THIS IS MY LIFE -22

22 – KL CORPS DEVELOPMENT
As we were in a new housing estate there was no wet market built yet. Every morning a few small trucks ladened with assorted produce would park along the sides of the road. We ladies did our shopping or “marketing” then. It took me a long time to come home with my grocery because I used to stop and chat with the ladies, inviting them to Home League. In the evenings, our family would walk round the estate, exploring our environment. We also stopped to chat with the people who seemed friendly, inviting them to the Sunday Worship.

My husband used to play his concertina every Sunday afternoon at the front door of the hall. This attracted the children to crowd round. They were then invited into the hall; and soon a Sunday school was started.

It was not easy to get adults to attend the Sunday meeting because they were either already church goers or of other faiths. The ladies seemed more keen in a weekday fellowship gathering. Thus a Home League meeting was held on every Tuesday afternoon. This was quite popular because all of us were new to the place and keen to make friends. Many of the ladies were also very interested to visit each other’s home to learn cooking various dishes. This I had to limit to once a month.

One very enthusiastic Home League member was Weenie KWAN. She brought more than five friends to become members; for this she was awarded the Home League President’s Badge! The Home League was certainly a good outreach programme to introduce people to The Army to find the Lord. The following year our corps won the Command Home League Banner of Progress!

In October, Lieutenant TAN Thean Seng was ordained, commissioned and appointed as the Assistant Corps Officer. He was very welcomed reinforcement, especially for door-to-door visitation all along the Old Klang Road and surrounding districts with pamphlets listing our meetings and activities. The two men officers did this most afternoons, walking in the heat of the sun as the corps did not own a vehicle, not even a bicycle!

Their hard work paid off as many contacts were made as a result. Another successful outreach was the weekly youth group held every Friday evening. Perhaps the draw card was our offer of free private tuition for the members.
Dr. David MUTTU of Reddy Clinic in Petaling Jaya had been one of the Army’s donors when the Public Relations Secretary on CHQ went collecting in the big towns and cities in Malaysia. He asked Brigadier Arthur SMITH from the UK Territory who was serving in this position at this time, what more he could do for The Army. The Brigadier informed him of our transfer to KL so he offered us free medical treatment. He continued doing so for all officers appointed to the corps till he passed away. He belonged to the Methodist Church but became good friends, bringing his children to the corps first Christmas party, and provided ice cream for all present.

One day my husband met on the bus an elderly Scottish gentleman by the name of John ROBERTSON. He had been a rubber planter for years and was now living as a retiree in a bungalow in our estate with his Thai wife, a very staunched Buddist. Though he did not attend our meetings often he became a good supporter, and sponsored my husband to join the British Council Library, and supported us on special occasions. However, through regular visitation Mrs. Nowan ROBERTSON joined the Home League, bringing another Thai lady, Mrs. GODDART. Long after Mr. Robertson passed away his wife remained a faithful Home League member and supporter.

My husband and I enrolled ourselves at a night class in Assunta School in Petaling Jaya to study Bahasa Kebangsaan – Malaysia’s National language, Malay. One night a week Lt. Tan stayed home to do his probationary lessons and also babysat for us at the same time, while we were out. One of our classmates was June LIM living in Petaling Jaya. We visited her and her mother; who became good friends of The Army, supporting our special events, though they remained Anglican Church members. Through their generosity the corps received an organ and a ceiling fan.

At the corps’ first anniversary celebrations meeting, our hall was filled to capacity. We had to borrow chairs from one of the boys whose father owned a coffee shop nearby. Friends and neighbours brought goodies for the fellowship tea which followed. Mrs. H. S LIM, donated one hundred home-made curry puffs. We were very thankful to God for the wonderful support given by everyone.

With KL being halfway between Singapore and Penang we often had visitors, on Army business or furlough. The OC also visited frequently when he attended National Council of Churches as leader of The Army.