Two times of hearing this song left me a very strong impression.
The first time was about ten years ago, during my former language school German classmate Ekhard and his Japanese wife Eriko's wedding ceremony. The bride Eriko sang this song in Japanese in the church. I did not know it was a Christian hymn. I simply found the melody a bit sad and was wondering why she had chosen this song for that kind of joyous occasion.
The second time was last week when I sang it together with others at Uncle Lee's wake service. As a forgiven sinner, I had truly experienced God's amazing grace in my life.
Amazing Grace
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found.
Was blind, but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
We have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
(by John Newton 1779)
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Uncle Lee's Wake Service
Last Monday night while I was watching the eight o'clock news, I received a short message on my hand phone from my cell leader Jeremiah:
---------------------------------------------------------------
"Uncle Lee Leong Chye just passed away at 7.10pm today due to heart problem. Body will be sent to mortuary. The wake service will be for five days from tomorrow at Jelutong funeral parlour."
---------------------------------------------------------------
The name was unfamiliar to me. We had an Uncle Lee in our Cheng cell but I had no idea of his full name. To find out the defunt's house address, I looked into our church directory and was surprised to learn that this late church member was also living at Cheng. Despite the doubt, I was still mumbling in my heart, "That could not be him. He looked so healthy."
Later, when a second SMS from Sis Doris reached my hand phone, I called Jeremiah's wife Phoebe, "Is it our Uncle Lee?" She answered with a calm but sad voice, "Yes, he is the one. Sunday after he came back from a wedding in Seremban, he was not feeling well. This morning, he was admitted to the hospital and his heart was very weak..."
I knew Uncle Lee after I joined the Cheng cell in end 2008. His tall, dark and skinny body was easy to recognize at the canteen after the church service. Every time I greeted him, he would greet me back with a very friendly smile. A former tough military man, he seemed to me rather like a soft-hearted grandfather. I never expected the Lord had taken him home so soon.
As I had the MLM class to attend on Tuesday and a replacement French class to give on Wednesday, I could only go for the wake service on Tuesday evening. Since I became a committed Calvarite, I never made any effort to attend any wake service of other Calvarites or their family members who had passed away, giving myself the excuse that I did not know the location of the funeral parlours in Melaka. This time, I contacted Phoebe to follow their vehicle to the venue.
In the car, Phoebe told me a touching story: After Uncle Lee had gone to be with the Lord, his daughter discovered a piece of paper in his bible, on which he had written a prayer to forgive a list of people who had hurt him in different ways.
Some of our church members were already there when we arrived. We showed our condolences to Uncle Lee's family members. And my tears dropped when I saw Uncle lying peacefully in the coffin and thought of Dad who had also finished his life journey at about the same age. In front of the coffin were Uncle Lee's picture and a bouquet of white flowers. Below was the bible which Uncle Lee had carried with him for years.
This was the first Christian wake service I attended. I found it beautiful to display the bible as the defunt's most precious belonging when he was in this world.
At about 8.15pm, all of us were gathered to sing worship songs accompanied by guitar. Then Jeremiah who gave a short speech used God's words to remind us that Uncle Lee had gone to a better place where there were no sorrows and no tears.
After him, Bro HS and Bro Bob testified to us how Uncle Lee had faifully served in the church and been a blessing to a lot of people. I hope that when I die, people will also have something good to remember about me at my wake service.
Uncle Lee's son-in-law also shared with us his gratitude to his late father-in-law who had been like a friend to him. Next, Ps Angeline led us to pray for Uncle Lee's family members. The service was closed with worship songs again.
See you in heaven, Uncle Lee.
---------------------------------------------------------------
"Uncle Lee Leong Chye just passed away at 7.10pm today due to heart problem. Body will be sent to mortuary. The wake service will be for five days from tomorrow at Jelutong funeral parlour."
---------------------------------------------------------------
The name was unfamiliar to me. We had an Uncle Lee in our Cheng cell but I had no idea of his full name. To find out the defunt's house address, I looked into our church directory and was surprised to learn that this late church member was also living at Cheng. Despite the doubt, I was still mumbling in my heart, "That could not be him. He looked so healthy."
Later, when a second SMS from Sis Doris reached my hand phone, I called Jeremiah's wife Phoebe, "Is it our Uncle Lee?" She answered with a calm but sad voice, "Yes, he is the one. Sunday after he came back from a wedding in Seremban, he was not feeling well. This morning, he was admitted to the hospital and his heart was very weak..."
I knew Uncle Lee after I joined the Cheng cell in end 2008. His tall, dark and skinny body was easy to recognize at the canteen after the church service. Every time I greeted him, he would greet me back with a very friendly smile. A former tough military man, he seemed to me rather like a soft-hearted grandfather. I never expected the Lord had taken him home so soon.
As I had the MLM class to attend on Tuesday and a replacement French class to give on Wednesday, I could only go for the wake service on Tuesday evening. Since I became a committed Calvarite, I never made any effort to attend any wake service of other Calvarites or their family members who had passed away, giving myself the excuse that I did not know the location of the funeral parlours in Melaka. This time, I contacted Phoebe to follow their vehicle to the venue.
In the car, Phoebe told me a touching story: After Uncle Lee had gone to be with the Lord, his daughter discovered a piece of paper in his bible, on which he had written a prayer to forgive a list of people who had hurt him in different ways.
Some of our church members were already there when we arrived. We showed our condolences to Uncle Lee's family members. And my tears dropped when I saw Uncle lying peacefully in the coffin and thought of Dad who had also finished his life journey at about the same age. In front of the coffin were Uncle Lee's picture and a bouquet of white flowers. Below was the bible which Uncle Lee had carried with him for years.
This was the first Christian wake service I attended. I found it beautiful to display the bible as the defunt's most precious belonging when he was in this world.
At about 8.15pm, all of us were gathered to sing worship songs accompanied by guitar. Then Jeremiah who gave a short speech used God's words to remind us that Uncle Lee had gone to a better place where there were no sorrows and no tears.
After him, Bro HS and Bro Bob testified to us how Uncle Lee had faifully served in the church and been a blessing to a lot of people. I hope that when I die, people will also have something good to remember about me at my wake service.
