On the evening of March 6, 2020, Meihekou City TV Station in Jilin Province broadcasted a news story titled "The ‘Heat’ Transfer of a Boxed Lunch”. It reported that a female believer named Zhang Shulan led her family to provide free lunch to the coronavirus pandemic frontline workers. Zhang was the manager of Yuelai Restaurant in Meihekou City. At the age of 68 that year, she had been a believer for almost 20 years. While running the restaurant, she also participated in charity activities.
Unexpected Turn Changed Her Life
With a wide range of hobbies, she had been very famous in the local catering industry before turning to God. At that time, her goal in life was to run the restaurant well to make a lot of money, so later she could do what she really liked.
Yet, despite being busy with work and life in general, her soul was seeking satisfaction, as she felt very empty in her heart, being lost in life directions and goals. Especially when encountering difficulties in business, she usually would pray and draw divination sticks at a temple, or worship idols, for which she not only wasted a lot of money, but also opened a bigger hole in her heart. After losing a judicial lawsuit caused by relocation, she completely lost hope for life and even no longer had the courage to live on.
By chance, she heard the gospel and came to the church thinking of giving it a try and seeing what would happen. After becoming a believer in 2002, her attitudes towards work and life both changed. Previously, she saw making money just as a way to meet her own needs. After finding God she actively participated in charity, helping those in need. In order to provide customers with safe and high-quality catering services, she always purchased the best ingredients, which the customers highly appreciated.
Faith Became Mature After Trials
After believing in God, the biggest challenge she encountered was about the lease contract of her restaurant. Planning to take back the premises once the lease contract expired, the landlord violated their original agreement and stopped renewing the contract. It turned out that the landlord wanted to take advantage of the booming restaurant run by Zhang, and to then manage it himself upon the expiration of the venue lease contract.
Yuelai Resaurant was forced to relocate and restarted operations. With the help of the church executive pastor and staff, Zhang began to select a new location, prepare funds, and sign a new venue lease contract, stepping into her new entrepreneurial journey. She started all over again with confidence and heartfelt management, so her business quickly became successful. On the contrary, it didn’t take long for the landlord who broke the contract with her to close his restaurant due to poor management.
Practice Good Deeds
After believing in God and receiving his grace, the female Christian worked hard to preach the gospel, especially to her old friends. Whenever she had the opportunity, she would tell them the essentials of the gospel. As Zhang herself has always lived up to her words, many friends of her begin to believe in Jesus, as they feel her kindness and love. Besides contributing to churches on remote borders where ethnic minorities are populated, she regularly visited elderly orphans in nursing homes in spring and autumn every year, bringing them daily necessities.
Provide Free lunch to Help the Pandemic Prevention
Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, after discussing with her family, she decided to provide free lunch for the pandemic prevention and control staff in residential compounds with no maintenance services in Meihekou City starting on February 14, 2021. Due to the impact of the pandemic, her restaurant had suspended operations, with a shortage of staff for this action. As her whole family was called into action, she became the chef, while her husband drove the car, together with their daughter who was responsible for delivering food according to the needs of prevention and control checkpoints.
The restaurant didn’t stop providing free lunch until the local prevention and control checkpoints were removed when the pandemic was basically under control.
- Translated by Shuya Wang
2020年3月6日晚，吉林省梅河口市电视台在新闻节目中播出了题为《一份盒饭的“热”传递》的报道，报道了张淑兰姊妹带领家人为疫情防控工作人员提供爱心午餐的事迹。张淑兰姊妹是梅河口市悦来饭店经理，已经68岁，信主也快二十年了。她在经营饭店的同时，还积极参与公益慈善活动。
1、遇波折改变人生
张淑兰姊妹爱好广泛，没信主之前，她在当地的餐饮业就很有名气，当时她的人生目标就是把饭店经营好，赚很多钱，好去做自己喜欢的事情。
尽管工作和生活很忙碌，但张淑兰姊妹还是觉得心里很空虚，无法使心灵得到满足，找不到人生的方向和目标。尤其在经营上遇到困难的时候，常常去求签、拜偶像，不仅浪费了许多钱财，心灵更加的空虚。在经历了一场因动迁引起的司法官司败诉后，她对人生彻底失去了盼望，甚至失去了活下去的勇气。
一次偶然的机会，她听到了福音，并抱着试试的心情来到教会。2002年张淑兰姊妹正式信主，她对工作和生活的态度都发生了变化，从赚钱是为了满足自己的需要，到积极参与公益慈善，帮助社会上那些有需要的人。为了给顾客提供安全优质的饮食服务，张淑兰姊妹采购最好的食材和配料获得顾客的普遍好评。
2、遭试炼信心成熟
张淑兰姊妹信主后遇到的最大挑战，就是经营饭店的场地租赁合同到期后，房东违背原来的约定，不再续租，要收回经营场地。原来，房东看到张淑兰姊妹经营的悦来饭店生意火爆，就想借助场地租赁合同到期把饭店收回自己经营。
