Visiting Kit I: An Ex-Missionary

Last Tuesday afternoon, when I went for Sarah's tuition, she was not yet back. After making sure that her sister Farah needed no help for her homework, I left their house. I had a choice of a few persons nearby to visit next. Kit's face appeared first in my mind.

I had been at a feast in Saratha's house. After all the other guest had left, she said to me, "I'm going to bring some food to a friend Kit. Come with me. He'll be very glad to talk to you in Mandarin."

Kit, two years Dad's junior, was staying alone not far from Saratha's house. Moving with a wheelchair, he was very independent in his daily life and did all the house chores on his own. He spoke Mandarin with a Taiwanese accent, which marked his previous long stay there.

After that, I saw Kit at a few Baha'i events which I also joined out of curiosity. Sometimes, I followed Saratha to visit him. His place was quietly hidden in a residential area but I never remembered clearly the road. More than two weeks ago, I was invited to Saratha's house for her Baha'i New Year. Later we packed fried bee hoon and two pieces of prantha that she had kept aside for Kit but he was not around. However I managed to memorize the location of his residence.

This time, his gate was welcoming me with an open arm.

From the entrance, I could see Kit's back at the yard. He was trying to turn over the earth with a spade.

"Hi, Kit! Do you still remember me?"

"Hi, it's impossible not to remember you." He was all smiles every time I met him.

"I wanted to visit you alone but I wasn't sure how to come here on my own. Today, I've finally made it. You'll see me more often."

"I'm more than glad to hear that!"

"What were you doing just now?"

"I was turning over the earth to make organic soil."

"Let me help you."

From where I was standing, I saw a wonderful image of Kit and his background.

I took out my camera that I had slipped into my handbag that morning just before I went to work. Without an original plan to photograph, I had almost wanted to leave it at home.

"Do you mind if I take a picture of you? Your red T-shirt and the green leaves behind you make a nice contrast."

"No problem."

"Thanks, Kit. Am I disturbing you?"

"Not at all, I'm very glad to see you."

I stepped into a swing next to him and sat down.

"How are you recently?"

"I've finished writing a book about my mission trips in the past. Now I'm writing about myself."

"Wow, that's your autobiography! I'm also blogging about my Christian testimonies."

"Which denomination are you under?"

"I'm under Jesus, that's all. When I see God, He won't check which denomination I'm under. He'll only care if my heart follows the Christ or not. And God also commands us to love others, regardless their religions. That's why I'm here today."

"It sounds a lot like the Baha'i faith."

"This is what Christianity is about. Jesus was the One who brought this preaching two thousand years ago."

"If you have Baha'ullah, you'll have more."

"But when I have Jesus, I already have all! When He died on the cross, He had done all for me, including my past, present and future. It's written in the Bible and I believe it... Kit, I remember you told me that you had also been a Christian before you embraced the Baha'i faith. What has made you a convert?"

"I was a Methodist. My pastor used to tell us that all the non-Christians would go to hell. I couldn't accept this teaching because I liked my friends of other religions very much. As soon as I heard about the Baha'i faith which preaches the unity of all the religions, I was very touched and believed in it."

"Actually God loves all of us whether we're Christians or not. He sent His son to be crucified for our sins so that all of us have the equal right to the salvation. That's why we believers are so keen to share the good news with those who have not yet heard of the Gospel. Whether we'll go to heaven or hell is based on God's criteria for righteousness, not men's."

Kit listened attentively without arguing with me. I paused in order to let him have his turn to share his faith.

"It seems that your life here isn't boring at all. This is a nice environment."

"I'm stuck here. I used to travel as far as Siberia to share my Baha'i faith..." Seven years ago, when he attended a Baha'i annual meeting, he forgot to bring his hypertension tablets. Unfortunately he suffered a stroke there and then, which left the left part his body paralysed.

Kit's eyes were shining when recalling those adventurous years. The stroke had also affected his speech, for he was mumbling a bit. Nonetheless, I patiently lent my ears to him. I wished Dad had shared with me as many of his past experiences as Kit's.