Uncle Lee's son-in-law also shared with us his gratitude to his late father-in-law who had been like a friend to him. Next, Ps Angeline led us to pray for Uncle Lee's family members. The service was closed with worship songs again.
See you in heaven, Uncle Lee.
Monday, January 25, 2010
When I Was Led By God's Spirit
During my second class on Monday morning, my hand phone rang. It was from my colleague YS.
"Hello, Miss Lim! I'm now in the bus on the way back from Singapore. I'm holding a big bag and I've a class at the city campus at 2.30pm. Could you please fetch me at Sentral at 12.30? Then I can leave my bag in your car instead of carrying it with me to the campus building."
"I've got an appointment at 12.30 to have lunch and pass text books to someone. Sorry, I can't help you." Actually the bus terminal was only about 5km's distance from where I was. However, when a sudden request disturbed my original plan and especially required driving effort from me, my immediate response was usually negative.
"Never mind then, I'll take a taxi."
While I was continuing my lesson, my mind was not in peace. I felt Jesus was reminding me, "You've been sharing the gospel with her. But if you aren't even willing to do her a small favour, do you think she can see My love in you?"
More than ten students were absent from that class because they needed to attend a seminar. So I only did revision exercise with the rest who were present and taught them a song. And I dismissed a bit earlier than usual. As soon as I stepped out of the classroom, I called YS back.
"Have you arrived at Sentral? I've finished my class and I can pick you now."
She had just checked out the taxi fare and entered a restaurant inside the terminal. Since I was coming immediately, she would just order take-away food.
Before I left the campus, I SMS-ed my colleague with whom I had the appointment that I might be late. When I arrived at the bus station in less than ten minutes, YS was already waiting at the entrance with a big smile.
"Sorry to trouble you. I could have telephoned you last night to ask for your help earlier. My daughters always advised me not to do things at the last minute."
"To be honest with you, I changed my mind because God was stirring my heart so that I'd give you a lift. And after all, it isn't far from the campus. I'd feel bad if you have to take a taxi while your colleagues are around."
"The taxi would have cost me RM15 for such a short trip..."
We managed to get a free parking space easily in front of the campus library. As both of us would be free at 4.30pm, YS asked me again if I could send her to Sentral so that she would take a bus back to Tampin. This time, I still said no. But I suggested an alternative to let her follow my car back to my house. Then I would accompany her to the bus stop opposite my residential area which all the buses to Tampin passed by. At first, she was hesitant. Finally she accepted my offer.
This was the first time YS came to my place. After seeing how I made my house a comfortable home, she realized she had been treating hers merely like a hotel to sleep in. She even started to reconsider not to give night tuition anymore so that she could spend more time to rest in her house.
We only waited less than ten minutes before her bus arrived. I was glad to be willing to be led by God's spirit eventually. Not only YS saved time and money, she also experienced God's goodness through my simple act. I give thanks to my Lord who continues to transform me into a better person.
"Hello, Miss Lim! I'm now in the bus on the way back from Singapore. I'm holding a big bag and I've a class at the city campus at 2.30pm. Could you please fetch me at Sentral at 12.30? Then I can leave my bag in your car instead of carrying it with me to the campus building."
"I've got an appointment at 12.30 to have lunch and pass text books to someone. Sorry, I can't help you." Actually the bus terminal was only about 5km's distance from where I was. However, when a sudden request disturbed my original plan and especially required driving effort from me, my immediate response was usually negative.
"Never mind then, I'll take a taxi."
While I was continuing my lesson, my mind was not in peace. I felt Jesus was reminding me, "You've been sharing the gospel with her. But if you aren't even willing to do her a small favour, do you think she can see My love in you?"
More than ten students were absent from that class because they needed to attend a seminar. So I only did revision exercise with the rest who were present and taught them a song. And I dismissed a bit earlier than usual. As soon as I stepped out of the classroom, I called YS back.
"Have you arrived at Sentral? I've finished my class and I can pick you now."
She had just checked out the taxi fare and entered a restaurant inside the terminal. Since I was coming immediately, she would just order take-away food.
Before I left the campus, I SMS-ed my colleague with whom I had the appointment that I might be late. When I arrived at the bus station in less than ten minutes, YS was already waiting at the entrance with a big smile.
"Sorry to trouble you. I could have telephoned you last night to ask for your help earlier. My daughters always advised me not to do things at the last minute."
"To be honest with you, I changed my mind because God was stirring my heart so that I'd give you a lift. And after all, it isn't far from the campus. I'd feel bad if you have to take a taxi while your colleagues are around."
"The taxi would have cost me RM15 for such a short trip..."
We managed to get a free parking space easily in front of the campus library. As both of us would be free at 4.30pm, YS asked me again if I could send her to Sentral so that she would take a bus back to Tampin. This time, I still said no. But I suggested an alternative to let her follow my car back to my house. Then I would accompany her to the bus stop opposite my residential area which all the buses to Tampin passed by. At first, she was hesitant. Finally she accepted my offer.
This was the first time YS came to my place. After seeing how I made my house a comfortable home, she realized she had been treating hers merely like a hotel to sleep in. She even started to reconsider not to give night tuition anymore so that she could spend more time to rest in her house.
We only waited less than ten minutes before her bus arrived. I was glad to be willing to be led by God's spirit eventually. Not only YS saved time and money, she also experienced God's goodness through my simple act. I give thanks to my Lord who continues to transform me into a better person.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
A Weight Gaining And Losing Saturday
David was all smiles when he saw me at Calvary Care Home (CCH) last Saturday morning at half past eight. He knew I would be there early to take him out for breakfast even though I did not really promise him anything.
On the table was fried meehoon prepared by the new cook Matha. But David was still expecting a roti cheese treat from me at an Indian restaurant at Bukit Beruang. While I was thinking whether I would bring Paul along, the soon-to-be full-time CCH worker Mohan informed us that all of us were invited by the former cook Letchmy to her house for tosai at 10am.
So, finally I stayed at the dining room for my first round of breakfast. With a roll of toilet paper, our artistic Luke who joined us later nicely presented my bouquet of pandan leaves as a decoration.
