Is there hope??

Ever since the news of Yi Jien being lost in the National Glacier broke on 23/8, the Forums and Blogs have been a source of updates. My heart really felt heavy when I first heard the news, almost one of disbelief!.... He lost his father a couple of years ago in an accident. Hwa Chien was changing his car tyre when a lorry mowed into him. When my bro told me, the first thought that came to my mind was why was God taking him home so soon? I cannot imagine how Kim Guat would be feeling now...

Hwa Chien was the pastor who officiated my wedding. We wanted so much to give him and Kim Guat an 'angpow' for officiating our wedding but they firmly said no, they had this no 'angpow' policy.... but after insisting that we'd like to really do something for them....Chien (he always asked us to call him that as soon we we were adults...no Rev Hwa Chien...just a simple Chien) and Kim Guat told us that they'd like a subscription of National Geographic, which we most gladly got for them. Kim Guat was really cute in her thanking us...that each time a magazine came, it reminded them of us. Magazines 8).. and Kim Guat wrote a short note telling us how much they enjoyed reading them.... The one thing which really rubbed off on me was how the late Rev Hwa Chien and Kim Guat would always stand united...the ministry they were in...it was theirs, the pronoun they used was always 'us'...it was never 'mine' or 'I'. It was always 'us'. That was something I really admired.

At this time, like many who have been touched by them, we yearned for news of his whereabouts, hope for his safety....hope! And so I turned to blogs, forums and news on the internet. I am grateful because through them, I have been able to read updates from Kim Guat herself... and my heart really goes out to her.

Both of them had a great impact in my life. They came to Sitiawan at a time when I was still schooling. They were among my role models. Their simplicity, approachability, depth of knowledge, love for God had a deep and long lasting impression in my impressionable young mind. Both were graduates of Ivy League universities in the States and could have been any thing they wanted. But they chose to serve God. They were good role models. Their eldest boy, Yi Jien was a precocious kid. My memory of him stems from a conversation with him about the Gulf War... me just finishing my first year at uni having a discussion with him...a 9 or 10 old boy. We talked about the weaponry involved in the war and I was impressed by his extensive knowledge of ICBMs. I went back to him again in my Dip Ed Year. He was in Std 6, a truly interesting subject for my case study. And it seems just like yesterday that he was that small cute looking boy.....

Over the years, thoughts of this family often come to my mind. But in times like these, I find it difficult to fathom the meaning of all these...... and by Tuesday (American time) they would call off the search!