Merry Christmas to You and Your Family 聖誕平安

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isiah 9:6
因有一嬰孩為我們而生；有一子賜給我們。政權必擔在他的肩頭上；他名稱為奇妙策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君。以賽亞書9:6

  
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7 
就生了頭胎的兒子，用布包起來，放在馬槽裡，因為客店裡沒有地方。路2：6-7

This thousands years old message still rings anew and stirs up such an emotion whenever it is read. You know what, this family of four is going to the Sunday service tomorrow like we always did before Eileen became sick! No one will be left at home alone this time.
這個作古幾千年的信息，每每聽來仍是叫人耳目一新，十分親切。告訴大家，明天我們全家人要一起上教會，這可是藹玲生病後的第一次！不再把她留在家裡。


At Reuben's request, we went out first time as a family for a dinner in the nearby "Italian" restaurant to celebrate Christmas. On this Christmas evening, Hsinchu sky is drizzled with rain and temperature hovers at teen, yet we feel great and joyous.
應老大的要求，今晚我們一家人第一次一道外出到附近的“意大利”餐廳吃晚餐慶祝聖誕佳節。新竹的夜晚飄著雨，氣溫徘徊在攝氏十來度，我們一家人確是十分歡喜。

Wed. (Dec. 23rd) was a long day at hospital like always, yet we came home with great relief when all the reports gave Eileen a clean bill. First it was Dr. Chiu, Eileen's lung doctor. Nothing from her chest CT scan caused alarm and we won't see him until next March. After four month target medication treatment, now she is released to a three month follow up routine like that of her brain situation; then it was Dr. Hsu, her brain surgeon. It was very nice to see him again as if we went to see an old friend and we believed he felt the same way. With his characteristic not-rushed manner and soft spoken tone, he went through Eileen's brain MRI and full body PET scan in details and told us the good news of her brain scar healing well and nothing to worry about her PET reading. We went home exhausted yet happy, very happy.

週三 （十二月二十三日）像往常一樣，我們在醫院耗了一整天，能帶著藹玲的健康報告回家，又怎能不釋懷。先是胸腔內科的邱醫師，胸腔電腦斷層掃描報告無甚異常，我們下次見他是三個月後的回診。經過四個月的標靶藥物治療，藹玲的肺部治療像她腦部的一樣進入到季度性的跟踪檢查；下午去見腦外科的許秉權大夫，我們像是見到一位老朋友，相信他也有同感。一如他過往不徐不緩的態度，溫和地向我們就藹玲的大腦核磁共振和全身正子掃描結果詳細的解說，告訴我們藹玲大腦內的疤痕癒合良好，身上其他器官皆無異常。一天下來身體雖是疲憊，心情卻是好生愉快。

Compared to the above, what we just went through domestically appeared to be a minor annoyance and inconvenience. Eileen together with our maid and the agency went to Hsinchu's labor department to settle the dispute we had with our maid Monday. Who basically quit us barely after two months coming to live with us. Please save me the trouble not to get in the details of this not so pleasant experience. We need a replacement helper and this could take another month or two. Six days passed. So far, Eileen and the boys are working very hard to keep this house in order while Michael is trying to locate a temp. one to alleviate the situation since he is out of the town on the weekdays.  
較之家裡近來發生的事就顯得沒有那麼惱人心煩。週一為處理與印傭的糾紛，藹玲隨我們的仲介和印傭走了一趟勞工處。我們的印傭因不適應，僅僅做了兩個月就離職了。在這裡我也不必就這一段不太愉快的經歷說長道短。目前要覓下一位幫手又得耗去一兩個月的時間。六天過去了，藹玲和孩子們努力地把持著不讓這個家亂了套，永強另一面四下里張羅著找個臨時替代。他週一到五都不在家，家裡實在需要個幫手。

"When the riding horse dies, the rider walks" says Cantonese. Eileen had to run up and down this five story town house few times a day to run the chores herself now. She resolved to suite her own strength and maintained about a stop-and-go pace to carry on the daily routine. The silver lining about this incident is that Eileen and the boys realized how much easier and comfortable their lives were when the maid was with us. This is the first week without a maid.
廣東人常說，“馬死落地行。” 藹玲勉強着一日幾上幾下地跑家務活兒。她也只能量著體力做做停停。這一來讓她和孩子正真體會到有個人在家裡幫忙那日子太舒服了，這才是沒了幫傭的第一個星期。

Until next time, friends and beloved ones, may the spirit of Christmas be with each one of you and your family throughout the holidays and the new year of 2011.
在紀念主耶穌誕生的日子，祝大家佳節愉快，新的一年滿有從神而來的平安。各位至愛親朋，下次再會嘍。

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." Luke 2:14

在至高之處榮耀歸與神！在地上平安歸與他所喜悅的人！路2：14