準備工作。就情形看，在非洲尼日, 衣索比亞, 和奈及利亞的教會醫院的可能性最高。請禱告我的教會，主要宣教會（GLEC），跟我的次要宣教會（SIM）會做好協調，共同榮耀上帝。
- 我的家人。2006是分離的一年，它會在我們意識到之前到來。請爲我與血親與遠親相處的時間禱告，希望我們接下來不多的時間會有意義，會結出屬靈的果實。
- 我的心靈。幾個月前，當我在GLEC講解如何準備成爲傳教士，我分享了職業，經濟，團體，及身體狀況各方面的準備都非常重要。而心靈的預備卻又更爲重要。請禱告，特別是現在，在人生的各方面，我的心靈會對上帝全然的誠信。我極少分享我的禱告信，但我三月六日的部分記錄也許可以幫助你理解我的代禱內容（爲內容清晰，有變更）。
主耶穌，雖然我發起了數百人的海外宣教服侍，但若是不在你的裏面，我只是一個失去指引的愚人。雖然我爲上千人延續了生命與健康，若我沒有將你看成唯一的盼望，我只是個破碎，得病而不被接受的人。雖然我帶給上千名孩子歡笑，若我沒有將你看成唯一的喜樂，我只是個被鄙視的羞愧的物件。雖然我令上千位老先生和老太太以全新的尊嚴站立行走，若我沒有將你當成唯一的力量，我會與掉在烤箱後面又髒又濕的麵條一樣不值。若我在數十萬人中擁有名聲和喝彩，卻沒有從你那裏瞭解我唯一的意義，那我將比任何人都值得同情。若我可以理解聖經和神學的一切細節，卻沒有同你一同行走，我就只是一無所知。
耶穌啊，唯有在你裏面才有生命。唯有在你裏面才有盼望。唯有在你裏面才有真正的喜樂與力量。我只能從你那裏找到理解與意義。感謝你充滿恩典的禮物，讓我有可能以你爲唯一的支柱，爲你使用，啓發更多人來服侍你，讓更多人能活回健康的生命。讓孩子們可以歡笑，讓年老的弟兄姐妹知道他們人生的重要。當我與你行走，也許你可以被榮耀，因我從人那裏得來的尊重。感謝你，在你之中，弟兄姐妹可以有美好的交通。也許你會延伸你的恩典，讓我有個充滿愛心的太太！但是禁止我將這些禮物擺在送禮物的人之上！主啊，幫助我，使我會單單敬拜你。
親愛的讀者，感謝你，感謝你，感謝你成爲上帝的器皿，來到我的生命中。他是全然奇妙的，不是嗎？願我們能夠親密的瞭解他的美好，並常常將其分享。非常感謝你們的愛與關懷。請也讓我知道你們的近況，讓我瞭解我可以如何服侍你們。
應著神的偉大恩典，
Sid Steve Wu 吳加怡
小吳的小孩(一) Daniel （9歲）當他的哥哥Paul（12）在冷凍去除繭時說：“我喜歡痛痛…我喜歡看我哥哥痛痛。”
小吳的小孩(二) Donshay (7), 在回答問題“爲什麽你有肚子”時，說“那樣食物就不會掉出來了。”
小吳的小孩(三) 我邊檢查Shane (2) 頭皮屑的問題，邊向他的的母親詢問這種狀況持續了多久：“哦，那個？我們從停車場過來時，有只鳥剛好大便在他頭上。”…SNAP!
如果你想了解更多关于这些团体的信息…
请查询这些网站：
普世豐盛生命中心 (GLEC) www.glecenter.org
Serving In Mission (SIM) www.sim.org
Project MedSend www.medsend.org
(由張簡頁翻譯)
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” Romans 16:19
Dear Reader:
What word would you use to describe the last six months of your life? “Uneventful?” “Roller-coaster?” “Chaotic?” “Smooth?” “A blur?” “Tragic?”
If I haven’t heard from you lately, I’d love to hear an update, & hear what word you’d use to describe your life in the last six months. From some of you I hear great and joyful news. Babies are being born, lovers are growing in their marriages, people are finding peace with God. To these people, I share in your joy. Praise the Lord for His goodness.
