大家一起7979 爱的另外一个称呼——陪伴！Accompany is the Other Name for Love!

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My earliest understanding of the word study companion was when I read a story of a mother and child in Taiwan many years ago. The mother was a volunteer librarian in their community library, she was also involved in an underprivileged children's study companionship project. Eleven years have passed since this mother participated in accompanying underprivileged children in reading, writing and mathematics. She not only accompanied the children for 11 years, but she also managed to convince her working child to join her in this line of accompanying. I still remember this accompanying mother revealed how she was motivated to accompany those children, she has always hoped she could plant the seed of dreams into those underprivileged children. ​

HISTEAM has been running this program, Companionship Class for underprivileged children for more than 10 years under 7979 Holistic Care Relief Network. Johor Jaya Vision Church, one of the 7979 Holistic Care Stations (in short, Care Station) in Johor Bahru, is one of the first to open a Companionship Class. I remember in those early years when we shot the first video on Companionship Class, the couple testified in the video were from this church, they are Aaron Cheong and Suzanne Tham Last year 2023, when I preached in their church, I had the opportunity to meet up with them, I was moved by their sharing of their testimonies of accompanying. Many children managed to enter secondary school because of their attentive hard work. Some of the children return as Companionship Class’s teachers, they even brought a mother of 3 children to Christ. Just like what Bro. Aaron Cheong shared in the testimonial video, teachers of the Companionship Class are just guiding the children to have dreams of their own. The process of accompanying is like putting wings on the child’s dreams, helping the child’s dream to take off and reach the destination.        

The community where we live will have more and more neighbours that require our company. Natural disasters, human errors, hurt and wounded souls will only increase in numbers, the problem is whether the number of people who are willing to accompany others is increasing in proportion. The Bible has plenty of records of how accompanying created genuine relationships. Such as the story of Jesus Christ accompanied the Samaritan woman by the well, who was rejected because of her many failed marriages. Another story would be the parable of the good Samaritan, who accompanied his enemy(a Jewish) who was bitten to half-dead by robbers. Jesus will separate the sheep and the goats when the day comes, and the guidelines he gave reminded us to seize every opportunity that we have to accompany the hungry, the travellers or the exiled, those without proper clothing, the sick and the prisoners. I used a quotation by Dr. Wen-Lian Chang, “In a suffering era, facing people who are in suffering, people who accompany others became very significant. When people cannot see the work of the Lord, the present and company of a companion become essential.”   

Psalms 34:18“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Let us take heart in accompanying those who need our company so that they might encounter Jesus our Lord who loves them dearly in their suffering and healing process.        ​

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我最早接触的陪读概念，是多年前读到台湾一对母子在社区的图书馆当志工，并参与弱势家庭孩子的陪读计划。身为母亲的她，抽空陪家境贫困的邻里孩子读写和算术，一转眼就是十一年。这十一年不单与孩子们一同成长，这位母亲也激励了自己投身职场的孩子来加入陪读的行列。我还记得这位陪读妈妈透露推动她陪伴孩子的动力，就是希望在这群弱势孩子的心中植入梦想的种子。

全人关怀团队在7979全人关怀救助网络推动弱势家庭儿童陪读班已经超过十年，其中一家7979全人关怀站——新山柔佛再也异象基督教会7979全人关怀站（以下简称“关怀站”）是开办陪读班的先驱。我记得全人拍摄最早一个有关陪读班的见证，就是来自这教会一对委身陪读班的夫妻——钟国荣与覃木樱。2023年，我在关怀站讲道，而有机会与他们叙旧，并听他们娓娓道来十年陪伴的见证，着实感动。他们用心地陪伴孩子，让许多孩子顺利升上中学。有的孩子回来陪读班担任陪读老师，甚至引领三位孩子的妈妈接受了耶稣做他们的救主。正如国荣兄在录制的见证集中分享：陪读班的老师其实是引导孩子们拥有自己的梦想。陪读过程仿佛就是给孩子们的梦想添上一双的翅膀，让孩子们的梦想启航，并且抵达目的地！

我们所处社区，将会出现越来越多因为受苦受难而需要人来陪伴的邻舍。天灾人祸和受创受伤的灵魂只会不断增加，不会减少，问题在于愿意陪伴的人是否也按比率相应的增长？圣经中处处显示患难中陪伴的真情，例如耶稣在雅各井旁陪伴多次失婚及被排斥的撒玛利亚妇人；耶稣比喻里头的好撒玛利亚人，陪伴一个被强盗打个半死的世仇（犹太人）；耶稣末世将绵羊与山羊分开的准绳就是要神的百姓在世要争取陪伴的契机包括陪伴饥渴的、陪伴客旅、陪伴穿着单薄的、陪伴病人和陪伴监狱被囚的。我引用张文亮教授的一句话：“在苦难的世代，面对苦难的人，陪伴者是何等的需要。当看不到主的作为，陪伴者的前来，对苦难的人是何等的重要。”
    
“耶和华亲近心中破碎的人，拯救灵里痛悔的人”，诗篇34：18。让我们一起用心贴近需要陪伴的人，让他们在患难的转角与爱他们能够医好他们伤处的救主耶稣相遇。

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​目录
7979爱陪读  跌倒受伤了  记得说出来
7979爱陪读  我会收拾书包了
7979爱陪读  阳光总在乌云后
7979动起来  新动态（2024年2月至5月）
福气临门   简单就是幸福
7979资讯台
救助挑战营海报
大家一起7979  爱的另外一个称呼——陪伴！