Coffee with Uncle Reggie: A First Medical Missions Journey 1989
与曾叔叔喝咖啡闲聊 : 1989年的第一次医疗援助服务
(张晓霓、李静 翻译)

Since early childhood I felt the call to be involved in some way in medical missions. As time went on, even as I became more and more involved in local ministry and the academic life, the pull continued. In 1989, just prior to the June 4 incident in China, I was privileged to lead a team of 20 from Cincinnati, USA on a medical mission to southern China in an area not too far from my ancestral village. 2 weeks later, as we were leaving the beautiful farm lands, I watched the farmers at hard work stooping over their rice paddies. I realized that I was looking at myself. From that moment, I made a promise that I would return and do what I could. Over the years, indeed I was given many opportunities to bring medical teams into rural areas of China.

早在童年时代我就感觉到参与医疗援助服务的呼召。随著时间的流逝,即使我越来越投入参与本地的事奉和学术工作,这种呼召一直持续著。1989年,正好是六四事件之前,我有幸 带领ー支由20人组成的医疗服务队从美国辛辛那提出发,去中国南方一个离我祖籍不远的地方。两星期后,当我们离开美丽 的农村时,我看见农民们弯著腰在稻田里费劲地做エ。我意识 到我看到的是站在对边的自己。从那时刻起,我许下承诺,我 要回来做我所能做的。过去许多年,我确实有许多机会带领医 疗服务队进入中国的农村地区。

Friendly buffalo of the farmlands
农田上反善的水牛

One year, I wrote to two organizations expressing my desire to take “early retirement” in a few years, to bring medical teams into needy areas, and whether it was of value to their work. One of the organizations basically told me to sit tight, and write them when I had my “act together”. The other organization took my letter, and circulated it around for 2 years, including initially an offer to become medical director for the organization, something a newborn pediatrician was eminently not suited to do.

有一年,我写信给两个组织,表示我想在几年内“提早退 休’’,然后带领医疗队去有需要的地方,并问这样对他们的エ作是否有帮助。其中一个组织告诉我说等等看,当我有具体行 动计画时再写信给他们。另ー个组织拿著我的信,转发了两年,起初更邀请我担当那个组织的医疗主任,但这工作显然不适合我这个新生儿科医生。

Little did I know then, but God was working in the hearts of two other people, Dr. Taylor and “Richard”. They had just first met after a prayer meeting at my childhood church, the Swatow Christian Church in Tsimshatsui, Hong Kong. And soon after that, my letter arrived in their hands. They prayed a silent prayer of thankfulness to God for the “coincidence”.

当时我不知道,神在另外两个人心里做エ,这两个人就是泰勒博士和“理查德”。他们第一次见面的地方就是我童年时参与的教会ーー香港尖沙嘴的潮人生命堂,当时他们刚开过祷 告会。不久,我的信到了他们手里。他们默默为这个“巧合” 祷告感谢神。

A few months later, Dr. T “just happened” to be the speaker for a 1993 Midwest US retreat. We had a warm meeting in his cabin at the retreat site. Overnight, he drafted, and we discussed and concluded the first version of the beginning of MSI, Medical Services International, to serve in poverty areas of China: the “rest is history”,as they say and for me, beginning a decade of meaningful and inspiring service together with Dr. T and Richard.

几个月后,泰勒博士 “恰巧”为1993年的美国中西部夏令营担任讲员。我们在营地他的住处中有一次温馨的会面。 隔夜,我们根据他的草拟讨论并完成了计画的第一个版本, 创立了国际医疗服务机构(Medical Services International, MSI),为中国的贫困地区服务——这就是MSI创立的历史,对我来说,这也开展了我与泰勒博士和“理查德”那十年有意义而激励人心的服务。

Typical student response
学生常見的反應

From the very start, my passion was to bring young people to the field, and to work with young people, which amused Dr. T to no end. During medical mission trips, I would often gravitate, like a metal chip to a magnet, towards the kids in the township middle and high schools, to teach them English. It was such a wonderful opportunity to encourage and inspire numerous young people.

从ー开始,我就热衷于带领年轻人到前线,跟年轻人ー起工作,这一点一直让泰勒博士觉得很有趣。在医疗援助服务的旅程中,镇里的中学生经常像吸铁石一样吸引著我去教他们英语。这是ー个非常好的机会,令无数年轻人得到鼓舞和激励。

One of the greatest thrills in my life is that, I have even been reconnected with some of these young people (courtesy of emails, cell phones, and text messages). They have now become part of the family, and are in medical school, nursing school, English language teacher training, computer school, and international law. In these reunions, I am thankful that the good Lord gave me a taste of what I would see, when I see Him face to face, when there will be millions of reunions. I know that even though many of the contacts we made during our many visits at many different places, were not necessarily very deep, yet I believe that, in those “little acts of mercy and love”,God uses those acts to touch many hearts. In most instances, we will never know the full impact in our lifetime, but one day we shall know.

我生命中令我最兴奋的其中一件事,就是能够和当中某些年轻人继续保持联络(透过电邮、手机和短信)。他们现已成 为我们信仰大家庭的成员,并且在医学院、护士学校、英语教 师训练学校、电脑学校和国际法律学院就读。在这些重逢的时候,我感激主让我预先尝到那种,就是当我与祂面对面、当我与无数人重逢时,我会看见怎样的场面。我知道即使我们去过许多不同地方、与许多人有过不太深入的接触,但我相信,神会使用那些“怜悯和慈爱的小行动”,感动许多人的心。在大多数情况下,我们都不知道自己的生命带来怎样的影响,但终有一天我们会知道。

After 10 years, I have stepped down from active duty in MSI, but I have continued this mission legacy by continuing to meet and welcome academic medical doctors from all over China, and being involved especially with young people overseas. As David Adeney, a forerunner to Dr. T, once said -and I abbreviate- “any and all ways should be our motto”. It has been a remarkable journey, in which I have learned so much by being involved in medical and professional “salt and light” services, in various sites and at various levels. It is just amazing what God can do in our lives, as we are willing to be a part of that great effort.

十年后,我卸下了MSI的主要职责,但我仍然继续医疗援助服务的优秀传统,持续地会见并招待来自中国各地的学术医生,并且特别与海外的年轻人接触。泰勒博士的前辈大卫・ 艾德理曾经说(我简略为):“要用尽所有的方法,并以此为座右铭”。这是ー趟出色的旅程,在旅程中,通过在不同地点 和不同层次参与医疗和专业的“作盐作光”的服务,我学习 到许多功课。当我们愿意成为那伟大尝试的一部分,神就会在我们的生命中作出惊人的エ作。

With co-founders of medical mission, Richard and Mrs Chen, and Dr James Taylor
与医疗服务的联合創始人“理查德”、陈太太,以及中国出生的“老华侨”泰勒博 士相聚