As there were only six boys and three adults, we went with the CCH van in which I sat for the first time. I came to understand why the children always preferred to travel with our cars. This time, Mohan was the one who transported us while the full-time driver George had become the instructor.
As Mohan was not used to this old vehicle, the engine died suddenly very often on the road due to the problematic timing belt. The short journey thus seemed to be a lengthy one and I prayed hard for avoiding any accidents.
The children who had not tasted Letchmy's cooking for more than a month were happy to eat her food again while watching the television.
After them, I was served three slices of tosai with different types of gravy.
Letchmy also poured coffee for us and continued to make those rice-flour based crepes on a hot greased griddle.
I was very full with my second round of breakfast. Our hospitable host still took over my plate to add two more newly fried tosai, one of which I passed to John who had already swallowed seven, eight slices. Isaac probably ate more than that! But I would not be surprised if David, who was at first a bit disappointed at the cancelled roti cheese treat, was actually the champion eater of tosai accompanied by either milo powder or curry.
I said to him, "If we went for roti cheese just now, you could only have one. Now you're eating more than ten tosai here. This is better, right?"
"No, I still prefer roti cheese. One piece is already big and it's tastier."
If you wish to win this boy's stomach, please put a lot of cheese in whatever little food you offer to him.
George was the one who drove the heavier us back to CCH. After the late lunch,
we started our sportive afternoon programme. As no other people came to carry out any activities with the boys, I took this opportunity to burn calories by playing football with them. I was often the "monkey" who was trying to catch the ball from the rest who passed it among them. Very soon, I lacked of stamina. To encourage me to run a few more kilometres, David shouted to me, "Now you've already lost five kilos. You need to lose ten!"
The next game was "Ice-cream soda 1,2,3" which I used to play with other girls during my childhood times. It was not easy to step on the feet of our CCH boys who were hopping around like grasshoppers. Isaac was kind enough not to choose me as his first victim to crash on the feet. But even when I attacked, I still ended up as a loser.
Lastly, I played table tennis with them. As someone who used to get medium marks for the physical education subject, I felt comforted to hear compliments from the CCH boys.
The result of that afternoon's running, jumping and waving my arm: I needed three days to recover from my tiredness.
On the table was fried meehoon prepared by the new cook Matha. But David was still expecting a roti cheese treat from me at an Indian restaurant at Bukit Beruang. While I was thinking whether I would bring Paul along, the soon-to-be full-time CCH worker Mohan informed us that all of us were invited by the former cook Letchmy to her house for tosai at 10am.
So, finally I stayed at the dining room for my first round of breakfast. With a roll of toilet paper, our artistic Luke who joined us later nicely presented my bouquet of pandan leaves as a decoration.
As there were only six boys and three adults, we went with the CCH van in which I sat for the first time. I came to understand why the children always preferred to travel with our cars. This time, Mohan was the one who transported us while the full-time driver George had become the instructor.
As Mohan was not used to this old vehicle, the engine died suddenly very often on the road due to the problematic timing belt. The short journey thus seemed to be a lengthy one and I prayed hard for avoiding any accidents.
The children who had not tasted Letchmy's cooking for more than a month were happy to eat her food again while watching the television.
After them, I was served three slices of tosai with different types of gravy.
Letchmy also poured coffee for us and continued to make those rice-flour based crepes on a hot greased griddle.
I was very full with my second round of breakfast. Our hospitable host still took over my plate to add two more newly fried tosai, one of which I passed to John who had already swallowed seven, eight slices. Isaac probably ate more than that! But I would not be surprised if David, who was at first a bit disappointed at the cancelled roti cheese treat, was actually the champion eater of tosai accompanied by either milo powder or curry.
I said to him, "If we went for roti cheese just now, you could only have one. Now you're eating more than ten tosai here. This is better, right?"
"No, I still prefer roti cheese. One piece is already big and it's tastier."
If you wish to win this boy's stomach, please put a lot of cheese in whatever little food you offer to him.
George was the one who drove the heavier us back to CCH. After the late lunch,
we started our sportive afternoon programme. As no other people came to carry out any activities with the boys, I took this opportunity to burn calories by playing football with them. I was often the "monkey" who was trying to catch the ball from the rest who passed it among them. Very soon, I lacked of stamina. To encourage me to run a few more kilometres, David shouted to me, "Now you've already lost five kilos. You need to lose ten!"
The next game was "Ice-cream soda 1,2,3" which I used to play with other girls during my childhood times. It was not easy to step on the feet of our CCH boys who were hopping around like grasshoppers. Isaac was kind enough not to choose me as his first victim to crash on the feet. But even when I attacked, I still ended up as a loser.
Lastly, I played table tennis with them. As someone who used to get medium marks for the physical education subject, I felt comforted to hear compliments from the CCH boys.
The result of that afternoon's running, jumping and waving my arm: I needed three days to recover from my tiredness.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Agape Care's Thanksgiving Dinner
This year, I no longer look after the Agape Care Centre (ACC) children on Mondays since the single mothers changed their devotion time to Saturday afternoons. Nevertheless, I still help in the translation work and supervision of Johanan's studies when I am available on weekdays.
Even though I only came in as a volunteer in the middle of last July, Agape Care Centre has been very kind to me by blessing me with a free entrance ticket to Real Love Ministry's Thanksgiving Fundraising Dinner, a tasty fruit cake with liqueur and a nice card with words of appreciation. Last December when the chair lady aka my MLM small group leader Carol organized a thanksgiving dinner at her place, I was honoured to be invited among the board, full-time, part-time workers and their family members.
As I could not remember the exact location of the house, I parked at the roadside of the residential area to wait for Siew Hong's car to lead mine. As soon as we reached Carol's house, Siew Hong's three children happily joined two other boys to play chess. They were always excited to come to this bungalow with a lot of space to explore.
The buffet started after Carol and her husband Philip, also my MLM classmate, had given a welcome speech and said a prayer to give thanks to the Lord.
The down-to-earth couple, instead of their friendly Cambodian maid, was the one who put topping on the chapati to serve the guests.
Auntie Gek also gave a hand to cut the tomato-cheese tart.
