Dec 1, 2012, by Adeline Lum CM-
Andy Lim, a 20-year old college student, was the first Christian in a family. His parents were driven and successful in their career but he seldom saw his parents growing up, deprived of parental attention. A black sheep of the family, his relatives appear to always pick him to blame, scold and push around. He also silently endured the beatings of his tuition teacher who physically abused him.
In primary school, he mixed with a group of friends who introduced him to smoking, clubbing, drugs and gangsters. A soft-spoken chap, it was hard to believe that he was part of a group of friends, or gang, hired to beat people at that tender age. Bone-breaker was what he was known for in the gangster hood, as he took down the big guys. Incidentally, he was also a national taekwando champion who represented Malaysia at 13 to 14 years old.
Had I been there, I would be Kill
So, how did he know Christ? A colleague of his mother invited him one day before Christmas to church. On that same day, his gang invited him to the club.
“I chose to go to church for a reason I did not understand myself. I remember feeling upset because it was not me to do this,” said Andy, who also upset his gang.
He used to insult God, but the Christmas service on that day somehow sow a seed in his heart. The next day, he found out that three of his friends who went out clubbing died, while two friends were in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit).
“They were drunk and were beaten up in the car park by a group of gangsters. Have I went, I’ll be dead too,” said Andy who began to think that Christ is real then.
Backslide—Trouble Came and Find me
He changed school and started going to church, but eventually left and backslid. Although he left the hood of gangsters, trouble still returned to find him. People would tease and push him around.
He held a lot of anger inside but he tried not to bother until one day, one classmate was talking incessantly at increasing decibel. His loud voice was difficult for Andy to ignore, feeling increasingly irritable from feeling unwell at the same time.
“I lost control,” said Andy.
He went to his classmate’s desk and slammed his classmate to the table, leaving two of his front teeth stuck there. The police officer came the next day, but thankfully, the case was resolved without a court case.
“At that time, I thought I need God again,” said Andy who shifted back to his first school, the school where he got involved with gangsters.
I Wanted God
Turned out, his notorious reputation among the teachers was intact. During this time of changing schools, his parent’s business was also failing, resulting in many arguments, which he pacified by comforting both sides. Nevertheless, the unease at home affected him as he played truancy sporadically and frequently over a year and a half.
His mentor challenged him to not only know God but also want God in his life.
“God had been working a lot in my life. I forgive my parents, tuition teacher, uncle and auntie for what they did to me,” said Andy.
He attended many church activities realizing his passion for the youths. Because of his childhood experience, he wanted to tell children from broken families and bad childhoods that hope is still alive in life with Christ.
On 26 December 2009, Andy demonstrated a stunt for taekwando. But while he did a back flip from the shoulder of another person, he hit the basketball rim that sent him to paralysis for two months. Never again was he allowed to do taekwando for the rest of his life.
Giving One Year to God
After a year from the accident, his mentor’s challenge reverberated in his head. He decided to give one year to God—no studying, nothing, just God.
So, he prayed and after a few months, God impressed on him about the ocean and bringing to mind on Noah and the Ark. The word “logos” also repeated in his head.
Logos is an evangelical cruise ministry that visits different countries to serve and share the gospel. The ship carries a bookstore, with Christian books at a very affordable price! But Andy had no clue about Logos and it troubled him for half a year until his mentor asked him to research about it.
So, he wrote to Logos and the ministry asked him to contact Operational Mobilization (OM), in which he had to attend a three-months STEP (short-term exposure program) pre-university mission program on July 2011. Before he enroll into STEP, he had to raise RM4000 for himself first, a sum he did not have.
He was really excited! For the first time, he wrote to sponsors but there was no reply. At that time, his grandmother who was very close to him was admitted to the hospital. And his mother’s working partner left. Due to the unease at home, he let the STEP passed until the next one came up again. His mentor encouraged him to not give up.
So, he applied to the sponsors on December 2011. No reply. His grandmother was admitted to the hospital again. And his mother was admitted to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) for high-blood pressure. It was two weeks before the due date. OM was pushing him on the other side to send them his application. But he had nothing! He did not even have RM100, what more RM4000?
Then, in the last two weeks, God’s hand moved. Suddenly, money started flowing in. He was able to complete vaccination in one week. And a few days before he left, his grandmother was out of the hospital and his mother was recovering.
My life with God Out in the Blue
In those two months, he visited Singapore and Philippines. In Singapore, he knew a friend just like him, named Alvin who was 19 years old. Alvin had a bad childhood, broken family, emotional and vulnerable. He was a friend to Alvin, and before he left, he led Alvin to the sinner’s prayer.
“When God asks me to share about Him, there is no preparation. He will just push me to go out there and share beyond my comfort zone,” said Andy.
In Philippines, he was disheartened to see many children sleeping on the streets amidst men holding guns! The environment was so dangerous for a child to grow up in. Yet, they did not lose hope.
“Although these children grew up with nothing, they have hope. They have ambitions like being a doctor. God showed me through this trip my heart for the children without hope,” said Andy.
God showed him again his passion for the youth. A particular girl was so attached to Andy that she always asked for hugs and cried when he had to leave.
When he visited a mountain in Sibu Island, Philippine, he also experienced how a humble house church is like, with nothing but a boom box to worship God in a shack.
This trip has given him hope, hope from the seemingly hopeless. He felt closer to God, maturing in his faith although there are lots more to grow.
When asked about his shout-out to his peers, Andy said, “Keep the passion of God burning. It is easy for people to step you down out of negativity. Get out of your comfort zone and expose yourself to more people because you never know who is contemplating suicide. Don’t judge a person by a book or think a person is weird. God loves everyone.”
Amen to that. Although he has gone through so much in life, he did not give up. And most importantly, God did not give up His work in him.
Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
I look forward to see God’s work still progressing in Andy’s life. How about you? God has great plans for you because it is written:
1 Corinthians 2:9
However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"
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