English version follows the Chinese report.
分會的2023年中國新年晚會在2月4日晚上圓滿結束，與會的約有130人，3年來第一次的新年重聚，大家懷著興奮的心情，在美麗的佈景之下，歡樂的新年音樂環繞，豐盛的美食，精彩的節目，和此起彼落的聊天聲中，在寒冷的早春天氣裡度過了一個溫馨的夜晚。
剛過新曆新年的第一個星期天，趙會長把黃姊妹和我叫到他的辦公室。開門見山地邀請我們倆組織新年晚會，我知道會長團不容易就一口答應了，但是黃姊妹和我都擔心只有一個月的準備時間可能會非常倉促而辦得不好。因此，在收到任務的第一天開始我們就開始討論要如何辦這個節目，當天晚上我們在朋友家作客的時候，發現我們朋友的女兒們會說相聲，當下我們就邀請他們到我們新年晚會上表演，雖然他們沒有馬上答應，隔天我們持續的邀請他們，終於得到他們的認可而同意到我們分會的晚會上表演。
黃姊妹非常積極的把可能的表演節目都想過一遍，她邀請男青年和傳教士長老們舞獅，女青年可以跳一支舞，慈助會準備猜燈謎的活動，也邀請初級會提供一個帶動唱，另外也讓長老定額組自己想一個節目，就這樣我們把初步的節目單定下來。然後我們還邀請了分會的唱詩班也練習一首歌，能夠在晚會上表演。
黃姊妹同時還開始思考如何邀請分會的弟兄姐妹們一起幫忙。她風馳電掣般的製作了一個工作清單和義工徵求表，包括負責佈置的，安排電視音響設備的，負責打掃以及主持廚房。在我們收到指派的一個星期後，我們就在分會聚會時將義工徵求表讓弟兄姊妹們開始傳閱。當我們一一確定的節目成行之後，黃姊妹就開始製作節目單，經過許多次的前後安排，終於把節目單敲定。這期間我們還聯絡了許多的弟兄姊妹，問問他們的節目上有沒有需要什麼道具或者佈置上需要什麼樣的工具？了解了這些需求後，我們在網上和店裡買了一些佈置用的用品。
在這些事情逐漸成形之後，黃姊妹又開始撰寫串場的報幕辭，我在她身上看到許多負責任精神，我一直以為她非常心甘情願的在做這些事情，但其實在她後來的禁食見證分享了自己心情，其實一開始的時候她也有許多的掙扎，認為時間真的太短了，我們不應該接受這個指派。但她受到聖靈的感動知道這是她應該做的事情，所以她才義無反顧地扛下這些事情，繼續往下做。透過這次的經驗，我也才意會之前受我邀請籌辦分會活動的弟兄姊妹們有多不容易。
分會會長團組織了兩次的舞獅練習，另外在晚會的前一天晚上，我們組織了弟兄姐妹們聚集在教堂開始佈置，由於許多人的幫忙，佈置的非常順利。我們還要特別感謝何曉慧姊妹出借大的燈籠讓我們在會場上更有年節的氣氛。
這一切的準備和籌畫就在2月4號的晚會上呈現出來了。當天的節目是六點開始，在趙會長歡迎詞，蔡格文弟兄的開會禱告之後拉開序幕。緊接著在會場上我們準備了三個攤位，分別是剪紙、編織以及書畫，讓弟兄姊妹能在六點30分以前可以到這些攤位與負責的老師們互動學習這些民俗藝術。六點30分到七點是晚餐時間，菜色非常豐富，除了分會準備的外賣，以外還有許多弟兄姐妹們帶來的菜餚。節目就從晚上七點開始由黃新員弟兄和李亭慧姊妹主持，第一個節目是有男青年跟長老們到來的舞獅表演，大家都說獅子非常的靈動有活力，受到滿堂的喝采。接著是由主持人將中國大江南北常吃的年菜介紹給大家。接著我們聆聽了劉淑澄姊妹的精湛的京劇表演，曲目是梨花淚。然後我們邀請問錢長老學中文難不難作為引言，連接到沈睿筠和沈睿恩姊妹的相聲--學中文難不難，她們口齒伶俐清新的表現以及精準的雙口相聲，贏得大家的掌聲。接著有傳教士姐妹包括布姊妹、楊姊妹、威廉絲姊妹、歐姊妹分享了有關耶穌基督的靈性訊息。之後是由夏冰老師率領的優秀學子陈沅媛，宋依妮和李晓潼帶來的古箏表演，曲目有滄海一聲笑，盛世國樂，春節序曲，這些女青年精熟的表演令大家讚嘆不已。
然後是慈助會所主持的猜燈謎活動，每位猜對的弟兄姊妹都得到一個小禮物，在這個熱鬧的氣氛之後是由唱詩班帶來的“月亮代表我的心”，唱詩班是由蔡王麗芳姊妹指揮，鄧揚揚姊妹伴奏。在餘音繚繞之下分會女青年和女青年領袖Huffaker姊妹帶來的新年兔兔兔舞蹈演出，他們充滿活力的舞蹈讓與會的人弟兄姐妹們都感覺到青春洋溢。最後一個節目是由分會的初級會小朋友及他們的家長們所帶來的帶動唱--“感謝有你”，我們邀請了與會的嘉賓一起跟著初級會的節目動起來。新年總要彼此拜年，最後我們邀請了安得森弟兄和姊妹當作我們的耆老，讓大家來拜年向他們領取紅包，小朋友們還可以在紅包裡面找到兑幣可以到蔡王麗芳姊妹主持的雜貨店來玩遊戲、買東西。
就在這樣熱鬧有趣的氛圍之下結束了當天晚上的新年晚會，與會弟兄姊妹在會後自動自發的幫忙把所有的佈置給卸下清掃，將場地還原成星期天可以聚會的場所。許多弟兄姊妹們的犧牲和付出都在笑語聲當中得到了滿足，我們又一次舉辦了一個溫馨的晚會，希望這樣的氛圍能夠讓在與會的弟兄姊妹都能感覺到 神對他們的愛，也能夠讓他們更親近 神。我們感謝有這樣一個機會可以組織新年晚會，奉耶穌基督的名，阿門。
黃新員和黃李亭慧
The branch 2023 Chinese New Year Party ended successfully on the evening of February 4, with
about 130 people in attendance, reuniting for the first time in three years. Everyone was
