一个来自伊拉克的家庭

困境

在伊拉克，有个人给一位父亲传讲耶稣，他不但欣喜的相信还加入了复临教会。但是他的太太持守着传统的民族信仰。

一段时间后，在伊拉克的生活越发艰难起来。这位父亲担心妻子和两个幼女的安危，就举家逃亡去了美国。

在密西根州生活了一年，因为那的冬天实在太过寒冷，常常使父亲在伊拉克战乱时所受的伤异常痛苦，他实在无法忍受，就又搬到了加州。这里寒冷的温度。

在加州，这对父母把他们的女儿送到公立学校读书。但父亲求上帝，能让他们的孩子到复临学校读书。不过，他付不起教会学校的学费，就算有钱，他也不认识任何复临信徒能告诉他去哪找教会学校。他一直为这事祷告。他祈祷说：“上帝，请帮助我的女儿们能到复临安息日的学校读书，帮助我找到一位复临信徒。”

有一天，父亲去了一家食物银行，就是向有需要的家庭分发物资的地方。当他正等着领食物的时候，和与一名义工聊了起来，结果发现那位男士竟然是基督复临安息日教会的牧师。另外，这位义工牧师还告诉他，这家食物银行就是由其中一个复临会堂经营的，而且这会堂正好有一所教会学校。

回家之后，父亲立刻把这个好消息告诉了妻子。他们俩一直在努力存钱，希望孩子们能重返学校也能因此能找到更好的工作来养家。他们决定把为数不多的钱拿出来给女儿们交学费。

不久之后，父亲带着妻子、他们九岁和十一岁的两个女儿来到教会学校。他们坐在校长办公室里，满面红光的等着办手续。

坐在他们对面的校长和教会牧师互相看了一眼，然后又看着这对夫妻和他们的孩子。他们脸上洋溢着的渴望打动他们，但是他们存的那点钱根本不够交学费的。

校长说：“我们非常希望姑娘们能在这上学。可惜，你们的钱不够交学费的。”

校长顿了顿，又看了一眼牧师。她看到了同情，于是受到鼓舞的她接着说：“我们会让女孩们上学的。让我们凭信心迈出这一步，并相信上帝能用他的方式提供学费。”

就这样，四个大人和两个小女孩跪在地上，向上帝祷告。

牧师祷告说：“亲爱的上帝，我们需要您的帮助。请为这两个宝贝女孩的教育提供资金。”

一家人离开后不久，校长接到了一个电话。打电话的人说他是基督复临安息日会北美分会的“复临安息日教会难民和移民部”协调人。她来电是要说明，她那有一笔专门用来为在教会学校读书的难民儿童的学费补助款。这笔钱来自世界各地的复临信徒在2011年第十三安息的奉献捐。

校长简直不敢相信，她赶紧打电话给那位父亲，告诉他，他女儿们的学费有着落了。“我就知道上帝会应允我们的祈求的！”父亲惊喜交加的说。

来源：本文译自《圣工消息》（社会青年季刊）2021年第三季

The Dilemma

Someone told Father about Jesus in Iraq. Father fell in love with Jesus and joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Mother, however, decided to remain with her traditional religion.

After some time, life became difficult for the family in Iraq. Father, fearing for the safety of Mother and their two young daughters, moved the family to live as refugees in the United States.

After living in Michigan for a year, the family moved to California. Father could not bear the cold winter in Michigan. The bitter temperatures caused pain to wartime injuries that he had sustained in Iraq.

In California, Father and Mother sent their daughters to public school. But Father prayed that the girls would be able to study at an Adventist school. He did not have the money to pay for church school and, even if he did, he did not know any Adventists who could tell him where to find one. Still he prayed. “Please, God,” he prayed, “help my daughters to receive a Seventh-day Adventist education. Help me to find a Seventh-day Adventist.”

One day, Father visited a food bank that distributed supplies to needy families. While waiting to receive food, Father began talking with a volunteer and discovered that the man was a Seventh-day Adventist pastor. Moreover, the volunteer told him that the food bank was organized and run by a Seventh-day Adventist church that happened to own a church school.

At home, Father told Mother the good news. He and Mother had been carefully saving money so that they could return to school and get better jobs to support their family. They decided to use their precious money to pay for their daughters’ tuition.

A short time later, Father arrived at the church school with Mother and their 9-year-old and 11-year-old girls. They sat in the principal’s office, their faces shining, as they waited for information about what to do next.

The principal and church pastor, who sat across from them, glanced at each other, and then looked at Father, Mother, and the girls. The eagerness on the faces of the parents and the girls tugged at their hearts. But the money that Father and Mother had saved up was not enough.

“We very much want the girls to study here,” the principal said. “But, unfortunately, there is not enough money to cover the tuition.”

The principal paused and glanced at the pastor again. She saw compassion in his eyes and felt encouraged to continue.

“We will enroll the girls in the school,” she said. “Let’s step out in faith and trust God to somehow provide help with the tuition.”

The four adults and two girls knelt on the floor and bowed their heads.

“Dear God, we need Your help,” the pastor prayed. “Please provide money for the education of these two precious girls.”

Shortly after the family left, the principal received a phone call. It was from the coordinator of the Adventist Refugee and Immigrant Ministries for the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s North American Division. She was calling to announce that she had money to help pay for the tuition of refugee children who might want to study at the church school. The money, she said, came from Seventh-day Adventists around the world who had given to a Thirteenth Sabbath Offering in 2011.

The principal could hardly believe her ears. Quickly, she called Father to announce that money had been found for his daughters’ tuition. “I knew God would answer our prayers!” Father exclaimed.

Please find the original article at: https://am.adventistmission.org/mqa21q3-22