7 Things I Learned This Summer

I’m so excited to take part in “What I Learned” hosted every quarter by, Emily P Freeman: an author, podcaster, and co-founder of Hope*Writers an online community for writers. Honestly, our summer was busier than I expected with a mini vacation aka our camping trip, starting our new 2020-21 school year, and attending my brother-in-law’s wedding in East Texas. All things considered, it’s been good to reflect over my summer as a new season is just around the corner.

7 Things I Learned this Summer

1. Covid-19 has become personal. 

Throughout the summer, this global pandemic has gradually became much more personal, because lots of people I love have had Covid-19. This disease continues to rage with little sign of letting up. As I said, some of my own family and friends have been sick with this virus. It’s been hard to be thousands of miles away feeling helpless watching those I love struggling through the challenges presented as a result of this sickness. It’s just been heartbreaking. As a result, I’ve been on bended knee on their behalf asking for healing and God’s grace to rain down on them during this time. I know God hears each and every one of my prayers and I will continue to lift them up in constant prayer. 

2. My Mom came to visit!! 

Before we started our new 2020-21 homeschool year, my Mom flew to Colorado for a week long visit!! I hadn’t seen my Mom in almost a year and I was so thankful to be able to spend time with her this summer. We played board games, ate delicious food, went shopping, and my Mom even taught the girls how to sew a pillow. They each got to pick their own fabric and Mom helped each of them make their very own small pillow. Even though it was so hot, we had an incredible visit and can’t wait to see you again. We love you to the moon an back Mom!!

3. I’ve been reading lots of books.

Do you remember my blog post last month? It was called, “Cultivating a Love for Reading” where I shared my own reading struggles. It’s been good to see how God is helping me overcome my reading struggles in some amazing ways. One of them being, I’ve read and listened to more books this summer, than any other time in my life!! I’m so thankful with God’s help, I have been able to make reading books a priority this summer. Seriously, if I can do this...anyone can!! All that being said, here are some of my very favorite non-fiction books I read this summer.

1. “Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff” by, Myquillyn Smith

2. “Susie: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon“ by, Ray Rhodes Jr

3. “The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn’t, and Get Stuff Done” by, Kendra Adachi

4. “Educated: A Memoir” by, Tara Westover

5. “A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II” by, Sonia Purnell 

4. Camping with small kids, meant no one got any sleep.

 Back in July, after being in lockdown for several months, we thought it would be fun to take the kids camping for a few days. We all needed a break from being at home non-stop, so camping seemed like a good way to let the kids have a break while still social distancing ourselves from others. Even though we were all in one tent and up at the crack of dawn, it was fun to get away. To my surprise, the girls can’t wait to go camping again next year!!

5. My twins reached some big milestones!!

This summer, my twins turned 2 years old!! Additionally, over the past few months, they have each reached some big milestones. The twins are now in their own big girl bed and they said, “Goodbye” to their pacifiers. It’s been an exciting few months and I am so proud of them. Honestly, it’s been hard on my heart, because I still want to pretend they’re my little babies FOREVER!! Pray I can enjoy each stage of life with them, not wishing us to be too far ahead or behind. 

6. Summer haircuts are the best.

After several months of the salons being closed, things have slowly started to open up again in Colorado. As soon as they began to open up again, my sister-in-law, Hannah and I had a fun girls day going out to get out hair done. It’s been so hot here and we were each excited for a little change. My hairdresser was so kind and gave me one of the best haircuts I’ve ever experienced!! It was such a fun way to celebrate the new summer season. 

7. Josh and Katya’s Wedding!

As summer began to wind down, we got to go to Josh (my brother-in-law) and Katya’s wedding in Longview, Texas. I was nervous about the current pandemic, but so thankful we were able to go see our family and friends during this time. Of course their were challenges, but at the end of the day we’re praising the Lord for His protection over us as we traveled to and from the wedding. It was a joy to watch all my girls walk down the aisle as flower girls!! We’re thankful to be apart of Josh’s big day and so excited Katya is officially apart of our family.

Now it’s your turn, what have you learned this Summer?

