Dream your pictures, paint your dreams. Don't let life get you down. Stay strong & rise above your circumstances. Each storm will pass you by and a new dawn will come
FROM ONG'S DESKTOP.....
Dear Family & friends,
WHAT LIVES ON IN OUR HEARTS STAY ON…..
1…Memories are like colours in our minds…..
All in all, it was such an eventful 2 weeks. It all started when I went to Sabah on 8 December with Inky and Daniel, my Grandson for a few days. I stayed at Kasih Sayang, the Resort lodge of my good friends, Cheng Kiat and Lynn. I had such nostalgia standing at the deck of Kasih Sayang looking out at the vista of sprawling Kota Kinabalu that laid at my feet. It brought back great memories of the many years I had at my own holiday house just about 50 yards from Kasih Sayang. As a family, we had so many great moments in that holiday house and I will never forget the Chinese New Year of 1995 when most of the extended family came and stayed with us for a week there.
2…Most of all, there was love
All-in-all, there were 32 of us. I remember the rush preparing the vehicles to ferry all of the family members up there and then the organization to arrange the cooking and the replenishment of things required to house so many people. It was amazing that I could put up more than 30 people in the 2 holiday houses that I had then. We were sleeping on the floor and all over the decks but it did not matter. The expense and the effort put in were really worth it. That week will linger on in our memories for the great camaraderie we had, where for once the entire clan and extended family were together. There was merriment; there was fellowship; there were deep conversations; there were extensions of stories of yesteryears but most of all, there was love. The love that flowed was so special because for a week, time stood still for most of us and we left our worries and cares behind.
3…Catching up on years of missing moments
Located at more than 2,000 feet above sea-level amidst mist-covered evenings and sun-sprayed mornings, we understood the real expressions of love that came unreservedly and we understood how filial love can be so wonderfully encouraging and exciting. We must have caught up years of missing moments in that fleeting week.
4…The gratitude for a life of blessings
As I stood there that morning in Kasih Sayang taking in the reflection of the city from that bright morning sun, a smile crossed my face and an extreme sense of gratitude came washing all over me. It was as if I was bathe in a glow of unbridled love and for that one moment in time, I knew how privileged I have been to have been given such a family and such great friends in my life. I must have been one of the most blessed person as I recalled all those moments of enriched times. Some of those who had been there in 1995 on Chinese New Year’s eve and who witnessed the great scenes of fireworks shooting all across the skies have passed on.
5…Nostalgia in memories – a parent’s pride
I recount that week spent in quiet conversation with my parents Cheng Siang and Kin Tee. They were really proud of me that I could have achieved the bringing together of the clan at a Holiday place that I could call my own. I remember overhearing them share with the other Uncles and Aunties and friends how their son, Hock Siew had done so well and could afford to own such a dream place. I pretended not to hear as I felt their pride flow through the air. It was as if they were the hosts and their happiness at such “ownership” even for brief moments brought them a replaced dignity that laid in unfulfilled dreams. I was utterly happy for them.
They have passed on and oh, how I miss them. How I wished I had done so much more for them and spent much more time with them. I tell my friends now, don’t miss the moments you have with your aging parents. Love them and tell them again and again how you appreciate them. Give them the joy of your reaffirmation and their love will bring you great legacies to be handed on. When we bless our parents, we will in turn be blessed by our children…. Yes I miss my parents.
6…Nostalgia in memories – ‘Elders’ and their eccentricitiesI remember my Godmother Chyung Hau who came for that week because we insisted. She was quietly happy and I could see her at her best, fussing about how this should be done that way and how things should be arranged. She still thought that we were kids who had to be taught the ways of the world. We all accepted it because we loved her for the years she had given her unremitting love to us. My uncle Yew Kong was his usual inimitable self and he regaled us with his stories of skills and daring. Aunt Chin Nit who had served us faithfully as we grew up would 'flush with embarassment' as many of the young ones passed her and gave her a hug. She grew up in a generation where hugs were unheard of and her seeming discomfort with being hugged only made it more fun for us to do it. They have all passed on and we have been the richer because we had such occasions of love. The many side trips we made that week including staying at Tambatuon and going on rafting trips made that week a great week. Even the children who have now since grown up remember……
7…Each new phase in life sees changes….. thank you Kasih SayangStrange how standing at the deck of a wind-swept lovely Kasih Sayang can bring back such rich and such deep memories. As I felt the wind in my face, I knew such times would not come back again. Each new phase in life will require new phases of enrichment. I had 4 great days at Kasih Sayang and those who look for rest, quiet recreation and peaceful rejuvenation
should look no further than Kasih Sayang. It is as lovely as lovely can be.
8…Wrong trails and wrong turns
On the fourth day at Kasih Sayang, I went trekking with my good friend Kong Seng to a hill land in Tuaran in Sabah. We reached the highest points as planned. On the way back down, there were many seemingly logical trails. As usual in my own gung-ho style, I took the one that I thought looked right. It was not to be. Unfortunately, after about 30 yards down, I felt it to be wrong but then ‘Ong Hock Siew’ the 'smart-alec' whose jungle trekking skills is legendary thought that he was the most clever trekker around.
