Upper Left: Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015)
Missionary, bestselling writer, worldwide speaker
Her husband Jim Elliot, as one of the 5 American missionaries, ventured into the Amazonian region of Ecuador and reached the Waodani/Aucas tribe that was infamous for its high record in killing. Even though the initial contact was successful, the young men were soon speared to death. Elisabeth felt the calling from God to live with and serve these people whom killed her husband, and together with her baby daughter, she obediently did so. She met two Waorani women who taught her their language and introduced them to the tribe. God touched the hearts of the people through Elisabeth and many received Jesus Christ as their Savior. Originally trained as a bible translator, Elisabeth Elliot later wrote over 20 books in her lifetime, contributed in translation of the NIV bible, travelled across the world to give speeches, and hosted a daily radio program called Gateway to Joy.
To be honest, I do not know Elisabeth Elliot well enough to write a summary about her life. However, I remember the impact this story had made on me when I first heard of it over 10 years ago. Everything about it was mind-blowing for me, including the bravery of the young men who meant no harm but to love, their horrific deaths, the faith and forgiveness of Elisabeth Elliot, and the change of heart of the Waodani people. As I get to know her more through some excerpts of her speeches and writings, I realize that her sufferings as well as her obedience in response had become her magnifying glass to see God clearly and intimately. She was able to digest and appreciate the daily troubles in life and bring comfort to the ladies who are troubled and discouraged. She saw through her sufferings, whether big or small, and fixed her gaze on the Lord.
“I realized that the deepest spiritual lessons are not learned by His letting us have our way in the end, but by His making us wait, bearing with us in love and patience until we are able to honestly to pray what He taught His disciples to pray: Thy will be done.”
“We live in a world of noise. So where can we find quietness? Quite often it’s hard to find physical quietness, but it is always possible to have a quiet heart… Jesus had a quiet heart because he only did one thing, the same thing that you and I have to do…the will of the Father… Everything in my life is an offering…my body, life, heart, emotions, time, work, possessions, sufferings, joy, work, is an offering to God and that gives me a quiet heart.”
― Elisabeth Elliot
左上：伊利沙伯艾略特
他的丈夫與其餘四名美國宣教士一心為了傳福音給與世隔絕的土著部落, 進入位於厄瓜多爾的亞馬遜森林, 接觸華尤拉尼人。這個部落是殘暴而出了名的，很快他們五位都被刺死了。
伊利沙伯感受到神的呼召讓她帶著還是嬰兒的女兒到這個部落當中住下來並服侍他們。 她願意回應呼召，坐飛機到了他們當中，並認識了兩名華尤拉尼女人。她們不但願意與伊利沙伯同住，還教伊利沙伯當地的言語，以及成為中間人，介紹伊利沙伯母女給予部落認識，以至她們被接納。透過伊利沙伯，他們的內心被她的原諒和愛心所感化，開放內心接基督耶穌為主， 這全是神的工作！
在宣教士家庭出生，受著聖經翻譯訓練的伊利沙伯後來寫了超過20本書，在 NIV聖經翻譯上也有參與, 和主持了每日電台節目Gateway to Joy十三年之久。她的服侍對象主要是女性。
為這個人物搜查資料之前，我對於這名姊妹的認知停留於她和女兒在土著部落服事的時期。我第一次聽到她們的故事是十幾年前。在教會裏看到見證錄像, 我覺得非常震撼。對於五位宣教士的勇氣, 他們恐怖的死亡和土著的殘暴, 伊利沙伯的信心和原諒, 以及華尤拉尼人全體的改變, 我都覺得很驚訝!
