自從3月初收到菲律賓宗親e來一封請求幫忙尋根的信之後；因為積極密集的兩岸三地聯絡~很高興能在短短兩個月~就幫海外孟嘉宗長促成歸鄉認祖夢；並在20120428尋根認親圓滿成功！
首先英文書信~淳菁是先透過google翻譯~知道大概原意後~再請同鄉宏旭和馬來西亞偉明~
兩位中生代宗親居間幫忙完整翻譯；這樣一來一往10多回，除了拉近彼此關係~也破解無法溝通的隔閡~
又因為因緣俱足~康宏旭剛好要前往馬尼拉出差~間接加速確認孟嘉宗長要回到東孚認親的成熟要素；再來又有請東孚宗親康玉超幫忙聯繫尋找其下尾社姪子~終於完成這不可能的神聖任務！也再次印證族人通力合作團結力量大的可貴！而這對自己而言更是很大的鼓勵！
能聽聞並見證到上上個世紀延伸到21世紀的親情團聚~真是無比的感動! 而能讓這段尋親故事圓融；源自一個家庭~父親有兩段姻緣的後代都心懷感恩與歡喜~更加要讚嘆的是其背後有寬容慈善的女性大愛孕育在護持~在閱讀孟嘉宗長e來的＜中國尋根之旅＞一文；深深覺得五月更溫馨；母愛真偉大，僅此向所有康家的母親和媳婦致上最敬禮；大家母親節快樂！
相對於從南陽參加2012年會回台~肩負各省多位宗親~希望淳菁能幫忙尋找在台的親人之請託；也可以有一些些鼓舞作用~雖然大部份的尋親資訊都不是很齊全和完整明確~但透過歡喜尋根成功故事接二連三傳出喜訊~淳菁祈願這許多個案~也能一一佳音再傳~當然也懇請所有宗親一起來祝福和成就！
Journey to China
中國尋根之旅
For years now I have wanted to trace my roots in China, the landof my father’s birth. My father diedwhen I was 6. My widowed mother had togo through much hardship to support our family of 6. Through the years, she had intermittentcontact with our relatives in Xiamen, China. When she passed away in 1977, I thought that allthe links to my father’s birth place were lost.
多年來，我一直想追源我在中國的根，也就是我父親的出生土地。我的父親去世時，當時我只有六歲。守寡的母親經過許多困難，才將我們六個小孩扶養長大。多年來，只有我母親，曾斷斷續續的接觸廈門親人。但她於1977年去世了，我想，我也失去了所有父親出生地的連繫。
In recent years, after my own children grew up and most havetheir own families, my desire to search for my father's origin wasrenewed. My wife and I had the chance tovisit Xiamen inthe year 2000. I wanted to visit thevillage where my father was born but the tour guide could not tell us where itis. I had nothing to tell, no directionsto give except the “廈門過水下尾溪社”inscribed on his tomb and often repeated by my mother.
這些年來，我自己的孩子長大後，已有他們自己的家庭，因此~我非常渴望找尋我父親的起源地。我和我妻子在西元2000年曾有機會前往廈門旅遊探訪；也想去我父親出生的村莊參觀，但是導遊無法詳細告訴我們，祖地在哪裡？因為沒有方向，我也說不上來，除了刻在父親墓碑上的“廈門過水下尾溪社”訊息，這是經由我的母親經常反覆的提醒~才一直在意這件事。
From time to time I would relive stories about our family's Chineseancestry. It was also the fervent desireof my third brother, 孟發, to go to my father's birthplace. Sadly, he passed away in December 2009 beforehis wish could be fulfilled.
不時的常常在想，想重新找尋我們家在中國祖先的故事。這也是我的第三個兄弟-孟發想去我父親的出生地，他的熱切願望。可惜的是，他在2009年12月就去世了，無法實現他的願望。
It was very fortunate that when I was in my province called Zamboangain the southern part of the Philippines last November 2011, I met by chance adistant relative 康美利who is a doctor of medicine based in the United States. The meeting was totally unexpected andauspicious. We had a reunion with hisbranch of the family in Manila. It was a very happy occasion and I at lastknow that we share the same roots with another Philippine family. 康美利has been to his hometown in Xiamen, China. Knowing him was a step closer to locating myown hometown. With his and Kang yibin's (美國) assistance and the helpof other relatives especially 康淳菁 (台灣), 康宏旭(台灣), and 康玉超(中國), Ifinally received the information that I still have a nephew康德勝living in my father’s village inXiamen. I made an overseas call to him onMarch 30, 2012. When I asked him if heknew my father, he told me “your father is my grandfather.” It was unbelievable to hear such words andrealize that indeed this is the connection to China. My nephew knew my parents as well as all mybrothers and sisters. He is the only sonof my stepbrother 孟宗 and the only one of my immediate family left inXiamen. Like me, he has long been waiting forcommunication from us.
