恩典河国际教会是香港宣教会辖下一所英语教会。其创办人欧万斯牧师（Daid Aufrance，下简称「欧牧」）曾有十年时间，服侍一群在港寻求政治庇护的朋友。他于三年前已退休回国，笔者趁他回港探访之便，访问他服侍难民的心得。
一九七五年，欧牧只是一名二十来岁的年轻伙子，拖着结婚刚一年的妻子，从美国来到香港，一心想着在中学教书，在学生中间见证神，「三年」工作结束后便回国。没想到，成长于宣教家庭的他，「泥足深陷」地爱上香港，并且在这儿服侍了四十五年之久。
首十五年的他，在中学当教师；接下来约十九年时间，担任国际宣教协会（One Mission Society）香港区工场主任，亦参与好些学校管理层的工作。直至二〇一〇年，他卸下工场主任之职，才开展恩典河的植堂。他们起初借用宣教会恩雨堂团契的地方，二〇一七年正式独立，并迁往石峡尾的滙基书院聚会。
触动欧牧开展难民工作，是他知道在尖沙咀的重庆大厦有一群外地人，因着逃难被迫离开家园，为寻找安顿的生活滞留在港。那时教会亦有好一班菲律宾女傭，她们也是离乡别井，在港过着寄人篱下的生活。因此，他希望能连结这两批漂泊流离的异乡人，给他们一个「家」，让他们感到温暖与支持。
就是这样，他开始每周一次到基督教励行会与难民朋友午饭。透过饭桌聊天与他们建立友谊，亦有举办一些兴趣班（例如：美容、烹饪和英语等），吸引他们回到教会。此外，他们也会开办查经班，欧牧亦曾带领一个专为弟兄而设的门训小组。
「当他们投入教会后，我会给他们一些机会参与事奉，例如：我会让非洲的弟兄加入敬拜团队，主领『非洲式』崇拜。在全盛时期，我们团契有六、七十人聚会，有二十个不同的国籍，我实在很享受这种多元丰富的教会生活。」欧牧满足地说。
「曾经有五至六位来自埃塞俄比亚的求庇者，他们来我们『家』已有数年。他们住的地方空间有限，但得知一位菲傭姊妹临时失去居所，便急不及待安排她到自己的家住下来。」欧牧很感欣慰。
「当然，不是所有人对教会的态度都正面，曾有两位回教徒朋友来过英文班，但看到挂在墙上的十字架，自此再没有回头了。」欧牧淡然说道。
欧牧从没计较有多少难民朋友信主，也没有想过要怎样把他们留在教会，因为他深明他们的生活是何等艰难和不稳定。他坦言教会不是富有，能给他们的不过是点点的车马费与午饭，且他个人力量有限。但他却深信：「神会保护他们，我只能竭力做所能做的！」
综合而言，笔者相信是欧牧的真诚、寛容与仁爱，招聚了五湖四海的异乡人；是他不计回报的付出，使恩典河成为一个满有上主恩典的「家」。原来，与难民同行需要的不是什么策略与资源，而是打从心底的真，以及乐意分享的爱！
Walking along with Refugees: Giving wandered people a “home”
(Approved and revised by the interviewee)
RiverGrace International Hong Kong Evangelical Church (HKEC) is an English-speaking church founded by Reverend Dave Aufrance. Dave has spent ten years in serving a group of asylum seekers and refugees. He retired in 2020 and returned to his home country. I took advantage of his recent visit to Hong Kong and listened to his experience of serving the refugee community.
In 1975, Dave was only a young man in his 20s. He came to Hong Kong from the US with his wife, whom he got married to a year earlier. Since they were sent by a US denomination which allowed them to work in Hong Kong for 3 years only, the couple had never thought that they would stay any longer in Hong Kong. Unexpectedly, after three years of satisfying teaching and flourishing evangelistic work in a middle school, Dave came to fall in love with Hong Kong and determined to serve the city continuously and ended up staying here for 45 years.
On the first 15 years of his time in Hong Kong, Dave taught at a local high school, United Christian College (UCC). On the next 19 years, he served as Field Director of One Mission Society (OMS). During those years he helped start some Christian schools and served on the boards of a few schools. It was not until he had stepped down from the post of field director in 2010, that he and his wife, Cindy began the church planting of River Grace. In the early years, River Grace was an international fellowship meeting weekly at Yan Yue church of HKEC. In 2017, it became independent and moved to a larger place, UCC for church services and activities.
Asking Dave what motivated him to begin the refugee ministry in River Grace. He recalled there was a significant number of arrivals fleeing from his own countries to seek refuge in Hong Kong. Similarly, there was also a group of Filipino maids in the church who worked here to finance their hometown families. Both led a wandering, unsettled life. The missionary therefore thought of connecting them together and established a homelike church where they could feel warm and supported, like a family.
In order to reach the asylum seekers, he began visiting NGO, Christian Action located in Chungking Mansions in Tsim Sha Tsui once a week where free lunch was delivered to asylum seekers and refugees. He established friendship with them by chatting at the dinner table, inviting them to join the interest classes such as, facial beauty, cooking, and English language held in Yan Yue. For those people with Christian background, there were also Bible study classes.
"When they are deeply involved in the church, I will give them some opportunities to participate in the service. For example, I will let African brothers join the worship team and lead "African-style" worship. In its heyday, there are about 60-70 people from 20 different nationalities gathered to worship God. I really enjoy this diverse and rich church life. "Dave recalled.
"There are once 5-6 Ethiopian asylum seekers who had been in our church for several years. The space they are living in is limited, but when they learned that a Filipino sister temporarily lost her place of residence, they could not wait to ask her to live with them. Dave said contentedly.
"Of course, not everyone has a positive attitude towards the church. Once, two Muslim asylum seekers joined our English class but they never came back afterwards when they saw the crosses hanging on the wall." Dave said calmly.
Dave did not care how many asylum seekers or refugee congregants would end up believing Jesus nor how to retain them at the church. He well understood how hard and distressing their lives were. What the church could offer was simply transportation allowance and free meals. What he personally contributed to this community is very little. But he insisted on doing what he could and deeply believe God would guide them and protect them.
In summary, Dave is indeed a kind-hearted and humble missionary. It is the sincerity, tolerance and benevolence of Dave that attracted those desperate people to join the sweet and warm church. I find the keys to “walking along with refugees” are not any kinds of strategies and resources, but the willingness to share, and having a genuine love for them from the bottom of our hearts.
「与难民同行．社群关爱」系列
本文由难民事工小组提供，小组由香港的基督教教会和机构组成，
一直以来支援在港难民和免遣返声请者在房屋、教育、心理、生活上的需要，帮助他们融入社会。
