Richly Broken
The Wongs on the 10th anniversary of Living Waters Home in 2019
A story of the founders of Living Waters Home in Chiang Mai
By Rachel Yeoh Shu Hwei
Allow me to assume that people generally recover from heartbreaking moments in life to evolve into stronger, more emotionally resilient people, and sometimes armed with a layer of protection so it would not hurt as bad if another blow hits again.
It is something naturally built up to protect ourselves emotionally. That is why during the first few years of my life as a Christian, I did not understand worship songs and Bible verses that called on God to break our hearts.
However, Christian social workers in Chiang Mai, husband and wife duo Kian Leong and Su Foong, taught me that in brokenness, there is a treasure – the treasure of spiritual maturity, deep intimacy with God and the joy of knowing that His plans are really beyond what we can perceive.
On August 28, 2009, the Wongs and their two children started Living Waters Home, a temporary shelter for outpatients and caregivers at Maharaj Nakorn Chiangmai Hospital. The 15-bed facility provides free-of-charge stays for approximately 50 guests every month. Rice and eggs are also free for guests to cook their own meals. Depending on the type of medical treatment they get from the hospital, stays vary from a few days to a few months.
As a registered Thai foundation, guests who find their way to Living Waters Home are referred by the hospital’s Social Welfare Department. They are funded heavily by concerned churches, friends and sponsors, most of them from Malaysia.
Seeing that the guests come from different parts of northern Thailand and are from different ethnic groups that converse in different languages, they also furnished them with a safe and conducive social environment. Sharing sessions akin to cell groups are held so these guests can hear the good news – some for the first time.
At a glance, the job may seem somewhat novice.
But one must remember that those who walk through their doors are physically sick and emotionally broken. Some have been used, abused and reduced to thinking they are of little worth.
“These people are very broken; whether they are patients or caregivers or people who come along our way, the Lord continues to say He wants to redeem that person’s life,” Su Foong says.
“We are not just hosts, but we are there to rebuild their lives; when that is part of what we do, there is a need for patience, endurance and love for them.
“It is akin to tearing down and building and starting the rebuilding from scratch – it comes with many hardships and heartaches.”
More often than not, after tireless efforts along their guest’s restoration journey, they return to the way they were. However, Su Foong is grateful to have one to two willing to run the race and fervently serve the Lord. If they only look at what they deem failures, they would have given up their ministry long ago.
A Willingness to be Broken
Tending to the broken has left them in an almost-similar state too. After all, being in ministry does not exclude anyone from the pain stemming from disappointments and the death of people who have become your family.
The Wongs were particularly saddened by the sudden passing of a young Laotian man a few years ago. He came to Living Waters Home after being diagnosed with cancer. Here, he gave his life to Jesus and started growing in his spiritual walk. He had so much zeal and love for the Lord that Wong and Chin disciple him to lead in their ministry. He was on his road to recovery while fervently serving the Lord.
Just when everything seemed as bright and sunny as a cancer-caring institute can be, the man suddenly fell sick. At that time, Chin had to be in Kuala Lumpur for training. A group of youths from Penang Christian Centre was scheduled to arrive the next day for a mission exposure trip.
Wong recalled the incident when the man was rushed to the hospital because he fell very ill, but the hospital nearest to where he was residing in the Nan province declined the treatment he needed because he was a cancer patient.
“We prayed for him to be healing to come because he was the key person and the one who was set to start a church in his village.
“All he needed was antibiotics because he had a bacterial infection in his blood, but the hospital did not want to give him that medication due to his history with cancer.
“The morning, the youths and we were on the way to Nan Province for the annual English camp outreach; his wife called to say he had passed on.
“His family was dazed, and I was so broken.
“A few youths who came also followed me to the hospital, and we prayed together before taking the body out,” Kian Leong said.
Though they did not understand why God did what he did, the Wongs learnt to give their disappointment to God.
Su Foong recalled those moments, expressing her sorrow from the loss and the helplessness of not being in Living Waters to see the situation.
“I was crying and crying to God, asking Him why this has to happen after we have invested so much time counselling, walking with them, loving them as our own – why is it so unfair?
“I even wished that I lived a life where I didn’t have to see the burdens of the broken and help them carry it,” she said.
However, it was in that brokenness that God met them. He assured them that He was bigger than all the burdens they ever had to carry or their guests had to carry. Su Foong, who was more expressive with her tears, often spent hours on her knees, crying out to God when people she ministered to in Living Waters Home passed on, and she said that God has never failed to heal and restore her heart.
