Sent by Jerry Teo • Aug 13, 2023

It’s been a while since we last caught up, went shopping, and shared a meal together, and I’m still amazed by the circumstances that brought us together.

Back in 2013, I met this elderly man who was living alone in a PPR flat in Kota Damansara. He had been relocated there by the government from the New Village in Kg. Cempaka near Taman Mayang PJ. Despite several people reaching out to help him, he remained unresponsive.

When I first met him, it was evident that he was struggling to make ends meet. He survived on just one meal a day, which he received as a kind gesture from his Malay neighbour. He had not paid rent for over three years and was living in unsanitary conditions without access to basic amenities like running water or electricity. Even though NGOs in the area provided him with food provisions, he had no means to cook them. His situation was so desperate that he had to store his rice in paint containers because the packaging had worn out.

I’m grateful that the Lord used me ten years ago to speak into his life, and he was willing to relocate to an old folks’ home. Although it was tough for him to let go of his house, personal belongings, and even his most prized possession, his motorbike, he also had to leave behind the idols he worshipped.

During my recent visit to him, he corrected me when I asked if he had made any new friends in the old folks’ home. He replied, “Where got new friends, all are my old friends, and some have already passed away too.” It warmed my heart to hear that he had actually made some friends there, because he was so isolated when I first met him, and he didn’t have any friends for years. I kept encouraging him to make friends, to buy fruits to share with them, and so on. In the past, he would call me when he had trouble socializing in the old folks’ home, but now he has made some friends, and he calls me less often. I trust that he is finally content where he is, and I am happy for him. Praise the Lord.

He just turned 83 years old this year in February. I pray and hope that God will bless him with a long life, and perhaps I can organize a special birthday celebration for him next year.