那未曾尝过的美味 The taste that has never been tasted

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​那未曾尝过的美味
​​​文/陈雁师母（志工）

你们当中有人没吃过火腿吗？在现今物资丰富的时代，我想大家一定尝过火腿的滋味吧，除了他们……

7979事工的开展，使我们有机会认识社会里赤贫的一群。那天派发吗哪包后，传道回到家仍然对他们心心念念。于是，我们与教会姐妹们合资再去购买物资。

探访前，我跟随传道去超市。传道要买二十包干面？怎么这么多？传道爬到架子上把最后的干面一扫而空。我吓了一跳，脑海许多疑惑。买完干面，传道又要买火腿。当时超市没有火腿，我们荡了好多圈，仍然不见火腿的踪迹。传道没打算放弃，我们又跑到附近的冷藏店。我心里不禁更好奇: 怎么一定要买这个物资？这个迷惑一直在脑海盘旋，直到来到这个姐妹的家，一番倾谈后才恍然大悟。

原来她自从12岁吃过一次火腿就再也没吃过，当然，她孩子也从来没尝过。她一直念念不忘12岁时的那番美味，多渴望自己的孩子也有机会尝一尝。

步入客厅，映入眼帘的，是没有靠垫的木制沙发，沙发上只有叠着好几个空箱子。这张沙发和一张四方的桌子把一张床铺团团围着。原来这个地方是她二儿子的房间地盘。

她是单亲妈妈，有三名儿子。大儿子是过动儿，二儿子很内向。干面、米饭是他们唯一可充饥的食粮。他们一家每天需要八块干面，五天大概食用五公斤白米。她很腼腆害羞说不敢跟人透露他们的需要，因为曾经跟人提出就被取笑，捐助者也绝迹不来了。她的坦白耿直，让我更揪心。

这样一个赤贫家庭就在我们周围，他们的需要我们有视而不见，听而不闻吗？抑或，幸福的我们却被各样丰富的物质遮蔽了赤子之心？让我们动起来吧，我们也能把我们的幸福分享给他人，使耶稣基督的爱活在人间。
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7979后记：这位单亲妈妈带着三名儿子一起生活，在疫情的打击下，原本的看护工作受影响，生活拮据。早在一年前从网上看见7979吗哪食物银行的援助，把号码写下很久，却迟迟不敢按下拨打键。几个月前在儿子的鼓励下终于勇敢致电求助。怡保白兰园浸信教会7979全人关怀站接案后，带着吗哪包回应了他们的需要，而志工们也按能力另行补上了许多食品。以上是志工探访后的心情日记。

The taste that has never been tasted
Written by sis Tan Yen (Volunteer)/ Translated by Dawn Lim

Is there anyone who have not tried ham before? In the era of abundant supplies, I think everyone must have tasted ham before, except for them...

The launch of 7979 ministry gave us the opportunity to know the group of people in our society who live in extreme poverty. After the Manna Food Bag was distributed that day, our pastor was still thinking about them on the way home. Therefore, together with a few sisters in Christ, we pooled some money together to purchase some groceries for them.

Before the visit, the pastor and I dropped by the supermarket. He wanted to buy 20 packets of dry noodles. One may wonder why he bought so many packets of dry noodles. He climbed onto the rack and emptied the shelf of dry noodles. I was taken aback, with many questions in my mind. After buying the dry noodles, our pastor wanted to buy ham. At that time, we couldn’t find any ham in the supermarket. We went around the supermarket a few times, but there was still no trace of ham. Our pastor refused to give up, so we headed to a nearby Cold Storage. I couldn't help but to wonder: Why must we get the ham? This question kept circling in my mind until I came to this sister's house and after a brief conversation the truth finally came to light.

It turned out that she ate ham once when she was 12 years old and she had not eaten any ham since then. Of course, her children have never tasted it. To her, the taste of ham was unforgettable and she longed for her children to have the opportunity to taste it.

Stepping into the living room, we saw a wooden sofa without cushions. There were a few empty boxes stacked up on the sofa. This sofa and a square table encircled a bed. It turned out that this was her second son's sleeping area.

She is a single mother who has three sons. The eldest is hyperactive while her second son is an introvert. Dry noodles and rice are the only food that can satisfy their hunger. The family needs eight pieces of dry noodles a day and consumes about five kilograms of white rice in five days. She was embarrassed to admit that she is now reluctant to let others know of their needs, as she was once teased when she disclosed their needs to others; and the donors also disappeared thereafter. Her frankness and honesty made me even more worried.

Families living in abject poverty such as this are all around us. Do we continue to ignore their needs? Or are we, who are blessed and affluent, indifferent to their plight? Let’s take actions together; we can also share our blessings with others and live out the love of Christ in every corner of the world.

Postscript of 7979: This single mother lives with her three sons. Her job as a caregiver was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and her life has become a struggle. She came across 7979 Manna Food Bank on the internet a year ago. She took down the contact number and was hesitant to make the call. A few months ago, with the encouragement of his son, she mustered the courage and finally made the called for help. After taking over the case, Misi Baptist Taman Cempaka Ipoh 7979 Holistic Care Station delivered a Manna Food bag to her home in respond to their needs, along with a lot of other foodstuff which the volunteers bought and paid for out of their own pocket. The above is the journal of the volunteers after the visit.

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