Sister Yueh on 10/6 - Jenny

Dear Lighthouse,

For all of you who showed up last Saturday, I hope you had a wonderful, wonderful evening with Sister Yeuh. Well, I certainly did. Because of her 40 years of experience in counseling, especially with young adults, she knows how to 'talk' to people. She shared many funny and heatwarming stories with us. I believe all of us went home with a new meaning of what is like to be a Catholic and ready to share again.

During the talk, she encourage each one of to spend 5 minutes a day reading the Bible, using this particular website(s). This website offers daily gospel reading and reflection.:

http://www.amdgchinese.org/big5/spirit/b/spirit_b03c.htm (in Chinese) or

http://www.sacredspace.ie/en (in English)

If you missed Saturday's talk or want to hear her again, this Saturday's retreat is her last appearance in the US. She most likely won't be back until another 3 years. Ken has already signed up to go.

Date: October 6, 2007

Time: 9AM to 5PM

Place: St. Claire's Lower Church

Subject:Saying YES to God with Hope and Love!!!

Please RSVP with Yueh An Pung (her brother) .

If you haven't met Sister Yueh or hear her talk, I strongly encourage you going. You won't regret it -Jenny

Need your support/Jade

Dear Friends,

Here are two funds raising related activities that I sincerely hope you can consider some amounts of participation:

(1) 2008 Holy Land Calendar, see http://epaper.ccreadbible.org/epaper/Activity/070719/2008calenderDM2.htm

It costs $20 per set including one large wall calendar and one desk calendar. Both can be great Xmas gifts to family and friends. All the sales of calendars will support the daily operations of John Duns Scotus Bible Reading Promotion Center ( http://www.ccreadbible.org/).

The Center's primary mission is to promote reading bible among Greater Chinese community. It has also invested quite amount of effort in introducing/promoting other ways of experience to deepen our Christian faith, such as retreats, pilgrimages, small group sharing, bible camps and many other more. I personally benefit A LOT from reading its weekly newsletter and I encourage each you to sign up via its website. Here I am also enclosing a touchy article, posted in this week's newsletter, about the signs of Faith, the signs of Heaven, and the signs of true Life http://epaper.ccreadbible.org/epaper/page_200/175/horarum19.htm

(2) Funds raising for Inter Friendship House Association (IFHA) at Berkeley: the campaign goal is $75K to respond the need for the next three fiscal years.

IFHA is a non-profit organization aims to serve scholars and students from China who study/research at UC Berkeley, UCLA and USC. Its the IFHA's hope that through the received care, support and friendship while study abroad, the individual will eventually become the source of support to his/her own community back in China. The IFHA allocates resources to assist its members' living in US campus, such as affordable housing and occasional transportation. Please see http://www.fuyoucenter.org/Berkeley.htm and the attached pledge card for more information. I will also bring you copies of DVD made for the funds raising and the IFHA brochures to our regular gathering on Saturday. All donations are tax deductible. If you are willing to make any amount of donation, please fill in the form and give it back to me for records.

Thank you for considering any kind of support. I'd be very happy to answer questions or to address concerns you may have.

Peace & Joy.
Jade

Half of a Cookie/Agnes & John Yip

I think this is worth reading....



分享好文章~~半塊餅乾

記得大四那一年，我滿腦子想的都是怎麼樣進入大公司、領高月薪；

如何在短期內還清家中債務、出人頭地等。
很幸運的，我後來進入了國內某知名集團工作，擔任外籍主管的翻譯兼特助。
由於職務的關係，我得以參加很多高階主管聚集的決策性會議，
讓我這個念應用外語出身的社會新鮮人，
得以比其他同輩更快學到很多關於零售採購、談判技巧、利潤分配、業績追蹤、行銷企劃等專業知識。

那時候，我以為這就是我要的人生。

隨著工作時間增長、工作量增多，我變得早出晚歸，
常常大清早還就進入地下道內搭捷運，步出公司時已是晚上，一整天都沒看到陽光。
因為加班，我常挨餓到晚上九點多，
滿腦子想的都是毛利與業績，邊吃泡麵邊打隔天要用的報告。