9…A penalty for foolishnessIn my own wisdom, I just pushed on thinking that I have gone through some of the most dense jungles and should have no problems with this seemingly small forest. So I pressed on – soon, the whole place was a thorn forest and we were too far down to turn back. The steep gradients saw us falling into thorn shrubs and branches and we were thoroughly drained and cut-up. After what seemed an eternity, we emerged bashed, battered and broken. Our legs were all cut up and I had hundreds of thorns imbedded in my leg. Kong Seng was not much better. I was so grateful that my Grandson Daniel had not followed me. Otherwise the consequences would be much worse.
10…Days of ‘thousand’ pricks
For the next few days, it was
like having a few hundred needles ‘pricking’ you every 10 seconds. We had to use Peroxide to burn into the wounds and thank God after a few days, the wounds started drying up and the thorns have been falling off. It was all a lesson that had to be learnt and I am learning…..
11…One bad turn after another – and then good
The plane journey back to Kuala Lumpur was a trying experience. Every way I sat was painful and no matter how I shifted myself, the pain came in different ways. Talking about problems coming in a bunch! When we arrived and went to the car park where I had left my car, I found the battery completely flat. I had left the lights on. I asked someone to use his car to help me jumpstart my car and found that one set of jumpstart cables was not enough. How could I have 2 sets of jumpstart cables (it would need a miracle) but I looked at my boot again all the same and then remembered I had bought a spare set for my wife but had not placed it in her car yet. So the two sets were there and I praise God for his grace & mercy.
12…Commitment beyond pain…..
We arrived at our house after midnight and I still had to fine-tune my notes for my training of New Life Leaders on that Saturday. As I wearily sat at my computer with really aching limbs and cut-up skin, I just had a sense of assurance as I felt God saying to me, “Why prepare as if it came from you? Why don’t you trust me and speak from your heart?” And so it was with the terrible pain and constant pin-pricks, I slept like a baby soon afterwards.
13…Purpose in commitment – touching lives
I woke up refreshed and had a whole day of meetings and things to do. We were preparing for the fund-raising program that I had committed myself to – the organization of the world-famous Little Angels Orchestra in January. I thought of the three Charity organizations that I would be helping to raise money for and I found a new strength that day. We had started out on this Charity event with great doubts. The President of the organization I was involved with had cast doubts on the event and he questioned us about who would bear the deficits if we did not raise enough to break-even. There a was a huge ‘impasse’ and I had to come out to resolve it, ending that day by having to take on the Acting President position to help run the event. It was really tough. I remember having to commit to sell 800-900 of the 2,000 tickets. It was amazing. I just knew that when God is on your side, you can commit to things and it will turn out right. I sold 900 tickets (RM80) in two days. It is all about faith and action!! We are now well past break-even and I have infused a new-found sense of confidence and purpose in the main organizing committee. What a blessing it is to give people hope and to see thousands blessed with the proceeds that we will raise. I am determined to ‘give’ big-time to the poor in the coming years and by God’s grace, I know I will do it.
14…Training lives for change and excellenceThe next day saw me running the Leaders’ training program for New Life. What a pleasure it was to share spontaneously from the heart and to know that when God gives us the confidence, we can move without fear into presenting the message of hope and success that we aspire to share. I knew I had connected by simply looking into the eyes of the audience. I came away from the training reaffirmed that I will continue to commit every endeavor I have to God for the rest of my life! What a privilege it is to trust in a God who never fails!!! I was so encouraged when I received emails over the next few days telling me that they were really blessed listening to me. I have learnt that training is not training if the message does not touch the heart and stir change.
15…We should never say never!
Then it was on to Sunday 14 December where I had to speak at the Shian En Hui (SIB Chinese church) main service in Chinese. For so many years I had told myself that I would never be able to speak in Chinese because it was all so alien to me. I want to say, “we should never say never!” When God empowers, nothing is impossible. I have been committed to ministering in Chinese ever since God spared my life right from the Earthquake which I escaped from right to the River Tsunami which almost took my life and on to the encounter with the charging elephant which almost trampled us and then on to the dive straight down to the 3 feet pool on my head where my neck was crunched and I was drowning in the pool and finally on to the fall into the Thorn forest. It has been grace and grace all the way. What then is impossible for me to do?? If God empowers me, I am ready to do the impossible for him and for people!! My message in Chinese touched many and there were new decisions for Christ. What a joy to see hope given where there was none and joy derived where there was only heartache before.
16…”If only”…………………… such a sad word
After the meeting, an elderly woman came up to me and with tears rimming her eyes, she quietly said, “If only my son had heard your message and if only you had spoken it a few months earlier, it would have been alright. I did not quite understood what she said so I asked her why she was saying this. Then she explained. With a heart as heavy as a huge block of stone, she told me her son was very depressed when his wife left him to go back to her home town. He had lost all hope and despaired greatly. One day, she went in to his room and found him hanging from the ceiling. She was completely shattered and her life was wrecked. She told me that she wakes to a pain that cuts right into her soul. She still cannot accept that he is gone and the love she had as a mother was so overwhelming that death could not restrain its flow. She cried and she cried and I saw the pain cut into her like deep wounds again and again. I reached for her hands and I cried with her. For some moments, time just stopped and if I could have implored and begged the Lord to reverse the circumstances, I would have. She said again, “If only my son could have heard your message this morning, I know he could have been saved. Speak it to others who could be saved so that they need not die!” I prayed for her and could only provide a brief respite from her aching soul. As she walked off, I could see her hunched shoulders lost in its own weight and I prayed to the Lord and said, “Never let me withhold what I can do for others – empower me Lord for this purpose.”
