內地會石安莉傳道

報告人：石安莉傳道

Angela Symonds


These last few weeks we have been reflecting on our experiences in being missionaries in 台灣 over the last 35 years. We came to台灣 when we were 28 years old, began learning 華語 in 台中 where we lived for just over a year. OMF is always short of people to do administration, so, after just one year we moved to 台北, where we continued to study華語 and attended a church in 景美. Here we learned more about how to do Chinese church work as we worked under a very fine pastor who gave us many opportunities to relate to the young people in his church as we attended the church YPF. Actually we could do very little as our 華語language was very limited.
In our second term, we began by living in 師大路, and attended a the 聖教會大專團契. By now our 華語 had improved somewhat so here we had our first opportunities to lead Bible studies and discussion groups. Once again after about 2 years OMF again moved us to台中to look after new workers. Living near the language school where we had learned華語 gave us the opportunity to learn 台語. Although we only had one year we worked as hard as we could to learn as much as possible in the time available.
During our Home assignment, we managed to fit in attending a Christian counseling course, the content of which has been immensely valuable ever since. When we returned to Taiwan for our third term we came to 和平長老教會 taking over the 青年團契 from 林鴻信. Praise the Lord, the numbers did not fall too much, and we enjoyed our service with both the青年團契 and the 社青。 I also enjoyed attending the 婦女查經班 which I gather still continues today.
At the same time as being in 和平, I was also one of the 台北醫學院團契的服導(現在的 台北醫學大學). This was the first time I had worked either with 校園團契, and the first time we had been in the 長老教會. The first week we were at和平, 王偉華弟兄 was short of people to teach the recently started 成人主日學, and he asked me to lead a course on 舊約概論Old Testament introduction. Martin and I became part of the regular team of成人主日學 teachers, and taught a range of course usually either Bible studies, or on 出信造就班.
We were very happy at和平, and I was very happy working in 北醫, Martin was just beginning his long textbook writing career, and we expected to return to “more of the same” after our home assignment, but OMF again changed our plans for us, because once more we were needed in 台中, again we were asked to look after a large group of new OMF workers.
台灣 had changed too, as Martial law had been lifted, and a new feeling of political freedom pervaded. 校園團契的台中地區負責人 had just given birth to twins, and he now asked me to take on 中興大學的學生團契. The group met off campus at a local church as did most Christian groups, it was very difficult finding new Christians each year as we had no official presence in the University. But that was shortly to change as 李登輝 became總統, and for the first time Christians were allowed to establish a 中興大學校內的社團. By now there were four unofficial Christian groups at中興. As we were only allowed to have one Christian society, we decided to combine to form one college society called 信望愛社。We held meeting after meeting of the four groups committee representatives, and eventually, after much prayer, we wrote a constitution that was acceptable to us all, and acceptable to the college authorities.
Life changed, meetings could be on campus and we had a space among all the other college societies. Contacting new students was easier, and the Christian groups had a new lease of life.
Church wise, we had moved to from 和平to 民族路長老教會, on the recommendation of 和平的朋友郭俊雄. Once in the 長老教會, it is very hard to change- and anyway we did not want to. We enjoyed being involved with the 社青, and were thankful not to have to lead it as it was in the very capable hands of an old 和平朋友宋賢德. We tried to get an 成人主日學started on the lines of 和平, but it never really got off the ground.
I was getting more adept at inductive Bible Study with the passing years. I found my own Bible study exciting, and began to be a key contributor to 大靈班, C 組, leading groups of students through Romans, Ephesians, and Hebrews. 石哥 too was being used at大靈班, B 組, and was beginning to be involved with 中國醫學院大學(now 中國醫學大學)
The next really significant event was 921. While the church was not seriously damaged, parts of 中興大學 were unusable and had to be 重建. 我們的社團辦公室was in one of the沒有損害undamaged buildings, but the college took it back to use as a classroom building, and we were moved in with the 橋藝社cards club and the 棋藝社Chinese chess club - this is still the situation today.
Students arrive and graduate, and the Christian group continues much the same (except for the music) from generation to generation. I am always focusing on training in 查經班, and learning to live the 基督徒的生活觀. Every day is different, but the pattern is the same - -dealing with students problems學生的問題, physical, mental, spiritual. My life is spent on the two Campuses I am now responsible for. Is it easier today than in the past? I think so, just slightly. The issues faced are different – today we seem to face mores許多異端, and more complex sex related 與性關係有關relationship problems- but students have the same potential to be the leaders of the future學生是未來的希望.