Having received a few feedback regarding certain entries in our competition, we feel we need to clarify a few things:
- This competition is based on each writer’s individual experience and provided they can testify to them being genuine, we consider all testimonies valid and eligible for running. We hold to the guideline that each writer is entitled to their own opinions about their experiences, and in their expression of said opinions.
- Currently, this is still part of an ongoing competition. As such, the articles listed on this page are still under the prerogative of each writer and Asian Beacon will not meddle in any way with any content by any writer. If we ever publish any articles under the name of Asian Beacon, we will clearly state our stand on our statement of beliefs.
- This competition is judged purely on the writer’s testimonies and not on the finer points of theology. While the competition is still ongoing, in all cases, and in line with our respect for each writer’s individual testimonies, we adopt a ‘spirit rather than the letter of the law’ approach to each writer’s testimony.
- The Asian Beacon team will endeavour to its utmost to be fair to all participants, without any discrimination, prejudice, or favoritism to any single participant.
- In all cases, the Asian Beacon team will hold true to the conditions we have outlined in our Terms and Conditions for the competition. You may find these terms on https://asianbeacon.org/writing-competition/
Asian Beacon would like to reiterate here that we are all members of Bible-believing churches and we hold to the evangelical creed. We thank those of you who have raised your concerns and hope this will help answer your questions.
Disappointment to Appointment
by Wong Chin Kim
I had a good life, or so I thought. It seemed I had everything a woman in the 21st century could ever wish for – A loving husband, a beautiful baby girl, a bungalow house, hired help and a successful business. What else could I have asked for?
All such fantasies came to a screeching halt when in 1993, my husband asked for a divorce. It was as if a bomb had been dropped right at the center of my life. “How could this be happening to me?” And for the first time in my life, I felt lost and confused.
There weren’t any signs. No quarrels, no disagreements. No indication whatsoever that my husband was unhappy. Desperate and seeing no other way out, I called a dear friend for some solace and support. Her being a Christian, she subsequently introduced Jesus into my life. What she shared with me was so compelling, that once I accepted the truth of her words and of Christ, it was as if a veil had been lifted over my eyes and for the first time, I could see clearly. It became so obvious that all the obstacles and difficulties that had appeared in my life was God-willed. Then and there, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.
I always knew I had a dominating assertive personality, and that was okay with me. It came in handy when I independently started a business and built it into a thriving enterprise. But what I hadn’t realised was that it has seeped into my marriage and my family. I wasn’t honouring my husband and didn’t view him as the head of the household. That in itself played a major role in his discontentment of our relationship. Once I accepted Christ into my life, He changed my character. I became a forbearing wife, humble and loving to my husband. Through the grace of God, my husband gave me a second chance. We worked on our relationship together and, glory to God, we are still married to this day.
I realised that accepting Christ was only the first step in a long Christian journey. Now that I had Christ in me, I had to equip myself with the tools needed for a purposeful Christian life. I started attending courses and Bible studies. Actively participating in church events and activities. It was a long and arduous journey, but the rewards were worth it.
Through these experiences, the Lord sent along my path two women who were going through similar marital problems. Only due to the trials the Lord saw fit to put me through did I have the knowledge and empathy to understand and guide them. Long story short, not only were their marriages saved but both their husbands accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Hallelujah!
As things seem to be looking up for me, I was struck with another hurdle. When I became a Christian, I entered the Faith with a beautiful baby girl. But as time went by, my husband longed for another child, a boy. So we tried for one, and after a couple of years we realised that nothing seemed to be working. We just couldn’t conceive. Deciding to discover the root of the problem, we visited a gynaecologist. What we were told then devasted us to our core. It seemed that I had a blocked fallopian tube and my husband’s sperm count was exceptionally low. To add insult to injury, the specialist informed us that no medication or special diet could rectify the problem. We were told to resign to the fact that, between us, we would be one-child parents.
But I never gave up. I refused to limit my God. The God of miracles. The God of the impossible. I continued to pray and continued to have faith. As I neared menopause at the age of 47 and all odds seemed to be stacked up against me and everything in the known-world screamed “Impossible!”, God stepped in and made the impossible, possible. He reminded me that He had blessed Sarah with a child, Isaac, even though she had passed childbearing age. He reminded me that all things were possible in His time.
That time came when my husband accepted Christ as his Lord and Saviour. Only after my husband’s spiritual rebirth did the Lord blessed me with a child. A precious little baby boy. Needless to say that not only did this miracle seal my faith in Christ, it heightened it to a level like never before.
Shocked at my pregnancy, the gynaecologist wanted to test the amniotic fluids to see if the baby was ‘normal’. I refused. This baby was a gift from God, and I believed my God only gives good gifts. True enough, my son was born perfect. He’s now grown up to be an intelligent and attractive man. To God be the glory!
Time passed and I continued to pay my tithes, attend Cell meetings and participate in church activities. But as time went on, I began to wonder “Is this enough? Is this all there is?”. So one day during my quiet time with the Lord, I prayed to be used to save more of the lost; to become His hands and feet.
And on the 17th of September 2018, the Lord answered me. He showed me Deuteronomy 10:12 “And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” and Deuteronomy 10:18 “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow and loves the alien giving him food and clothing.”.
With that steering in my heart, I have established The Tree of Life Ministry. Utilizing the gift of jewellery making the Lord blessed me with, I have started weekly beading classes for single mothers, abused women, B40 women and Myanmar refugees. Not only to teach, but to pay them for every piece of jewellery made. Although averaging from RM120 – RM200 per person per month, it brings them much joy as even such a basic amount makes a difference in their lives. I continue to believe that God will open countless doors for sales of the finished products by The Tree of Life Ministry.
Although I have come far, I still know that there is much work to be done. I pray that God continues to provide me with His strength to carry on His mission through me.
