by Ng Jing Yng
CHORUS features a God-fearing and dedicated woman who has served and blessed COR in so many ways.
Like any other night, she shut her Bible and closed her eyes, eager to replenish her energy for the next day’s work at the Chapel of the Resurrection (COR).
Some thoughts drifted through her mind: “The church is so big, will I get everything done in time?” “The early morning taxi fare is going to stretch my budget again”. But the Lord’s gentle voice soon lulled Kum Sook Mee (affectionately known as Aunty Kim) into peaceful slumber, assuring her that He will provide.
At 5am the next morning, Aunty Kim was already waiting for a cab at the foot of her Redhill Close flat. The buses had not started running, so she is hitching a taxi to get to church earlier. She soon got into a cab and it turned out that the taxi driver was a neighbour living two blocks away. They started chatting and he offered a ride in the mornings. But he refused to charge the morning surcharges.
“The Lord will provide, and He did”, said Aunty Kim, in a recent interview with Chorus. She was then working as a cleaner for COR in its former Malan Road premises. In order to get to work earlier, she did not mind spending the extra dollar on cab rides as “keeping the Lord’s House clean” was her utmost concern, she said.
During the early morning rides, she would share about her faith as the cab driver and her communicated fluently in Cantonese. Upon reaching the church gates, the cab driver would switch on his cab’s high beam lights as she unlocked the padlock in the unlit surroundings. He would also step out of his vehicle to help whenever the rusty padlock was uncooperative.
“I believe that the Lord also uses non-Christians to provide,” Aunty Kim added.
For Aunty Kim, serving the Lord begun 30 years ago when Canon James Wong offered her a cleaning role in COR. She recalled being apprehensive, as the thought of cleaning the huge church compound sounded daunting to her. But she prayed and God taught her to prioritize her duties by cleaning the rooms needed on the day, before moving on to other areas. “God gave me the wisdom to get the work done,” she said.
The fatigue that came with the new job also gradually subsided as she took to prayer and formed firm friendships with fellow church workers. “Quiet Time everyday, it is very important in service,” said Aunty Kim, when asked about her sustenance during all these years of serving in church. For instance, when she felt lethargic that night, she would pray and feel refreshed the next morning.
The petite and outgoing lady also did not think much about going beyond the call of duty. On Sundays, when church members used the lecture halls in St Andrew’s Junior College, she would clean the toilets even though the school compound was not under her purview.
Added Aunty Kim: “The Lord Himself is a servant…I always feel happy to be able to serve Him and His people”.
Today, at 73 years old, she continues to serve in the hospitality ministry at the Sunday Worship Service, preparing refreshments for church members and visitors.
It is now coming back to one full circle for Aunty Kim, when she first came to know the Lord while serving as a cook at Christian lunch meetings in a former boss’s home.
Be it serving as a cook, cleaner or in any other role, Aunty Kim contents herself with the verse in Jeremiah 29:11.
She said: “God has a plan for each of us…He knows what we can do and we should do the best for Him”.
Writer’s Profile:
Ng Jing Yng works as a journalist and worships at Saturday Praise Service.
This article first appeared in Issue 11, August 2014 CHORUS Magazine.
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