Not only there was abundant food on the table, at the terrace two catering workers were barbecuing lamb chops for us to serve with three types of sauce, mashed potatoes and French baguette.
Siew Hong and I chose a pleasant seat near the swimming pool surrounded by tropical plants.
At such a relaxing atmosphere and in front of the succulent meat, fresh vegetables from the hosts' farm and mouth watering dessert,
both of us had to temporarily forget about our weight control. Unlike me who walked to and fro to add food, she just needed to remain seated to receive leftover food from Nathanael and Nadine who came to her from other corners of the house. And her plate was never empty for more than half an hour!
After the meal, the adults gathered in the living room for a sharing session.
All of us had learnt a lot from our serving in this challenging ministry. Personally, the friendship and experience I had gained after investing my time, talent and petrol money during the past five months were very worthy and precious.
Now ACC is actively looking for teachers/principal to teach/head their daycare/after-school care. If you are a bilingual (English-Mandarin) Christian with a passion for children from broken homes, why not be a blessing to these children at Kampung Lapan?
Even though I only came in as a volunteer in the middle of last July, Agape Care Centre has been very kind to me by blessing me with a free entrance ticket to Real Love Ministry's Thanksgiving Fundraising Dinner, a tasty fruit cake with liqueur and a nice card with words of appreciation. Last December when the chair lady aka my MLM small group leader Carol organized a thanksgiving dinner at her place, I was honoured to be invited among the board, full-time, part-time workers and their family members.
As I could not remember the exact location of the house, I parked at the roadside of the residential area to wait for Siew Hong's car to lead mine. As soon as we reached Carol's house, Siew Hong's three children happily joined two other boys to play chess. They were always excited to come to this bungalow with a lot of space to explore.
The buffet started after Carol and her husband Philip, also my MLM classmate, had given a welcome speech and said a prayer to give thanks to the Lord.
The down-to-earth couple, instead of their friendly Cambodian maid, was the one who put topping on the chapati to serve the guests.
Auntie Gek also gave a hand to cut the tomato-cheese tart.
Not only there was abundant food on the table, at the terrace two catering workers were barbecuing lamb chops for us to serve with three types of sauce, mashed potatoes and French baguette.
Siew Hong and I chose a pleasant seat near the swimming pool surrounded by tropical plants.
At such a relaxing atmosphere and in front of the succulent meat, fresh vegetables from the hosts' farm and mouth watering dessert,
both of us had to temporarily forget about our weight control. Unlike me who walked to and fro to add food, she just needed to remain seated to receive leftover food from Nathanael and Nadine who came to her from other corners of the house. And her plate was never empty for more than half an hour!
After the meal, the adults gathered in the living room for a sharing session.
All of us had learnt a lot from our serving in this challenging ministry. Personally, the friendship and experience I had gained after investing my time, talent and petrol money during the past five months were very worthy and precious.
Now ACC is actively looking for teachers/principal to teach/head their daycare/after-school care. If you are a bilingual (English-Mandarin) Christian with a passion for children from broken homes, why not be a blessing to these children at Kampung Lapan?
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
David's Birthday Celebration
We have promised to celebrate all the Calvary Care Home (CCH) children's birthday in 2010. The first boy to enjoy this joyous event was David. At first, I was the one who had found out the date. Later, it was his turn to keep reminding me of his big day on 9 January. Since he was the only CCH boy born during the first month of the year, and his birthday fell on a Saturday this time, we planned to hold a small celebration for him on the day itself.
Friday, I had brought him out for dinner before we went back to my place. After using "Sunsilk" anti-dandruff shampoo in a blue bottle, he judged that the black one was still the best. That evening, I allowed him to play a computer game which my nephew had installed in my laptop recently.
The next morning, the birthday boy woke up early as usual. I said to him, "Today is an important day for you. Because you're in the secondary school now, this is your first birthday in the new stage of your life. Let's talk to God first before we seek the computer, OK?"
This obedient boy nodded. So both of us sat on the sofa. I asked him what he would like to pray for all his other CCH fellows, the staff and the volunteers. So I prayed for him first. Then we took turns to pray for each one of them and their families. After fifteen minutes, I noticed David's distracted eyes were no longer close. But I was glad that he was still willing to make an effort to bless others with his simple prayers.
In the afternoon, we returned to CCH. Some young adults led by their cell leader John T were already there playing football
while others were playing table tennis with CCH children. Since the previous weekend, they had been kindly sparing a few hours of their Saturday afternoons for the boys.
Sis Jothy had come with Albert P's car to celebrate David's birthday. She also had a burden to dissuade Mark from leaving the Care Home to go back to his mother who financially was not able to support all her children.
After David, Paul was no doubt the happiest person at CCH that day as he was reunited with his one-year-younger beloved brother. He had lent his short jeans to David to match with the blue shirt which I had given him as a birthday present. This older boy who had a taste for fashion was also wearing a nice combination of brown clothes.
At about 5.30pm, Albert gathered everybody in the living room to brief the programme we had planned for CCH for this year. The long-awaited moment came when the birthday star was finally cutting the Agape Care Centre chocolate cake after all of us had sung the birthday song for him.
The last activity of the celebration was a dinner treat for him at "Ole Sayang" restaurant. Since David was known at CCH as a child who enjoyed eating, Albert thought a meal would be the best birthday present for him. I was blessed to be invited together with my "godson" to join Albert and his "godson" Matthew.
We let David order most of the dishes. When the appetizing nyonya food arrived at the table, David suddenly announced with a serious voice, "Now I'm going to pray." I thought he had amazingly become very spiritual after our morning prayer. We solemnly bowed our heads, only to hear from him "O God, thank You for the food. Please open our stomachs..." We immediately threw our heads back and chuckled.
Four of us managed to finish the curry fish, sambal prawns, tauhu, fried vegetables, otak-otak, drink and cendol dessert thanks to David's prayer! The adults had a nice moment of "single parents' fellowship" while the children were pleased to chit chat and play between them.
Next month, there will be another celebration for two CCH birthday boys. Come and share our joy and fun!