excited, chatting with each other. Surrounded by beautiful, joyful New Year music, delicious
food, and wonderful programs, a warm evening was spent in the cold, early spring air.
On the first Sunday of the New Year, President Zhao called Sister Huang and me to his office. He
invited us both to organize this year’s Chinese New Year party. We knew it would not be easy for
the new branch presidency, so we agreed to take on the assignment. But Sister Huang and I
were worried that we only have one month to prepare and would not be able to organize a
good one. So, on the first day we received the assignment, we started discussing how to run the
show. We got help from Heaven. When we were visiting at a friend's house that evening, we
found that our friend's daughters could do a Chinese talk show. We immediately extended an
invitation to them to perform at our party. Although they didn't agree right away, we continued
to invite them the next day, and finally obtain their nod. A miracle happened.
Sister Huang was very proactive in thinking about all the possible performances. She invited
young men and missionary elders to do the lion dance, young women to dance, and the Relief
Society sisters to prepare lantern riddles. We also invited the Primary children to lead a singing
and dancing, and let the Eldera Quorum to think of a program by themselves. Then we invited
the branch choir to sing a song. By this, we were able to quickly put together a preliminary
program.
At the same time, Sister Huang began to think about how to invite brothers and sisters from the
branch to help. She swiftly created a work list and a volunteer signup sheet, including those
responsible for the decoration, TV and sound equipment, cleaning, and hosting kitchen work. A
week after we received the assignments, we circulated the signup sheet to our brothers and
sisters at the church meetings. After we confirmed with the program performers one by one,
Sister Huang began to make the final list of programs. During this period, we also contacted the
brothers and sisters to know if they needed any supplies or tools for their shows. Equipped with
this knowledge, we began to buy necessary supplies online and in stores.
