"Cooked" dinner
【Warm companionship】
Oral narration/Interviewed by Guo Zhibin/Liu Shuman
Make dinner and save Taiwan
Pastor Guo Zhibin of Kaohsiung Methodist Church Jiuqu Church has always felt that the church needs companionship, and marriage and parent-child relationships need companionship; and the last thing people today can’t give is time. Spending time with each other, listening to what others say, and letting others listen to what I am thinking can connect family and friendship together, ranging from families to churches. So he promoted "dinner together" and invited co-workers and children to his home for dinner, and then launched the "Make Dinner, Save Taiwan" activity.
The evening is the most lively time of the day for a family. The family gathers in the kitchen, clinking pots and pans, picking and chopping vegetables, joking and laughing. The bustling scenery back home is a museum that many people remember and a source of happiness.
These seemingly ordinary blessings can be obtained without any effort, but not everyone is lucky enough to obtain them. How many children who grew up due to divorced parents, family reorganization, inter-generational upbringing, new residents, foreign spouses, etc. have never tasted the warmth of sharing dinner with their families. Each of them holds a bought lunch box and a computer to pursue their dreams and stars. . The fragrance in your mouth, the bitterness in your heart, the soreness in your nose, the smile in your eyes, the pain and joy of the whole day, who will rely on each other? The dim and dusty kitchen has a faintly unfamiliar atmosphere. The people under the eaves meet each other and stay with each other. For them, this may be the definition of home. Families and people are dismembered, distorted, and broken invisibly. Unsupervised children may get involved in gangs, or go to tea shops to shake drinks, or work as shop assistants, which is a metaphor for the cycle of poverty that cannot be broken out from generation to generation.
Three elements of sincere companionship: heart, time and quality
In view of this, Kaohsiung Methodist Jiuqutang Church founded the "Feiyang Academy" to tutor primary school students and teenagers. It not only provides pick-up and drop-off after class, academic tutoring, and dinner, but also family visits, talent courses, and character courses to create colorful, A healthy childhood of body, mind and soul.
Pastor Guo Zhibin said: "To accompany someone, it is not enough to use 'time', but also to accompany them with 'heart'." Only a "quality" companionship can change the other person. So Pastor Guo and his wife accompanied the teenagers to ride bicycles around the island. The conversations along the way allowed the pastor and his wife to better understand the emotions, studies, character and values of the teenagers. While caring, they also taught the children to learn to care for others and be willing to give.
The church also helps young adults find their lifelong aspirations and missions, helping them plan their future and embark on the road to success. At present, various courses for cultivating skills have been launched, including computer information, computer repair, graphic design, video post-production, interior design, woodworking and decoration, home appliance repair, Chinese catering, Western catering, beauty and make-up, nail painting, hair styling, Muscle conditioning, etc.
Pastor Guo Zhibin emphasized that learning more and having more contacts is the first step to happiness. Everyone not only has a real career, but also an investment industry. Therefore, he launched a career exploration class and invited outstanding people from various industries to share their growth with young people. Experience allows them to see different models and know that there are many possibilities for the future. In the process of learning, we inspire, shape their character, cultivate their abilities and creativity, accompany them through difficulties, ignite their hope, and hope that they will become outstanding leaders of tomorrow and contribute more to society.
▲Pastor Guo Zhibin practices "making dinner to save Taiwan" and invites young brothers and sisters to participate!
The pastor and his family cook a love feast
In the narrow kitchen, Pastor Guo, his wife and their children all performed their duties and were busy in an orderly manner. In the blink of an eye, delicacies were served on the table, such as Guo's braised pork, Thai-style pepper chicken, etc., which made everyone happy. Feeling hungry.
The invited guests have all been cared for by the pastor and the teacher’s wife since they were young. Nowadays, some of them are in high school, studying at university, working or starting a business after graduating from university, and even some are about to get married. Children who originally had missing family members, incomplete family ties, and were identified as disadvantaged groups have changed their lives because there are people in the spiritual family who are willing to spend time with them patiently, teach them lessons, and ask questions.
What has attracted these children for a long time is not a dinner, but a sense of love, warmth and acceptance that they have lacked since childhood. From making dinner to enjoying it together, the pastor and the teacher’s wife taught them what family relationships and interactions are after God’s heart, as well as the biblical values of husband and wife loving each other, respecting each other, taking care of the housework, and treating others with kindness.
Pastor Guo Zhibin calls on all families in the church who are willing to contribute to young people and work hard for the next generation to join the "Make Dinner, Save Taiwan" activity, not only to help others, but also to shine in their own lives. Especially for children who have experienced poverty, their personal experience can better affect the lives of others.
Pass on the "wealth" you receive from generation to generation
When the author first came to the United States, I was fortunate enough to join the Chinese Bible Study Fellowship on campus. Every time there were festivals at home and abroad, I was invited by the professors in the Bible study class to be guests in turn, and I ate all the specialties from each place. I still remember the moment I received the invitation. I felt particularly energetic and motivated when I started reading, and my heart was full of hope and expectation. The professor’s selfless contribution back then still has a profound impact on me, inspiring me to cook a table of delicious food for overseas travelers during the Chinese New Year celebrations, so that I can generously give away the “abundance” I received.
There is an unwritten rule in my family: the menu for seven days a week from breakfast to dinner is always posted on the refrigerator until the three children leave home to go to college. These menus are stacked up over the years. Although they have become yellow and brittle, to paraphrase my friend The banter is enough to make a recipe. Last Thanksgiving, the eldest son and the third child decided to work together to arrange a Thanksgiving family gathering dinner. From making the menu, purchasing, washing, cutting and preparing ingredients, cooking, and setting up the table decorations, the children were completely responsible for it. The second child and his girlfriend are responsible for cleaning up after meals. The menu is not published in books, but it is reproduced in the hearts of children. I originally liked the concept of "cooking dinner as a family" and I have passed it on to my children invisibly. I sincerely hope that this kind of "wealth" can be passed down from generation to generation, so that every family can enjoy the delicious food, enjoy cooking, family affection and a taste of true love.
Author profile Liu Shuman, from Taiwan, settled in South Florida with her husband, three children and a dog. She loves good food, loves sleeping and traveling, and loves to observe all kinds of life and weave stories.