【世界這麼大，我想去看看】費城-57美分建成的教堂

57美分建成的教堂

A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it "was too crowded."I cant go to Sunday school," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by.

一個小女孩被攔在一座小教堂外面，「因為裡面」太擁擠了，他們不讓我進星期日學校（在美國，星期日學校是指在星期天對兒童進行宗教教育的學校）。」小女孩向一位路過的牧師哭訴道。

Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday school class. The child was so touched that she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.

見她蓬頭垢面、衣衫襤褸的樣子，牧師便猜出她為何被拒之門外了。於是，牧師牽著她的小手，把她帶進教堂，在星期日學校的教室里給她找到了一個位置，小女孩非常高興，那天晚上她上床睡覺時想到了那些沒有地方可以敬奉耶穌的孩子們。

Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings and the parents called for the kindhearted pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements. As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump.

兩年後，小女孩在一間破舊的貧民屋裡離開了人世。她的父母把那位曾經善待他們女兒的好心牧師請過來料理後事。當他們挪動可憐的小女孩的遺體時，從她身上突然滑落了一個皺巴巴的、破爛不堪的、像是從垃圾堆里翻出來的紅色小錢包。

Inside was found 57 cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting which read, "This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School.

錢包里共有57美分，還有一張小紙條，上面用歪歪扭扭的小孩字跡寫道：「這些錢用來擴建小教堂，這樣更多的小朋友就能夠上星期日學校了。」

For two years she had saved for this offering of love. When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion.

小女孩花了兩年的時間來積攢這份愛！牧師淚流滿面地看完這張紙條，立刻意識到自己該做些什麼。他把這張小紙條和紅色錢包帶到教堂的講壇，向眾人講述這個充滿了無私的愛與宗教虔誠的感人故事。

He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building.

牧師還向教堂的執事提議，通過募集資金來擴建這座小教堂。

But the story does not end there!

但是，故事並未就此結束……

A newspaper learned of the story and published it. It was read by a Realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands. When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered it for 57 cents. Church members made large donations. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years the little girls gift had increased to $250,000.00--a huge sum for that time (near the! turn of the century).Her unselfish love had paid large dividend.

一家報社得知這一情況，將整個故事搬上了報紙。一個富裕的房地產商讀到這篇文章後，把一塊價值不菲的地皮以57美分的價格賣給了這個小教堂。教區的人們捐助了一大筆錢，饋贈的支票也從四面八方彙集而來。短短五年的時間，捐贈的數字已從當初小女孩的57美分增加到25萬美元——這在20世紀初，可是一筆相當可觀的財富！

When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300 and Temple University, where hundreds of students are trained. Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds of Sunday Schoolers, so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday schooltime.

現在，如果您到費城，請參觀一下擁有3，300個座位的天普浸信會教堂（坦普爾大教堂），也不要忘了去看一看天普大學（坦普爾大學），成千上萬的學生在那兒接受教育。同時，再到撒馬利亞慈善醫院瞧一瞧，以及擴建後的星期日學校，如今，教區的數百名活潑可愛的兒童都可以進入星期日學校，沒人會被拒之門外。

In one of the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents, so sacrificially saved, made such remarkable history. Alongside of it is a portrait of her kind pastor, Dr. Russel H. Conwell, author of the book, "Acres of Diamonds" Atrue story, which goes to show WHAT GOD, CAN DO WITH 57 cents.

星期日學校裡面，有一個房間專門用來陳列這個小女孩的畫像，畫面上的小女孩是那麼可愛，這個貧窮的小女孩用節儉下來的57美分創造了一段非同尋常的歷史。畫像旁邊陳列著那位好心牧師的肖像，《萬畝鑽石》的作者——魯塞·H·康威爾( Russell H. Conwell)博士。

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