One of the mottos of Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission was “Jehovah Jireh” – the Lord provides. This is a motto adopted by my medical mission since its founding in 1994.

“耶和华以勒，在希伯来语里的意思是神必供应。这是著名的来华宣教士戴德生的座右铭之一，并且是中国内地会的使命。这也是我们的医疗服务队自1994年创办以来一直持守的ー个座右铭。

Soon after I announced to my somewhat surprised colleagues at the Medical School and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, that I was “stepping down” from my administrative positions to go into full time China service, I met the Anglican Bishop. The Bishop is the titular chairman of the Board of the Children’s Hospital which is a leading institution in the US. He “congratulated’ me on my decision and asked “what about the financial support for the new organization?” I had just been freshly reminded about our guiding motto, so I was very forth-right in saying – “you know, Bishop, I thought at first that I could use my vast experience in grant writing and apply for some grants. But the Lord seemed to have other ideas and work for me. I have been advised NOT to write grants. Furthermore, we are trying to adhere to a ‘non-solicitation policy’, so we do not really tell people about our financial needs, unless we’re asked!”

在我向我有点吃惊的同事宣布我要辞去医学院及辛辛那提儿童医院的行政职务，打算全时间去中国服事后不久，我与美 国中西部的英国圣公会的主教会面。那位主教是美国顶尖的辛 辛那提儿童医院的董事会名誉主席。他“祝贺”我的决定，并 问我新组织的资金来源。我刚好对我们的座右铭记忆犹新，所以我直截了当地说:“主教，起初我想用我申请资金的丰富经验去申请资助。但主似乎有其他的主意和工作给我。我得到的 建议是不需写资金申请。再说，我们一直试图遵守一个’不主 动要求捐助的政策’。因此，除非有人问，我们一般不会告诉人我们的资金需求。”

The Bishop stared at me, right into my eyes. Then he grabbed me literally by the lapel and “shook” me,“I’m asking you now!” At this point, I “woke up” and “revealed” our lack of funds! Sure enough a few months later, a very adequate check came in the mail. Jehovah Jireh indeed.

主教盯著我的眼睛，然后他居然抓住我的翻领，“推推” 我说:“我现在不是在问你吗? ”这时候，我“被点醒了”，就向他透露我们缺乏资金!果真，几个月后，ー张足足够用的支票出现在邮箱里。耶和华以勒——神必供应，确实如此。

When I had approached the Chief of the Children’s Hospital and announced my intention to phase down and step out of the academic administrative leadership, I was pleasantly surprised that he took it all in stride and was most encouraging. I was shocked however when he finished our meeting and said “I assume you will need office support for this new venture”，to which I said “well, that would be nice”.

当我去找儿童医院的院长并慎重地告诉他我想逐渐退出学 术行政领导的位子时，他从容并非常鼓励的态度让我感到惊喜。 但让我震惊的是，他在结束谈话时竟然对我说:“我猜你这个 新尝试会需要一个办公室。”我答道:“那当然好。”

I had thought originally that I would need to have some office space either at home in my basement, or possibly in my home church. But I was totally unprepared for the eventual support that the Chief offered to me. Not only did I not have to ask or negotiate, I was given at first 3, then 4 and finally nearly 5 units of space; for my office, the Midwest Rep for the mission, the US and International Mobilization Secretary, a part-time (often student) helper, and a storage space. We were moved twice, but finally we were located to a self-contained 5-unit area that was private and secure, which was great for confidential discussions and prayers.

我原先打算以我家的地下室或我的教会作为办公的空间。我完全没想到院长竟然会提供这样的支援。在不用我主动要求 或协商的情况下，院长给了我最初三个，然后四个，最后近五个办公空间。这就成为我、事エ的中西部代表、美国及国际动员干事、兼职助手（通常是学生）的办公室，以及ー个储物空 间。我们搬迁了两次。最后我们迁进了一个由五个单元自成一体的地方，安全而不受打扰。这样的地方让我们可以自由谈话和祷告，是最好不过的了。

Plus we were given all necessary office support, including computers, printers, fax machines, phones, email services, engineering support and IT support, and all the opportunities within an active medical center (networking, intranet news, amenities, you name it!). This overwhelming support was topped off with direct partial financial support for staffing needs. I could literally “not believe my eyes” when the entire “package” was signed off.

不仅如此，院长更供提供我们所需的一切办公设备，包括 电脑’印表机、传真机、电话、电子邮件、场地维护和资讯技 术支援，以及ー个忙碌活跃的医疗中心应有的一切资源（如网 路、内部新闻、福利设施，你能想到的我们都有!）。这些意 想不到的支援还包括直接给我们职员薪资上的部分财务资助。当我在合约上签字时，我简直不敢相信自己的眼睛。

Having been “raised in ‘hard nosed’ academia and gone through tough “budget sessions with the Chief”，accounting for every budget item and making sure every cost was covered by appropriate income, I was unprepared for this “new approach” by the Chief of the Institution. I had written no grants for this, I had made no demands, I had made no “solicitations”. It was indeed a wonderful attestation of “divine intervention” 一 a fantastic “Jehovah Jireh” confirmation of my call to serve Him.

我在精明实际的学术界打滾多年，又体会过院长做预算时如何精打细算地确保每个预算项目和每ー项开支都有对应的收入来支持，因此，医院院长的这种“新做法”让我措手不及。我没为我们的医疗服务队申请过任何资金，也没有主动要求或 “讨”过任何资助。我所得到的真是ー个精彩奇妙的神助的见 证ーー奇妙的“耶和华以勒”确认了我被呼召去服事祂。