Is there justice on campus?
【Education】
▲As long as there are disciples who believe in Jesus and enter campus life with the mission entrusted by God, the campus will have God’s righteousness.
Are schools and students sick?
There is indeed something wrong with American public schools and international students. For international students, all kinds of difficult and complicated diseases have not been solved yet, and they have to face the pressure of studying in a foreign country. Of course they will fall ill!
The intractable diseases of students can be roughly divided into:
1. As soon as you step into the United States, you have to learn and express yourself in a second language, English. This is a huge psychological burden for immigrant students who need time to adapt; 2. Adolescent students often use English when they are in love. Faced with the confusion about the depth of the relationship and not knowing how to handle it properly; 3. Students who are about to graduate are worried about whether they can integrate into the mainstream society, and are confused and hesitant about their future; 4. The soul is empty and lonely, and they can’t find anyone to talk to, and they fall into a marginalized situation. Lonely.
Parents immigrate to the United States in pursuit of a better life. Once they arrive, they immediately have to fight for life and have no time to take into account their children's learning needs. Therefore, when cultural shock and economic challenges come, no matter how many expectations and ambitions they have in their hearts, Everyone in the family can only fight and fight alone. Teenagers are in a stage where they are in urgent need of acceptance and encouragement from their peers. The opinions and support of good friends and mentors are very important. However, if you are not careful, you may mistakenly make bad friends, get lost in life, and stray from the right path!
Can the gospel be preached in public schools?
Having been engaged in public school education for more than thirty years, I can preach the gospel!
In 1973, under God’s arrangement and leadership, I met with a principal I had never met at Sun Yat-sen Junior High School in Chinatown, New York. After the interview, he enthusiastically hired me and asked me to start teaching immediately the next day. He even promised to give me a job. The class is like teaching Sunday school. I felt in my heart that this was impossible, but I couldn't refuse, so I had to agree to volunteer for two weeks. Through these two weeks, God has allowed me to see the needs of many students, and it has opened my eyes to the need to fight for justice and reasonable treatment for children, especially to help new immigrant students here and redress the injustices of those who have been wronged!
In 1975, a Chinese teacher at Seward Park High School in Chinatown, New York, wrote a proposal and received a grant of about $250,000 from the federal Department of Education to launch the first bilingual course in Chinese and English in the United States. Helping 350 new immigrant high school students to go directly to college through formal high school training, so that they will not make a mistake when starting a new life in a foreign land and fall into gangs such as "Ghost", "Flying Dragon", "God of Death", commit crimes and take drugs, and finally He was imprisoned and his future was ruined. I was hired as the deputy director to help implement this first-ever Chinese-English bilingual education course in New York public schools. It became a sample indicator for other schools that wanted to open bilingual education, and then developed into a bilingual education model to help new Chinese immigrant students in various states across the United States. .
In addition to catering to students' academic needs, this Chinese-English bilingual education class also organizes daily after-school tutoring and weekend cultural tours. I personally also set up a Chinese art singing group, a dance class, and organized a Chinese culture class reunion. Let students use their free time and talents for meaningful learning. A Chinese cultural night is held every year, allowing students to participate in performances, and parents and community leaders to attend and enjoy.
In preparing for these social activities, I naturally shared my faith life with the students, taught them to give their worries to the Lord Jesus through prayer, and even taught them to memorize some Bible verses so that they could understand God’s words and Human words are different; they are reliable teachings and contain truth and righteousness. Sometimes, I enthusiastically invite everyone and students with difficulties to attend Sunday school and worship at the church. I also help students recognize their own weaknesses, teach them to explore their strengths and talents, and inspire them with directions for further development!
What can we do on campus and in our communities for the next generation who are confused?
In 1980, by the grace of God, the Department of Bilingual Education of the New York City Department of Education hired me as a Program Specialist, Office of Bilingual Education. My job is to supervise the legal use of the government's annual special funds by local schools to help develop bilingual education courses so that all bilingual students in the city receive additional help and can reach the standards as soon as possible and not fall behind. For this reason, I want to inspect and supervise schools in various districts, so that I can have a deeper understanding of the education system and the learning difficulties of students. Here are a few examples from my years of experience.
Speak up for student misunderstandings
I remember once going to visit a male student in a Bronx elementary school. This student had to wear a hat to class every day and would not take it off no matter what. If he took it off forcibly, he would hit someone. The school had no choice but to ask the student to stay in the Academic Affairs Office and not attend classes. When I went to school to meet with parents, teachers and children, I found out that the reason why the child refused to take off his hat was because he thought the hair shaved by his parents did not look good and was afraid of being laughed at. I spent some time talking to the student alone. I first recognized the child's behavior with an accepting attitude, and then used love to encourage him to express himself in words in the group instead of insisting on his own way. After the ten-year-old child understood the school's rules, he agreed not to wear a hat again and went back to class happily!
Helping students escape shooting tragedy
One day many years ago, I was patrolling my school, and suddenly a tenth-grade boy came to me in a panic and asked to sit in my office. I wasn't familiar with this student, so my gut told me that something was up. After asking, he found out that someone was chasing him because of his girlfriend, and that person was waiting for him outside the school gate downstairs! His words of love were urgent, and he begged me to save his life. He also told me that he had brought a gun with him and wanted to fight with them. However, he knew that there were many people on the other side and was outnumbered, so he came to me for help.
It was obvious that this young man was desperate! I asked him what his next step was? Do you just sit in the office until dark? Or do you want me to call the police to arrest him? That's how we started talking.