Kian Leong said God knows their strengths and weaknesses, and though he does not get as affected as his wife during a loss, he believes that God continues to do continual healing in both their hearts in His loving, personal way.
Pulling Through the Pandemic
During the Covid-19 pandemic, what they thought would be a slowdown of guests proved otherwise. They ran at full capacity with all 15 beds taken, and there were 20 guests on some days. Living Waters accommodates about 60 guests each month, with some staying as long as three months, depending on their treatment.
Living Waters Home ran as usual, only with tightened standard operating procedures (SOPs), as cancer patients were more vulnerable to the virus. They were all masked, and though the guests were encouraged to eat in isolation, many still preferred to eat together.
The services that ran before the pandemic resumed, with Sunday worship where the Wongs and two other staff will take turns to preach. Wednesdays are fellowship nights where they will cook a meal for the guests, get to know newcomers and do activities such as playing games together before going into the Word and talking about ways to apply a Bible verse or the sermon preached on Sunday.
“On Wednesday nights, we don’t always do the same thing as we will have to read the room and know the dynamics of our guests.
“Sometimes it is just as simple as allowing them to talk about their burdens and have a crying session together,” Su Foong said.
Throughout the lockdown, they never had a Covid-19 case from the centre, even though many cancer patients were not vaccinated. As caretakers of Living Waters Home, they restricted themselves from going out and their given freedom for the safety of their guests.
There were no restrictions for guests to come in and stay; however, each had to do an Antigen Rapid Test Kit (RTK-Ag) and test negative for the safety of the other guests.
They also prepared 30 food packs consisting of eggs and rice for patients in Maharaj Nakorn Chiangmai Hospital two times a week, as people could not go out to buy food during the lockdown.
Onwards to Resting and Trusting the Lord
“It’s not just a hard ministry, but a ‘heart’ ministry to touch lives.
“After 12 years, we are now grateful that two of our workers have stepped up to take over the ministry’s spiritual and administration, leaving us to focus on other aspects of the work.” Su Foong said.
Since its inception, Su Foong has managed the home and trained the workers in care, hospitality and people skills. Kian Leong is in charge of communication, fundraising and other projects for Living Waters Foundation. Their two children, who spent their teen years with them, are now grown up. Their daughter, Sarah, is married and lives in the US, while their son, Seth, is currently handling Social Media and Communications at the foundation.
Right now, their heart is keen on setting up a retreat home for tired souls to complement the work at Living Waters. They are looking for land to develop into a place where people can find solitude. This will enable them to reach out to a broader scope of people and not just those who stop over to complete their cancer treatment.
Therefore, they covet prayers from the public so they can continue to run the race in this ministry and for God to provide a team of partners to walk alongside the ministry.
As of now, they are not just ministering to the people within the home but have other projects that bless those in need.
In a joint project with Maharach Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, they have started the San Sai Rak Project to provide basic needs for disabled people, such as sanitary (toilet) bowls, commode chairs, walkers and diapers.
They also seek to encourage and build the morale of patients, caregivers and especially nurses, who are the backbone of the medical services. They will be handmaking 2,500 gifts to be given to nurses during Nurses Day this October.
Language and Life Skills Development Projects to build communication and purpose living skills are also offered to students and the needy through training programs and language camps. The project works alongside schools, various groups and NGOs to add value and equal opportunity to society.
On January 9, 2022, Living Waters Foundation was awarded the Senate Plaque of Honor for ‘Good Deeds to the Society’ by Senator Wallop Tangkananurak, Chairman of the Senate Commission on Social Work, and his team from Bangkok.
Despite the continual brokenness that God brings them through, I believe the Wongs are always standing at the edge of another miracle, another redemption story, another fulfilled promise that the faithful God knows exactly what he is doing. If this is part of being broken before the Lord, then what delight it is to taste the joy that comes after the sorrow.
Suppose you would like to contribute financially to the Living Waters Home. In that case, you can bank-in to Asian Beacon account with the Bank Reference as Living Waters Home, and Asian Beacon will forward your contribution accordingly. Banking details are in this online article.
PUBLIC BANK BERHAD
PERSAUDARAAN ASIAN BEACON MALAYSIA
A/C Number: 3150454509
About Rachel Yeoh
Rachel Yeoh is an assistant editor and former journalist. She writes for a living but for the sake of work-life balance, she disengages herself from the screen after hours to engage in the world of performing arts.