我忘了要打電話回家關心家人，錯過了和朋友們的聚餐，
割捨了我最愛的籃球和閱讀，忽略了四季的更迭，
更嚴重的是，我漸漸忘了曾有的夢想，也越來越不認識鏡子裡面的那一個人是誰。

於是我毅然決然遞出辭呈，並在一週內訂好機票和簽證，一個人獨自飛往印度，
展開了我人生目前以來最有意義的旅程。

在這趟旅程中，我沒有事先訂任何飯店或做任何行程規劃，
甚至，我連旅遊導覽都沒帶就出門了。

我體驗了「流浪」的滋味，
更重要的是，我透過與當地人民的接觸，了解了生命真正的意義。

在窮苦的印度，連喝一杯乾淨的水都是祝福，我不再汲汲營營，
每天清晨，我划著一艘小船，在恆河上慢慢的渡著，
當時間空間都被抽離後，人就會很自然地回想自己的過去，遙想自己的未來。

當我開始領悟到生命的價值並不是取決於薪水、位階、財產等等這些物化的東西後，
我整人豁然開朗，開始想要多接觸當地人民的生活。

於是我在恆河畔召集那些向觀光客兜售香菸、蠟燭與紀念品的小孩，
他們年紀都很小，有的才三四歲就出來做生意。

每天黃昏我們相約在一個階梯式廣場，由我免費教他們英文，在夕照下，
我們圍成一個圈圈，然後我們在夕陽餘暉中各自漫步回家。

有時唱歌，有時這些印度小孩會拉著我的手寫印度文給我看，
離開印度的前夕，我買了包餅乾，目的是要分給我的「學生」們。

只見他們自然形成一列，一個個乖巧的排隊等著領餅乾，我心中感到非常欣慰。
就在這時候，我發現我的餅乾發光了，卻還剩下最後一個小女孩沒有領到。

我想起身再去買一包，卻看到她失望地流下了眼淚，
心急的我想辦法用簡單的英文告訴她我沒有忘記她，
但因為語言上的障礙使得她難過的放聲大哭。

就在我不知所措的時候，一個大約七八歲的小男孩走了過來，
將他手中的餅乾剝一半遞給了小女孩，接著其他小朋友跟著重複同樣的動作，
一眨眼，原本淚汪汪的小女孩手中已有三四片餅乾，一群小朋友碰碰跳跳的笑著跑開了。

親眼目擊這一幕的我不禁紅了眼框。

原來，幸福就是這麼簡單；
原來，分享是那麼樣的快樂。

而且最令我動容的，是這位小男孩發自內心的舉動，
並沒有來自任何人的指令或後天的教導，全是他發自內心的行為舉止。

那一晚在恆河畔，我想了很多，
為何物質生活享受遠超過印度人的我們，

在精神層面上卻不一定能像他們一樣快樂？
人民所得提高後，是否生活就能夠變得更幸福？

沸沸騰騰的教改，究竟改了些什麼？又教會了我們的孩子些什麼？
現代的小孩子不需要排隊領餅乾，究竟是禍是福？
他們如果不知道挨餓為何物，將來樣怎麼懂得惜福感恩？

如果我們的教育、社會的價值觀乃至評斷人的標準，
都不斷的強調名次、位階與年收入，扣掉有幸能夠符合這些標準的人，

剩下的芸芸眾生如何平衡人生本來就會有的不完美？
如何接受餅乾發到你時剛好沒了？
有幸拿到餅乾的人如何回過頭來幫助沒拿到餅乾的人？

回國後，我一直記得這一幕，並與週遭親朋好友分享這個難得的經驗。
希望這半餅乾能夠激發更多人的愛心與善心，
讓這樣的善行一直傳下去，

讓我們的社會更加溫馨；

也藉由這半塊餅乾，激發更多人去思考更多與我們切身相關的問題，
包括教育、社會價值觀、團體與個人的平衡、貧富差距等。

身處人們越來越趨向於私己的時代洪流，
我想我們所需要的，應是跨越種族紛爭、黨派色彩與階級差別的一種互助精神。

或許，目前台灣社會最欠缺的，是這半塊餅乾吧！

A Silent Retreat/Jenny

Dear Lighthouse,

Here is a retreat information:

