吗哪食物银行见证 MANNA FOOD BANK TESTIMONY
不再茫然的20岁
文/7979同工
20岁，正值青春年华，但是对于阿萍（化名）来说，不仅要担起一个家，还要承担负债的压力……
阿萍一家靠着奶奶打工洗碗、自己在旅社工作，与爷爷和弟弟过着简单的生活。去年三月，奶奶突然过世，旅游业的工作也在疫情中大受打击，生计顿时陷入瘫痪，仅靠着政府每月少许的津贴维持生活。然而疫情恶化，迟迟等不到各行业开放，阿萍在无奈之下，只好向同事和公司借钱来应付生活，仅存两年的公积金也被领出来动用。当时她已欠债RM8000，旅游业重开的日子遥遥无期，她想转行却又欠着公司和同事的钱，不知如何是好。
茫然无助下，阿萍联络上怡保以琳福音堂7979全人关怀站。失去依靠的阿萍在教会的帮助下，冷静处理了债务的事情，并在教会志工的安慰与祷告中，找到那份平静安稳的依靠。不久后，阿萍终于找到一份稳定的安亲班工作。教会透过每两个月一次的7979吗哪食物银行帮助阿萍一家，让他们省下一笔日常开销来偿还债务和应付其他生活需要。这八个月走过来，虽然债务未还清，但多管齐下的援助，足以让阿萍不再茫然，也看到了20岁后的生命，值得她期待走下去。
A Hopeful Life Beyond 20
Translated by Dawn Lim
Most people are still in their youth at the age of 20, but for Ah Ping (pseudonym), at that young age she not only provided for her family, but she also shouldered the burden of her family debt….
Ah Ping lived with her grandfather, grandmother and a younger brother. To support the whole family, she worked at a travel agency while her grandmother washed dishes at an eatery. In March last year, her grandmother suddenly passed away. Meanwhile, her job at the travel agency became unstable as the tourism industry was badly affected by the pandemic. She immediately plunged into financial difficulties. Her family had to rely on the small monthly allowance from the government to make ends meet. The pandemic worsened and for months businesses in most industries were still unable to resume. In desperation, Ah Ping resorted to getting loans from her colleagues and the company to tide her over. She even withdrew all her EPF which she had accumulated for two years. At that time, she had already piled up a debt of RM8000 while the outlook for tourism economy recovery remained highly uncertain. The loans she took from her colleagues and the company had deterred her from finding a new job.
Feeling helpless, Ah Ping contacted the Elim Gospel Church at Ipoh, a 7979 Holistic Care Station. With the help of the Church, Ah Ping, who had no one to turn to for support previously, calmly dealt with her debt issues. She found peace and a sense of calmness through the prayers and comfort she received from the Church volunteers. Shortly after that, Ah Ping found a stable job at a child care centre. At that time, the Church volunteers also brought Manna food bags for her family once every two months, so that they can save a little on their daily expenses to pay off their debts. Over the past eight months, although the debt has not been fully paid off, the care and spiritual comfort she received from the Church volunteers have sustained her and she’s no longer at a loss. She now believes that life beyond the age of 20 is worth exploring.
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