From others, I hear news of despair and sadness. Churches are stagnant, relationships are strained, loved ones are ill or dying. To these, please know I share in your sorrow. More importantly, please know that God Himself tells us that He is especially near to you (Psalm 34:18). I pray you will know His comfort and strength.
You’ll find out soon what word I use to describe my own last six months of life (and it’s not “snap”). I pray that from this newsletter you’ll be encouraged, challenged, and blessed to the glory of our very good God!
“Local Doctor Learns to SNAP!!!”
Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines the word “snap” as “to break suddenly with a sharp sound.” Several months ago as I sat in my clinic examining room with my 18-year-old patient Douglas, I learned a new definition to the word “snap”: an exclamation of surprised discovery. This young man taught me this new definition as I explained some of marijuana’s terrible side-effects in order to encourage him to stop using it. Apparently, Douglas never knew that marijuana interferes with the body’s sex hormones and can cause gynecomastia and testicular atrophy.
“Douglas, did you know that marijuana can make you grow breasts?”
“SNAP!!!” he exclaimed with bugged-out eyes of disbelief. “You serious??!!! Nawwww, man. I gotta stop, man.”
“And did you know that marijuana can make your balls shrink?”
“SNAP!!!” he sputtered, again with bugged-out eyes, “What??!!! Aww, man, I don’t want that! No more, man… No more…”
On the outside, Douglas was a hard young man recently released from juvenile hall after serving a 3-year sentence. He had made some very bad decisions in life, and already he was the father of a young child. Though he wanted life to be different, he continued to make bad decisions, and it was hurting him. I was thankful for his honesty with me and his openness to my advice that day.
That day, Douglas not only welcomed the truth about his body and the important health decisions he needed to make. After I got his permission to share it, Douglas also welcomed the truth about the God who created him and died for him so that he could live a joy-filled, meaningful life. Though Douglas had grown up in a religious home, he knew that his life was not yielded to God’s authority. Before our short but joyful appointment was over, we prayed together for God’s strength and wisdom, that we would trust in the power of the Cross to make the right decisions.
A few months later Douglas returned to my clinic for a minor, unrelated problem. We quickly addressed that problem, and as I wrote out my prescription I asked him how he was doing in general.
With a smile, he answered, “I’m learning to trust God more.”
Snap!!! This time MY eyes bugged out (with joy)!
I asked him what he meant by “trusting God more,” and he responded that he was praying often and experiencing answers to prayer. He was no longer smoking marijuana, and was now employed at an uncle’s business. When I asked him if he was reading God’s Word to learn more about the God he was praying to, he replied that he found it too hard to understand though he had tried several times. I assured him that even the Bible says that nobody can understand it except by God’s help. Before he left for the day, we prayed again, thanking God for His faithfulness and asking for His help in understanding His Word. I encouraged Douglas to continue praying, to start reading the Gospel of John, & to find a trusted mentor to help him understand what he was reading.
Dear Reader, who do you think left these encounters more blessed, Douglas or I? I don’t know how heaven’s accounting department might answer that question, but I can tell you that I was unbelievably blessed by these encounters. Douglas himself deeply blessed me for his openness and evident joy. Even more, God blessed me with the opportunity to see His awesome life-changing power at work, and He gave me the grace of being used to help a younger brother in the faith. God’s grace is awesome!
“CAUTION: G.R.A.C.E. AT WORK”
Yes, God’s grace is truly awesome. In fact, I think GRACE is the word that best describes the last six months of my life since the last newsletter from November. God’s grace has been incredibly evident not only in my encounters with Douglas and other patients at work but also in all other areas of my life. Would you please join me in praising God for some particularly important graces of the last six months?
- By God’s grace, I passed last October’s national pediatric board examination! Yipee! I don’t have to take it again for another 7 years! (The internal medicine board renewal takes place in 10 years.)
- By God’s grace, I’ve been awarded a grant with Project MedSend, a ministry which will help pay off my educational loans while I’m serving overseas. This obviously is a big blessing because it removes a huge barrier to overseas service. The target departure date remains July 2006.