Friday, I had brought him out for dinner before we went back to my place. After using "Sunsilk" anti-dandruff shampoo in a blue bottle, he judged that the black one was still the best. That evening, I allowed him to play a computer game which my nephew had installed in my laptop recently.
The next morning, the birthday boy woke up early as usual. I said to him, "Today is an important day for you. Because you're in the secondary school now, this is your first birthday in the new stage of your life. Let's talk to God first before we seek the computer, OK?"
This obedient boy nodded. So both of us sat on the sofa. I asked him what he would like to pray for all his other CCH fellows, the staff and the volunteers. So I prayed for him first. Then we took turns to pray for each one of them and their families. After fifteen minutes, I noticed David's distracted eyes were no longer close. But I was glad that he was still willing to make an effort to bless others with his simple prayers.
In the afternoon, we returned to CCH. Some young adults led by their cell leader John T were already there playing football
while others were playing table tennis with CCH children. Since the previous weekend, they had been kindly sparing a few hours of their Saturday afternoons for the boys.
Sis Jothy had come with Albert P's car to celebrate David's birthday. She also had a burden to dissuade Mark from leaving the Care Home to go back to his mother who financially was not able to support all her children.
After David, Paul was no doubt the happiest person at CCH that day as he was reunited with his one-year-younger beloved brother. He had lent his short jeans to David to match with the blue shirt which I had given him as a birthday present. This older boy who had a taste for fashion was also wearing a nice combination of brown clothes.
At about 5.30pm, Albert gathered everybody in the living room to brief the programme we had planned for CCH for this year. The long-awaited moment came when the birthday star was finally cutting the Agape Care Centre chocolate cake after all of us had sung the birthday song for him.
The last activity of the celebration was a dinner treat for him at "Ole Sayang" restaurant. Since David was known at CCH as a child who enjoyed eating, Albert thought a meal would be the best birthday present for him. I was blessed to be invited together with my "godson" to join Albert and his "godson" Matthew.
We let David order most of the dishes. When the appetizing nyonya food arrived at the table, David suddenly announced with a serious voice, "Now I'm going to pray." I thought he had amazingly become very spiritual after our morning prayer. We solemnly bowed our heads, only to hear from him "O God, thank You for the food. Please open our stomachs..." We immediately threw our heads back and chuckled.
Four of us managed to finish the curry fish, sambal prawns, tauhu, fried vegetables, otak-otak, drink and cendol dessert thanks to David's prayer! The adults had a nice moment of "single parents' fellowship" while the children were pleased to chit chat and play between them.
Next month, there will be another celebration for two CCH birthday boys. Come and share our joy and fun!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
David's First Trip To Johor II
Saturday, I brought Mum and David to the the hawker centre for breakfast. After that, David was satisfied to stay at home playing online games with my laptop during the whole day as there was wifi in the house.
He did not even bother to explore the town. Since it was the last weekend before the new school semester, I just let him fully enjoy himself in front of the computer and tried to share his interests. So very soon he searched for a car race game for two players and I sat beside him, clumsily hitting the keyboard with my fingers to drive my racing car in the virtual world.
"You can't get a licence with the driving like that!"
It was the comment given by this twelve-year-old boy to me who had obtained a driving licence in the real world before he was even born!
Even though I improved my speed and "driving" skill after several rounds, I still turned up as a loser all the time except for two occasions. He had been accidentally stuck near the finishing line where he had purposely parked his car while patiently waiting for me who was at least two lanes' behind to catch up with him.
After dinner, I managed to move him to make a tour at Summit Parade, the shopping mall which was ten minutes' walk from the house. There he was happy to watch a session of wrestling on a small TV screen at a DVD shop. In the late evening, he followed YT and me to KFC to have an ice-cream and never complained while we two ladies were having the whole conversation in Mandarin.
He is counting down to go to Johor with me again, not for any delicious food or nice view, but for the online car race which even my brother Leong's whole family were interested to play with him Sunday morning just before we came back to Melaka...
He did not even bother to explore the town. Since it was the last weekend before the new school semester, I just let him fully enjoy himself in front of the computer and tried to share his interests. So very soon he searched for a car race game for two players and I sat beside him, clumsily hitting the keyboard with my fingers to drive my racing car in the virtual world.
"You can't get a licence with the driving like that!"
It was the comment given by this twelve-year-old boy to me who had obtained a driving licence in the real world before he was even born!
Even though I improved my speed and "driving" skill after several rounds, I still turned up as a loser all the time except for two occasions. He had been accidentally stuck near the finishing line where he had purposely parked his car while patiently waiting for me who was at least two lanes' behind to catch up with him.
After dinner, I managed to move him to make a tour at Summit Parade, the shopping mall which was ten minutes' walk from the house. There he was happy to watch a session of wrestling on a small TV screen at a DVD shop. In the late evening, he followed YT and me to KFC to have an ice-cream and never complained while we two ladies were having the whole conversation in Mandarin.
He is counting down to go to Johor with me again, not for any delicious food or nice view, but for the online car race which even my brother Leong's whole family were interested to play with him Sunday morning just before we came back to Melaka...
Monday, January 11, 2010
David's First Trip To Johor I
Since the good experience with the Calvary Care Home boys at my place at Paya Rumput, I was confident that they would also behave very well at Mum's place. After an unsuccessful invitation for the following weekend due to events they had to attend in Melaka, I finally got the approval to bring David along with me back to my hometown on the first day of the new year 2010.
I planned to start the journey in the early afternoon so that we would reach Batu Pahat on time to have dinner with Mum and Seng. As we joined Albert P and Matthew for a short outing at Jaya Jusco, it was already early evening when we were on the Ayer Keroh-Melaka-Jasin (AMJ) express way driving towards the south of the Peninsular. It was David's first trip to Johor and he had no idea on its geography. So I used the steering wheel as a teaching material to locate where we were, the border between Melaka and Johor, and our destination.
Rain began to fall and it was getting darker. My four-year-old windscreen wipers could not clear water from the windshield properly, which often gave me an obstructed view of the road. Moreover, the loud music from David's favorite radio station sometimes reduced my focus. I thanked God for granting us journey mercy.