現在讀了她一些文筆摘錄我對她的認知又深了一點。苦難和她順服的回應好像一個放大鏡, 好讓她把神看得更清楚更親密。她把困難看透, 目光只停留在神身上 。患難生忍耐、忍耐生老練、老練生盼望並且不至於羞恥, 伊利沙伯把患難消化得很好, 甚至能欣到從患難中得著的福氣。因她所受的患難甚大, 她的話便很有說服力, 能安慰世上各種受患難失望的人。
「我們住在一個嘈吵的世界裏, 何處才能找到平靜呢? 找到肉體上的安靜不容易, 但我們是可以擁有安靜的內心。耶穌基督的一生非常忙碌, 但祂能擁有內心的安靜因為他只專注做一樣事情, 就是你和我都要做的──父神的旨意。這個思想改變了我看事情的觀點...這不代表我把家中的家務都不做了, 而是所有我作的事, 包括家務, 我都是為神而作。我的身體、生命、內心、情緒、時間、工作等等都是獻給神的, 而這一點就給我內心安寧。」------- 伊利沙伯 艾略特
Lower Right: Xiao Min (1969 - )
Christian singer and Songwriter.
Xiao Min was born in a poor farming family in Hunan, China. Her mother was uneducated and her father had barely gone to school at all. She was only educated up to elementary school level due to sinus infections.
Immersed in nature, she knew there had to be a Creator. Hence when her aunt shared the gospel with her, she immediately believed in Jesus as her Savior. Xiao Min had no music background and knew nothing about music theory, but new worship songs came to her mind one after another. By the works of the Holy Spirit, her inner prayers, cries and praises to God turn into songs, and she writes songs with complete melody and lyrics in as quickly as 5-10 minutes.
People asked about her driving force behind songwriting. She answered, “It was prayers, scripture-reading, sharing the gospel, and spending time with the Lord.” All these years she insisted on waking up to pray every morning at 5am.
Hardships promote her music writing as well. Before her family received salvation, they were strongly against her belief. Her parents attempted to stop her from going out to share the gospel by guarding the front door. Yet their heart was won over when she repeatedly sang the song about her unquenchable passion for the great commission.
Xiao Min was once put into jail for her belief. She was not miserable but found joy in singing praise songs to the prisoners, all of whom expressed their awe in learning that God is good, and many accepted Christ as their Lord. Xiao Min has now written over 1000 songs and are compiled into the Canaan Hymns. She is now known as the Chinese Christian worship songwriter with the most pieces composed and sang after by 7 millions Christians across China.
Being rushed out of home by her relatives, she was wandering alone and this song came about as Jesus told her, “I am your dearest Friend.”:
“Lord, You are my dearest friend.
You are my closest companion.
My heart is in pursuit of You daily, longing to meet Your face.
Every step of my life; Every stop in my life, Your hand is holding onto me, and bringing me close to You.
Please tell me the path I should walk on, so that I will not go near the verge of death.
How wide and long and high and deep Your love is! I am utterly amazed.
What else do I need when I have Jesus? My heart is connected to that of my Lord.
I shall remain steadfast and follow Jesus all of my life.”
右下：呂小敏 (1969 - ) 在湖南的一個貧窮的農莊家庭出生， 父母沒怎樣受過教育，小敏因小時候有鼻竇炎的緣故初中開始就輟學了。
她自小在大自然環境中長大，一直相信有一位創天造地的神，所以當舅母傳福音給她時，小敏立即就相信了。當她立志一生服事神的時候，第一首歌就腦海裡出現， 從那時起詩歌就在她腦海中源源不絕的湧現。有人問小敏作曲作詞背後的動力是什麼？ 她說就是禱告、讀聖經、傳福音、親近神。
遇到困難時小敏也不叫苦， 反而促進了填詞作曲。有一次因信仰的原故下囚， 她唱歌讚美神並教其他女囚犯一同唱讚美詩。這些囚犯 覺得詫異為何她們會被捉下囚，驚嘆世上竟然有這麼好的神而信了耶穌！
從小敏經歷的描述，我感受到她創作背後的靈感是來自於遭遇生活上各種事情上從內心深處對神的讚美，呼求，禱告， 像大衛的詩篇那樣。 小敏沒有受過音樂教育，也不懂樂理。音樂創作是神安排給她的崗位， 就好像神給予我們各人都有一個服事崗位，好讓她使用神所賜的恩賜榮耀神和造就他人。 她的作品超過千首並集成為迦南詩歌， 在中國廣傳，為內地七百萬和海外基督徒所唱！
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