2022.12.03/04
From the Pastor’s Desk by Rev. Simon Lee, Senior Pastor
Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want… Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Ps. 23:1, 4)
I have studied and preach this text countless of times, but never have I experienced the reality of these verses until two weeks ago when I became very seriously ill with Urinal Tract Infection while I was in Hong Kong. I would like to share my personal experience and the great mercy of God on me.
It all happened after our blessed short-term mission in Malaysia, a week of experiencing the power of God in the lives of people there. The trip was to continue the mission left by our dear Rev. Matthew Wong. Nearly two years have passed since our dear Rev. Wong and Stella came back from there and he was later diagnosed as having pancreatic cancer, dying a year after. We, especially Stella Wong, will share the story of our wonderful visit another time. To God be the glory.
On our way back, my wife Lydia and I went to Hong Kong, visiting our Alliance families there, among other things. Then out of the blue we were confronted with the news of the sudden and untimely death of Lydia’s older sister-in-law due to Covid. We were all sadden by the news and stayed longer to attend the funeral. We realized life can be so fleeting, and we must treasure each moment we have with one another.
On the day of attending the cremation, I suddenly felt ill and could not walk steadily, and eventually I took a fall on the street pavement injuring my forehead. I also started throwing up several times. All our relatives urged me to go to get checked out at the hospital. The MRI which was taken showed no internal brain injury, and I went back to the hotel, which by God’s grace was only several blocks away. I started to have a fever and ended back hospitalized in the afternoon where I was hospitalized. The fall resulted in my being quickly diagnosed as having a serious infection. It was indeed a blessing in disguise.
On the second or third day of my hospitalization, the capable doctor attending to me was quick to diagnosed that I had severe UTI (Urinal Tract Infection) from E-Coli to the extent of serious sepsis. My WBC (White Blood Count) was 10 times higher than normal, and my CRP (C-Reactive Protein) which indicated how sick I was, was over 23 times than normal. To make a long story short, I went through an aggressive course of intravenous antibiotics treatment for a whole week. By God’s grace, the antibiotics worked, and I was released from hospital in the end. Thanks to Lydia who visited me frequently and took good care of me. Thanks be to Christ the healer who had mercy on me. I finally realize how fragile life can be and it is entirely God’s grace that we can live and be healthy!
We were able to find a return ticket even though most flights were full, again it is the grace of God. We are so happy to be back to walk with you all in our last days at RCAC. Thanks to so many of you who prayed for us during this period of crisis. We have learned to treasure the precious relationships we have, especially our families and friends. I have realized life can be short and therefore I must fully utilize each breath I have to live for God and serve Him even more faithfully in a focused way. I now understand more in a personal way that the Lord indeed is my shepherd, and even though we walk through the darkest times, the Lord is here to provide, to heal and to comfort. Praise the Lord!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Simon