10 Things I Learned This Spring

I’m so excited to take part in “What I Learned” hosted every quarter by, Emily P Freeman: an author, podcaster, and co-founder of Hope*Writers an online community for writers. I’ve been in lockdown/quarantine since mid-March. As a result, this spring 2020 I want to shift my focus slightly as I process the “10 Things I Learned during Covid-19” instead. I hope you enjoy this special twist and can relate to some of the things I’ve experienced this past quarter.

10 Things I Learned during Covid-19 

1. I love puzzles. 

It’s true, I love puzzles and I’ve always wanted my own puzzle table. At the end of last year, my dream came true! My brother-in-law, Josh, gave us back an old table of ours which I quickly decided would be the perfect puzzle table in our homeschool room. Now, we’ve been in lockdown since mid-March and we’ve put our puzzle table to good use. To date, we’ve finished 8 quarantine puzzles, which has helped us exercise our patience and perseverance with each and every puzzle. My sister-in-law, Hannah, even helped me finish a 1,000 piece puzzle in just one afternoon.  

2. Laughter is the best medicine.

Laughter has truly been the best medicine throughout this global crisis. The memes have been hysterical and bring me joy when I don’t feel overwhelmed and like I can’t do this anymore. We’ve also been listening to some hilarious songs, which help me not to feel so alone. Click the links below to check out their music videos now!!

“Wash Yo Hands” by, Danny Gokey 

“Quarantine Life” by, Matthew West

3. Where is all the toilet paper?

Honestly, I never thought this would be an issue. However, shortly after the United States lockdowns began, all the the toilet paper started to disappear. There has never been a time in my life when I could not find toilet paper. Yet, this global pandemic has everyone spooked and suddenly all the toilet paper was gone. I prayed over our toilet paper and that it would be enough for all of us until I could find some again. I’m thankful, because the Lord answered my prayers and helped me to find a new package of toilet paper before ours ran out at the house. Praising the Lord for His goodness in our life!!

4. I’ve been craving comfort foods. 

Not knowing what groceries would be available at the store, made it hard to meal plan. I tried my best to stick to some simple staples which I had on hand. Overall, I’ve just been craving comfort foods like crazy: chicken pot pie, lasagna, noodles and sauce, Chinese food, and so much more! Not the healthiest foods, but I’ve tried to make do with what I could find.

5. Our 14 days of self-imposed quarantine was the worst. 

At one point this Spring, our family need to be in a 14 day quarantine and it was so hard. It was the most challenging for the kids, because we stayed home day after day, not going to the store or for our daily walk. I tried my best to have a good attitude, but by day 10, I felt like I was going to go crazy! I was just as moody as the kids and longed for a break. God protected us from the Coronavirus and gave us strength to finish strong. I couldn’t not have done it without Him.

6. We’ve finished lots school. 

We started our 2019-2020 school year later than normal. However, as a result of almost 2 months in quarantine we’re almost done with school. I’m very thankful for my girls hard work, which has allowed us to get so much homeschool done with just 2 weeks left!! Additionally, Hannah, was home a lot and she had fun teaching art to the girls. On top of everything else, I’ve even had time to plan out our curriculum for next year. What an answer to prayer!!

7. Zoom calls with our family has been priceless. 

It took a while for me to get on the Zoom bandwagon. However, last month Jon’s family decided we should do a Zoom call, so we could all be together. At first it was hard, but once my girls went to bed it was fun to spend time with family and “be together” with one another for a little while without the global pandemic looming overhead. As a result, we enjoyed it so much, we have decided to do lots of Zoom calls over the past few weeks. They’ve been such a blessing!!

8. So many packages.... 

Haha!! I almost didn’t want to write about this one, but it’s so true. The amount of packages being delivered to our house has grown exponentially since the quarantines began. Anything you can think of...diapers, wipes, school curriculum, necessary components for science projects, and so much more!! Seriously, it’s become such a regular occurrence, my girls will get upset if we don’t have any packages delivered that day.

9. I miss church.

We’ve tried our best to participate in online church, but it’s been challenging with the kids. It’s take awhile, but recently I’ve realized just how much I miss church. The gathering of believers, worshiping God, and growing in my love of God through a Pastor’s teaching. I’ve missed this so much and I can’t wait until God’s local church can meet again once this global pandemic has ended.