Mum and Seng were away when we finally arrived. I led David to his bedroom, the shower room and the kitchen. As it was still raining cats and dogs outside, I did not want to go out again even though there was no ready dinner for us. So I took leftover rice enough for one person, cabbage and fish balls that I had found in the fridge and quickly prepared a simple meal for David, while he was taking his hot shower.
When David came to the kitchen again, he bowed his head to say a prayer to give thanks for the food, and especially to show me his hair
after using a black bottle of "Sunsilk" shampoo. His voice was full of excitement when describing how the product was good and that his hair had become very shiny and silky!
The next day, David took a shower and washed his hair again. Mum had kept the black bottle which was meant to darken her hair and left him another type of shampoo which was for the family use. After trying the orange liquid, David asked me to touch his hair again and said, "This one is not so powerful. You see, my hair is not shining like yesterday..."
Hello, Mr CEO of the "Sunsilk" company, would you like to sponsor your black shine shampoo to Calvary Care Home for free publicity?
I planned to start the journey in the early afternoon so that we would reach Batu Pahat on time to have dinner with Mum and Seng. As we joined Albert P and Matthew for a short outing at Jaya Jusco, it was already early evening when we were on the Ayer Keroh-Melaka-Jasin (AMJ) express way driving towards the south of the Peninsular. It was David's first trip to Johor and he had no idea on its geography. So I used the steering wheel as a teaching material to locate where we were, the border between Melaka and Johor, and our destination.
Rain began to fall and it was getting darker. My four-year-old windscreen wipers could not clear water from the windshield properly, which often gave me an obstructed view of the road. Moreover, the loud music from David's favorite radio station sometimes reduced my focus. I thanked God for granting us journey mercy.
Mum and Seng were away when we finally arrived. I led David to his bedroom, the shower room and the kitchen. As it was still raining cats and dogs outside, I did not want to go out again even though there was no ready dinner for us. So I took leftover rice enough for one person, cabbage and fish balls that I had found in the fridge and quickly prepared a simple meal for David, while he was taking his hot shower.
When David came to the kitchen again, he bowed his head to say a prayer to give thanks for the food, and especially to show me his hair
after using a black bottle of "Sunsilk" shampoo. His voice was full of excitement when describing how the product was good and that his hair had become very shiny and silky!
The next day, David took a shower and washed his hair again. Mum had kept the black bottle which was meant to darken her hair and left him another type of shampoo which was for the family use. After trying the orange liquid, David asked me to touch his hair again and said, "This one is not so powerful. You see, my hair is not shining like yesterday..."
Hello, Mr CEO of the "Sunsilk" company, would you like to sponsor your black shine shampoo to Calvary Care Home for free publicity?
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
An Unexpected Treat
Two weekends around Christmas, I was not able to fetch Uncle Seelan to the Sunday service. And I was always in a rush that I had no time to drop by at Seri Kenangan Home to fix a time for a Christmas treat with him as promised.
Wednesday afternoon, Mum and Leong's family left my house to visit the Melaka old town before they went back to Johor. I did not follow them. Instead, after a short rest at home, I went to the old folks' home with my car to invite Uncle Seelan for a second meal before the year 2009 ended the next day.
Uncle Seelan was surprised to find me there after the staff had informed him that somebody was going to bring him out. As I had no more energy to drive to Alor Gajah where he could have Kentucky fried chicken, we headed further down to a Chinese eatery at Cheng which sold char kuay teow (stir-fried rice cake strips). Unfortunately, it was not yet open. In that case, a third option was the 24-hour "Pinang Besar" which Uncle Seelan had also mentioned several times previously.
When we stepped into the restaurant, we chose a table and sat down. Behind Uncle Seelan's seat were two Chinese guys who looked at us curiously. I did not pay much attention to that. As my stomach was still full with heavy breakfast and lunch, I only ordered food and drink for Uncle Seelan. At the age of 85, this senior citizen of Sri Langkan origin loved all kinds of fried stuff and cold beverage like an eight-year-old child! He was contented when savouring his poori of which he insisted that I had a share, and drinking the cooling cincao.
Despite our age gap and race difference, Uncle Seelan and I had a nice moment of fellowship, while the two Chinese guys were chatting between them in Mandarin. Half an hour later, I felt that one of them turned their head and kept staring at me. As I was not sure if I was the real target, I did not look back at him.
After awhile, the guy stood up and approached our table.
"Miss, we'll settle your bill," He said in Mandarin.
I was a bit stunned by the act. Not knowing their motive, I answered politely with a smile, "It's OK, thanks!"
They insisted, but I still turned down their offer.
"We'd like to give this old man a treat."
"Never mind, today it's my Christmas treat for him."
"Miss, please let us pay. It's already good that you take care of old people."
They had been observing us. I was very humbled by such a compliment by two strangers. I was simply giving a service to an elderly who was not able to cross the road freely to have his favorite food and spending some quality time with him. To these two men, they probably saw Jesus' love in us.
This time, I accepted their kindness and handed the bill to them.
"Thank you very much. This old man lives in the nearby old folks' home. We're attending the same church. God bless you."
Then I recounted to Uncle Seelan in English what was happening. He smiled at the two guys who in return greeted him "God bless you" in English.
I pulled out my camera from my bag and asked them, "Would you like to take a picture with him?"
They smilingly shook their heads and went to the counter. I gratefully waved my hand at them. And they left.
So I took a picture of Uncle Seelan after his meal as a memory of this unexpected treat.
Later, Uncle Seelan told me that when he ate alone in a restaurant, other clients often quietly paid for him. To me, this was the first time I experienced this kind of warm act outside our church which gave Uncle Seelan free meals.
I thank God for these two kind men who indirectly gave me a treat. If they have not yet known our loving Lord, May God continue to touch their hearts through His people.
Wednesday afternoon, Mum and Leong's family left my house to visit the Melaka old town before they went back to Johor. I did not follow them. Instead, after a short rest at home, I went to the old folks' home with my car to invite Uncle Seelan for a second meal before the year 2009 ended the next day.
