by Stanley and Virginia, January, 2015
馮志譯
What a blessing from our gracious and loving God to Virginia and me with such amazing assignments in the sunset years of our lives! We cherished every God given day since I retired from a long and rewarding run of secular assignments. I had never been a happier student in my life at DTS. I was almost like Alice in Wonderland. My heart, my mind, and my soul were greatly expanded by the life changing Word of our awesome God. To top it, He led us to all of you eight years ago. I still remember when I hosted Dr. Elliott Johnson and showed him around our church and introduced him to many of our brothers and sisters I always added a few remarks about them. At the end of his visit, he marveled and said to me that all my comments were positive and uplifting. The truth is that all of you are God loving and committed to His calling. That does not mean anyone of us is perfect. By grace through faith we came to the Lord and by grace through faith we grow in Him and by grace through faith we will one day rule with Him in His eternal Kingdom.
Your lives have touched us profoundly. We have our fair shares of laughter and tears. What move us most is seeing how the Spirit has led and guided you to higher and higher spiritual ground. Our constant fear is we ever become a barrier to your growth. It drives us to grow fiercely with you. You have been a constant challenge to us. Your love for God’s Word, your zeal in serving Him, your sacrificial love for your fellow brothers and sisters, and your passion for the lost souls have inspired us greatly. There are no accomplishments for us to count and brag. We do have a few regrets and disappointments in ourselves, but you have been gracious to us. God has placed all of us at a critical time in human history and at a strategic place here in Austin. He has endowed us with such immense resources and He fully expects us to be good and faithful stewards. We truly envision Austin Chinese Church will become the beacon set on the Great Hills of Austin and a magnet for all who must have freedom from sin.
Some say that the most beautiful time of the day is at the sunset. Virginia and I could not have agreed more. We now have entered the third quarter in this stage of our lives. It is also perhaps the most exciting time of our lives. Although we will serve the Lord in a different capacity, we believe He has big plans for us as He has always been. We will continue to pray for you all and please do likewise. Some of the most touching words penned in the Bible were those from Paul to the Ephesian elders. These words have been helping us get right with the Lord and serve Him faithfully. May these words become your words to keep and live out.
“And when they had come to him, he said to them, ‘You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.’” (Acts 20:18-21)
“‘But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.’” (Acts 20:24)
滿有恩典慈愛的神給我們何等大的福氣! 讓我和師母在黃昏之年能有這奇妙的呼召。自從我在漫長，有意義的工作生涯退休後，我們珍惜神給我們的每一天。在達拉斯神學院的日子，是我一生中最快樂的學生生活，我就好像愛麗絲漫遊仙境那樣。我的心靈，意念，被大能神改變人生的話語大大擴張。然而更奇妙的是，神又帶領我們來到你們中間有八年的時間。我還記得，當我們邀請達拉斯神學院的Elliott Johnson教授來主持一個講座，我帶他參觀我們教會各處地方的時候，我介紹所有碰到的弟兄姊妹給他，同時又加上一兩句描述他們的話。在Johnson教授將要離開時，他說他很驚訝我說每一句描述的話都是積極，振奮的。實際上你們每一個都是愛神，委身神呼召的人。並不是說每個人都是完美的，我們都是本乎恩，因著信，歸向主；本乎恩，因著信，在主裏面成長；本乎恩，因著信，有一天都要在祂永恒的國度裏和祂一同掌權。
你們的生命對我們有極深遠的影響。我們有開懷大笑，也有傷心流淚的時間。最感動我們的是看到聖靈帶領你們在屬靈道路上越走越高。我們心中常惦記著的是害怕自己成爲你們成長的障礙，這想法強烈迫使我們與你們一同成長。你們是我們持續的挑戰。你們對神話語的渴望，爲神事奉的熱情，對弟兄姊妹犧牲的愛，對失喪靈魂的關切，都大大地激勵著我們。我們沒有什麽成就可以數算，可以誇口，反而我們對自己有一些後悔和遺憾，但你們都很恩待我們。神把我們放在人類歷史中一個關鍵的時代，在奧斯汀這個重要的城市裏，賜給我們豐富的資源，他定會期望我們做忠心，良善的管家。我們真心相信奧斯汀華人教會要成爲奧斯汀山上的明燈，成爲吸引一切追求自由，離開罪惡之人的磁鐵。
有人說一天最美麗的時光是黃昏，我和師母都很同意。我們已經進入人生的第三季度，可能是我們人生最令人興奮的時光。
儘管我們會在別的崗位上事奉神，我們相信祂會像過去一樣，有大任賜給我們。我們會繼續爲你們禱告，也希望你們爲我們禱告。聖經中最令人感動的話語之一是保羅與以弗所長老臨別分享的說話。這些話語時刻催使我們與神和洽，忠心事奉祂。求神讓你們也把這些話語深藏在心裏，又活出在你們的生命中。
“他們來了，保羅就說：「你們知道，自從我到亞西亞的日子以來，在你們中間始終為人如何，服事主，凡事謙卑，眼中流淚，又因猶太人的謀害，經歷試煉。你們也知道，凡與你們有益的，我沒有一樣避諱不說的，或在眾人面前，或在各人家裡，我都教導你們；又對猶太人和希利尼人證明當向神悔改，信靠我主耶穌基督。” (徒20:18-21)
“我卻不以性命為念，也不看為寶貴，只要行完我的路程，成就我從主耶穌所領受的職事，證明神恩惠的福音。”(徒20:24)
