My pastor was no more than a life his mother nearly aborted. She was a new immigrant. Money and everything else pressing on her meant she did not want him.
我的牧師，只不過是一個差些被媽媽打掉的生命。他媽媽是新移民，經濟和各樣的壓力，都讓她不想要他。
God gave him a woman of virtue. At eighteen she was already a faithful girl in Christ.
神賜給他一位才德的婦人。她十八歲的時候，已經是一個在基督裡忠心的女孩。
When the offering bag went round at church, he said to his girlfriend that this church must have plenty of money. She was the one who taught him that an offering is an attitude of worship.
教會傳奉獻袋的時候，他跟女朋友說，這教會很有錢啊。是女朋友教懂他，奉獻是一種敬拜的態度。
Before the wedding he lost his job. He went to see his future in-laws anyway. His father-in-law was speechless. His mother-in-law asked him, what is your faith? He took the wallet out of his trouser pocket and held it up for her to see. And the Holy Spirit said to him right then: go quickly, and stop being a fool.
結婚之前，他失業了。他還是去見未來的岳父岳母。岳父一句話也說不出來。岳母問他：「你的信仰是什麼？」他把褲袋裡的錢包拿出來，攤開給岳母看。就在那一刻，聖靈跟他說：快點走，不要做愚昧人。
He had moved from San Diego to Costa Mesa and had always lived near the ocean. Once he married there was not enough money, and the only thing he could buy was a farm house in Chino Hills, which in those days was hills and the smell of cow manure and nothing much else. It was a bank repossession, and there were still bullets in it. By God’s grace he bought it for about $90,000.00. The first morning after they moved in he opened the door to take a breath of fresh air, and the smell of the cows made him want to cry.
他本來從 San Diego 搬到 Costa Mesa，一直都住在海邊附近。但結了婚，經濟不夠，只能買下 Chino Hills 的一間農舍。那時候那裡只有山，還有牛屎味。那是一間銀行收回來的屋，裡面還留著槍子彈。靠神的恩典，他用大約 $90,000.00 把屋買下來。搬家第一天的早上，他打開門想吸一口新鮮空氣，那陣牛屎味讓他想哭。
Money was tight, so the only things they went to were the free ones at church. No steak. He kept the family going on coupons, his wife and two children. His soul was full.
因為經濟狀況，他們只能參加教會裡免費的活動，沒有牛排。靠著優惠券養活一家，老婆和兩個小孩。靈魂卻是飽足的。
He often had to drive his old Volkswagen from Chino Hills down to his home church in Costa Mesa. On the way to Bible study the car died on the freeway, and God sent a couple in the Lord, right there on the freeway, who took him along to Bible study with them.
他經常要開那輛老舊的 Volkswagen，從 Chino Hills 去 Costa Mesa 的母會。去查經的路上，車在高速公路上死火了，但神就在高速公路上派了一對主內的夫婦，帶他一起去查經。
At a prayer meeting he asked God to use his mouth in His kingdom. A pastor laid a hand on his shoulder and said he would become a pastor one day. He went home and told his wife. Neither of them believed it, because he was not good at speaking. But God raised up people and circumstances and made him a home Bible study teacher, and the group began to flourish.
在一次禱告會裡，他求神使用他的口，在神的國度裡。有一位牧師按手在他的肩上，說他將來會成為牧師。他回家告訴老婆，兩個人都不相信，因為他說話的能力不好。但神興起人、事、物，使他成為家庭查經的老師，小組漸漸興旺起來。
Then one day someone knocked on their door wanting to give him money to build a church. He said no. He went to his own pastor to talk it over, and his pastor gave him one thing: the business card of a business lawyer. Go and see this man, he said, and let it all be done according to God’s will. He can help you. That is how Calvary Chapel Chino Hills began, and it is still there today.
有一天，有人敲他們的門，要給他錢去建教會。他拒絕了。他去找自己的牧者商量，牧者只給了他一張商業律師的名片，說：你去找這個人，就照神的旨意成就一切吧，他可以幫你。他就這樣建立了 Calvary Chapel Chino Hills，一直到現在。