The birth of Anna Wong on 26th April in 2010 was a significant moment for FGT. Almost 30 years earlier in November 1981, her own mother, Grace Eu Swee Leng,
was born to Ps. Hong Seng and his wife, Gaik Sim when the church was on her early legs. Hence, with the arrival of Anna, FGT marked the advent of the third generation to descend from the original pioneering group of the church.
Remarkably, the life of Anna’s family not only spans the history of FGT to date, but their story in fact parallels that of the church over the last thirty years. This is more so given the fact that Anna almost did not make it into the world due to unexpected complications that arose towards the last few weeks of Grace’s pregnancy.
Due to incidents of bleeding, Grace had to be hospitalized and put on complete bed-rest to help keep Anna to full-term in the womb. Grace, who is married to Wong Meng Hong, recalls this period to be a time of serious reflection and testing of her faith.
“Honestly, I had doubts. I asked God what He was wanting to say to me. I realized then He was trying to get my utmost attention. I had been just so busy doing a million things on my own strength and completely leaving Him out as I figured I could ‘take care’ of this child without His involvement. I began to realize that though I could earn a lot of money, do anything and everything, the fact remained I had no absolute control over whether my baby would live or die,” Grace says.
Ironically, Grace’s mother, Gaik Sim also went through the experience of nearly losing her daughter as well when the former almost drowned at sea as a young child back in 1985 at a church retreat. At that time, she was similarly wrestling with her concerns for her family’s future well-being following her husband’s decision to come out full-time as a pastor.
“As a mother, I wanted to give my children the best we could afford. Full-time ministry would mean the end of that dream. I struggled with the Lord over this,” Gaik Sim recalls. “When Grace nearly drowned, I felt the Lord said to me, “You think the lives of your children are in your hands, your ability to provide for them, but really they are in Mine.” I surrendered to the Lord’s will that day and learned to trust Him for the long future ahead.”
God proved Himself faithful to the Eu family as Grace was rescued on time and twenty-six years later, delivered Anna safely albeit seven weeks premature.
“Dad and Mum say Anna personifies God’s faithfulness through the generations. She is a reflection that God protects and favours those who love and serve Him,” Grace says. “Over the years, I sometimes felt I had missed out on life because my father was a pastor and not a CEO. He couldn’t afford me an overseas education, branded goods, the glamour life – you know, all those things that any young person would hanker for. Instead, my parents constantly reminded me that God compensates and will always be faithful. Although I did understand this point, the message didn’t really hit home until I faced the prospect of losing my unborn baby.”
Grace and her sister, Joyce understand only too well how essential it is that the second generation carry on the work started by the generation before; and perhaps to do even greater things than them in terms of nation-building and fulfilling the church vision.
“I think my parents would hope that my faith adventure would be as exciting if not more exciting than theirs have been. In some aspect I am rather like Dad – quite a go-getter; I want things by yesterday. And yes, I understand that if we don’t do it, God will raise another to take our place. I would hate to miss out on God’s purposes just because I was too chicken,” Grace says.
While baby Anna has begun to reveal the softer side of her adoring grandparents, Grace is aware the expectations of the pioneers from the third generation in the church are just as high as from her generation.
“I just hope Anna and her generation will experience God in such a real way that they would know without a doubt that God loves them and that the journey of life isn’t worth traveling without Him,” she says.