Uncle Seelan was surprised to find me there after the staff had informed him that somebody was going to bring him out. As I had no more energy to drive to Alor Gajah where he could have Kentucky fried chicken, we headed further down to a Chinese eatery at Cheng which sold char kuay teow (stir-fried rice cake strips). Unfortunately, it was not yet open. In that case, a third option was the 24-hour "Pinang Besar" which Uncle Seelan had also mentioned several times previously.
When we stepped into the restaurant, we chose a table and sat down. Behind Uncle Seelan's seat were two Chinese guys who looked at us curiously. I did not pay much attention to that. As my stomach was still full with heavy breakfast and lunch, I only ordered food and drink for Uncle Seelan. At the age of 85, this senior citizen of Sri Langkan origin loved all kinds of fried stuff and cold beverage like an eight-year-old child! He was contented when savouring his poori of which he insisted that I had a share, and drinking the cooling cincao.
Despite our age gap and race difference, Uncle Seelan and I had a nice moment of fellowship, while the two Chinese guys were chatting between them in Mandarin. Half an hour later, I felt that one of them turned their head and kept staring at me. As I was not sure if I was the real target, I did not look back at him.
After awhile, the guy stood up and approached our table.
"Miss, we'll settle your bill," He said in Mandarin.
I was a bit stunned by the act. Not knowing their motive, I answered politely with a smile, "It's OK, thanks!"
They insisted, but I still turned down their offer.
"We'd like to give this old man a treat."
"Never mind, today it's my Christmas treat for him."
"Miss, please let us pay. It's already good that you take care of old people."
They had been observing us. I was very humbled by such a compliment by two strangers. I was simply giving a service to an elderly who was not able to cross the road freely to have his favorite food and spending some quality time with him. To these two men, they probably saw Jesus' love in us.
This time, I accepted their kindness and handed the bill to them.
"Thank you very much. This old man lives in the nearby old folks' home. We're attending the same church. God bless you."
Then I recounted to Uncle Seelan in English what was happening. He smiled at the two guys who in return greeted him "God bless you" in English.
I pulled out my camera from my bag and asked them, "Would you like to take a picture with him?"
They smilingly shook their heads and went to the counter. I gratefully waved my hand at them. And they left.
So I took a picture of Uncle Seelan after his meal as a memory of this unexpected treat.
Later, Uncle Seelan told me that when he ate alone in a restaurant, other clients often quietly paid for him. To me, this was the first time I experienced this kind of warm act outside our church which gave Uncle Seelan free meals.
I thank God for these two kind men who indirectly gave me a treat. If they have not yet known our loving Lord, May God continue to touch their hearts through His people.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Never Bored With My Nephew And Niece VI
During the weekend after Christmas, my brother Leong telephoned me from Batu Pahat to ask me if I would be free to receive them two days on the following week. Finally they were going to come to Melaka after my numerous invitations since the beginning of the school holidays.
Leong's family and Mum arrived with the car Tuesday evening. The next morning, I brought them to Sungai Petai for roti canai, nasi lemak and beef soup, which Mum, my sister-in-law Li Chia, my nephew Zer Yih and my niece Zer Nin had missed during their previous visit in last March. As we were in the north of Melaka, I suggested that we continued to drive to Alor Gajah town which would only take another five minutes.
When we were hanging around at the Alor Gajah wet market, Zer Yih and Zer Nin kept pestering us to go back to my place. To them, going to Melaka meant doing all the activities within Big Aunt's house at Paya Rumput. When we crossed a road to make a tour at the park just opposite the market, they grew even more impatient. They threw a tantrum when the parents told them that we were going to visit the museum which was in the park. They were soon disciplined by their mother. I comforted them by assuring them that we would not spend more than half an hour inside the wooden building.
This was the first time I stepped into this Tradition And Custom Museum in Alor Gajah, even though it was just five kilometres away from my working place in Lendu. The entrance cost only RM1 for adults and RM0.50 for children, which was very reasonable for a mini museum in a small town like this.
At first, the children, especially Zer Yih, were still pulling teary papaya faces. When I tried to persuade them to pose in front of the characters,
not only their smiles appeared again,
their curiosity also returned.
Having been to this kind of cultural museum in 2008, I knew how to make this visit a lively experience. As a "tour guide", I had to sacrifice my image by taking an initiative to act silly first,
then only I could expect "like aunt, like nephew".
Now the siblings were the ones who would like to stay longer to take pictures,
spend time gossiping with strangers in their traditional costumes,
participate in their wedding ceremonies,
and wait for their turn to grow up and get married.
Finally, everyone of us enjoyed this short but memorable visit.
If you are a director looking for small actors,
I strongly recommend these two funny little ones.
Leong's family and Mum arrived with the car Tuesday evening. The next morning, I brought them to Sungai Petai for roti canai, nasi lemak and beef soup, which Mum, my sister-in-law Li Chia, my nephew Zer Yih and my niece Zer Nin had missed during their previous visit in last March. As we were in the north of Melaka, I suggested that we continued to drive to Alor Gajah town which would only take another five minutes.
When we were hanging around at the Alor Gajah wet market, Zer Yih and Zer Nin kept pestering us to go back to my place. To them, going to Melaka meant doing all the activities within Big Aunt's house at Paya Rumput. When we crossed a road to make a tour at the park just opposite the market, they grew even more impatient. They threw a tantrum when the parents told them that we were going to visit the museum which was in the park. They were soon disciplined by their mother. I comforted them by assuring them that we would not spend more than half an hour inside the wooden building.
This was the first time I stepped into this Tradition And Custom Museum in Alor Gajah, even though it was just five kilometres away from my working place in Lendu. The entrance cost only RM1 for adults and RM0.50 for children, which was very reasonable for a mini museum in a small town like this.
At first, the children, especially Zer Yih, were still pulling teary papaya faces. When I tried to persuade them to pose in front of the characters,
not only their smiles appeared again,
their curiosity also returned.
Having been to this kind of cultural museum in 2008, I knew how to make this visit a lively experience. As a "tour guide", I had to sacrifice my image by taking an initiative to act silly first,
then only I could expect "like aunt, like nephew".
Now the siblings were the ones who would like to stay longer to take pictures,
spend time gossiping with strangers in their traditional costumes,
participate in their wedding ceremonies,
and wait for their turn to grow up and get married.
