Rethinking Life
The Blessed
Wen Ping Jia – ESL Class
One day, I met a new immigrant asking me for the address of the Church office building. It turned out that he was going to attend ESL class. I told him that I also wanted to learn English and, based on his suggestion, I began attending the ESL class organized by NYCBC Community Services. During the learning process, I felt the kindness from the people at the Church, be it the class instructor or the interpreter in the workshops. I told my family that I felt good about the Church, as the people were very nice. My daughter suggested that I consider buying a Bible from the Church. As I inquired about this at Church, much to my surprise, the pastor gave me a Bible right away! My family and I were moved by such kindness and generosity. My daughter suggested that we should attend Church services to learn more about the Church. The first time I attended was a joint worship service. We were deeply moved. One month later we joined the Gospel class and began to learn about the Bible.
In one of the lessons, the topic was on worrying and anxiety. The scripture selected by the teacher was Matthew 6: 25-34. Verse 34 of the passage says "... so do not worry about tomorrow ...," which directly hit my heart. I felt that these words were speaking to me as I am a person prone to anxiety. I was particularly grateful that the Scriptures written thousands of years ago are still so useful for me today. It is just amazing. I began to have a keen interest in learning the Bible. I gradually realized that the Bible is not an ordinary book. After nearly five months of studying, I decided to believe in the Lord on October 27 of the same year.
Looking back at my experience of becoming a believer in the Lord: I was brought to NYCBC by someone unknown to me; the Church gave me a Bible; the Gospel class helped me learn about the Bible. I am truly blessed as the Lord has chosen me in such a wonderful way. Thanks to the Lord, Hallelujah!
Four Treasures Found during the Pandemic
Winnie Lee - Paper Folding Class
In February this year, I decided to cut my trip short and return to Toronto only to find out that a different kind of journey was to begin.
Instead of going to supermarkets and shopping malls whenever I wanted like the old days, I had to rely on other people to bring me food. So, I decided to conduct a search of the house and found out that I had a stash of dried goods, canned food, new puzzles and cross-stitch. I have more treasures than I thought!
Having to cook three meals a day became the motivation for me to try out new recipes: roast BBQ pork, lotus leaf-wrapped rice dumplings, steamed rice noodles, and bread. These were all my new products!
There should be a lot more leisure time during the pandemic, so why I was not able to slow down? I had many opportunities to attend online classes, including learning how to eat, read, speak and think at a slower pace. I have put what I have learned into practice, and was experiencing a deeper level of appreciation of everything around me.
It should be easier to quiet down when you cannot go out and just follow a daily routine. Why is it that I still have so many things going on in my mind at the same time and just can't focus, affecting my prayers, reading the Bible, meeting others and doing everything? I began to learn to be still and give God, people and things their rightful priorities in my life.
During these days, I have found my four treasures: making the best use of resources, being brave enough to try new things, living a life at a slower pace, and having a calm mind. These four treasures are very valuable to me, more so than anything else in this world!
Giving back Love with Love
Venessa Chan – Sing Along Class
Looking back during the pandemic, I realized that the most valuable treasure is to be able to live out real love!
Since childhood, I have personally witnessed the greatness of love from my parents. My mother became an orphan at the age of four. However, she was not in despair, but did her best to love and care for her husband and children, as well as her family and friends. My father also worked very hard for the family. My parents' love for others deeply influenced me. When I was a teenager, I took volunteer training and participated in various social services in order to learn how to live out true love.
After I became a believer in the Lord, I learned more about the depth and breadth of God's love from other God-loving brothers and sisters. I have learned that to live out love is not to count one's own gain or loss, and to overlook the misunderstanding and criticism of others. In the past, even during the pandemic, God has allowed me to attend online training sessions at several churches and Christian organizations, serving different communities through worship, visitation and song sharing. I especially felt the joy of the elderlies when I paid them visits and cared for them. Thank God!
I truly believe that God has led me to focus on caring for the elderly and the sick, to live out God's love, and this is the best way I can give back to my parents who love me deeply.
Achievement under the Pandemic
Tim Hon & Ngar Yee Hon – Praise Dance Class
Soon after Chinese New Year, due to the worsening of the pandemic, all community activities we attended at the church every Thursday were cancelled, including the Praise Dance Class taught by Mrs. Ng. At first, we felt life was boring. Later, Mrs. Ng was able to lead us to have the exercise class online. Later she even started another session on Monday so that we can do more exercise, maintain our health and fight the pandemic.
We also participate in the gospel classes taught by Pastor Lionel on Sunday afternoons to let us know the Lord. We read the Bible together, and then Pastor Lionel explains the scriptures in detail to deepen our understanding. So far, we have studied for a few months, and gradually gained more understanding. Finally, we would like to quote a song from Praise Dance, "The Lord Gives Peace," to everyone.
Changed Life Style and New Gain
C.L. - Baduanjin Class
Time really flies and soon it will be Christmas! The world has been turned upside down since the outbreak of the pandemic early this year. Everyone has been forced to change their pattern of work and living. All of a sudden, our tempo has slowed down or even stopped. There are still a lot of uncertainties in the future, but we believe God, who created the universe, is almighty and He has his own will and timing. All we have to do is to look upon our God and rely on Him!
I am thankful to God that I am a retiree, with grown up children and no financial liabilities. Therefore, I feel pretty relaxed even while having to stay home. Moreover, with the advancement of the Internet, we can stay home, join the activities of our Church and many other organizations, and not even have to worry about weather and traffic. These have all helped me to stay focused and not feel lonely. I am thankful to see a lot of online fund-raising activities to help the marginalized groups. I am even more grateful that instructors have been very kind to offer online interest and exercise classes, which attracted a lot of people who may not otherwise be exercising. We, therefore, can enhance our health and have fun during the pandemic. We can continue to feel close to each other despite not being able to meet personally. Since we cannot eat out as often as before, we all manage to improve our culinary skills and have a sense of satisfaction from that. Eating healthy brings better health, which is a gain. Overall, our lifestyle has become simpler and we are having a better and healthier quality of life.