After things gradually took shape, Sister Huang began to write the scripts for emceeing at the
party. I witnessed her dedication and determination to bring a good time to the party goers.
I assumed she was doing these things very willingly. But after listening to her testimony on Fast Sunday,
in which she shared her feelings, in fact, she also had many struggles at the beginning, worrying
that we were left with a time that was really too short for us to pull this off. However, she was
moved by the Holy Spirit to know that this was the thing she should do, so she took it on her
shoulder without hesitation thereafter. Through this experience, I also realized how difficult it
was for the brothers and sisters who I assigned to organize the branch activities before.
President Zhao organized two lion dance exercises. The night before the party, we asked
brothers and sisters to gather in the chapel to begin the decoration, which went very well
thanks to the help of many willing, loving people. Special thanks to Sister He Xiaohui for
allowing us to borrow four large lanterns to make our culture hall more festive.
All this preparation and planning was presented at the party on February 4th 2023. We began at
6pm with President Zhao welcoming everybody and Brother Ben Tsai offering the opening
prayer. Immediately afterwards, we prepared three booths at the party (including Chinese
paper cutting, weaving, and calligraphy and painting) for the participants to enjoy crafts until
6:30pm. We could go to the booth to interact with the instructors in charge and learn about
these folk arts. Dinner was served from 6:30pm to 7pm. The dishes were many. In addition to
catering food the branch ordered, there were variable home-made dishes brought by the
brothers and sisters.
The program started at 7pm and was hosted by Brother Charles and Sara Huang. The
first program was a lion dance by the Clayton Zhao and elders. We all enjoyed it, and the lions
were dynamic and energetic and won loud claps. Next, the hosts introduced some of the most
common Chinese New Year dishes. After we visually enjoyed the dishes, we listened to Sister
Susan Liu’s superb Peking Opera performance, wjth the name of Tears of Pear Blossoms. Then we
asked Elder Chandler whether it was difficult to learn Chinese as an introduction. His replies
provided content for the Chinese
talk show by Sisters Shannon and Grace Shen --Is it difficult to learn Chinese? Their precise
articulation, fresh performance, and excellent two-people talk show was one of the highlights
in the evening. Then the sister missionaries, including Sisters Burdette, Yang, Williams, and Ou
shared a spiritual message about Jesus Christ. After that, the excellent students, Chen
Yuanyuan, Song Yini and Li Xiaotong, led by sister Xia Bing brought us the guzheng
performance. The repertoire includes “A Laugh in the Sea,” “The Waves of the Sea,” and "The
Spring Festival Overture." The skillful performance of these young women amazed everyone.
Then there were the lantern riddles hosted by the Relief Society, where people who had the
correct answers received a small gift. The branch choir then sang "The Moon Represents My
Heart." The choir was conducted by Sister Li-Fang Tsai and accompanied by Sister Deng
Yangyang. While we were still surrounded by the aftersound of the choir, the Young Women
and Young Women Leader, Sister Liz Huffaker, performed a dance called "The New Year's Bunny" in
celebration of the year of rabbit. Their energetic dance made the attendees feel youthful
again. The final program was led by the Primary children of the branch and their parents,
singing "Appreciation for You", in which we invited all participants to join. In the end, Brother
Jerome Anderson and Sister Margery Anderson as our respected members handed out red envelopes, symbolizing good
fortune for everyone who received them. The children could also find coins in the red
envelopes and used the coins to buy toys and play games at the grocery store hosted by Sister
Li-Fang Tsai. The New Year's party ended in such a joyful and interesting air.
Afterwards, the brothers and sisters attending the party helped to take down the decorations
and to clean the building to restore the place for our Sunday meetings. The sacrifices of the brothers
and sisters in the branch to make the party enjoyable were fulfilled in the smiles and laughter
we saw on the party goers' face. We once again hosted a warm party, hoping that it would help
the brothers and sisters feel the presence of our Heavenly Father and His love for them, and
bring them closer to God. We are grateful for the opportunity to organize the New Year party,
in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Charles and Sara Huang
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