10. God is here! 

I’m not alone, because God is here. He has been faithful to Be with us each and everyday. I couldn’t do this without Him. He even worked out each and every detail for Jordan and Hannah’s wedding. He blessed them with the most incredible wedding and it was truly a testimony to God and His goodness. No matter what life looks like right now, remember God is with you. You’re not alone, because we’re all struggling to navigate this “new” normal right now.

Now it’s your turn, what have you learned this Spring?

God’s Faithfulness in Isolation

“ The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” - Psalm 34:18

For the past 14 days, we’ve been in a self imposed quarantine.

That’s right.

There was a possibility my family was exposed to Covid-19, so we decided it would be wise to quarantine ourselves for 14 days. Which included staying in our house and not going to the store or anywhere else where we could possibly pass this on to more vulnerable people. The days were so long and began to run together unlike anything else since the social distancing and initial lockdown began in mid-March.

We’re praising God, because none of got sick and we’re all healthy!! What an answer to prayer!!

For months, I’ve been nervous and worrying about this global pandemic. However, knowing this threat had reached my house was almost more than I could bare. It was hard for me to sleep, just waiting for the inevitable to take place. Even when I was overwhelmed, God was with us. I’m here to testify to His goodness as He gave me strength for each and every day.

My poor girls have been stir crazy. For the first ten days, we didn’t do anything except homeschool and other activities inside our home. In the finals days of our self-quarantine, we let the kids ride bikes and play in the driveway while we watched to make sure they stayed at our house. Yesterday, my girls couldn’t wait to ride their bikes all over the neighborhood and burn off all of their pent up energy over the past two weeks!!

As a result of our isolation, we’ve already finished 7 puzzles in just 6 weeks. Don’t judge us, but some 1,000 piece puzzles we finished in just one day. It’s a nice distraction when there isn’t much else to do.

This extra time also gave me a chance to plan out upcoming 2020-21 Homeschool Year. Jon even ordered all of our curriculum for next year, which was a huge thing off my To-Do List! Additionally, I’ve been organizing like crazy and trying to make room for all of our new books. I’m so excited about our new school year!!

As a result, we’ve received tons of packages.

One day we got excited for the boxes to arrive, we left goodies for the delivery man who has been working hard during this time of crisis. We all yelled, “Thank you” through the screen door. Truly any amount of human interaction was life giving to our weary souls.

In the final days, I had to go to the store, so I put on my mask and gloves to run to the store. Honestly, I felt silly wearing everything, but I didn’t want to spread germs to anyone else if I could help it. I felt ridiculous in my white mask and black gloves trying my best to not touch my face until I got back in the car and could sanitize my hands first. Life is so strange right now.

Off and on throughout our self-quarantine, I’ve been scared. However, God was with us. The Bible says, the Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. It was our theme verse over these long days at home. I’m thankful God will continue to be with us until all the worldwide lockdowns come to an end. Life might be crazy right now, but He is still God. He has not changed.

Praying this encourages you while we all continue to wait for this crisis to pass.

Homeschooling Q & A...Part 1

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, life has changed drastically. This must be so hard for those of you who are at home “crisis schooling” right now. The homeschool community is here to help you in anyway we can during this time. Last week, my sisters told me their children's’ schools have been canceled until September when the new school year will hopefully start again. I was devastated for my niece and nephews. On top of everything else, my sisters had lots of questions about homeschooling. I answered their questions and told them I would support them anyway I could as they navigate school at home. As a result, I decided to share all of these incredible homeschooling tips with you too. I hope it is helpful as you try to figure out your new normal with your kids being home all the time.

In case you don’t know, I’m Jen Newsham a homeschooling Mom of 5 girls!! I have been homeschooling now for almost 5 years. My oldest Olivia is in 2nd grade, Sophie is in 1st grade, Matilda is in PreK, and my twins Evelyn and Zoey are almost 2 years old. Long before I had children, God called me to homeschooling. Click here to read more about our Homeschool Testimony now.  I'm excited to connect with you!!

