16 – ON THE MOVE – TO KUCHING
We were sorry to leave Penang but I was also excited to return to the town of my first appointment in Kuching. We farewelled on a Sunday morning, travelled in the evening by ferry to Butterworth to board the night train to Kuala Lumpur. With two young children we had much hand luggage. The comrades meant well, bringing little gifts even at the last minute! One European couple muttered, “Why do people not learn to travel light?” They did not realise that we understood English. I could not help blurting out that we were moving house. She then joked, “Where is the house?” I had to laugh.
We boarded the night train with Daddy sharing a top bunk with Poh Ai and I with Thean Hock directly below. The next morning we checked into the Kuala Lumpur station hotel to clean ourselves, wash the nappies and other soiled clothing, but generally to rest ourselves, especially the children. In the evening we boarded another night train leaving Kuala Lumpur at 9 p.m. On arrival we were disappointed that the new PR officer was not at the Tanjong Pagar station to meet us. Daddy rang CHQ and the General Secretary; Major Thelma Watson came, very annoyed that Brigadier Rudolf Geus, a Dutchman, had decided to take the day off to celebrate his birthday!
In those days we had to find our own accommodation when in our own home town. It was Tuesday but we had to wait till Saturday afternoon to continue the next leg of our journey. I always asked my uncle and aunt Ho to stay with them at Dhoby Ghaut. On hind sight, perhaps I was thoughtless, not considering the inconvenience we caused them, now that I had a family. Lord, forgive us. Sorry Ku Cheong and Ku Ma.
After a few days in transit, Lieut. Colonel Watson decided that she herself would drive us to at Clifford Pier to catch a launch for the outer shores. To board the Bentong, we had to walk up a swinging ladder along a side of the cargo boat, the older child in one arm of Daddy and the baby in mine! Poh Ai was very excited to be on a boat, but soon proved to be a poor sailor, and fell seasick. Fortunately the baby was no trouble. More than 36 hours later, we arrived, but the tide was too low for any boat to go up the river to Kuching, so we stopped at Pending and were met by Brigadier Elsie Willis, Captains Bob Webb and Janos Wasagam.
I well remember it was May 1st, a public holiday, when we arrived in Kuching. It was also the first day of the Annual Appeal for The Army in Sarawak. Kuching was divided into three areas for collecting, one each for the three centres namely – the Girls’ Home, the Boys’ Home and Kuching Corps. While Daddy unpacked our luggage and the baby was asleep, I went collecting along the row of shops in Sekama Road, with Poh Ai in the pram. There was method in my madness. I introduced myself as a new officer of the corps up the road, and then asked for a donation. Most shops would give in kind, like a couple of tins of sardines or milk, instead of cash. These canned good would be quite heavy, so the pram came in handy!
At the end of the Appeal month, The Army held its Annual Open Day. One of the stalls would have the collected goods put on sale, and the proceeds shared among the three centres. The Homes would also have other stalls selling things made by their children. During the year the older girls did sewing and embroidery, while the boys did carpentry. Their volunteers also set up other booths with goods for sale. It was always a great event in the town.
Three weeks after our arrival to Kuching, CHQ sent my husband to Sibu town as The Army’s representative to an inter-church conference in regard to Sarawak joining Malaya, Singapore and Sabah to form Malaysia. In the early days of British rule in Borneo the SPG (Society for the Promotion of the Gospel) or Anglican Church was allocated the first division of Sarawak with Kuching as its headquarters; the Methodist Church had its stronghold in Sibu in the second division; and the Borneo Evangelical Mission was given British North Borneo (Sabah). When the British government invited The Salvation Army to start social services in Kuching in 1950 The Army took its stand as a Christian denomination. Perhaps for that reason we were included among the participating churches in that 1962 historic gathering. This became the beginning of the National Council of Churches in East Malaysia.
We not only had a good working relationship among the officers, but there was also an amicable spirit among the churches. Praise the Lord!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
THIS IS MY LIFE - 15
15 – FAMILY PRIDE and JOY
We were happily serving the Lord in a joint ministry as husband and wife. Soon we had to learn to make adjustments as the day of the arrival of our firstborn drew near.
