Today, as we were driving Jordie to school in the morning, a call came in from a friend, Karen, reporting that our dear friend, Mum Beryl has passed away before midnight yesterday. We weren't surprised as she had been ill in hospital for over a week but we were also sad. In that second, we knew we had lost a very dear and encouraging friend of many years to us.
Beryl died on the 1st day of winter in Australia, June 1, 2010 at 83. How significant, the 'passing of the old guard' as we enter a new season. She had been diagnosed with cancer last year but mercifully, she suffered very little pain and went peacefully in an unconscious state.
She had been serving God faithfully since her fifties and travelled to many lands as a missionary including Malaysia, Indonesia and England. She served alongside with Pastor Dexter and Lily in the early pioneering days of Latter Rain Church and had been a great inspiration to many- both young and old. Possibly she had travelled to many different parts of Malaysia more than the average Malaysian would have done, and given her life towards encouraging and teaching many people about God. She made many visits back to Malaysia to be part of the church. Many Latter Rain church members know her and have been blessed by her ministry.
Jordie calls her his "Billabong Granny" (because her residence was called 'the Billabong') and she seemed to be really proud of that nickname. One of the 1st Australians to welcome us when we arrived in Gold Coast, she made sure we were welcomed, settled in well and adjusted when we first moved here.
Can't quite describe the loss, but before we feel sorry for ourselves, we know she is now in a better place. In the last stages of her life, she was actually pretty cheerful and strong about her situation, even though she was in discomfort, she kept her humour and faith in God, always believing Him for the best and seeing even the hospital as her mission field. Last Monday when we last saw her, she was even talking about going next door to pray for another patient who wasn't doing so well....such is her heart and compassion for people around her.
We will miss her heaps. She's been such an encouragement to me during some of my difficult times...
The winter has come but you have gone.
To dwell and enjoy home in a better place
Many lives you have touched, Many seeds you have sown
May we join with you someday to see God face to face.
So, good bye for now. Beryl. Until then, we will always have loving memories of you.
June 2, 2010
EPISODE 43: GOODBYE FOR NOW, DEAREST BERYL
Today, as we were driving Jordie to school in the morning, a call came in from a friend, Karen, reporting that our dear friend, Mum Beryl has passed away before midnight yesterday. We weren't surprised as she had been ill in hospital for over a week but we were also sad. In that second, we knew we had lost a very dear and encouraging friend of many years to us.
Beryl died on the 1st day of winter in Australia, June 1, 2010 at 83. How significant, the 'passing of the old guard' as we enter a new season. She had been diagnosed with cancer last year but mercifully, she suffered very little pain and went peacefully in an unconscious state.
She had been serving God faithfully since her fifties and travelled to many lands as a missionary including Malaysia, Indonesia and England. She served alongside with Pastor Dexter and Lily in the early pioneering days of Latter Rain Church and had been a great inspiration to many- both young and old. Possibly she had travelled to many different parts of Malaysia more than the average Malaysian would have done, and given her life towards encouraging and teaching many people about God. She made many visits back to Malaysia to be part of the church. Many Latter Rain church members know her and have been blessed by her ministry.
Jordie calls her his "Billabong Granny" (because her residence was called 'the Billabong') and she seemed to be really proud of that nickname. One of the 1st Australians to welcome us when we arrived in Gold Coast, she made sure we were welcomed, settled in well and adjusted when we first moved here.
Can't quite describe the loss, but before we feel sorry for ourselves, we know she is now in a better place. In the last stages of her life, she was actually pretty cheerful and strong about her situation, even though she was in discomfort, she kept her humour and faith in God, always believing Him for the best and seeing even the hospital as her mission field. Last Monday when we last saw her, she was even talking about going next door to pray for another patient who wasn't doing so well....such is her heart and compassion for people around her.
We will miss her heaps. She's been such an encouragement to me during some of my difficult times...
The winter has come but you have gone.
To dwell and enjoy home in a better place
Many lives you have touched, Many seeds you have sown
May we join with you someday to see God face to face.
So, good bye for now. Beryl. Until then, we will always have loving memories of you.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
We'll miss you Mum Beryl. Yes goodbye for now...
I guess I'll have to meet and 'catch-up' with Aunty Beryl in Heaven then.
The family had thoughts of visiting her in Australia after hearing she was improving miraculously.(Her health condition)
(Christina, we planned to 'bunked' in your 'hotel' actually.)
I remembered some years ago, together with sister late Patricia Lee and I whom we were returning late (close to mid-night) from a meeting in VVC / MV on the eve or on Malaysia's Independence Day,(August 30 or 31, seriously can't recall) we received 2 small boxes of Beryl's (Made In Malaysia)chocolates. We were caught by surprised by this small token, which was distributed fairly at the toll gate house along the highways of the North South Highway. We asked ourselves what should we do about this token. Since we had not heard nor seen Mum / Aunty Beryl for such a long-long time, (many-many years) we both started to pray aloud just about anything and everything we last heard and know about Mum / Aunty Beryl, in the car that we were travelling in. It was very memorable to me when that thought came to me as I'm missing 2 of the great women leaders in my life whom I know (so short a time) who would just want to serve their Lord, God will all their hearts, minds, souls and bodies. They were indeed 'wounded soldiers' for the Lord that we all would never come to know what they went through in life with only in their minds, sustaining in the grace and strength of their Beloved Saviour, the Love and Passion of their lives.
(Christina, Pardon me for making use of your beautiful blog of yours as a platform to 'write' events that had taken place. I just can't help myself to 'express' here.)
It was only after sometime we heard she was not doing well, especially in her health.
I've always have fond memories of her when she ministered in LRC Melaka and I'm surely gonna miss her 'contagious laughter' and she has a pretty sense of great humour too!
Yes, like Daniel says, good-bye Aunty Beryl, but we shall meet again. Yes, her smile and laughter will always have a room in my heart.
It's ok Cheryl (Yeoh) rite? Yes, she was very dear to all of us. But definitely happier now where she is.. God bless.
Thank you for your response, Christina. And the name's Yeo. Amen, and definitely too that Aunty Beryl is in better hands now!!
God bless you and your family too!
Post a Comment