Finally, if you have additional homeschooling questions, please leave them in the comments below and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can. If I get a lot of questions, I will share them as well in a Question & Answer...Part 2.

.....

Homeschooling Q & A...Part 1 

What time do you work on homeschool each day? 
We do Bible time and Reading with the twins, but then during nap time from 1-3pm, I do book work with the big girls. So Math, Language Arts, Science, and Handwriting. It’s too hard to try and help the big girls when the twins need my attention too. It’s what works best for us at the moment


How many hours a day, do you work on school? 
For the most part, I do school for roughly 3-4 hours per day, but it’s broken up into different periods of time. Bible time in the morning for 20 minutes. Book work from 1pm-3pm while the twins nap, such as math, language arts, science, and handwriting. Reading school books and the girls Read-Alouds from 7pm-8pm right before bedtime. Also, once or twice a week my sister-in-law teaches the girls Art for an hour or two. This is what works for us right now, while the twins are still so little.


Do you stager the kids work so you aren’t trying to help everyone at once? 
Olivia, Sophie, and Matilda work together on our group subjects like Bible, Read-Alouds, and Science. During nap time, we work on individual subjects and their “book work”. We do math first, because Olivia and Sophie can work independently while I help Matilda. Overall Matilda’s curriculum is the easiest, so I try to get her done first so then I can focus on helping the big girls with language arts. I have educational games and activities set aside as “school toys”, which Matilda can play with quietly when she’s done with school. Finally, Olivia and Sophie take turns waiting as I help them work through their spelling and everything else.


Do you do every subject everyday?  
No. On Monday through Friday, we work on Bible time, Language Arts, and Reading. Then we break everything else up, so Monday, Wednesday, Friday is Math. Tuesday and Thursday we work on Science and Handwriting. Once or twice a week, my sister in law teaches Art. Do you follow a lesson plan for Bible time or just read out of the Bible to them? I read the Bible or listen to it on my phone on the Bible App. Then we practice our memory verse and sing fun kids worship songs on my YouTube playlist. Then we pray. We keep it simple, because the twins are with us. Right now we’re reading through Matthew and do one chapter at a time and then talk about it together. I also created YouTube playlists with Kids Worship Songs, so we can sing our Bible verses and dance to Vacation Bible School songs. I've listed them below and you guys are welcome to use my playlists with all kinds of songs..Educational, VBS, and Disney Dance music.

**Jen's YouTube Playlists** 

Kids Praise Songs 

For the Girls (Educational & Disney Dance Music)  

What do you do with your twin girls when the big girls are learning? 
It can be a struggle, because my twins want to do whatever the big girls are doing. As we work together, I let the twins use colored pencils to draw. I also have puzzles, Lincoln logs, and board books they play with during school time. The Crayola Color Wonder Mess Free Coloring Activity Pads are great too. Honestly, if the twins wake up early I have them watch Cocomelon on YouTube or another show which holds their attention for a little while until I can finish. I understand it's not ideal, but sometimes necessary under certain circumstances.

Additional Resources 

A few weeks ago, I compiled a list of “Free Homeschooling Resources”, which I hope will help you as you teach your children at home. There are fun story times from Space, art tutorials, exercise, lego stuff, worship, and more. If you have other online resources which you’re using right now, please leave me a comment so other parents can use it as well.

Our Thankful Jar

Three weeks ago, our lives changed in some very drastic ways. I lost my Grandma, a global pandemic was issued for Covid-19, I celebrated my birthday at home while social distancing, our vacation was cancelled, we lost power, we missed our friends wedding, church was cancelled, and so much more. I understand it could have been worse and I kept telling myself it wasn’t that bad.

However, I was devestated!

In reality, I was sad and grieving over all the losses I experienced in just a matter of days. I felt overwhelmed with anxiety and despair, not knowing how to properly cope with everything going on in the world around me.

On top of everything else, I started to worry about my husband (who is a commercial pilot) like never have before. Each day, I looked online to check the number of Coronavirus cases are in the states he was scheduled to be in. Long ago, the Lord taught me to trust Him with Jon's life as he works as a pilot. Unfortunately, I had a momentary relapse as I tried to regain control of my life in any way possible.

