Lily's Story

This for Lily, my gan-jie(sister but not biologically).  There is a story to our relationship. I will write about it another time.

I have here her pics which, recently, I got them all out to scan to give her all the soft copies because she has lost all her precious pics of memories in the fire many years ago.




24 February 2011
Here is our story.... (I am not much of a writer but I will try my best)

Lily used to stay with her brother's family who was teaching in a Chinese primary school which was five mins' walk from my house.  Lily was also studying in this school and helping out her sis-in-law with alot of the house chores.  I think she was at that time around 11-12 yrs old when she came from Sibu to join her brother at Marudi.

During those days we had time to play, and I used to go to play at this school's compound in the afternoon.  So we often met and at times we may play together.  Then one afternoon I realised she was laughing at my poorly spoken mandarin as I was from a English school and I did not pronounce my words correctly.  From then on, I just disliked her so much, so we were not really friends then. 

After our primary level, we both went to the same secondary school which was right next to the Chinese primary school where Lily was staying with her brother at the teacher's quarter.  Marudi is a small town so there was no other choice of secondary school unless we went to the only private one (there was one then).  So we crossed each other's path now and then, but we did not talk.

I would say God is humourous as how he made our relationship happened.  One afternoon, a Christian teacher came to share the gospel with us at our home.  That was when I commited my life to Jesus and it was my final year at secondary school.  I did it together with my mum, we both prayed to have Jesus into our lives. Guess where I ended up?  I went to a Chinese church with my mum and there I was, same church with Lily!  So what should I do?  Well, we just gave each other a courtesy smile :) 

One day, as I was boarding an express boat to Miri I heard someone calling me. It was Lily's brother and know what?  He brought Lily to me and asked me to take care of her because she was going to Miri as well.  What was I to do?  Were we that close?  That is what you call a small town church where you are taken for granted when help is needed. So that was how it all happened.  She was put in my care...coming to Miri...staying with me...caring for her all the way.  Funny isn't?  That's how relationship happen....through caring even when it started off with dislike.  God changed me and we became good friends after that.  

Shortly after that relationship happened, my family moved to Miri.  I cannot remember when but she did come to Miri for a period of time teaching in a school in the outskirt of town.  She stayed with my family and my mum took care of her, cooking her breakfast and packed her lunch every morning.  She ended up calling my mum her "gan-ma" (mother) and so we are like sisters now.

When God is in our lives, He makes a difference.