非常幸運的，當我在去年2011年11月的時候，從菲律賓南部三寶顏省，偶然遇到了一個遠房親戚叫康美利，他是美國的醫學博士。這次聚會是完全出乎意料和幸運的。我們和他的家人在馬尼拉聚會。這是一個非常高興的時刻，我終於知道，我們有與另一菲律賓家庭來自同一祖先。
康美利已經去過他的家鄉(中國廈門)。知道他自己的家鄉更近了一步。尤其是他和康宜賓（美國）的協助和其他親戚的幫助下~如康淳菁（台灣）、康宏旭（台灣）、和康玉超（中國），我終於收到信息，我仍然有一位侄子叫康德勝，生活在廈門父親的村莊。
2012年3月30日，我打了一個越洋電話。當我問他，是否知道我的父親，他告訴我：“你父親是我的祖父。”這簡直令人難以置信，聽到這樣的話，讓我實現找尋我父親在中國的連繫。我的侄子知道我的父母以及我的兄弟姐妹。他是我同父異母的唯一的兒子孟宗，也是家中唯一一個住在廈門，從我們離開廈門後。像我一樣，他長期以來一直在等待和我們溝通和連繫。
With this astounding discovery, my wife andI immediately made plans to travel to Xiamen. My second son 任德, hiswife and 5-year old daughter, my only daughter 慧玲and her 8-year olddaughter詩妮went with us. We were altogether a group of 7 eager toreunite with long lost relatives in the land of our ancestors.
有了這個驚人的發現，我和妻子立即有前往廈門的計劃。我的第二個兒子任德，他的妻子和5歲的女兒，我唯一的女兒慧玲和她8歲的女兒詩妮跟我們去。我們總共有7位，渴望與長期失去親人的團聚，去拜訪我們祖先的土地。
We arrived on April 28 and left China on May 1. During those days, many stories were toldthat helped us recreate our family history. My father's first wife was the mother of my stepbrother 孟宗. After his first wife passed away, my fathergot married to my mother in Chinaand thereafter both left for the Philippines. My parents went back once for the wedding of 孟宗. The war that broke out soon after theymigrated to the Philippinesand the hard years that followed my father's death made it impossible for mymother to return. As for孟宗, he left for the Philippines 7months after his marriage and never revisited. His wife did not remarry and instead dedicated herself to raising theironly son德勝, taking care of the 4 grandchildren after德勝got married and guardingthe ancestral place as my father requested. She passed away 15 years ago. Akind, honourable woman, her 4 grandchildren all remember her with muchfondness.
我們於4月28日抵達，並於5月1日離開中國。在那一段期間，聽到許多故事，幫助我們重建我們的家族史。
我父親的第一任妻子是我的同父異母孟宗的母親。父親的第一任妻子去世後，我的父親在中國再娶了我的母親，之後雙方離開菲律賓。
我父母回去一次，參加孟宗的婚禮。但戰爭爆發後不久，他們遷移到菲律賓，過著艱苦的歲月裡，之後我父親的去世，媽媽不可能再回去中國。
至於孟宗，在他的結婚七個月後，他前往菲律賓，就再也沒回到中國。而他的妻子沒有再婚，而專注扶養他們唯一的兒子德勝，以及德勝結婚後的四個孫子的照顧，和守護著祖先的地方作為父親的要求。
不幸的，她也於15年前去世。她是如此的親切的一位偉大的母親，她的四位孫子都非常懷念她也非常喜愛她。
My nephew’s four children are allsuccessful in their own lives, very admirable considering the poverty of yearsago. He and his wife now have 10grandchildren! He jests that just one ofhim multiplied and became 20!
