友人寄了一份資料給我，內容關於一位就讀於兒童福利相關科系的準畢業生陳珞韶 (現在應該已經畢業了) 前往衣索比亞實習的經驗。 讀完之後我不禁生起大慚愧心，反省自己，有別於陳珞韶的勇敢，我所做的一切完全不及格！ 還要再努力、再用功、再更認真付出才是！

    顧及家人與馬老爺的感受與意見，我沒有再多提及想要去奉獻的夢想，光是想去西藏教書就顯得遙遙無期了，怎麼敢再提出更大的夢想呢？ 然而，我知道還有其他的事需要幫忙，我發了一個大願，往這條路上繼續走下去，持續不斷地做下去。 有一天，助緣現前，我一定會走到的。

   以下的節錄摘譯自「慈濟波特蘭五月特刊」。 如果有不如法之處，在此道歉，煩請通知，我會立刻移除。 謝謝！ 

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      My daughter Lori Chen attends Oregon State University with a major in Human Development and Family Sciences: Human Services. She is a senior, and will be graduating this June with a Bachelor of Science degree.

    Earlier this year, she decided to fulfill her internship requirements by working at an orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. At first, due to safety and sanitation concerns, I wanted her to choose somewhere that was more developed and out of harm’s way. Her reasoning behind it was that no one was going to these remote places to help, but these were the places that could really benefit from it. She didn't want to go to a country where they were well off, she wanted to help those who were forgotten and those you don't hear about. She insisted on going. Seeing how she was passionate about what she believed in, it reminded me of a saying. 'Once your children are all grown up, the best gift you can give them is a pair of wings and your blessing'. Plus she is carrying the Tzu Chi spirit with her and spreading the seeds of love. So she packed her bags in January with our love and blessing and headed off to go help the children of Ethiopia...

Gail Chen

    女兒陳珞韶，就讀於奧勒崗州立大學 (OSU) 兒童福利相關科系，將於今年(2008)六月畢業。

    今年她選擇到非洲衣索比亞的孤兒院實習，當初因為擔心衛生環境及安全問題，希望她選擇到其他進步國家實習。但是她說大家都是這麼想，所以沒有人要去衣索比亞。但是他們最需要幫助，所以我要去。看著她如此堅定，我想起一句話: “兒女長大後給他們最好的禮物就是送他們一雙翅膀”，然後祝福他們。更何況她是去行菩薩道，所以她就帶著我們的祝福去了非洲…

  楊振凰

From: Lori Chen

Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 9:10 AM 2008 年1 月11 日，星期五，上午9：10

To: Chen, Gail Y.

 Hey mom,

    I am doing okay, yes, it has been very hard communicating with the orphans but it is okay. Lots of body language and finding words in the dictionary.

    It was very sad for the past two days; because yesterday there was a child that got tested positive for HIV.  Therefore, they had to remove him to the A-Hope orphanage where they specialize in AIDS children; and he had to be separated from his brother who is at my orphanage (Layla House).  And then today two girls, sisters, are leaving for America tomorrow, and they had to say goodbye to all the children at the orphanage et it was lots of tears....

    It has been pretty hot during the day here but colder at night.  The roads here are insane...like totally not roads at all...more like giant rocks sticking out of the road and it is so bumpy.  There are lots of Chinese people here, so they respect Chinese people, they are all here building bridges and roads for Ethiopians. All the children and adults call me "China" for nickname...It is a little weird...But they have no idea where Taiwan is.

    Yup, so I go to the orphanage at 8:30am every morning and come back home around 6 or 7pm...So it is pretty long days, but very worth it.   Today after the classes, the girls there started braiding my hair and now I look like one of them...Tomorrow I will be heading to another orphanage 2 hours away to give presents to the children.  Wish me luck.  

    Say hi to everyone for me please.  Thanks. Ethiopia is 11 hours ahead of Oregon, lots of time difference. And no, not really a phone you can call...I will ask later.

  Love, Lori

  嗨，媽咪，

    我在這兒一切都還好。剛開始與那些孤兒們溝通是很困難，不過現在已經慢慢習慣。交流的時候會用上很多肢體語言，要不就是查字典。

    過去兩天裡我也曾經很難受。因為就在昨天，一個小孩被檢查出來HIV 呈陽性。他們必須把他立即送到A-Hope 孤兒院，那是專門為患AIDS 的小孩設立的。他弟弟還留在我們這個孤兒院（Layla House），他們就這樣被分開了。還有今天，一對姐妹就要準備啓程去美國了，她們必須和所有在孤兒院的小朋友說再見，大家都哭得淚流滿面。

    這裏的白天很熱，到了晚上又冷了下來。道路狀況也很差，可以說幾乎就沒有路。所謂的路就好像是用巨大的岩石連接成的，開在上面很顛簸。這裏有很多中國人，是過來幫助衣索比亞人民修橋鋪路的，所以當地人很尊重中國人。無論大人小孩都暱稱我"China" 。有點怪怪的，因為他們壓根沒有概念臺灣在那裏。

    我每天早上8：30 到孤兒院，一直工作到下午6, 7 點才回家，所以感覺每天都很長，不過一切都很值得。今天放學後，女孩子們開始幫我編辮子，現在我看起來和她們沒什麼兩樣。明天我會去另一個孤兒院，離這兒2 小時路程，給那裏的孩子們送禮物。祝我好運吧，媽媽。

    請幫我和大家說聲好，謝謝了。衣索比亞比奧勒崗州早11 個小時，時差很大。而且也沒有電話可以用，我過一陣再問問有沒有電話可以用好了。

      愛妳的，珞韶 

From: Lori Chen

Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 11:53 AM 2008 年1 月15 日，星期二，上午11：53

To: Chen, Gail Y.

