Passing on Grace and Light | 恩典与光的传递

My name is Zach. I’m 28 years old, and today I work at Amazon in Ireland, living a life I once thought was far beyond my reach. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that one day I would be living, studying, and working in beautiful Ireland. But as I look back on the road that brought me here, I see a journey marked by hardship and grace.

I lost both of my parents at a very young age. From then on, I had no choice but to grow up quickly. I learned to cook, clean, and take care of myself. But more than anything, I threw myself into my studies, so books became my safe haven. When I was learning, I could forget, even just for a little while, how painful life felt. People used to praise my good grades, but what they didn’t see was that I wasn’t just studying to succeed—I was studying to survive. Over time, I came to truly love learning, especially learning languages. That’s what drew me to become an English major in college: not just because it allowed me to speak with people from other countries, but because it opened the door to a bigger world—one filled with understanding, possibility, and hope.

I was in a dark place, lost and lonely, but everything changed greatly when I arrived at the Living Hope’s Angel Training Center in Asia. I still remember the uncles and aunties who would visit us from time to time. They brought us gifts, yes, but more importantly, they brought joy. They played games with us, watched movies with us, and laughed with us. In their presence, I felt seen and loved by their company. To me, they truly were like angels. And slowly, the broken pieces inside me began to heal. I started to smile and believe again. And I remember thinking, “One day, I want to be just like them. I want to be the person who brings light into someone else’s darkness.”

In the winter of 2018, during my second year of university, that dream began to come true. I joined a medical group from Living Hope on a visit to a rehabilitation hospital. I served as a translator, helping patients communicate with doctors from the US. For the first time, I saw how something I had learned—English—could be used to help others. It was a small role, but it meant the world to me. In that moment, I felt deeply, quietly joyful. I was finally able to give, just as others had once given to me.

Years passed like galloping horses, but my heart never let go of the people at the Angel Training Center. One day, I felt a quiet voice in my heart telling me, “Go check their website!” and I did. What I found there stopped me in my tracks. I saw photos of each one waiting to be sponsored, just as I once was. I read every story, every name, every hope written between the lines. And then I saw him, a boy, around 13 years old. I was the same age when I first walked through the door of Angel Training Center. Many people choose to sponsor younger children, but I knew that this was the age when support is needed the most. Teenagers are often misunderstood and forgotten. As I chose the 13-year-old boy as my sponsored child, tears welled up in my eyes. It felt like a full circle had been completed. In the past, I was a child in need and now, I am the one who gets to give. At that moment, I understood, with all my heart, what it truly means when people say “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

This is not the end of my journey. It’s just the beginning of a new project. I don’t want to stop here. I want to keep giving, keep sharing, keep lifting others up. Because someone once did that for me. And now, it’s my turn.

我叫Zach，今年28岁。现在在爱尔兰亚马逊工作。我从未敢想，有一天我能在美丽的爱尔兰生活、学习和工作。但当我回顾自己走过的路时，我看到的是一段充满艰辛与恩典的旅程。

我的童年并不容易。我在很小的时候就失去了父母。我只能学着自己做饭、打扫、照顾自己。但更重要的是，我把自己投入到学习中，让书本成为了我的避风港。学习的时候，我可以暂时忘记生活的痛苦，哪怕只是片刻。人们常常夸赞我成绩优秀，但他们看不到的是，我不仅是为了成功而学习，更是为了生存而学习。慢慢地，我开始真正地热爱上了学习，尤其是学习语言。这份热爱引导我在大学选择了英语专业。不仅因为它让我可以和世界各地的人交流，更因为它为我打开了一扇通往更广阔世界的大门——一个充满理解、可能与希望的世界。

我生命中最难忘的时期之一，被“新希望”在亚洲的安琪儿希望之家接受的时候。那时的我，迷失而孤独。但一切在我来到那里后发生了巨大变化。我至今还记得那些来看望我们的叔叔阿姨们。他们不仅给我们带来了礼物，更重要的是，他们带来了快乐。他们陪我们做游戏、看电影、一起欢笑。和他们在一起时，我感受到了被看见、被爱的温暖。对我来说，他们就像天使一样。渐渐地，我内心破碎的部分开始愈合，我重新学会了微笑和相信。那时我在心里默默地想：“有一天，我也要像他们一样，成为那个能给别人黑暗中带去光的人。”

2018年冬天，在我大学二年级时，这个梦想开始成真了。我跟随“新希望”的一个医疗团队，前往一家康复医院做志愿服务。我担任翻译，帮助患者与来自美国的医生沟通。那是我第一次真正看到，自己学到的东西——英语——可以用来帮助别人。虽然角色很小，但对我来说意义重大。那一刻，我感到内心深处涌出一种平静而深远的喜悦。终于，我也能像曾经别人帮助我那样，去帮助他人了。

岁月如白驹过隙，但我从未忘记安琪儿希望之家的那些人。有一天，我心中突然有一个轻轻的声音告诉我：“去看看他们的网站吧！”我便照做了。打开网页的那一刻，我愣住了。屏幕上是孩子们的照片——每一个孩子都在等待着被资助，就像当年的我一样。我读着每一个故事、每一个名字，感受着字里行间流淌出的希望。然后，我看到了他，一个大约13岁的男孩——正是我当年踏入安琪儿希望之家时的年纪。很多人可能更愿意资助年幼的孩子，但我知道，这个年龄的孩子更需要关爱和支持。青春期的孩子常常被误解、被遗忘。当我决定资助这个13岁的男孩时，眼泪不由自主地涌上了眼眶。这一刻，仿佛感觉一个爱的循环终于完整了。曾经，我是那个需要被帮助的孩子；而现在，我成为了能够给予的人。在那一瞬间，我终于真正明白了主耶稣说的：“施比受更为有福” 的意义。

这不是我旅程的终点，而是一个新的起点。我不想就此停下。我希望继续给予，继续分享，继续把别人托举起来。因为曾经有人这样做过，而现在，轮到我了。