I hope that you and your congregation are safe and well.

    We received your shipment of 2-boxes of face masks on May 29. What a beautiful and thoughtful gift of kindness and generosity. The masks were taken to worship at Beulah Presbyterian Church in Louisville. The worship was held in the parking lot of the church with the worshippers sitting in their cars. This allows for people to worship safely while remaining socially distanced. During the service the masks were blessed by the pastor. We asked that God would bless those who made them and that the masks would be a blessing to the wearer. I am attaching the words of the blessing.

    I then distributed the majority of the face masks to the Bellewood and Brooklawn homes for children. This is a historic mission of Mid-Kentucky Presbytery to care for the orphans and foster children of our community. The remainder of the face masks will be distributed to various congregations for their Sunday worshipers. Many of our congregations are just beginning to reopen to in-person worship, and face masks need to be worn. Not everyone has a mask, so this will allow the churches to give a mask to those who need one.

    Again, we are humbled and honored by your generosity and the love that you have shown your brother and sister Presbyterians in Mid-Kentucky Presbytery. We look forward to the time when we can travel to Taiwan and thank you in person.

    May you continue to let the light of Christ shine for all the world to see, Peace.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              John

   但願你和會眾們都平安健康。我們在 5 月 29 日收到了你們寄來的兩大箱口罩。你們真是慷慨而仁慈呀 ! 這些口罩被帶到了路易斯維爾市的標樂長老教會的禮拜會場，主日崇拜在教會的停車場舉行，而會眾們留在車內以保持社交距離。在禮拜中，這些珍貴的口罩也受到了牧師的祝福。我們向上帝禱告希望保守製作這些口罩的人，也賜福給得到並戴著這些口罩的人，我也在文後附加了我們祈禱文的檔案。

    我接著將大多數其餘的口罩分送給貝爾伍茲和布魯克隆恩之家的孩子們。這一次是中肯塔基長老教會一個歷史性的一次任務，我們照顧孤兒們並收養了社區裡的孩童。再有剩餘的口罩則會分送到其他的聚會所，以便主日崇拜使用。最近幾日我們的聚會才重新開放給現場崇拜，而人們仍然需要配戴口罩進入教會。因為並非每個人都能取得口罩，因此你們贈送的口罩大有助益 !

    再次，我們感恩也很榮幸受到你們為我們這裡的弟兄姐妹們所付出的愛和 慷慨，在中肯塔基長老教會的我們期待有一天可以造訪台灣以親自表達我們的感謝，但願你們持續努力讓上帝的榮光照耀在世界裡的每一個角落。再祝平安

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    約翰

    Hello! I wanted to send a quick note of thanks! Rev. John Odom dropped off the masks from your church. We are one of the organizations here in Louisville that the Presbyterians support. We have about 160 kids that live on our campus that we provide  for. We are so grateful for your gift of these masks. They will help keep our kids and staff safe. Thank you for your kindness. We hope you are safe and well. Prayers to you and your church.

Thanks,

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Missy Fountain

 

 

    你好！我想立即發送封感謝信！ John Odom 牧師領受從您的教會寄來的口罩。我們是路易斯維爾長老會支持的組織之一（肯塔基州）。在我們的園區我們供應大約有一百六十個孩子。我們非常感謝您們這些口罩禮物。他們將幫助確保我們的孩子和全體員工的平安。感謝您們的好意。希望您平安無事。為您和您的教會禱告。

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Missy Fountain

 

A Blessing for Face Masks

    Blessed are those who give the gift of their time and their talent to create face masks for others,for their community, for strangers, for they shall help to save the lives of many people.

    Blessed are those who make masks for others to wear so that together we may protect others, especially the most vulnerable who at another time had protected us when they worked as first responders, served in the military,or taught us the school lessons of our childhood,for they shall truly know the value of each human life.

    Blessed are the mask makers who send face masks to those who may be forgotten, to the agencies that support the homeless, nursing home staff and residents, the mentally ill, for they shall have respected and remembered the least of these.

    Blessed are those who give out of their own money for supplies and postage for face masks because others’ lives are more important than their personal checking account,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

    Blessed are those who wear face masks to show their care for others,who know that they can be passing on the virus that moves stealthily,infecting others days before their own symptoms emerge for they shall be for they shall be called children of God.

    Bless us allthat we may see that by covering our noses and mouths we have opened our eyes and our hearts to one another. Amen.

    excerpts from prayer by Rev. Donna Vuilleumier, Pastor at Smith Memorial Church, UCC in Hillsboro, NH.

口罩的祝福

    為了社區和陌生人奉獻自己的時間和才能創造口罩的人有福了，因為它們將幫助挽救許多人的生命。

    那些為別人製作口罩的人有福了，如此我們能一起保護他人，特別是那在不同時空、投入救難人員、在軍隊、或在我們童年的學校教授課程，容易受傷的人， 因為他們將真正了解每個人生命的價值。

    製造口罩的人有福了，為那些被遺忘的人們、為那些支持無家可歸者的機 構、為在療養院所全體工作人員和居民、為精神病患者送上口罩，因為他們至少應被尊重和記住。

    那些因為他人的生命比自己個人帳戶更重要為提供口罩用品和郵資而奉獻自己金錢的人有福了，因為天國是他們的。

    為了關心照顧別人、為了避免無聲無息散佈傳染的病毒、為了避免症狀潛伏期互相傳染戴口罩的人有福了，因為他們必被稱為上帝的兒女。

    祝福我們所有人，我們也許遮蔽我們的鼻子和嘴巴，但我們已經彼此睜開了眼睛和敞開心胸，阿們。

   

選錄自多納．維路米爾牧師的祈禱文 ( 新罕布夏州，希思柏羅 ‧ 史密斯紀念教堂的牧師 )