Easter Testimonies (II)

Testimony of Chong Siau Yoon

I used to be a very happy lady. I have a husband that loves me and two very lovely children, living in a comfortable home and a career that I love to do. I felt much at ease when my two children started attending primary school, for they do not need special care like when they were younger, so my husband and me were having more time to ourselves. After the children had gone to school in the morning, both of us would go out to have breakfast together before going to work. On Saturday evening, while the two kids are attending calligraphy class, we would hold our hands and go for a stroll. How wonderful it is to have grown up children. I remember when they were much younger, we were so occupied and lost our freedom because of attending to their needs. Only parents who have taken care of their own children will understand both the joy and pain of bringing up of children. So, with the two of them in primary school, there is a sense of relief.

Whenever my husband and I went for breakfast, we often saw many old folks bringing their grand-children along, it really warmed our hearts. Then we would smile and said to one another: "When we become old, we will also bring our grand-children for breakfast." It's so good to see children growing up! And I would tell my husband's friend: "Looks like my life has just begun when I am forty!"

Life is unpredictable, many things could just happen, no one would ever imagine that it would turn out so unexpectedly. In another few more months I would have become forty, just as many thought that life begins at forty years old, and I only start to grow at forty…

On May 15, 2006, I received a shocking news, my husband passed away suddenly. He died without leaving any word to me or my children. Life suddenly took a roundabout turn and I felt that I was falling into a bottomless pit. O my God, how could I live on without my beloved husband. That was the most miserable and saddest moment in my life. Death has separated my husband and me, we are parted forever…

Suddenly I lost my direction in life. I was totally lost and confused. I have lost confidence in everything and overwhelmed by great fear. I could not understand why a person for the sake of money would take away a precious life. I felt so insecure and gripped by great fear. I was scared to stay in my own house, so I moved to stay next door to my sister. And in the evening, I would put up in my sister's house, I felt safer with her around. For quite a while, I refused to see or to talk to anyone. I felt so lonely and helpless, having no interest in anything. At night when I thought about the future, my heartbeat went faster and faster. It was very frightening. I couldn't figure how am I to continue the journey of life.

And this went on for quite sometime. Until one day I could no longer take it, I felt so empty inside me that I have no strength to live on… I deeply felt that I need the strength from religion to sustain me in order to continue my life! So my sister suggested I should attend Kulai Bible-Presbyterian Church in Saleng. I plucked up the courage and walked into the Church one Sunday morning alone. That was my first time to Church. Thank God that it was Dn. Patrick Lew and his wife (sister Ming Pei) who received me. With great patience, they helped me to turn to the hymn book and Bible passages, I truly appreciate that.

I still could remember sitting in the Sanctuary, I felt very peaceful and secure. As I sang the hymns and listen to Pastor David Wong preaching from Job concerning how we should face trials and tribulations in life… tears kept flowing down from my eyes. As I sang, the lyrics of the song really touched my heart, I felt like crying aloud.

Since then, I always look forward to Sundays. Every time after listening to the message, I felt so energetic to face the days ahead. I would like to thank Pastor David Wong for teaching us the Catechism Classes. From the lessons, I have learned about the basic doctrine of Christianity. I have also learned how to pray so that through prayer, God enables me to solve my problem one by one. Another virtue that I learned is to be patient. As I was going through tough time and learning how to resolve problems, I began to grow in my life. I want to thank my family members and friends who have been helping me all these while. I know that God will never forget me. Though I have lost my beloved, there are many others who came forth to help me go through these very difficult moments of my life. I was very much encouraged by the helping hands, support, care and concern of family members and friends, not forgetting my two lovely children; all the little ones attending my art and drawing class together with the trust of their parents. For all these, I am indeed very thankful and appreciative.

In order to educate me of my greed, pride, unappreciative and bad temper; God tested me by allowing what I treasured most to be taken away. So, now I have repented from my wrongs and accepted the test from God. I have read a paragraph from a Christian book: after experiencing mishap and suffering, there will be two possible results, one is to live better, and the other is to live in misery. I have chosen the previous. Now, I have shifted back to my own house. I only feel like going home. I know that if I have taken this first step, I will be a stronger person in time to come. I am like a sunbeam, in future I will walk obediently and in humility, bringing along my two kids to walk in the path of light… so I had decided to get baptized on Easter.

May God bless every single-mother with peace and joy!

My prayer is that: our country will become a safer and peaceful place like in the past. There will be true peace in the world.