Speaker: Sister Yueh

Date: October 6, 2007

Time: 9AM to 5PM

Place: St. Claire's Lower Church

Subject:Saying YES to God with Hope and Love!!!

Please RSVP with Yueh An Pung

-Jenny

*Sister Yueh is the one coming to Lighthouse this Saturday. If you cannt make this Saturday, consider this retreat as another opportunity.

Special Speaker this Saturday/Jenny

Dear Lighthouse,

Don't forget Saturday's special event:

Speaker: Sister Yueh (from Taiwan)

Location: Palo Alto, CA 94306

Time: 7:30pm

Topics: our individual calling as a Catholic, social injustice, single/marriage life.

*Sister Yueh will start the night with a short film. Please, please be on time.

*Snack Person-Phili

-Jenny

Evening workshops on 9/24 and 9/25/Jenny

Dear Lighthouse,

Are you looking for the living water?

Fr. Sun, an expert in Bible, is going to give a two evening workshops related to this theme. See the attached flyer for details.

-Jenny

---------------------

在基督信仰團體中服務的迷思和出路

在服務中體驗福音、堅定跟隨基督的腳步

時間 ：Sept. 24 & 25 (Monday & Tuesday)

地點 ：St Claire, Parish Hall (Main Hall)

教練 ： 孫柔遠神父

7:00-7:30 PM Arrival

7:30-8:30 PM Subject (Talk)

8:30-9:00 PM Q&A

9:00-9:30 PM Prayer

Suggest Readings:

耶1：4—10，耶1：17—19；依6：1—13；路5：1—11；

瑪16：13—28；路22：24—34，路22：54—62；若21：1—19；

Lighthouse: Can you help ? St. Matthew's Church Carnival/Jenny

Dear Lighthouse,

St. Matthew's Church in San Mateo is having its annual Carnival this
weekend to raise funds for its school. The Chinese community at St.
Matthews (MPCCC - Mid Peninsula Chinese Catholic Community) will have a
booth selling hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, nachos, watermelon juice, and
coffee, and they are looking for volunteers to help staff the booth for
2 hour shifts. The booth will be open from noon to 6pm on Saturday and
from 10am to 6pm on Sunday.

Last year, Amy, Wenlan, Simon, Eugene & Martina worked in the booth and
had a great time there, so please help if you can by contacting
Martina:

Thanks.

Advent Weekend Retreat Information/Jenny

Dear Lighthouse,

Advent is still a few months away. But it is not too early to think about attending a retreat during this special season in Catholic Church. This retreat is specially designed to prepare us the coming of Advent season.

You will find everything you need to know about this retreat in the attached files. -Jenny

Subject: Advent Weekend Retreat Information

From: Cris Chen

Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2007 11:12:18 -0700 (PDT)

Dear All:

Peace...

Attached, please find the Advent Weekend Retreat information files for your group's reference. The information includes:

1. Retreat Flyer;

2. Retreat Registration Form;

3. Retreat Fee & Donation

Please let me know if you do have any concern or question regarding Retreat issue, you can send me e-mail.

In Crist,

Cris

Wen Lan's Press Flower Artwork booth at San Jose Tapestry Art Festival

07-09-WenLan

Check out the pictures from Wen Lan's Press Flower Artwork booth at San Jose's Tapestry Art Festival during the 2007 Labor Day weekend. It was a beautiful booth with great products and designs, wonderful display of the elegant work. Many friends from Lighthouse helped out.

More about her work and schedule of her displays are available at www.wenland.com

Good job!