After some enquiries we decided that I would have my baby delivered in the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital in Burma Road because its charges were comparable to the government hospitals. The management was also kind enough to waive the doctor’s delivery fees for ministers of the Gospel.
One Friday afternoon I took the Girl Guides out on a hike. That evening I felt some contractions and checked into the hospital. Our first child did not come till Sunday, 8th May 1960, which happened to be Mother’s Day. My first choice of a name for her had been Grace, but there were so many girls with that name in The Army. My husband was reading the biography of Gladys Aylward, the Little Woman who did a great work in China. So we decided on naming her Gladys LIM Poh Ai (Precious Love in Chinese).
We did not employ the traditional ‘confinement nanny’ – someone to tend to the needs of the new mother and baby. My husband knew how to cook the kind of food needed because he had seen his mother preparing such dishes when his sister gave birth. He made sure that the Corps work such as pastoral visitation of eighteen hours a week and the various activities were not neglected. By the help of God, he managed this, though he also had the oversight of the Boys’ Home while the officers were away on their annual furlough.
Everyone in the corps rejoiced with us. When the Sunday school children first saw Poh Ai they exclaimed “She looks just like a Chinese baby!”
Some time later Lt. Peter Chang passed through Penang travelling from the International Training College in London where he had been trained, and returning home to Korea remarked: “She looks like a Korean baby!” Years later Captain and Mrs. Peter Chang was the Training Principal we met his family – his wife Grace, son John and baby daughter Miriam. We also remarked, “She looks just like a Chinese baby!”
With no elders to guide us, we went by the book – Baby books. She was usually very contented. By the end of three weeks, after the last feed at 10 p.m. she slept right through the night till 6 a.m. Two weeks later, my husband left us to attend the Command’s Anniversary celebrations in Singapore. In his absence I did the Sunday’s meetings with the help of the comrades. The Lord was good and all went well. In fact, when I took her to the baby clinic for a post natal check-up I was persuaded to enter her for a Baby Show organised by the Methodist church in their annual carnival.
As it was a Saturday, we attended the fair, but I had to leave her with Daddy in the afternoon when I returned to the corps for my meetings with the brownies and guides. By the end of our meetings Daddy rushed home for me to return to the show to receive the award. Our baby won first prize in the competition!
A few months after Poh Ai’s first birthday we were informed that CHQ was sending Daddy to London for the spring session of the International College for Officers the following year. He requested to be excused because it was just confirmed that our second baby was due then. Some of our colleague officers chided him for turning down the offer, but CHQ was kind enough to defer his trip for a year.
However, about a month to the due birth date CHQ wanted to farewell us but the same doctor who had delivered Poh Ai, Dr. Odelhyde, advised against it. So it was decided that we would move six weeks after the birth of our second child.
By this time, new officers were appointed to the Boys Home - Captain and Mrs. William Davies. When it was time to check into the hospital the Captain drove us all there. We had to take Poh Ai with us because there was no one else in our home. She slept through it all, oblivious to the world!
Early the next morning our son was born – on 7th March 1962 at 8 a.m. We named him Stephen LIM Thean Hock (Heaven’s Blessing in Chinese.) As he did the first time round, Daddy was the “confinement nanny” again. He was extremely busy as we were under farewell orders. This time he had to pack for a family with two young children. I could not help much because I was trying to cope with two babies, not one. I thought my little girl of twenty two months old was quite grown up till baby brother came! At that time a High Council was being called to elect a new general. She asked if she could be a general too. We told her she could not as she was still feeding on a baby bottle. She did not really understand, but decided to give it up then!
Penang Corps will always have a special place in our hearts because we had very happy term of 2 and a half years service in an almost perfect setting.
We were happily serving the Lord in a joint ministry as husband and wife. Soon we had to learn to make adjustments as the day of the arrival of our firstborn drew near.
After some enquiries we decided that I would have my baby delivered in the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital in Burma Road because its charges were comparable to the government hospitals. The management was also kind enough to waive the doctor’s delivery fees for ministers of the Gospel.