Testimony of David Foo

I am a teenage boy called David. I am 18 years old. There are many reasons that make me choose the path of a Christian. I was born in a Christian family. When I was young, I was baptized in Kulai but I lived in Sabah for eight years since then. However my realisation of God started in Tangkak as I began to recall more maturely and some of the questions of life that have always been in my mind. Since then, I have been thinking of how God has helped and preserved me throughout my life especially the pneumonia incident when I was young. I do not remember much about that but I am grateful and thankful to God for helping me to get well. Even when I was three months old in my mother's womb, God has preserved me and my mother during the removal of her cysts in the uterus.

God has also helped me in my studies. The truth is that I am not a bright person. I love to play and have fun and always burn the midnight oil when the exam is approaching. The SPM examination was the most stressful and panicky exam I ever took but God helps me to get unexpected and excellent results. I thank God for his mercy and grace. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord.

I want to give thanks to God for giving me a good family who always support and give me their helping hands. They give me advice and guide me so that I would not lose the right path or join bad company. My parents also ask me to put my trust in God always and even more when trouble is brewing.

Besides that, God also cares for me when I am in national service training in Mersing. I am thankful that I am able to cope with the tight schedules and army-style training. I want to give thanks to God for protecting me and granting me good health.I also want to give thanks to God for His guidance that I do not get involve in some of the negative activities practiced by some of the trainees . Before the training, my parents asked me to bring along a bible with me. At the training ground, I was given the opportunity to join the Sunday Worship and Friday night bible study. My parents always reminded me to read the bible and pray everyday. They asked me to keep close to God. To me, the national service is a blessing to me and I enjoy the activities there.

Besides that, my God is a forgiving God. He forgives all of my wrongs. I pray that I'll be obedient to God and my parents. I also pray to God that He would give me the determination not to do any wrong.

Indeed, my God is not only a righteous One but He is also faithful and just. He is my defender and guide forever. Therefore, I pray that I can be a good witness for Him.

Testimony of Lee Kok Weng

I was baptized in the Setapak Lutheran Church in Kuala Lumpur when I was still studying for my "A Level". I chose to be baptized because I was facing a lot of stress, the stress from studies and financial problem (my family is poor and couldn't support me). Besides praying to God, I have a very naïve thinking: I thought God is going to help me overcome all my problems after my baptism, and also to obtain a place in the university! At the end of it, I still didn't make it.

After stepping into the society, I was stationed in Bedok area of Singapore. I joined the Lutheran Church in Bedok and became very active in Church programme and activities such as: Youth Fellowship and Choir & etc.

In 1990, I was faced with the most trying moment of my faith, just as Matthew 6:24 says: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." At that point of time, I asked myself: Do I love God or the world?? Later, I enrolled to study in Singapore Meticulous College. After considering for more than a month, I finally chose the world, so I left the Church.

As I recall the past 17 years without Church life, though it may not sound as dramatic like a movie, but I returned to the arms of God full of wounds! I finally return to the Father's home like the prodigal's son. This was made possible through a classmate, a childhood good friend of mine and now my beloved brother in Christ - brother James Lim who brought me back to the Church again.

I remember it was on the 8th Day (5/2/06) during the Lunar New Year period when I first stepped into Kulai Bible-Presbyterian Church, I felt strangely warm with peace and joy filled my heart. At the time of singing the hymn, the Spirit of God moved my eyes to tear. These are the tears of feeling indebted to God, for repentance of my sins and the joy of being able to draw nigh to God again.

Frankly speaking, I was facing with a lot of pressure in my work… and because of that I often experienced chest pain. There is also fright and fear in my heart (fear of losing the job) for I am the sole bread winner of the family. I have lost my confidence and began to feel miserable. I knew well that if I were to continue working under such a stress I may collapse with a heart attack, perhaps lying in the hospital!

Thank God for His Word in Matthew 6:25-16; 31-34: "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life … Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." I was also comforted by Psalm 23: "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want … Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. ... and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." Sometime, we can not fully comprehend God's will, but we have the Holy Spirit to guide me back from "worldly freedom" back to the House of the Lord. Henceforth, the Sunday Worship Service became very amazing. Whenever there is a question or a doubt arises, God would answer and speak to me through the messages that delivered by Pastor David Wong, the Preachers and the Elders fro mthe pulpit. What is more amazing was that the superior who use to persecute me was transferred back to HQ! So, now I could start anew with God's help.

I would like to share with your Philippians 4:4,6-7 for mutual encouragement: "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. …Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Amen.