Hey mom,

   Everything is fine. I love the Ethiopian food here; it is very good. It is very long days here at the orphanages...and I have different jobs here every day.  It ranges from teaching math, English, American culture classes, physical activity classes, and infants feeding, to picking up new orphans from other orphanages to traveling to other cities to pick up new kids or give gifts.

   Every day is a new adventure.  I am very fortunate to be able to do this, it is definitely an eye opener and good experience for me.  I cry a lot for the children here, I cry every time I see a child with a fly on their faces or they are not feeling well. Because it is just sad... they shouldn't have to go through that...or they have holes in their shoes...it's sad, it breaks my heart...but then I am so happy that when kids get adopted and fly off to America with a brand new future and family.     

   There are 150 children in the orphanage right now… And kids come and go all the time.  It’s very bitter sweet. They all love to play soccer.  There is no address here, it's more like 4 blocks to the right of the goat corner and then left of the embassy. I am happy here but also sad to see some of the kids here. It’s not always a pretty sight. there all a lot of poverty here and a lot of kids on the streets will go up to you and say "I am hungry" and hold their hands out...so it's really hard to take day after day...I cannot believe it's only a week since I’ve been here....it feels like a year already.

   Yeah, so right now there is a baby being adopted, his parents are here, and tomorrow I am going with them to the embassy to get VISAs and paperwork so they can take the baby home by the end of the week. It’s very emotional. these babies are all very small...like smaller than half the size of a normal baby in the states......so small.....there are babies where I change their diapers and they are about the same size as the diapers...very sad sight to see....

   Okie dokie, that's the news.  Tell everyone I love them please, thanks.

  Lori

 嗨，媽咪，  

    一切都很好。我開始喜歡上衣索比亞的食物了，很好吃。在孤兒院的每一天都很長，每天總有各種不同的工作要做。從教孩子們數學，英文，美國文化，體育，給嬰兒餵飯，到去別的孤兒院或者別的城市接收新孩子，給禮物等等。

   每一天都是一個新的經歷。我很幸運能夠來做這些，這對我來說除了大開眼界外也絕對是讓我驚訝和難忘的一次珍貴經驗。為了這些孩子們，我哭過很多回，比如每當我看到他們臉上停著蒼蠅，或他們生病難受。也沒有什麼原因，就覺得很難受。他們不應該承受這樣的遭遇... 還有每次看到他們鞋子上有洞...我也會很難受，心都要碎了。不過當我看到他們有人領養了，就要飛往美國開始全新生活的時候，我還是會由衷的開心起來。

   這個孤兒院現在有150 名孤兒。總是不停有新孩子進來，來了又走，真有點苦樂參半的感覺。他們都很喜歡踢足球。這兒沒有具體地址，大約就在羊圈往右4 個街口，在大使館的左面。我在這兒挺好的，就是有時候看着孩子們覺得有點難受...這兒並不總是一幅美好的景象。到處看得到貧窮，走在路上會有小孩子追着你，把手伸出來，說“我很餓”。 所以一天又一天待在這兒，真的不容易。簡直不敢相信我才來了一個星期而已，因為彷彿已經過了一年那麼久。

   耶! 現在剛好就有一個嬰兒被領養了，他的養父母都在這裏，明天我就陪他們去大使館申請簽證以及相關的手續，這樣他們這個週末就可以把寶寶帶回家了。真是很感人，這些嬰兒們好小...只有美國正常小孩子一半那麼大... 真太小了。有些嬰兒是我幫着換紙尿片的，他們幾乎只有紙尿片那麼大，看了好心疼。

   好了，這就是我最近的新聞。跟大家說我愛他們，謝謝。

   珞韶

 沒想到菈菈竟然把這件事放在心上，逛街看到這條可愛的藍點點手帕就幫我買下來了！ 真是個貼心的小妹妹！

 十年前，我與菈菈在紐約相識，她善良體貼，我覺得在異鄉有了個親人的感覺。 說來慚愧，我在紐約的許多生活事務都是菈菈幫忙的，那時候我真的是典型的生活白癡。 善解人意的菈菈對人一片誠心，以陽光燦爛的笑容迎接每一個人，對任何事都不計較，前一天才欺負她的人，第二天來找她幫忙，她還是笑盈盈的幫助別人。她是我見過不記仇、待人寬宏大量的第一人，真可愛！ 她的處世態度也是我學習的榜樣，凡事放輕鬆、一笑泯恩仇，日子過得多麼逍遙自在。