I continued to read my Bible and found comfort in God’s word and a willingness to pour out everything before the Lord. On Beth Moore’s twitter account on March 24, 2020, she said,

“Something I’ve done when my mind is bombarded with unknowns in a specific crisis. I make 2 columns with these headings: What I don’t know / What I do know. And I start listing. Though the list of what I don’t may get long, it shrinks beside the sheer divine power of what I DO.” 

 - Beth Moore 

I loved this idea!!

Quickly, I opened my journal and started writing two lists, “What I don’t know” and “What I do know”. It was hard to write down all my worries and questions. However, as I listed out what I know about God, it far out weighed my worries and concerns. This practice also helped to comfort my grieving soul. If you’re struggling with overwhelming circumstances right now, I encourage you to try this, because remembering who God is will give you the strength You need for each and every day in this new normal.

Honestly, when I am moody, my family’s mood shifts as well. In an effort to get us all back on track, I wanted my family to practice thankfulness again. So, I created a Thankful Jar. It’s nothing fancy!! I found an extra clear vase in the garage, then wrote “thankful on a piece of printer paper, and taped it inside the vase. Then I cut up pieces of white printer paper and put them in a snack bag labeled, “I’m thankful for…”. Our thankful jar lives on our kitchen counter. We’re using this jar, until we’re out of lockdown as a way to show our love and appreciation for those around us. The girls immediately jumped onboard and starting writing things they are thankful for on different pieces of paper. I had to ration out their paper, because I was afraid they would use it all in one fell swoop. I’ve been trying to do the same and write down things I’m grateful for each week.

As you all know, life hasn’t been anything like we planned this year. However, I can’t wait until this pandemic is over and we have a chance to remember everything God has been doing in our lives throughout these long and isolated months in quarantine practicing social distancing. Don't forget, God is always with you!!

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!" 

- Psalm 118:29

Waiting Is Not Easy

As the Coronavirus rages around the world, I’m in lockdown waiting for the outbreak to become more manageable and allow us to move around without restrictions upon myself or my family. Honestly, everything reminded me of another season in my life when I spent a lot of time waiting. Can you guess what event I’m talking about?

My twin pregnancy!!

That’s right, back in Spring 2018 my midwife put me on “modified” bedrest for more than 10 weeks, as I waited for my body to go into labor, so Evelyn and Zoey could be born. If you want to take a minute and go read my twin birth story, I’ll wait until you get back. Just click here to read, "Evelyn & Zoey’s Home Birth Story". I just love birth stories and it’s awesome to remember how God was involved in each and every step along the way.

During my twin pregnancy, once I reached 30 weeks my contractions started to come more and more frequently. My desire was to have my twin girls at home, but if I wanted to do that I needed to reach 37 weeks and not go into labor early. As a result, my midwife place me on “modified” bed rest, which meant I would have to get off my feet every 1-2 hours for at least a half an hour or more. I could not believe what Lincey was saying!! Didn’t she know that I had three other kids to take care of and a husband who is gone for many days at a time as he worked in Dallas or Houston!? How on Earth was I supposed to do this?

I felt so discouraged.

For the next 7 weeks, my mission was to make sure my baby girls stayed put and let myself relax enough to ensure I wouldn’t go into pre-term labor.

Honestly, I was terrified my body would go into labor early while my husband was out of town. On top of that, waiting to see if my body would go into labor was hard. Every twinge, ache, and pain, which happens all the time during a twin pregnancy, I thought could be my body going into labor. Throughout those seven weeks, every time my husband was gone, I was often overcome with anxiety, fear, and worry. To me, the unknown is torture and waiting around for my inevitably labor was overwhelming.

During these days, I clung to God’s word. I wrote Bible verses on notecards and did my best to claim the promises in God’s word. One of my favorite verses is from Lamentations...

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."” - Lamentations‬ ‭3:22-24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

To God’s glory, I reached 37 weeks!! What a relief. As long as I continued to stay healthy, I could finally have my baby girls at home. I wish I could say they came right away and the wait was over. However, that just wasn't the case for me. I continued to wait another 3 weeks and 3 days until my body finally went into labor. To my delight, both of my girls were born at my house just as I dreaming about for months. What an answer to prayer!!