One Friday afternoon I took the Girl Guides out on a hike. That evening I felt some contractions and checked into the hospital. Our first child did not come till Sunday, 8th May 1960, which happened to be Mother’s Day. My first choice of a name for her had been Grace, but there were so many girls with that name in The Army. My husband was reading the biography of Gladys Aylward, the Little Woman who did a great work in China. So we decided on naming her Gladys LIM Poh Ai (Precious Love in Chinese).
We did not employ the traditional ‘confinement nanny’ – someone to tend to the needs of the new mother and baby. My husband knew how to cook the kind of food needed because he had seen his mother preparing such dishes when his sister gave birth. He made sure that the Corps work such as pastoral visitation of eighteen hours a week and the various activities were not neglected. By the help of God, he managed this, though he also had the oversight of the Boys’ Home while the officers were away on their annual furlough.
Everyone in the corps rejoiced with us. When the Sunday school children first saw Poh Ai they exclaimed “She looks just like a Chinese baby!”
Some time later Lt. Peter Chang passed through Penang travelling from the International Training College in London where he had been trained, and returning home to Korea remarked: “She looks like a Korean baby!” Years later Captain and Mrs. Peter Chang was the Training Principal we met his family – his wife Grace, son John and baby daughter Miriam. We also remarked, “She looks just like a Chinese baby!”
With no elders to guide us, we went by the book – Baby books. She was usually very contented. By the end of three weeks, after the last feed at 10 p.m. she slept right through the night till 6 a.m. Two weeks later, my husband left us to attend the Command’s Anniversary celebrations in Singapore. In his absence I did the Sunday’s meetings with the help of the comrades. The Lord was good and all went well. In fact, when I took her to the baby clinic for a post natal check-up I was persuaded to enter her for a Baby Show organised by the Methodist church in their annual carnival.
As it was a Saturday, we attended the fair, but I had to leave her with Daddy in the afternoon when I returned to the corps for my meetings with the brownies and guides. By the end of our meetings Daddy rushed home for me to return to the show to receive the award. Our baby won first prize in the competition!
A few months after Poh Ai’s first birthday we were informed that CHQ was sending Daddy to London for the spring session of the International College for Officers the following year. He requested to be excused because it was just confirmed that our second baby was due then. Some of our colleague officers chided him for turning down the offer, but CHQ was kind enough to defer his trip for a year.
However, about a month to the due birth date CHQ wanted to farewell us but the same doctor who had delivered Poh Ai, Dr. Odelhyde, advised against it. So it was decided that we would move six weeks after the birth of our second child.
By this time, new officers were appointed to the Boys Home - Captain and Mrs. William Davies. When it was time to check into the hospital the Captain drove us all there. We had to take Poh Ai with us because there was no one else in our home. She slept through it all, oblivious to the world!
Early the next morning our son was born – on 7th March 1962 at 8 a.m. We named him Stephen LIM Thean Hock (Heaven’s Blessing in Chinese.) As he did the first time round, Daddy was the “confinement nanny” again. He was extremely busy as we were under farewell orders. This time he had to pack for a family with two young children. I could not help much because I was trying to cope with two babies, not one. I thought my little girl of twenty two months old was quite grown up till baby brother came! At that time a High Council was being called to elect a new general. She asked if she could be a general too. We told her she could not as she was still feeding on a baby bottle. She did not really understand, but decided to give it up then!
Penang Corps will always have a special place in our hearts because we had very happy term of 2 and a half years service in an almost perfect setting.
Friday, May 7, 2010
THIS IS MY LIFE - 14
14 - PEARL OF THE ORIENT
My husband and I were very excited to be appointed to Penang Corps. The island had been one of those which claimed to be the Pearl of the Orient.
On my first visit I was enchanted by the scenery. Perhaps it was also the first time I ever left Singapore to visit Malaya as one of the two women cadets of the Shepherds Session who were sent to Penang for a campaign whilst in training. My husband had not been there before and I tried to describe it to him.
