兰佩迷惑的环视着美国芝加哥城和头顶那迷宫般的高速公路。她找不到她丈夫了。她看着车里的四个孩子，不知所措。

这对夫妻是从老挝逃到美国的难民，他们开着车带着六个孩子到各处找工作。他们全家的第一个行程就是从加洲的萨克拉门托市出发，到2,250公里外的内布拉斯加州的格兰德岛，因为他们听说那里有一家工厂可以雇用英文水平有限的员工。但是当他们到那的时候，工厂已经满员，不再招聘了。于是他们就这样被困在美国中部；带着六个孩子，没有住处，没有工作，而且只会说一点英文。

更糟糕的是，兰佩不敢在高速公路上开车。她刚刚在加州学会开车拿到驾照。另外，她还带着加州的两个朋友和她的家人来内布拉斯加州，其中一个人开家用轿车，而另一个开搬运卡车。但是这两位朋友都没有留下来。

他们打电话给他们所能想到的人寻求帮助，终于，兰佩和她的丈夫听说在1200公里外的密歇根州荷兰城可能会有工作。于是兰佩鼓起勇气开上美国高速公路，她相信上帝会与她同在的。12小时的密西根之旅就此开始。她丈夫开搬运车并带着两个孩子和他们所有的财产在前面带路，她开车带着另外四个孩子紧随其后。

很顺利的开到了芝加哥。兰佩努力的紧跟着丈夫，但是她却被拥挤的车流截住了，丈夫的车也没有了踪迹。她在迷宫般的道路中不知所措，不知道该走哪条路，只能无耐的停在加油站。她和她丈夫都没有手机，所以他们失联了，更不知道怎么去目的地。她唯一的希望就是上帝了。她很感恩当初有传教士到他们在泰国的难民营给他们传讲上帝。于是，她和四个孩子一起恳求上帝的帮助。

当他们睁开眼睛时，看到一个相貌清秀的男人朝他们走过来。

他说：“我猜你应该是在找你的丈夫，夫伊，是吧！？”

“是！”她很惊讶地承认。

她心里想：“这人怎么知道我丈夫的名字？”

那个男人说完，就上了他自己的车说：“开车跟着我，我带你去找他。”

兰佩听了他的话，就跟着他开车穿过芝加哥那迷宫般的高速公路。车子一直往前开，突然间，就看到她丈夫的卡车出现在前方。

她和孩子油然升起感恩之心。想要谢谢那位善良的陌生人，可在他们道谢之前，他却已经走了，消失得无影无踪。

最后，一家人安全的抵达了密西根州荷兰城，夫伊和兰佩在当地一家复临信徒家族开的船务公司找到了工作，而且他们也开始在荷兰城复临教会聚会。不久，他们邀请了老挝的新朋友也加入他们的聚会。教会给了这个小组一个小教室，让他们可以用自己的语言敬拜。这个团体不断发展壮大，现在已经有了自己的教堂，兰佩很感佩的在这里向人们传讲那位差派天使来到加油站帮助她的上帝。

来源：本文译自《圣工消息》（社会青年季刊）2021年第三季

Angel at the Gas Station

Lamphai stared in bewilderment at the confusing maze of highways around and above her in the U.S. city of Chicago. She had no idea how to find her husband. She looked at the four children seated in the car and wondered what to do next.

The couple had arrived in the United States as refugees from the Southeast Asian country of Laos, and they were driving with their six children across the country to find work. Leaving Sacramento, California, the family first traveled 1,400 miles (2,250 km) to Grand Island, Nebraska, where they had heard about a factory hiring people with limited English-language skills. But when they arrived, they learned the jobs were filled and the company was no longer hiring. There they were, in the middle of the United States with six children, no home, no jobs, and only limited English.

Complicating matters, Lamphai didn’t dare to drive on U.S. highways. She had just learned to drive and received her driver’s license in California, and two friends from California had accompanied the family to Nebraska, one driving the family car and the other driving a moving truck. But the friends could not stay.

Calling everyone whom they could think of for advice, Lamphai and her husband finally heard about a possible job opening in Holland, Michigan, another 750 miles (1,200 km) away. Lamphai decided to brave U.S. highways and trust God to be with her, and the family started out on the 12-hour journey to Michigan. Her husband led the way, driving the moving truck with two of the children and all their belongings. She followed with the other four children in the car.

All went well until Chicago. Lamphai tried to follow her husband closely, but she got stuck in heavy traffic and lost sight of his truck. Overwhelmed and confused in the maze of roads, unable to decide which way to go, she stopped at a gas station. Neither she nor her husband had cell phones. She had no way to contact him, and she had no idea how to find their destination. Her only hope was God. She was glad that missionaries had visited their refugee camp in Thailand to tell them about God. Together, she and the four children prayed earnestly to God for help.

As they opened their eyes, they saw a pleasant-looking man walking toward them.

“Let me guess,” he said. “Are you looking for your husband, Veuy?”

“Yes!” she acknowledged with surprise.

She wondered silently, “How does this total stranger know my husband’s name?”

“Get in your car and follow me,” the man said, turning to get into his car. “I’ll help you find him.”

Obediently, Lamphai followed him back onto the road and through a maze of Chicago highways until suddenly, just ahead, she saw her husband’s moving truck.

Gratitude washed over her and the children. They turned to wave their thanks to the kind stranger, but he was gone. His car had vanished before they could even wave good-bye.

The family arrived safely in Holland, Michigan, and Veuy and Lamphai found jobs in a local boat company owned by a Seventh-day Adventist family. They began attending the Holland Seventh-day Adventist Church. Soon they invited new Lao friends to join them, and the church gave the small group a room where they could worship in their own language. The group grew and today has its own church where Lamphai joyfully introduces people to the God who sent an angel to a gas station to help her find her way.

Please find the original article at https://am.adventistmission.org/mqa21q3-20