- By God’s grace, I’ve been able to serve brothers and sisters in my local church (Evangelical Formosan Church of the Inland Empire), particularly by way of leading monthly Mission Focus Sundays and visits to a local convalescent home. Many have gained a wider perspective of God’s world as I share what I have learned about missions, various peoples, and such issues as racism, suffering, and the meaning of worship.
- By God’s grace, I was given the opportunity to serve alongside other staff in my church’s mission board Global Life Enrichment Center (GLEC) in teaching an adult Sunday School unit on missions at a southern California church about an hour from my home. Several students mentioned they were encouraged by what we shared.
- By God’s grace, I completed my first seminary class! Serving In Mission (SIM), the secondary mission board I’m applying to, recommended some Bible training, and the class (English Bible Survey) I took at Westminster Seminary California has helped me to gain a greater understanding of God’s awesome power and goodness (GRACE again!) throughout eternity.
The graces in my life are just too many to count! Even the simple events of spending time in relationship with family and friends, seeing beautiful landscapes, and watching my little nephew Nathan grow up before my eyes are graces in themselves.
What do I mean when I say “grace”? I mean that I don’t deserve even one small bit of any of these very good things, yet I still get them! It is a wondrous mystery to me why God would love me so much as to send His Son Jesus to live a perfect life (because I can’t) & die for my sin (so I wouldn’t have to), and then, to top it off, provide all kinds of good things through that already-supreme gift! Someone has said that G.R.A.C.E. stands for “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense,” and it describes a great truth: Christ’s life bought these good things for me. I can but only thank Him for His goodness.
“GRACE REQUESTS”
Dear Reader, I hope that you already know that I consider even my relationship with you to be an amazing grace. May I ask that YOU be an extra-special instrument of God’s grace to me specifically in the prayer items below?
- July 9-30 SIM conference in North Carolina. During that time it will be clarified what kind of overseas assignment I will take, where that assignment will be, when the assignment will start, and what kind of final preparations I will need to make. It appears that mission hospitals in Niger, Ethiopia, and Nigeria top the list of potential sites. Please pray specifically that there will be good coordination between my local church, my denominational mission board (GLEC), and my secondary mission board (SIM) to the glory of God.
- my family. 2006 is but a year away, and it will be here before we know it. Please pray that my time with both nuclear and extended family would be meaningful and fruitful in the time remaining with them.
- my heart. A few months ago during one of my lessons with GLEC on preparing to become a missionary, I shared that while occupational, financial, organizational, and physical preparation are very important, HEART preparation is far, far more important. Please pray, perhaps now more than ever, that my heart would be faithful to the Lord in all areas of my life. While I very seldom share what I write in my prayer journals, perhaps it would help you to understand what I’m asking if you read part of what I wrote March 6 (edited for clarity):
Jesus, though I mobilize hundreds for overseas missions service, yet not abide in You, I am but a misguided fool. Though I extend the health & lives of thousands yet not find my hope in You alone, I am but a broken & diseased invalid. Though I cause thousands of little children to laugh & play, yet not find my joy in You alone, I am but an object to be scorned in shame. Though I help thousands of old men & women to stand & walk straight with renewed dignity, yet not find my strength in You alone, I am no better than a dirty wet noodle fallen behind the oven. If I win the fame & acclaim of millions yet not know my meaning in You alone, I am to be pitied more than any other. And if I could understand all intricacies of Scripture & theology, yet not walk with You, I would know but nothing at all.
O Jesus, in You alone there is life. In You alone there is hope. In You alone exist true joy & strength. I can find meaning & understanding in You alone. Thank You for the gracious gifts, that perhaps as I depend on You alone You might use me to inspire another to serve You, that some might be restored to health. Some children may laugh; some old brother or sister may know their importance in this life. As I walk with You, perhaps You might find it to Your glory that I have the respect of some. Thank You, that in You there will be good fellowship with brothers & sisters. Perhaps You might even extend to me the grace of a loving wife! But forbid that I should ever set these gifts above the Giver! Help me, O Lord, to worship You alone!