我非常欽佩我的侄子及他的四個孩子，他們從過去多年的貧困生活中，到現在成功地過著他們自己的生活。侄子和他的妻子現在有10位孫子孫女！他開玩笑的說，很快會倍數成長，會有20位孫子孫女！
It was a very touching experience for mywhole family. Stepping into the oldhouse where my father came from gave me mixed feelings of sadness, joy,serenity and most of all, a sense of fulfilment of my long held wish. I am also grateful that my nephew never leftand maintained my ancestral place. Allin all, my family has lived in that place in過水下尾溪社for more than a century!
這是我全家一個非常感人的經驗。步入我父親的老房子，給了我的悲傷、喜悅、平靜，但最重要的是，我實現了我長期等待的願望的那種感覺。我也很感謝我的侄子，他從來沒有離開過並守護我的祖先的土地。總的說來，我的家人一直住在過水下尾溪社，已經一個多世紀！
德勝 and his wife treasure the picture and thememories they have of my mother. Theytold me about the kindness my mother had shown them when she was stillalive. During the years of hardship in China anddespite her own struggles, she used to send them money. I was moved by their remembrances and by theopenness with which they welcomed us to their family.
德勝和他的妻子珍藏我媽媽照片和回憶。他們告訴我，我的母親非常仁慈和善良，在她還活著時，在中國困難的年代，儘管她自己的生活困苦，但她還是會寄錢給他們。藉由他們的回憶，和公開的歡迎我們到他們的家庭，我真的很感動！
I hope that future generations of the “康” family will always value our Chinese ancestryand never forget our historical roots. Thisis the common thread running through our lives. It has definitely been worth searchingfor!
我希望，“康”氏家族的後代將永遠珍惜我們的中國祖先，並永遠不會忘記我們的歷史根源。這是我們從生活中，共通運作的脈絡，也是絶對肯定值得尋找！
康孟嘉 May 7,2012
感動再次從影像看見這個熟悉的地方
只是2010年淳菁來此尋根沒上香罷了
衷心祈願
目前成為老人活動中心的康氏宗祠
有一天能再建立起來
敘說不盡的諸多疑問
及大家好奇的話題應會再延續
海外失聯100多年的同宗親人能再見面~
這份情~真的是無法用言語來形容的...
一切就是恭喜與祝福
並感恩祖先的靈感安排
讓康氏所有宗親都能在這世紀
串連且凝聚和諧的團圓
請記得大家要保持聯繫喔
再次恭喜菲律賓康孟嘉宗長
尋根圓滿大成功！
終於回到廈門海滄區
東孚鎮東瑤村下尾社祖地
~~~咱們有緣總會相逢的~~~
附錄e信交流5則
1. 孟嘉宗長吉祥!
因為聽宏旭說孟嘉宗長將在4月28日前往東孚~所以才鼓起勇氣打電話給您~想不到說台語真的可以說得通~好開心喔!淳菁今天很高興唷~
因為0417-23淳菁也要到廈門~鄭州~南陽~原本想說您們是不是可以提前幾天...如果23日我們就可以碰面了...但看來因緣還不是很具足~因此就等著您們前往東瑤村探親尋根的好訊息分享了....
2.玉超
明天孟嘉宗長回東瑤村認祖~影像請記得多拍幾張e給我~並代淳菁問安!感恩!
3.感謝玉超幫忙將這感人影像拍攝留念~淳菁雖無法親臨現場；但整理也非常感動，希望您們也能將這份感動書寫在下一季的康氏文化分
享，謝謝!很期待！
4.宗姐:你的地址是我提供給美國堂兄康美利，謝謝你能幫忙康孟嘉宗長找到故里。康國瑞敬上
5. 原來如此~淳菁謝謝國瑞~相信有大家的幫忙~尋根不再是遙遠的路~也衷心祝福所有宗親....
延伸閱讀
菲律賓宗親尋根信
廈門海滄東孚東瑤下尾社尋根之旅
恭喜海滄東孚祖籍地康氏宗祠改建落成誌喜
歡喜參加廈門海滄東孚鎮霞文堂康氏宗祠謝天祭典
祝賀霞文堂康氏宗祠修繕落成慶典大會圓滿成功
