Gala & Charity Dinner At Renaissance Melaka

Three months ago, When Pastor James first made an announcement about the Charity & Gala Dinner to raise fund for the future location of Calvary Care Home (CCH), I thought it was meant for private companies to purchase the tables. Later, I learnt that Calvarites were also encouraged to support the event by sharing a table according the their cells. But none from my Cheng cell ever mentioned a word during our weekly meetings. One day, I asked Phebe, my cell leader's wife, who told me that they might not be around that evening of 13 December. As the number of our cell members had reduced tremendously this year, and we were still very few even after merging with Malim cell, I knew if I wanted to attend the dinner as a group, I had to look at somewhere else.

When I went back to Batu Pahat in the middle of November, I invited my family members to join this dinner themed "A White Christmas". As my brother Leong's family still could not decide by the end of the month, I preferred to leave the seats vacant to bless other people. First good news finally came from Mr Wong, my formal secondary school principal whom I had met again during the Chinese High School Alumni Dinner and who was going to open an orphanage at Cheng. He accepted my invitation despite his busy schedule in Kuala Lumpur. But it was a pity that Mrs Wong would not turn up.

One day before the event, I witnessed Albert P and the CCH boys' singing practice when I stayed back for dinner at the Care Home. The next day, since we arrived at the hotel together, I had a chance to listen to their rehearsal again.

John and David who felt comfortable to release their voice were placed in front of the microphone. Matthew who was too shy to open his mouth was allowed to hide behind the crowd.

At first, the CCH boys with Albert occupied a table while the workers and volunteers of CCH sat at another table. Then we decided to spit the adults and children. Albert brought over Isaac, Mark, Matthew, Luke and John to our table

while another volunteer Jothy's family and the driver George moved to the other table to sit with Wilson, Paul, David and Daniel. Needless to say, our table was the noisier one, and also most probably the noisiest among all the forty over tables!

While we were having our eight-course Chinese meal, the CCH choir conducted by Albert presented "Silent Night" and "Joy To The World". I had a childhood memory of these two songs which I had been selected by my Sunday school teacher to sing in Mandarin onstage in church with two other girls for a Christmas celebration.

During the auction, I playfully raised my hands a few times to bid a small amount for a medical checkup voucher and was made fun of by the eloquent and entertaining emcee Melvin Aeria. All of us had a good laugh.

The highlight that night was the evergreen singer Francissca Peter, who six weeks earlier had blessed the Melakan audience of the Real Love Ministry's Thanksgiving Fundraising Dinner with her powerful voice.

This charismatic artist randomly invited diners to sing with her. On the third time, we shouted Albert's name. The "principal" of CCH was not only an expert in physics but also a born tenor who had swept more than twenty trophies in singing competitions in the past!

He and three other persons had actually been requested to standby to sing in case there were slots. Due to the heavy programme, he was unlikely to perform at first. But thanks to this song "You Are My Sunshine" in duo, many Calvarites who usually saw Albert quietly sitting in the church with the CCH boys suddenly realized that this brother in Christ was a great singing talent.

Later, Francissca Peter also invited children to sing together with her. After the hamburger eating competition, Luke and Daniel happily represented the CCH to go onstage again.

The evening ended with the last door gift for the guests, the blessed draw, and still, laughter. I had a wonderful time chatting with Mr Wong who had helped me a lot when I was a 17-year-old graduating student going for further studies. It was also a thanksgiving dinner for this helpful former school principal of mine who had a heart to reach out to children and youth.