I’m wanted to share this story with you and testify to God’s faithfulness, because we’re all struggling right now in lockdowns and waiting for life to return to “normal”. The days are long and life is challenging as we try to find our new normal.

In my own life, it helps me to look back and remember what God has done in the past, because it gives me courage to walk forward in my current situation. Times are tough and I pray you would turn to God as you wait for this crisis to pass. Sit down and write out what you remember about who God is and what He has done in your life. As you remember God's faithfulness in your life, He will fill you with courage to help you be brave on the hardest days. I hope and pray, even though life is overwhelming, you will look for God in the hardships. Only then can the Lord begin to transform your sorrow into joy, which will be your strength in the coming days.

Don’t forget, waiting is not easy, but worth it.

Evelyn Rose & Zoey Faith

My Love for Hong Kong and China

My precious family in Hong Kong (Februrary 2019)

Back in August 2018, my family of seven sold all of our belongings and followed God’s call on our life to live in Hong Kong, while my husband flew for Hong Kong Airlines. Jon and I have always had a deep love for Asia, specifically China, as we have had many family and friends who lived in Hong Kong and China over the years. To this day, many of them are still living in these countries. Even though, we're already back in the states, my heart in heavy for our loved ones in Hong Kong and China during the current Coronavirus outbreak. We get updates from them daily and try our best to encourage them, even when life feels overwhelming for them.

They told us, China was going to implement a revised method to track people infected by the Coronavirus. On February 12, the day the new method started, China reported 14,840 new coronavirus cases, which was a massive jump from previous reports. In total, there are currently 60,390 confirmed cases worldwide, including 1,370 fatalities. Thankfully, this new tracking method has allowed China to have a better picture of how many people are infected. Click the link to continue to track the Coronavirus.


SHARING DR. LI WEN LIANG'S FINAL WORDS
Last week, I read these “Final words from Dr. Li Wen Liang” and I think it's important to share his story in his own words with you. Honestly, I’m so thankful for Dr. Li Wen Liang!! Praising God for his goodness in Dr. Li Wen Liang’s life even as he faced death, leaving Wuhan, and his family. After you finish reading it, I’ll remind you of a few ways to continue to pray for the people around the world begin impacted by the Coronavirus. It's going to be a long road for them. They will need our support and encouragement over the weeks and months as they ride out the aftermath of this outbreak. They need us now more than ever.

.....

Final words from Dr. Li Wen Liang

All across China, people are talking about Dr Li Wen Liang. He was the doctor who discovered the novel coronavirus and in the early morning of 7 Feb, 2.58am, he was promoted into glory and went home to be with our Father in heaven. 

Back in December last year, he was arrested for being a whistle blower 'spreading rumors' about a mysterious pneumonia like virus. This morning we found out he was infact a fellow brother in Christ. Our hearts are deeply moved by his sacrificial choice to spread awareness about the virus despite the risks he faced, especially to his reputation and to his own health. 

He continued to care for patients up until he was infected himself. What a legacy to leave behind of what it means to be like Jesus to those hurting in a time of crisis. 

He chose to be an example of Immanuel, 'God with us' to the people of Wuhan. 

Can you imagine the joy he must have felt as he entered into eternity and heard the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant"? 

So today, please pray for his family, especially his wife who is also infected and 8 months pregnant with their second child. May God heal them supernaturally n give them grace, peace, strength and comfort during this time.

Dr Li Wen Liang penned a deeply touching Chinese poem below of how he would miss his family, his beloved Wuhan n quoted 2 Tim 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

#jiayouwuhan

"The Hero Who Told The Truth"

Here is a captivating, heart-touching Chinese poem I've tried to translate into English. It was written in memory of Mr Li Wen Liang, a Christian doctor and whistleblower who died from the coronavirus himself after being punished for issuing the first warning about the deadly coronavirus outbreak. 

我不想當英雄。

我還有爹娘，

還有孩子，

還有懷孕臨產的妻，

還有許多的病人在病房。

盡管正直換不來善良，

盡管䢛途迷茫，

可還是要繼續進行，

誰讓我選擇了這國這家，

多少委屈，

等打完這仗，

垂淚如雨仰天遠望。

"I don't want to be a hero.