The Army hall and quarters were the first purpose-built premises in the Command. Located in a lovely residential area, not far from the prison, with its superintendant living nearby we felt very secured. The building was a compound house in the shape of the letter L upside down. From the main gate a left turn on a driveway would lead to the front of the hall. However, straight from the road on same driveway would lead to the quarters. Take a left turn and ahead was the garage, but on the right was the front door to the sitting room. From the garage there were two side doors, the right one opened to the balcony into the quarters, while the other led to a little office behind the corps hall.
We left Singapore by the night train and changed to the day express at Kuala Lumpur the next morning. I was then sick with nausea and we wondered what the matter was with me. We disembarked at Butterworth on the mainland, caught a ferry to the island and met by Major Roy Page, the Manager of the Penang Boys’ Home. It was a relief to arrive at our destination to unpack our luggage. My husband found the place as idyllic as I had discovered. We thought we were in paradise, at least the annex to heaven!
After a good night’s rest I was sick again the next morning! I was very miserable, so went to see a doctor. The nurse thought I looked too well to need consultation and I was too shy to say I wanted a pregnancy test! The doctor confirmed that a baby was on the way. We were very happy indeed.
The Sunday schedule of Penang Corps began with Directory Class at 9 a.m. attended mainly by the boys from the Home; Holiness Meeting at 10 a.m. Sunday School at 3 p.m.; open air meeting at 5 p.m. followed by the march to the hall for the Salvation Meeting at 6 p.m. We were greatly supported by Major and Mrs. Roy and Connie Page, the Home Officers and the boys from the Home; Corps Sergeant Major (CSM)Geoffrey Oakley, stationed at the Royal Australian Air Force base with his wife Norma and two sons, Graham and Warren; Corps Treasurer Robert Khoo, Corps Pianist Neo Ah Howe, and others including Mr. & Mrs. Mathews, Anna, Lucy and Sunny. Joseph was a pre war Salvationist; though he did not understand much English he was faithful in attending the Sunday morning meeting bringing flowere for the hall. He was gardener to the residents of some lovely bungalows on the island. There was a small band and a songster brigade with Mrs. Page as the Songster Leader. Almost the whole Sunday School was made up of Tamil children living with their parents in the prison staff quarters nearby.
We had a good friend in Major James Tait, Red Shield officer for the Australian troops stationed in Malaya. He would always arrange to be at the meetings on Sunday and ever willing and ready to conduct a meeting when requested.
During the week my programme included a Home League meeting with about a dozen ladies; for my husband it was a Religious Knowledge class at the school attached to the Boys’ Home during school hours; and in the evening he held Corps Cadet Class in the corps. On a Saturday afternoon, he would cycle off to the home of Brother Michael at Bayam Lepas and the Mathews family at Glugor for the outpost Sunday School and adult meeting while I had meetings with the Sunbeans (Brownies) and Life Saving Guards (Girl Guides). Loo Lay Saik (now Lt-Colonel Mrs. Tan) first joined Penang Corps through this section. Saturday evening was pub-booming (selling the War Cry in the bars or coffee shops and restaurants.)
Generally we travelled together by bus because the corps owned one bicycle only. It was very useful, like when my husband visited the outposts, carrying his concertina behind, or when I went to the market.
Another aspect of our ministry was to offer hospitality to Army personnel en route to their destinations when their ships docked. At first we were just as interested as the visitors to enjoy the tourist spots such as Penang Hill, Botanic Gardens and the Snake Temple etc. Towards the end of our three year term, I found it tiring, (with two young children) time consuming and expensive too, especially when some visitors would bring their newfound friends among their fellow travellers. In those days only the stipulated number of people advised by CHQ and officially listed cost of their meals only could be legitimately charged. However, we did get good cooperation from some Home officers, who took their turn to entertain those known to them.
Two months after our arrival in Penang, my sister Pui Sim announced her marriage to GOH Bin Lay on 19th January 1960. We dared not ask permission for both of us to be away from duty. Besides, we could hardly afford the fares. So only I attended the wedding.
My husband and I were very excited to be appointed to Penang Corps. The island had been one of those which claimed to be the Pearl of the Orient.
On my first visit I was enchanted by the scenery. Perhaps it was also the first time I ever left Singapore to visit Malaya as one of the two women cadets of the Shepherds Session who were sent to Penang for a campaign whilst in training. My husband had not been there before and I tried to describe it to him.