I asked him, "Have you ever thought about the purpose of your life? What do you believe in?" We talked about how Jesus can change people's lives, give us a rich and purposeful life, and invited him to believe in Jesus! Share with him how Jesus has changed me and led me to testify, and finally invite him to church. He didn't agree, but he didn't refuse either. We chatted for a long time, and in the blink of an eye, when school was over in the afternoon, all the students who blocked the building downstairs and threatened to fight with him and hunt him down were all gone. He quietly slipped away through the back door and returned home safely.
▲There are many difficult and complicated diseases in students’ minds that need to be treated.
Helping students and parents overcome panic
Another day, an adult man broke into my office angrily despite the obstruction of the security personnel, saying that he wanted to go into the classroom to find his sister, because her sister had not been home for two or three days, and he came to check whether her sister had gone to school today. ? I saw a gun hanging on him at a glance! Seeing that his mental attitude was not stable, I quickly comforted him, persuaded him to calm down first, enlightened him with good words, and explained the school's rules to him, explaining that even parents cannot enter the classroom to find anyone at will.
I opened up the conversation and took the initiative to ask my sister why she left home, and learned more about their family background, and said that I would do my best to help them! God’s grace was indeed sufficient. Later, I had the opportunity to find his sister, did some psychological counseling, and finally brought her to the church to know Jesus. From then on, my sister started attending classes normally, and the tense relationship at home gradually eased.
Give students a way out of life
One morning, when I was greeting the students coming to school at the school gate, a female student hurriedly handed me a letter and asked me to read it when I went home. I was patient and waited until the day's work was over. The first thing I did when I got home was to open the letter. This letter really made me nervous and hesitant. I immediately knelt down and prayed to the Lord for wisdom to save this female student's life. Because the girl said in the letter that she might have committed suicide by the time I read the letter.
It turned out that three months ago, the day before her family immigrated, she was raped by an intruder when she was alone at home. She was knocked unconscious first and found herself naked when she woke up. The girl was too frightened to tell her parents the truth. She said that if her parents found out about this shame and humiliation, they would definitely not let it go. She said it has been three months since the incident occurred, and her period has not come for three months, which means she is pregnant. What should I do now? It seems that the only way to end it is by yourself! But before making the final decision, she thought she would tell a teacher who was a complete stranger to her but wanted to get close to her. I am that teacher who stands in the corridor with a smile and greets the students after class every day.
The next day, God, who heard my prayers, allowed me to find this female student early in the morning. I told her that I didn’t know how to help her, and at the same time I said bluntly: "I have no way to help you. I can only ask the God I believe in for wisdom! Can I pray with you? May the Lord give us wisdom to do what we should do." Something!"
After praying, I decided to take her to the doctor immediately for a check-up, and tried my best to persuade her to tell her parents about this matter. Although it was not a decent thing, God helps us, so don’t be afraid! When I was comforting this girl in the hospital, I could only pray in my heart and completely entrust the matter to the Almighty and Almighty God whom I believe in, because I really didn’t know what the outcome would be. The girl went into the examination room, and I continued to pray hard outside. An hour later, the doctor’s test report came out and the female student was not pregnant!
how can that be possible? ! However, the facts are facts. Such an unexpected result instantly changed the female student's life! The Lord Jesus is no longer a stranger in her life, but the Savior with the way, the truth, and the life, truly and vividly appearing in front of the girl!
▲Use your wisdom wisely to spread the gospel on campus.
Bring students to God to seek wisdom and protection
In 1987, I was invited to Buckinghamton High School to create another bilingual program for Hispanic, Arabic, and Chinese students, and I continued to serve here for more than twenty years. One day, the principal unexpectedly asked me to form a "Christian fellowship" for the students! In the past ten years, with God’s grace, I organized another meaningful event—asking students to stand under the school’s flagpole at seven o’clock every Wednesday morning for the principal and more than 5,000 students, staff, and teachers. Parents prayed for twenty minutes. The event is named "See you at the post at 7 AM every Wednesday morning."
Justice can exist on campus. As long as there are teachers, students and parents who believe deeply in Jesus and enter campus life with the gospel mission entrusted by God, the campus will have God’s righteousness. As the Bible says: “You You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:32)
I sincerely encourage Christian teachers or administrators serving in public schools. Did you know that you (you) did not get such a position just for the opportunities you have today?
"People walked past me, and their eyes showed the emptiness and sorrow in their hearts, and they were heading for an unknown road.
The journey of life is extremely difficult, the heart is afraid all the time, and laughter covers up the crying in the heart. Jesus can heal.
The Lord calls us to shine the true light. In today’s world, there is no distinction between right and wrong. The price is too high to preach the gospel to the lost.
When people bear burdens, He bears them with love. Only we can preach the eternal truth.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord. When dreams were shattered, he made a way for others.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord. When will we realize that people need the Lord. "
— Hymn "People Need the Lord"
Interviewee profile
Hui Wong Hang graduated from Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary in 1970 and began to engage in evangelistic work, with the mission of leading people to the Lord. In 1971, he went to New York to study vocal music and educational administration. Won the U.S. Presidential Scholarship and completed a doctorate in education at Teachers College, Columbia University. She got married in 1973, pastored the church with her husband, and has been engaged in education in New York public schools and education administration at the City University of New York for more than 40 years. Her prayers and wishes: Dedicate yourself to spreading the gospel in this life, spreading the Lord’s love through music and singing, teaching people’s hearts through learning, and glorifying the Lord’s name in life and benefiting people!
Journalist profile
Zhou Weiwei, originally from Taiwan, is now a Chinese language teacher in a New York public school. She is obsessed with recording true love stories through writing and using inspiration to experience all aspects of life. She has a son and a daughter with her husband Xie Yongping.