17...Prayer at its most important
I went for the Prayer meeting that Tuesday and saw a large number who had come. They were all keen to pray for the Evangelistic Rally on 19 December. As I sat down, I felt the peace of the Lord flowed into the hall and I knew that I must galvanise the people there to pray for the Rally. We had to believe that there would be a great harvest and we had to invoke the hands of God before we could expect the fruits of the effort. At 10 pm, I took over the prayer session and encouraged the people gathered there to pray and expect great things to happen. It was a cry for the many who will come and we peladed with the Lord to meet with them there. We prayed for grace and for mercy and truly the flow in the spirit that night assured us that the hands of God will move. (altogether 46 people gave their lives to God and many more made fresh commitments - see below)
18..Then came the cell and the great camaraderie
Then Wednesday came along and I expectedly looked forward to it. I had invited 4 new people to the cell and I had arranged for them to come for dinner with me first. All 4 came and I was truly overjoyed. the Cell meeting was handled by my members there and what a joy it was to see people like Juliet and Chee Leong share confidently about the love of God and how forgiveness is not an optional choice. I could see the 4 new people being touched by what was shared and to think that I had only started this cell group in the early part of the year. In short while we have grown from the initial 4 to the present 20. When we are willing to move for God, things happen. Two of the new ones promised to come for the Evangelistic Rally on 19 December and they said that they will bring 3 friends (all 3 accepted the Lord at the rally). What a mighty God we serve. This cell group is such a blessing to me and the members are now very much bonded and strongly committed.
19…Preparing for 2009 and the big event for the year-end
Then it was on to more work – preparing for 2009 in some of the undertakings that I had committed to. It was so exciting and soon it was time for the big event for Shian En Hui – the Guo Dong and the Christmas outreach program on Friday, 19 December where Inky and I were joint MCs. I had been praying for this event that many lives would be touched by God at such economic times where many people face the future with uncertainty and with a sense of despair. The program went on like clockwork. The hall was full to the brim and when Tan Koon Swan came on stage to speak, I knew that the victories were already won. When the altar call came, the front of the hall was packed by people, some of whom were crying their hearts out. Altogether 46 people gave their lives to God and many more made new commitments. What victories, what celebration of life!!!
20…Time with my Grandson Daniel….. a new hero!
In between all of these events, I was spending time with my grandson, Daniel. We had quality time together in the month (December) that I took off to spend time with him and to share with him ‘man-to-man’ about life and what it held in store for him. They were great moments spent. On the third night, I had invited Khoo Swee Chiow, my good friend from Singapore to come up to Kasih Sayang for dinner. Cheng Kiat, Lynn & family had so graciously consented to host the dinner. Together with my two other friends Fatt Lam and Joseph, we sat enthralled listening to Swee Chiow tell his stories. He had climbed Mt Everest twice, climbed all the highest peaks of the seven continents, walked to the North and South Pole, swum the Straits of Malacca, cycled from Singapore to Beijing, in-line skated from Hanoi to Singapore and held the world scuba-diving record (9 days in a tank). Daniel my Grandson had found another hero besides his Grandfather. He is so proud of the fact that he had spent time with Swee Chiow and he talks about his friend as the real Adventurer.
21…A message about Champions
Finally the week came to a close yesterday where I was invited to speak at the main service of the Church at the Mid Valley complex (CMVC). I spoke just as how I felt God would have wanted me to speak to them. I spoke on how one can be a Champion for God and when I gave the altar call for the members to rise up to be Champions for God, most stood up and made fresh commitments for 2009. I know in my heart that there would be a new beginning for the church in 2009. I saw the walls breaking down to accommodate more people and what a joy it was when 2 people also gave their lives to Christ!
22…The need is everywhere – we can all respond to it…..
Just as I left the church, I saw this woman with her child in a wheelchair - a lovely child but who was obviously physically challenged. I asked if I could pray with them and the mother’s tears just flowed like a river. In between sobs, she told me he was a normal, healthy child until 14 when he was hit by a stroke. I shared in her sorrow and as I finished praying with her, I could see the renewal of her commitment rising up again. She needed that prayer just as she needed to know again and again that God is still faithful despite her circumstances.
As I walked away, I turned back to wave and then I remember the words of my mother’s favorite song. She had told me time and again that when she was at the depths of her despair, she would sing this song:
“Bring him your sorrows, bring him your tears,
Bring him your heartaches, bring him your fears
Go tell him plainly, tell how you feel
Jesus will pardon, Jesus will heal.”
It was an eventful fortnight that ended with faith, hope and love…… I was so richly blessed!
Ong Hock Siew
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