The Army hall and quarters were the first purpose-built premises in the Command. Located in a lovely residential area, not far from the prison, with its superintendant living nearby we felt very secured. The building was a compound house in the shape of the letter L upside down. From the main gate a left turn on a driveway would lead to the front of the hall. However, straight from the road on same driveway would lead to the quarters. Take a left turn and ahead was the garage, but on the right was the front door to the sitting room. From the garage there were two side doors, the right one opened to the balcony into the quarters, while the other led to a little office behind the corps hall.
We left Singapore by the night train and changed to the day express at Kuala Lumpur the next morning. I was then sick with nausea and we wondered what the matter was with me. We disembarked at Butterworth on the mainland, caught a ferry to the island and met by Major Roy Page, the Manager of the Penang Boys’ Home. It was a relief to arrive at our destination to unpack our luggage. My husband found the place as idyllic as I had discovered. We thought we were in paradise, at least the annex to heaven!
After a good night’s rest I was sick again the next morning! I was very miserable, so went to see a doctor. The nurse thought I looked too well to need consultation and I was too shy to say I wanted a pregnancy test! The doctor confirmed that a baby was on the way. We were very happy indeed.
The Sunday schedule of Penang Corps began with Directory Class at 9 a.m. attended mainly by the boys from the Home; Holiness Meeting at 10 a.m. Sunday School at 3 p.m.; open air meeting at 5 p.m. followed by the march to the hall for the Salvation Meeting at 6 p.m. We were greatly supported by Major and Mrs. Roy and Connie Page, the Home Officers and the boys from the Home; Corps Sergeant Major (CSM)Geoffrey Oakley, stationed at the Royal Australian Air Force base with his wife Norma and two sons, Graham and Warren; Corps Treasurer Robert Khoo, Corps Pianist Neo Ah Howe, and others including Mr. & Mrs. Mathews, Anna, Lucy and Sunny. Joseph was a pre war Salvationist; though he did not understand much English he was faithful in attending the Sunday morning meeting bringing flowere for the hall. He was gardener to the residents of some lovely bungalows on the island. There was a small band and a songster brigade with Mrs. Page as the Songster Leader. Almost the whole Sunday School was made up of Tamil children living with their parents in the prison staff quarters nearby.
We had a good friend in Major James Tait, Red Shield officer for the Australian troops stationed in Malaya. He would always arrange to be at the meetings on Sunday and ever willing and ready to conduct a meeting when requested.
During the week my programme included a Home League meeting with about a dozen ladies; for my husband it was a Religious Knowledge class at the school attached to the Boys’ Home during school hours; and in the evening he held Corps Cadet Class in the corps. On a Saturday afternoon, he would cycle off to the home of Brother Michael at Bayam Lepas and the Mathews family at Glugor for the outpost Sunday School and adult meeting while I had meetings with the Sunbeans (Brownies) and Life Saving Guards (Girl Guides). Loo Lay Saik (now Lt-Colonel Mrs. Tan) first joined Penang Corps through this section. Saturday evening was pub-booming (selling the War Cry in the bars or coffee shops and restaurants.)
Generally we travelled together by bus because the corps owned one bicycle only. It was very useful, like when my husband visited the outposts, carrying his concertina behind, or when I went to the market.
Another aspect of our ministry was to offer hospitality to Army personnel en route to their destinations when their ships docked. At first we were just as interested as the visitors to enjoy the tourist spots such as Penang Hill, Botanic Gardens and the Snake Temple etc. Towards the end of our three year term, I found it tiring, (with two young children) time consuming and expensive too, especially when some visitors would bring their newfound friends among their fellow travellers. In those days only the stipulated number of people advised by CHQ and officially listed cost of their meals only could be legitimately charged. However, we did get good cooperation from some Home officers, who took their turn to entertain those known to them.
Two months after our arrival in Penang, my sister Pui Sim announced her marriage to GOH Bin Lay on 19th January 1960. We dared not ask permission for both of us to be away from duty. Besides, we could hardly afford the fares. So only I attended the wedding.
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