This is my story - 26

Ministry in Kuching Corps

In May 1962 we packed our personal belongings and moved to Kuching, East Malaysia.It was new challenge to travel a thousand miles seemingly to the other side of the world. Our two children Gladys and Stephen were only two years and six weeks’ old respectively.

We left Penang on the ferry (this was before the new bridge was built) and took the train from Butterworth. We changed trains at Kuala Lumpur and arrived in Singapore but there was no one to meet us and I had to make a phone call to Lieut. Colonel Thelma Watson the General Secretary.

The Public Relations Secretary, Brigadier Geus a Dutchman was supposed to meet us at the Tanjong Pagar Railway station but he was celebrating his birthday and forgot the assignment given him! It was the responsibility of the Public Relations Secretary to meet all visitors in those days.

Lieut. Colonel Thelma Watson was quite unhappy with him. She came herself to the Railway station to pick us and we piled into her car with all our hand carried luggage! She took us to Dhoby Ghaut, the home of my wife’s uncle and aunt.

The next day Lieut. Colonel Watson came for us again and took us to Clifford Pier where we took a launch to the outer shores to board a cargo boat called the Bentong. My wife carried the baby while I carried our two year-old daughter up the ladder from the launch to the ship. It was scary climbing up the ladder with one hand carrying Gladys and the other holding a bag. But the Lord was with us. Besides were we young then – I was only 30 and my wife 26. There were only two cabins – we placed our luggage in one and slept in the other.

There were no other passengers so during meal times we lunched with the captain of the boat. Let me add that in those days, all officers including the Officer Commanding and General Secretary travelled by boat as air fares were very expensive.

It took 36 hours to sail from Singapore to Kuching. This cargo boat docked at Pending some distance from the town. There we were met by Brigadier Elsie Willis of the Children’s and Elderly Home and Captain Robert Webb of the Boys’ Home. They took us to the Corps at Sekama Road where Mrs. Captain Thelma Webb was waiting for us.

The next day, 1st May 1962 was the commencement of the Annual Appeal leading to the combined Sale of work. No rest for us. Our luggage had yet to arrive. Anyway, we joined our fellow officers to go round from shop to shop collecting donations in cash and kind.

Kuching Corps had a full programme. Sunday morning Directory class at 8. 30 a.m. Holiness meeting at 10.00 a.m. Sunday School at 3.00 p.m., Open air meeting at 5.00 p.m.and Salvation meeting at 6.00 p.m.

During the week we had Scouts, Cubs, Girl Guides, Brownies, Joy Hour and Soldiers’ meeting, Home League, Youth Fellowship, Band practice etc. Almost every evening there was corps activity.

Most of the folk who attended the Corps were from the neighbourhood, plus children from the two Homes. Only the Children’s Home had a van. The Boys’ Home had no vehicle. Captain Robert Webb and the bigger boys rode bicycles. The Corps owned two rickety ladies’ bicycles.

Every morning Monday to Friday we had the kindergarten. We were the only teachers with one assistant to help us. We were still raising funds to pay for the new building.

There was an excellent team of officers who worked well together. We held regular officers’ fellowships and we took turns to lead in worship and host the monthly meetings. There was good bonding among the group - Brigadier Willis, Captains May Merritt, Janos Wasagam, Robert and Thelma Webb. Brigadier Willis, Captain Webb and Mrs. Webb were local officers holding the positions of Corps Secretary, Bandmaster and Home League Treasurer respectively.

Among the soldiers were the Tok family. Mr Tok owned a pepper farm, a sundry goods shop and small rice mill. He was very frugal, lived very simply and always dressed shabbily. Every Sunday morning, he would bring his family to the meeting in his lorry. They were good supporters of the Corps.

One day he turned up at our quarters in his old rickety bicycle and asked me to go out with him to the bicycle shop in town. He said to me in Chinese “Bok Su (meaning pastor) I want you to choose one of the Raleigh bicycles. I want to give it as a gift to the church.” I protested as I could not accept such a gift when he himself was using an old bicycle. But he responded, “You are my pastor, and you must have a good bicycle to get around visiting our people. You are doing the Lord’s work.”

One day a group of robbers broke into the home of Mr. Tok and forced him to sign a cheque for a large amount of money. The next morning, Mr. Tok reported to the police and the culprits were caught. Investigations revealed that it was his own son-in-law who had instigated that crime! So this young man was put into prison. I visited him in prison regularly and also got permission to start a Bible class in prison. This opened up prison ministry for me.

In 1963, I was a delegate to the International College for Officers in London. I didn’t feel comfortable for my wife to be alone with two small children. She had to run the Corps and kindergarten as well. But the Lord wonderfully arranged for a young girl by the name of Ee Hong who was helping out at the Kindergarten to stay in our quarters during the time I was away. Ee Hong was very good girl and helped to look after the children as well. She was very much involved in Corps activities and later became a Salvationist.

One of the soldiers of the Corps Sim Peng Kim was an electrician and whenever we had any electrical problems, Peng Kim, a very handy man was always there to help us out without charging the Corps. Whenever he came to fix things at the Corps or quarters. Ee Hong always made him a cup of tea. To cut the long story short, they fell in love and later got married and raised up a lovely family.

In retirement during one of my visits to Kuching, I was able to visit Peng Kim and Ee Hong and their family. They lived quite a distance from the Corps. Peng Kim is now retired and in poor health.