[My Testimony on Intermediate School Application] by Aimee Chen
［數算主恩 – 沒說出口的那些、 祢都知道（下）］By 陳語涵（媽媽中譯）
Late 2020:
“What intermediate are you going to?” – was the common question everyone asked towards the end of last year since the Year 6’s were graduating soon.
去年接近尾聲時、六年級生最常彼此問的問題就是：你明年要上哪一所中學？
Everyone asked everyone: their friends, the other Year 6’s, the Year 5’s and then one day they came to ask me: “what intermediate will you be going to?”
大家都會彼此問這個問題、包括自己的朋友、甚至於別班的學生。有一天，有人來問我這個問題了。
“XX Intermediate School,” I said confidently.
‘XX中學啊。’我很有自信的回答
“Great!” They said happily and then they skipped off to ask the next person.
‘那很棒耶！’然後問我問題的人就跑去問下一個人了。
“Are you really going to XX? Asked one of my Year 6 friends who had overheard me talking to the other Year 6’s about intermediate.
“欸米，你是真的要去XX中學嗎？”我其中一個朋友聽到我跟其他人的對話、跟我確認。
“Um… yes…” I said. “But that’s only if I make it through the ballot which is drawn for kids who live out of the school zone.”
“呃⋯對呀，如果我抽籤有抽上的話啦。因為我們不住在學區內”
I was never really worried that I wouldn’t make it through the ballot so I didnt think about it that much. I was pretty confident that I was going to get in.
我當時一直都不是很擔心抽籤的結果，很有信心會抽上。
Sunday at church:
“Which intermediate school will you be going to?” – a grandma asked me at church.
某一天在教會⋯
佩敏姨婆問我：”欸米，你要上哪所中學呢？
“XX – that’s the one in XX but only if I make it through the ballot.” I said.
我回答到：”XX中學，如果我能抽籤抽上的話”
“Well, then you should pray to God that you make it through the ballot.” the grandma said.
“那你要記得禱告喔。”姨婆好心囑咐著
“Thank you. I will.
” I said.
” I said.“我會的，謝謝！”
So from then on every night I prayed to God that I will successfully make it through the ballot.
所以我每天晚上都禱告、求 神保守我能進入我想要進去的中學。最好的同學也要上那所中學。
8th of September:
“Aimee the XX ballot is being drawn today,” said Mum.
9月8日：
媽媽今天提醒我：”欸米，今天是XX中學抽籤的日子喔”
“Okay, I hope I get in.” I said casually.
“喔好，希望我能抽中” 我沒有太擔心的回答
11th September Lunchtime:
I was happily sipping my bubble tea at lunch when mum said: “Aimee, you didn’t make it through the XX ballot but you are 23rd on the waiting list.”
9月11日:
中午在家吃午餐時、我滿足的喝著我的珍珠奶茶。媽媽這時說：”欸米，你抽籤沒有抽上，可是排名在23位的後補”
I was devastated.
我當時馬上眼淚就忍不住流下來了。
A few days later, knowing that I was disappointed, Grandma skyped us one day and said that her friend Andrea’s son was 50th on the waiting list for XX and he still got in. Grandma told me to keep praying and not lose hope. (But Andrea’s son went to school a few years ago)
幾天之後，阿嬤知道我很傷心失望、特地問了她的好朋友。阿嬤說她的好朋友的兒子之前也是靠著抽籤進入那所中學，而且他候補第50個順位呢。所以阿嬤要我禱告、不要氣餒。（雖然說阿嬤好朋友的兒子上那所中學是好多年前的事了
）
）Grandma was right. If Andrea’s son was 50th on the waiting list and he got in then I might still get in too since I’m 23rd on the list!
但是阿嬤說的也沒錯。如果候補50順位之後都能進入了、那我應該也可以。
Soon my parents started to enroll me in other schools. I had a choice, I could either go to YY Intermediate or I could go to ZZ Intermediate. Both of my parents wanted me to go to YY Intermediate but I didn’t like YY Intermediate from my school visit so I chose ZZ Intermediate instead. Alot of my friends will also be going to ZZ Intermediate. So from then on whenever someone asked what intermediate I will be going to, I would reply ‘ZZ’ gloomily.
隨著時間過去，爸媽開始幫我報名其他中學。爸媽想要我去上的中學、我去參觀時就不喜歡。所以我選擇了另一所中學。
之後朋友問我要去哪一所中學，我就黯淡的回答 “ZZ 中學”
2.5 months later….
I had basically gotten over XX by now. Even though I still really wanted to go there I knew that there was no chance.
2個半月後⋯
我已經不對後補一事抱任何希望了。雖然我還是很想去那所學校，我知道已經沒有機會了。
29th of November:
Dad received an email and said in a surprising voice: “No way! You got into XX!”
11月29日:
爸爸收到電郵通知、驚訝的跟我說我後補上了！
“REALLY??!” I said, running over to my dad’s computer and sure enough it said: ‘we are pleased to inform you that Aimee Chen has been accepted into XX.’ I was over the moon!
“真的嗎？！？”
我興奮地跑到爸爸的電腦旁邊、看到電郵寫著：‘我們很高興通知你們，我們接受Aimee Chen的入學申請”
我高興的快飛上天了。
That night I praised God for letting me get into XX and made a promise to God that I will study hard and not let this opportunity He has given me go to waste.
那天晚上，我滿心感謝上帝保守我進入我心目中理想的中學，同時也承諾上帝、我會好好讀書、不浪費我進這所學校的機會。
What I learned from this:
I learned to not give up on God. Even if things don’t go the way you want them to, you should know that God always has a plan for you.
心得：
從這次的經驗，我學習到了：不要輕易放棄 神。就算事情不如我們所計劃的、上帝也有更美好的安排。
“耶和華說：我知道我向你們所懷的意念是賜平安的意念，不是降災禍的意念，要叫你們末後有指望。” — 耶利米書 29:11
Mum’s Afterthoughts:
From the start, I wasn’t too worried about the ballot. I had a feeling that God wanted Aimee to learn a lesson of faith through this. But at the same time, I also stressed to Aimee that, whatever the outcome is, we need to learn to obey. God always has the best plan for us.
So even though Aimee didn’t make it through the ballot initially, I still had faith God will show us His faithfulness eventually. Both grandmothers also had the same faith. However, at the same time, I didn’t promise Aimee any outcome, and proceeded with enrolling her for other schools.
In the end, God surprised us with His wonderful act, once again. We can’t be more grateful.
He never fails.
（I thought Aimee’s choice of Bible verse is quite relevant 
)
)媽媽後記：
學校申請一事、媽媽我心裡一直不是太擔心，覺得 神要在這件事情上、要女兒學習信心與依靠的功課。同時、也教導著女兒要學習順服上帝的安排、哪怕是那個安排不盡我們的心意，我們也不要得失心太重。
縱然後來抽籤沒有成功，我心裡始終覺得上帝在這件事上要我們再次經歷 祂、而沒有放棄希望。阿嬤跟外婆也一直抱著此信念。然而，事情尚未成就之前、我也沒有給女兒這樣的承諾，我還是做其他該做的安排、幫女兒申請其他學校。
就在抽籤沒有成功過了很久、我都不把這件事放在心上時，上帝就用意外的方式給我們 祂的驚喜。
祂從不叫我們失望。
（媽媽覺得欸米經句選的挺恰當的）
）