悦来饭店被迫迁址，重新开始经营。在教会牧长和同工的帮助下，张淑兰姊妹很快重新为饭店选址，筹备资金，签定新的场地租赁合同，开始了新的创业路程。虽然从头再来，但凭着信心，用心经营，生意很快就红火起来。而与她毁约的房东，因经营不善，不久就倒闭了。
3、行善事多有见证
蒙恩信主之后，她就努力传福音，尤其是以前的那些朋友，只要有机会，她就给他们讲福音的内容。由于张淑兰姊妹言行一致，认识她的人都能感受到她的善意与爱心，因此，认识她的人就多有信主的。她不仅积极为边疆少数民族教会的经济需要奉献，还在每年的春秋两季定期探望养老院的孤寡老人，为他们送去生活用品，
4、送午餐助力防疫
新冠肺炎疫情发生后，张淑兰姊妹与家人商量之后，决定从2月14日开始，为梅河口市无物业小区疫情防控工作人员免费提供爱心午餐。 由于疫情的影响，饭店已经停止营业，店内人手不足，张淑兰姊妹就全家上阵。张淑兰姊妹掌勺炒菜，丈夫开车负责运输，女儿负责按防控点的需要送饭。
直到疫情得到基本控制之后，防控岗点撤掉，悦来饭店才停止送爱心午餐。
善经营广行美事 助防疫彰显爱心——记梅河口市悦来饭店经理张淑兰姊妹的事迹
On the evening of March 6, 2020, Meihekou City TV Station in Jilin Province broadcasted a news story titled "The ‘Heat’ Transfer of a Boxed Lunch”. It reported that a female believer named Zhang Shulan led her family to provide free lunch to the coronavirus pandemic frontline workers. Zhang was the manager of Yuelai Restaurant in Meihekou City. At the age of 68 that year, she had been a believer for almost 20 years. While running the restaurant, she also participated in charity activities.
Unexpected Turn Changed Her Life
With a wide range of hobbies, she had been very famous in the local catering industry before turning to God. At that time, her goal in life was to run the restaurant well to make a lot of money, so later she could do what she really liked.
Yet, despite being busy with work and life in general, her soul was seeking satisfaction, as she felt very empty in her heart, being lost in life directions and goals. Especially when encountering difficulties in business, she usually would pray and draw divination sticks at a temple, or worship idols, for which she not only wasted a lot of money, but also opened a bigger hole in her heart. After losing a judicial lawsuit caused by relocation, she completely lost hope for life and even no longer had the courage to live on.
By chance, she heard the gospel and came to the church thinking of giving it a try and seeing what would happen. After becoming a believer in 2002, her attitudes towards work and life both changed. Previously, she saw making money just as a way to meet her own needs. After finding God she actively participated in charity, helping those in need. In order to provide customers with safe and high-quality catering services, she always purchased the best ingredients, which the customers highly appreciated.
Faith Became Mature After Trials
After believing in God, the biggest challenge she encountered was about the lease contract of her restaurant. Planning to take back the premises once the lease contract expired, the landlord violated their original agreement and stopped renewing the contract. It turned out that the landlord wanted to take advantage of the booming restaurant run by Zhang, and to then manage it himself upon the expiration of the venue lease contract.
Yuelai Resaurant was forced to relocate and restarted operations. With the help of the church executive pastor and staff, Zhang began to select a new location, prepare funds, and sign a new venue lease contract, stepping into her new entrepreneurial journey. She started all over again with confidence and heartfelt management, so her business quickly became successful. On the contrary, it didn’t take long for the landlord who broke the contract with her to close his restaurant due to poor management.
Practice Good Deeds
After believing in God and receiving his grace, the female Christian worked hard to preach the gospel, especially to her old friends. Whenever she had the opportunity, she would tell them the essentials of the gospel. As Zhang herself has always lived up to her words, many friends of her begin to believe in Jesus, as they feel her kindness and love. Besides contributing to churches on remote borders where ethnic minorities are populated, she regularly visited elderly orphans in nursing homes in spring and autumn every year, bringing them daily necessities.
Provide Free lunch to Help the Pandemic Prevention
Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, after discussing with her family, she decided to provide free lunch for the pandemic prevention and control staff in residential compounds with no maintenance services in Meihekou City starting on February 14, 2021. Due to the impact of the pandemic, her restaurant had suspended operations, with a shortage of staff for this action. As her whole family was called into action, she became the chef, while her husband drove the car, together with their daughter who was responsible for delivering food according to the needs of prevention and control checkpoints.
The restaurant didn’t stop providing free lunch until the local prevention and control checkpoints were removed when the pandemic was basically under control.
- Translated by Shuya Wang
A Successful Restaurant Manager Contributing to Pandemic Prevention