Dear Reader, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for being God’s instruments of grace in my life. He is totally awesome, isn’t He? May we know intimately His goodness & share it always. Thank you so very much for your love & care. Please let me know how you are doing as well, & how I may be of service to you.
By His Mighty Grace,
Sid Steve Wu
SID’S KIDS
-Daniel (age 9) while brother Paul (12) is getting some warts frozen off: “I like pain… I like to see my brother in pain.”
-Donshay (7), in response to the question, “Why do you have a belly?”: “So the food don't fall out!”
-Mother of Shane (2) as I closely examined a flaky scalp problem and asked how long it’d been there: “Oh that? A bird pooped on his head just as we were coming in from the parking lot!” SNAP!!!
For more information on these organizations, check out their websites:
Serving In Mission (SIM) www.sim.org
EFC’s Global Life Enrichment Center (GLEC) www.glecenter.org
Project MedSend www.medsend.org
“願我主耶穌基督的恩常和你們同在。”（羅馬書16：19）
親愛的讀者:
你會用什麽字來概括你最近六個月來的生活？ “無所事事”？ “動蕩起伏”？ “混亂”？ “平順”？ “謎盲”？ “悲哀”？
如果近來沒有聽到你的消息，我希望可以瞭解你的近況，聽聽你會用什麽字來描述你最近六個月來的生活。從有些朋友那裏傳來令人欣喜的消息。嬰孩的出生，相愛的人在婚姻中共同成長，人們從上帝中得來平安。對於你們，我真誠的分享你們的快樂。也讚美主的美好。
我也從有些朋友那裏聽到讓人焦慮傷痛的消息。教會的停滯不前，感情的破裂， 所愛的人患病甚至過世。對於你們，請記得我也希望能分擔你們的悲傷。更請記得，上帝親自應許我們此時他將更貼近我們（詩篇34：18）。我祈禱你們可以從他那裏得到安慰與力量。
你們將很快找出我用以描述我這六個月的詞（而那個字不是SNAP）。我禱告借著這份報導，我們上帝的榮耀將鼓勵，提醒，祝福每一位讀者。
“SNAP” – 當地醫生學習 “SNAP”
Merriam-Webster字典對“snap” 的注解如下：在刺耳的聲響中忽然斷裂。幾個月前，我在診所的診療室中，從一位十八歲的病人Douglas那裏學到了“snap” 的全新含義：用以抒發對某些發現驚訝情緒。爲了鼓勵這位年輕人停止使用大麻，我當時正在向他解釋大麻的副作用。與此同時，我也從他那裏學到了 “snap” 的新含義。Douglas顯然不瞭解大麻對人體性激素的影響，以至導致男子乳房發達和睾丸萎縮.
“Douglas, 你知道大麻會讓你長出胸部嗎？”
“SNAP!!!” 他瞪大了雙眼抒發他的難以置信。“你是說真的嗎？？！！！啊呀，我必須要停了它。”
“而且你知道大麻會讓你的蛋蛋縮小嗎？”
“SNAP！！！”他大喊，再次瞪大了雙眼，“什麽？！啊呀，我才不要這樣！夠了！夠了！”