I still have my parents,

And my children,

And my pregnant wife who's about to give birth,

And many of my patients in the ward.

Though my integrity cannot be exchanged for the goodness of others,

Despite my loss and confusion,

I should proceed anyway.

Who let me choose this country and this family?

How many grievances do I have?

When this battle is over,

I will look up to the sky,

With tears like rain."

我不想當英雄。

只是做為醫生，

我不能眼看著這不明的病毒，

傷害著我的同行。

還有那多無辜的人們，

他們盡管已奄奄一息，

可眼睛裏總望著我，

帶著生命的希望。

"I don't want to be a hero.

But as a doctor,

I cannot just see this unknown virus

Hurting my peers

And so many innocent people.

Though they are dying,

They are always looking at me in their eyes,

With their hope of life."

誰成想我競死了！

我的靈魂分明在天上，

望著那張白色的病床，

床上分明是我的軀體，

軀體上還是那熟悉的臉龐。

我的父親母親在哪？

還有我親愛的妻子，

那當年我苦苦追求的姑娘。

“Who would have ever realised that I was going to die?

My soul is in heaven,

Looking at the white bed,

On which lies my own body,

With the same familiar face.

Where are my parents?

And my dear wife,

The lady I once had a hard time chasing?"

天上有一道光！

那光的盡頭是人們時常說起的天堂。

我寧願不去哪裏，

我寧願回到武漢我的家鄉。

那裏有我新買的房子，

每月還要還貸的賬。

我怎能舍得，

我怎能舍得！

沒有兒子的爹娘，

該有多麽悲傷；

沒有了丈夫的寶貝，

該如何面對這未來的滄桑。

"There is a light in the sky!

At the end of that light is the heaven that people often talk about.

But I'd rather not go there.

I'd rather go back to my hometown in Wuhan.

I have my new house there,

For which I still have to pay off the loan every month.

How can I give up?

How can I give up?

For my parents without their son,

How sad must it be?

For my sweetheart without her husband, 

How can she face the vicissitudes in her future?"

我分明死了。

我看見他們把我的軀殼，

裝進一個袋子。

在袋子的近傍

有許多死去的同胞，

象我一樣，

在黎明時分，

被推進火的爐堂。

"I am already gone.

I see them taking my body,

Putting it into a bag,

With which lie many compatriots

Gone like me,

Being pushed into the fire in the hearth

At dawn."

再見了，難舍的親人。

永別了，武漢我的故鄉。

但願你們在災難過後，

還記得曾經有人，

努力地讓你們盡早知道真相。

但願你們在災難過後，

學會正直，

不再讓善良的人們，

遭受著無盡的恐懼，

和無奈的悲傷。

"Goodbye, my dear ones.

Farewell, Wuhan, my hometown.

Hopefully, after the disaster,

You'll remember someone once

Tried to let you know the truth as soon as possible.

Hopefully, after the disaster,

You'll learn what it means to be righteous.

No more good people

Should suffer from endless fear,

And helpless sadness."

“那美好的仗我已經打完了，

應行的路我已行盡了，

當守的道我守住了。 

從此以後，

有公義的冠冕為我留存。”

《聖經》提摩太後書4．7

"I have fought the good fight. 

I have finished the race.

I have kept the faith.

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness."

2 Timothy 4:7, Holy Bible

.....

PRAYER REQUETS
Please join me in prayer.

1. Pray for Dr. Li Wen Liang’s wife who is 8 months pregnant and also infected with the Coronavirus. May God heal them supernaturally and give them grace, peace, strength and comfort during this time.

2. Pray for believers in Hong Kong and China, who are there during this tumultuous time. Ask God to help them be a light to the Hong Kong and Chinese people, even on days when they’re overwhelmed and discouraged.

3. Pray for doctors, nurses, and all medical professionals to have divine wisdom to know how to care for their patients.

4. Pray this virus passes quickly and lets the Chinese people get back to life as usual.

5. Pray, God would be glorified in all of this, because He loves the Hong Kong and Chinese people and have not forgotten them.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." - 2 Timothy 4:7