My cancer journey with God 1. 2. 3. 4.

Discovery and fear of unknown God connects and rescue me God’s timing to heal me Prayers by church in hospital, home

Discovery/ Fear of Death • Lymph node on neck (left) • Consult Boo Chye (any bleeding from my nose) • 4 months wait after referral by Polyclinic to SGH • Seek advice of Dr Yeoh S I who examine me at her home • She refers me to ENT surgeon at Gleneagles without delay

Discovery/ Fear of Death • Biopsy of tumor in nose reveals malignant cancer. How did it happen? I don’t smoke. • PET Scan shows I having 3rd going to 4th stage cancer • Fear grip me as I become worried for my family and my wife to take care of my mother who has dementia • Gleneagles Hospital :80% chance of survival using Chemo and radiation but SGH assure 60% • I decide to trust God with 60% -80% chance of survival with treatment and live by faith because of my family and my interest in mission field Lord willing. • Proverb 3:5 teach “ Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding”

God connects people & send help • Sis Mee Geok checking my insurance coverage warn me that my insurance coverage was only Government hospital. • Sis Peggy Phua working at Eye Center SGH also help to shorten my appointment from April to earlier date • Gal 6: 10 “ as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people especially to those who belong to family of believers” • I immediately explain my financial standing to clinical oncologist Dr Karmen Wong in Gleneagles Hospital who understood my situation, called Dr Joseph Wee, most experienced radiation oncologist who treated sis Mee Hoe nasal cancer

God connects people & send help • Appointment was shortened to next day 9am with Dr J Wee. A Delay of 4 months was reduced to next day Amazing connection that sis Mee Kuen wanted to help me but don’t have connection. • But nothing is impossible with God. I was overjoyed & know God want to rescue me if it’s His will. I can see God “ is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine” Eph 3:20 • God connects Apostle Peter to Cornelius in Acts 10. to save Cornelius and his family. God intervene to save me. I was overjoyed and knew hand of God is guiding me for a cure if I trust in Him

God’s timing to heal & rescue me • During painful struggle, I often cried out to Jesus to deliver me from unbearable, prolonged pain in the night • God hears & rescue me, sometimes immediately, sometimes next day. I couldn’t understand healing but it happen. • Mt 28: 20 “ surely, I am with you always to very end of the age” • After 33x of radiation and 2x chemo , MRI reveal my tumor has shrunk and my lymph nodes not visible. Jesus has healed me. I was overjoyed by God’s mercy. This healing was further confirmed by endoscopy into my nose. • Psa 40: 1-2 “ I waited patiently for the Lord: he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of slimy pit ,out of mud and mire

God’s timing to heal me • During the review by Oncologist, Dr Tan EH wanted to treat me with adjuvant chemo (chemo to kill any remaining cancer cells) • I thought I was cured when tumor shrink (confirmed by MRI) Why chemo again ? • Again fear of unknown grip me whether to subject my body to more chemo or opt out to do Chinese TCM approach without further chemo. • I decided to trust Oncologist and God with more chemo as Dr Tan’s judgement to cancel second chemo when I was warded for low white blood count ( body temp > 38C) was effective. Trust in the Lord and lean not in my understanding. Prov 3:5

Prayers during Hospital & Home visits • I was weak and tired but I persevere being strengthened by prayers together with members, elder and deacon during 4 days of being warded hospital. I could not talk but I wrote my thoughts on notebook to say what I need and to share with concerned Christians • Many care teams visit me at my home too. Even elderly sisters from Chinese congregation came. Disbanded Bishan CoC group also visited me. I am blessed with loving and caring church who prayed for my healing and strength. • Ja 5:14 “ Is anyone of you sick ? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him……And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick well ”

Prayers during Hospital & Home visits

• Prayers by caring members together are very important as they are spiritual encouragement to a sick person who are often desperate and spiritually low during painful struggle • Home or Hospital visits are care and concerns that goes beyond words just like works and faith in Jm 2:18 • ‘ Let us not become weary in doing good work’ Gal 6: 9

Conclusion • Fear of unknown is the same fear as stepping out of boat into stormy sea as apostle Peter experiences. We need to focus on Jesus and trust Him. • God connects people to do His will. He sends right person to carry out His will. Acts 10 • God is present with us all the time. You need to cry out to Him for deliverance. He understand your struggle. Psa 40:1-2 • God heals me in His timing as destroyed cells by chemo recovers only. We need to trust in the Lord & lean not in our understanding. Prov 3:5 • Praying together strengthens our faith in the Lord. Col 4:2 • Cancer is not death sentence. Is God pruning me to bear more fruits ? I think so. Jn 15 : 1-4

Conclusion • God prunes me to put full trust in the Lord who takes good care of me. I am now prepared to serve Him more diligently in mission field and to love my family more intimately. Jn 15: 1-7 • With advancement in the treatment for cancer, there is hope in the valley of death Psa 23:4 • Take each day at a time. Don’t worry about tomorrow for it can be fearful. Just pray to Lord to take care of you today. Thank Him as each day end. Mt 6:34 • This experience with cancer taught me to trust more in the Lord, cry to Him for deliverance from pain and be patient with God’s timing Rom 12:12