從表面看來，Douglas是個缺乏情感的年輕人，他曾在少年監獄服刑三年，最近才被釋放。他一生中有過一些很 錯誤的決定，他甚至已經是一個孩子的父親。雖然他希望生命有所不同，他還是繼續作出錯誤的決定，而這些決定也繼續傷害著他。我爲他那日對我的誠懇，對我建議的坦然接受感恩。
當日，Douglas不僅願意接受關於他身體健康的事實。在征得他的同意後，Douglas也欣然接受了上帝。那位創造了他，爲他死，讓他的人生因此擁有喜樂與意義的神。雖然Douglas在有宗教背景的家庭長大，他知道自己的人生並未服從神的權柄。在我們短暫卻快樂的會面結束前，我們一起爲力量與智慧向上帝禱告，祈禱借著對十字架的信仰，我們會作出正確的決定。
幾個月後，因爲其他的小問題，Douglas 再次來到我的診所。問題很快就解決了，之後我一邊寫要給他的處方，一邊打聽他的近況。
他微笑著回答，“我在學習更加信任上帝。”
Snap!!!這次輪到我登大了雙眼（因爲喜樂）。
我詢問Douglas什麽是他所謂的“更信任上帝，”他回答說他常常禱告，也從禱告中尋到答案。他不再吸食大麻，也開始在叔叔的公司工作。當我問他是不是通過閱讀神的話語來更瞭解他禱告的對象。他說雖然有嘗試過幾次，但始終覺得有些困難。我安慰他說，即使是聖經本身也說離開了神的引導，沒有人能夠理解聖經。在他離開前，我們再次一起禱告。我們感謝神的信實，也祈求他幫助我們理解他的話語。我鼓勵Douglas繼續禱告，閱讀約翰福音，並且尋找值得信任的指導人幫助他理解他所閱讀的。
親愛的讀者，你認爲這次的會面使我們哪個得到更多益處，Douglas或是我？我不知道天堂的會計部會怎麽回答這個問題，但我可以說這件是對於我的祝福是難以置信的。Douglas以他的坦誠與喜樂深深的祝福了我。在此之上，上帝也以給我機會讓我看到他改變生命的大能的運行。他也使用我來幫助年輕弟兄的信仰。上帝的恩典是如此美妙。
“注意：G.R.A.C.E. 恩典運行”
是的，上帝的恩典是如此美妙。其實，我覺得“恩典”最好的概括了我自十一月的報道之後六個月來的生活。上帝的恩典不只在我與Douglas及其他病人的會面中顯現，也在我生活的其他方面顯現。請你也與我一起來讚美主在這六個月來的恩典。
應著上帝的恩典，我在十月通過了全國的小兒科測驗！吔！我有七年不用重考那個考試了！（美國內科協會要求每十年對證書進行更新。）
應著上帝的恩典，我收到Project MedSend 的經濟補助。Project MedSend將在我在海外服侍其間幫我付清我的教育貸款。這顯然是一大祝福，因爲它解決了海外服侍的一大障礙。計劃離開的日子定在2006年七月。
應著上帝的恩典，我能夠服侍我所在教會的弟兄姐妹（臺灣福音教會恩聯分會），特別是帶領每月的“宣教關注周”與拜訪附近的養老院。通過我對全球福音傳播，不同種族，以及種族歧視，受難，敬拜的意義的分享，很多人對上帝有了更廣意的瞭解。
應著上帝的恩典，我有機會與我教會福音傳播會的會員，普世豐盛生命中心(Global Life Enrichment Center, GLEC) 一起服侍。在離家一小時的南加某教會，我在查經會上討論了福音傳播的問題。部分學員提到我們的分享讓他們的到了鼓勵。
應著上帝的恩典，我完成了我第一堂神學院的課程！我申請的令一個福音傳播會，Serving In Mission (SIM) 推薦了一些聖經輔導。而我在Westminster Seminary California上的課程（English Bible Survey）幫助我更透徹的瞭解了上帝永恒的大能與美好（恩典再現！）。
我生命中的恩典真是難以記數！即使是簡單的與家人朋友相處，欣賞美麗的風景，或是看我的小外甥Nathan在我的眼前成長，每件事本身都是恩典。
我這裏提到的“恩典”究竟是什麽呢？我是指我不配得到這麽美好的事物，但我卻依然擁有了。上帝因爲如此愛我而賜下他的獨生子耶穌基督，在地上行了完美的一生（因爲我的不完美），爲我的罪而死（因此我可以不用爲我的罪而死），而且，在此如此了不起的禮物之上，還賜下其他美好的事物。對我來說，這一切始終是個偉大難解的迷題。有些人用“God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense,” 來注釋G.R.A.C.E.(恩典)。這描述了一個偉大的真理；耶穌基督的生命爲我換取了這一切美好。我只有爲他的美好感恩。
