愛，照亮和美 Love Lights Up Hemei
(彰化據點主任雷勇的見證 The Testimony of Marcus, Current Changhua Base Director)
火車緩緩地駛入彰化火車站，在等待列車門開啟的同時，雷勇期待地看著窗外，心想：「這會是上帝呼召來的地方嗎？」雷勇從小生長在巴西。到這刻為止，他已經在臺北青年使命團服事了8年。自從當年臺北青年使命團計劃開拓新的宣教據點，神就在他的心中種下了去開拓的負擔。經過了幾年的預備，這是他第二趟的探勘之旅，也是神帶領他走進應許之地的第一步。
The train stopped at Changhua station. As Marcus waited for the doors to open, his heart filled with expectation. “Will this be the place God calls me to?” Marcus thought to himself. Marcus is originally from Brazil, and at this point, had been with YWAM Taipei for 8 years. His heart for pioneering began to form when the Taipei base committed to pioneer different missions bases around Taiwan. After years of preparation, this was his second scouting trip. He was about to take his very first step into his promised land.
門漸漸地開啟，夏天又濕又熱的空氣迎面撲來。雷勇的臉垮了下來，心想：「我真不喜歡這樣的地方.......神呀！祢要幫助我愛上這裡！」說完，他跨上了摩托車，開始探索這座城市。騎著騎著，他突然聽見神要他轉進一個小巷子，但他並沒有這麼做。他繼續騎著車，神再次的對他說：「雷勇如果你在小事上無法忠心，我要怎麼交託給你更大的事情？」這次，他決定掉頭順服神的聲音。他轉進小巷，騎了幾分鐘，正當他停在紅綠燈前時，突然，對街上一個巨大的標誌以及幾個中文字吸引了他的目光。更驚奇的是，他居然認得這些中文。這個巨大的標誌上寫著四個字：「神愛世人」。他的心被觸動了，他知道這是神回應他之前小小抱怨的禱告。結束了這趟探勘之旅，Marcus回到了臺北。從那之後，神對彰化的愛就充滿在他的裡面。
The doors slid open, and the hot, moist summer air welcomed Marcus. Immediately, his face dropped. “I do not like this place…” he said under his breath. “God, you need to help me love this city.” Nevertheless, he decided to press on. He got on a motorcycle and drove around the city. Suddenly, he heard the Lord tell him to turn into a small alley, but he didn’t do it. As he continued to drive, God spoke to him again. “Marcus, if I can’t trust you to follow me with the small things, how am I to trust you in the big things?” Just as a little child would, Marcus begrudgingly turned around and went back to the alley. After a few minutes of driving, he stopped at a traffic light and saw a large sign across the street. The sign had bright red letters that immediately captured his attention. He was surprised to find that he recognized the Chinese characters. The sign read, “God so loved the world.” In that very moment, something in his heart shifted. He returned to Taipei that day filled with the Father’s love for Changhua.
最後，雷勇一家人和團隊同工們終於從臺北搬到了彰化，他們住在距離彰化市開車約15分鐘的和美鎮。整個團隊和Marcus有一樣的心志，他們真實地了解神對這個小鎮的愛。而他們的目標，就是盡他們一切所能地讓和美鎮的人可以認識這位愛他們的天父。
Eventually, Marcus moved down from Taipei with his family and team members and settled in Hemei, a town 15 minutes outside of Changhua. The whole team now carries the same heart as Marcus, truly understanding how much God loves that town. And with everything they have, they want Hemei to know the love of the Father.