Finally, everyone of us enjoyed this short but memorable visit.
If you are a director looking for small actors,
I strongly recommend these two funny little ones.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Uncle Lee's Wake Service
Last Monday night while I was watching the eight o'clock news, I received a short message on my hand phone from my cell leader Jeremiah:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
"Uncle Lee Leong Chye just passed away at 7.10pm today due to heart problem. Body will be sent to mortuary. The wake service will be for five days from tomorrow at Jelutong funeral parlour."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The name was unfamiliar to me. We had an Uncle Lee in our Cheng cell but I had no idea of his full name. To find out the defunct's house address, I looked into our church directory and was surprised to learn that this late church member was also living at Cheng. Despite the doubt, I was still mumbling in my heart, "That could not be him. He looked so healthy."
Later, when a second SMS from Sis Doris reached my hand phone, I called Jeremiah's wife Phoebe, "Is it our Uncle Lee?" She answered with a calm but sad voice, "Yes, he is the one. Sunday after he came back from a wedding in Seremban, he was not feeling well. This morning, he was admitted to the hospital and his heart was very weak..."
I knew Uncle Lee after I joined the Cheng cell in end 2008. His tall, dark and skinny body was easy to recognize at the canteen after the church service. Every time I greeted him, he would greet me back with a very friendly smile. A former tough military man, he seemed to me rather like a soft-hearted grandfather. I never expected the Lord had taken him home so soon.
As I had the MLM class to attend on Tuesday and a replacement French class to give on Wednesday, I could only go for the wake service on Tuesday evening. Since I became a committed Calvarite, I never made any effort to attend any wake service of other Calvarites or their family members who had passed away, giving myself the excuse that I did not know the location of the funeral parlours in Melaka. This time, I contacted Phoebe to follow their car to the venue.
During the journey, Phoebe told me a touching story: After Uncle Lee had gone to be with the Lord, his daughter discovered a piece of paper in his bible, on which he had written a prayer to forgive a list of people who had hurt him in different ways.
Some of our church members were already there when we arrived. We showed our condolences to Uncle Lee's family members. And my tears dropped when I saw Uncle lying peacefully in the coffin and thought of Dad who had also finished running his race at about the same age. In front of the coffin were Uncle Lee's picture and a bouquet of white flowers. Below was the bible which Uncle Lee had carried with him for years.
This was the first Christian wake service I attended. I found it beautiful to display the bible as the defunct's most precious belonging when he was in this world.
At about 8.15pm, all of us were seated to sing worship songs accompanied by guitar. Then Jeremiah who gave a short speech used God's words to remind us that Uncle Lee had gone to a better place where there were no sorrows and no tears.
After him, Bro HS and Bro Bob testified to us how Uncle Lee had faithfully served in the church and been a blessing to a lot of people. I hope that when I die, people will also have something good to remember about me at my wake service.
Uncle Lee's son-in-law also shared with us his gratitude to his late father-in-law who had been like a friend to him. Next, Ps Angeline led us to pray for Uncle Lee's family members. The service was closed with worship songs again.
See you in heaven, Uncle Lee.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
"Uncle Lee Leong Chye just passed away at 7.10pm today due to heart problem. Body will be sent to mortuary. The wake service will be for five days from tomorrow at Jelutong funeral parlour."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The name was unfamiliar to me. We had an Uncle Lee in our Cheng cell but I had no idea of his full name. To find out the defunct's house address, I looked into our church directory and was surprised to learn that this late church member was also living at Cheng. Despite the doubt, I was still mumbling in my heart, "That could not be him. He looked so healthy."
Later, when a second SMS from Sis Doris reached my hand phone, I called Jeremiah's wife Phoebe, "Is it our Uncle Lee?" She answered with a calm but sad voice, "Yes, he is the one. Sunday after he came back from a wedding in Seremban, he was not feeling well. This morning, he was admitted to the hospital and his heart was very weak..."
I knew Uncle Lee after I joined the Cheng cell in end 2008. His tall, dark and skinny body was easy to recognize at the canteen after the church service. Every time I greeted him, he would greet me back with a very friendly smile. A former tough military man, he seemed to me rather like a soft-hearted grandfather. I never expected the Lord had taken him home so soon.
As I had the MLM class to attend on Tuesday and a replacement French class to give on Wednesday, I could only go for the wake service on Tuesday evening. Since I became a committed Calvarite, I never made any effort to attend any wake service of other Calvarites or their family members who had passed away, giving myself the excuse that I did not know the location of the funeral parlours in Melaka. This time, I contacted Phoebe to follow their car to the venue.
During the journey, Phoebe told me a touching story: After Uncle Lee had gone to be with the Lord, his daughter discovered a piece of paper in his bible, on which he had written a prayer to forgive a list of people who had hurt him in different ways.
Some of our church members were already there when we arrived. We showed our condolences to Uncle Lee's family members. And my tears dropped when I saw Uncle lying peacefully in the coffin and thought of Dad who had also finished running his race at about the same age. In front of the coffin were Uncle Lee's picture and a bouquet of white flowers. Below was the bible which Uncle Lee had carried with him for years.
This was the first Christian wake service I attended. I found it beautiful to display the bible as the defunct's most precious belonging when he was in this world.
At about 8.15pm, all of us were seated to sing worship songs accompanied by guitar. Then Jeremiah who gave a short speech used God's words to remind us that Uncle Lee had gone to a better place where there were no sorrows and no tears.
After him, Bro HS and Bro Bob testified to us how Uncle Lee had faithfully served in the church and been a blessing to a lot of people. I hope that when I die, people will also have something good to remember about me at my wake service.
Uncle Lee's son-in-law also shared with us his gratitude to his late father-in-law who had been like a friend to him. Next, Ps Angeline led us to pray for Uncle Lee's family members. The service was closed with worship songs again.
See you in heaven, Uncle Lee.
Friday, January 1, 2010
We Are Children Of God!
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called children of God!
And that is what we are!
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.
(1 John 3:1 NIV)
that we should be called children of God!
And that is what we are!
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.
(1 John 3:1 NIV)
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