“祈求恩典”
親愛的讀者，我希望你已經瞭解，我們的關係，對我來說也是一種奇異的恩典。我是否能夠請你成爲上帝恩典的特別器皿，幫我爲以下的幾項禱告？
- 七月9-30日SIM的北卡羅來納州的交流會。我將會得到我海外服侍的具體內容，服侍的地點，開始的時間，我需要進行的準備工作。就情形看，在非洲尼日, 衣索比亞, 和奈及利亞的教會醫院的可能性最高。請禱告我的教會，主要宣教會（GLEC），跟我的次要宣教會（SIM）會做好協調，共同榮耀上帝。
- 我的家人。2006是分離的一年，它會在我們意識到之前到來。請爲我與血親與遠親相處的時間禱告，希望我們接下來不多的時間會有意義，會結出屬靈的果實。
- 我的心靈。幾個月前，當我在GLEC講解如何準備成爲傳教士，我分享了職業，經濟，團體，及身體狀況各方面的準備都非常重要。而心靈的預備卻又更爲重要。請禱告，特別是現在，在人生的各方面，我的心靈會對上帝全然的誠信。我極少分享我的禱告信，但我三月六日的部分記錄也許可以幫助你理解我的代禱內容（爲內容清晰，有變更）。
主耶穌，雖然我發起了數百人的海外宣教服侍，但若是不在你的裏面，我只是一個失去指引的愚人。雖然我爲上千人延續了生命與健康，若我沒有將你看成唯一的盼望，我只是個破碎，得病而不被接受的人。雖然我帶給上千名孩子歡笑，若我沒有將你看成唯一的喜樂，我只是個被鄙視的羞愧的物件。雖然我令上千位老先生和老太太以全新的尊嚴站立行走，若我沒有將你當成唯一的力量，我會與掉在烤箱後面又髒又濕的麵條一樣不值。若我在數十萬人中擁有名聲和喝彩，卻沒有從你那裏瞭解我唯一的意義，那我將比任何人都值得同情。若我可以理解聖經和神學的一切細節，卻沒有同你一同行走，我就只是一無所知。
耶穌啊，唯有在你裏面才有生命。唯有在你裏面才有盼望。唯有在你裏面才有真正的喜樂與力量。我只能從你那裏找到理解與意義。感謝你充滿恩典的禮物，讓我有可能以你爲唯一的支柱，爲你使用，啓發更多人來服侍你，讓更多人能活回健康的生命。讓孩子們可以歡笑，讓年老的弟兄姐妹知道他們人生的重要。當我與你行走，也許你可以被榮耀，因我從人那裏得來的尊重。感謝你，在你之中，弟兄姐妹可以有美好的交通。也許你會延伸你的恩典，讓我有個充滿愛心的太太！但是禁止我將這些禮物擺在送禮物的人之上！主啊，幫助我，使我會單單敬拜你。
親愛的讀者，感謝你，感謝你，感謝你成爲上帝的器皿，來到我的生命中。他是全然奇妙的，不是嗎？願我們能夠親密的瞭解他的美好，並常常將其分享。非常感謝你們的愛與關懷。請也讓我知道你們的近況，讓我瞭解我可以如何服侍你們。
應著神的偉大恩典，
Sid Steve Wu 吳加怡
小吳的小孩(一) Daniel （9歲）當他的哥哥Paul（12）在冷凍去除繭時說：“我喜歡痛痛…我喜歡看我哥哥痛痛。”
小吳的小孩(二) Donshay (7), 在回答問題“爲什麽你有肚子”時，說“那樣食物就不會掉出來了。”
小吳的小孩(三) 我邊檢查Shane (2) 頭皮屑的問題，邊向他的的母親詢問這種狀況持續了多久：“哦，那個？我們從停車場過來時，有只鳥剛好大便在他頭上。”…SNAP!
如果你想了解更多关于这些团体的信息…
请查询这些网站：
普世豐盛生命中心 (GLEC) www.glecenter.org
Serving In Mission (SIM) www.sim.org
Project MedSend www.medsend.org
(由張簡頁翻譯)
Snap photo #1
"Dr. Roo!" 3 sisters of half-Nigerian descent: Tangla (3 years), Lindsay (2 months), & Tiffany (4 years). Wu has suspicion 2 older sisters purposely mispronounce his name.
“Roo醫生!” 三個有一半奈及利亞血統的姐妹：Tangla (3歲), Lindsay（2個月）, Tiffany（4 歲）。吳懷疑她們一直都念錯他的名字。
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