Who, Me? ….Yes, Lord.

Are you sure?
Will you be paid?
Will you have enough to live?
What will your parents think?
Are you going to work in the jungle?

These are some of the frequently asked questions I received from friends when I shared with them that I was going to join Wycliffe. In fact, these were the exact questions that I have spent years asking myself since I first heard God’s calling in 2014. My response was “Who, me? No, thanks.” I was scared and overwhelmed by my insecurities. I made many excuses for not serving Him. First of all, I felt inadequate to serve God as I felt I was not a good Christian. I was also not a good speaker. Maybe I might serve Him when I am old and retired. I wanted to save enough money before I serve Him full time. I wanted to do online business to earn more. I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I had so many plans but so little time for God. However, God is GOOD. He brought different people into my life to show me His way and also through Isaiah 30:21 (NLT)

He assured me that He will supply all my needs and that He has prepared me for this a long time ago. Looking back, I could indeed feel His hands guiding me. I came to know Jesus when I was young, by attending Sunday School on Friday nights at a neighbour’s house. I grew up in Cameron Highlands, Pahang. My father works as a farmer. I grew up as a farm girl with three younger brothers, helping in the farm, playing hide and seek at the tea plantation and climbing fruit trees. I have crossed paths with many aborigines who stayed in the nearby villages. I have never spoken to them nor known anything about them. It never crossed my mind that one day I would be working with this people group.

Your own ears will hear him.
Right behind you a voice will say,
this is the way you should go,
whether to the right or to the left.
Isaiah 30:21 (NLT)

When I was 15 years old, I was sent to stay with my aunt in Petaling Jaya. I continued my education in Petaling Jaya and subsequently worked as a temporary teacher in a primary school while waiting to be accepted into the Ministry of Education’s training course for teachers. I applied twice and was rejected. I was really upset and disappointed. I asked God to direct my path and He led me to a local university where I did my first degree in Chinese Studies. I enjoyed my university life despite the fact that I was much older than my classmates. After I graduated, I asked God for guidance and I felt led to continue my education in Taiwan where I did my Masters in Linguistics. During my studies, I was still not sure what I could do in the future with my qualifications. I shared my concerns with my pastor. He directed me to get in touch with Wycliffe and to pray about the possibility of serving in Bible translation. I did, but nothing happened at that time.

In 2014, I came back to Malaysia and started teaching Mandarin in an international school. I served in my church as a facilitator in a translation project for an indigenous people group. In the course of my service, I was introduced to some missionaries from Wycliffe. I was amazed at how God works. After four years of wrestling with and resisting God, I finally remembered God’s grace in my life and I surrendered. I said “Yes, Lord. I will serve You”. In June 2018, I resigned from my teaching job and prepared my heart to join Wycliffee fulltime. In February, 2019, I was accepted as a Wycliffe member. Praise the Lord!

My role in Wycliffe is to engage with churches to share the vision and mission of Wycliffe. Besides this, I am also involved in an Oral Bible Storying workshop for indigenous people groups to craft Bible stories in their mother tongue.

Indeed, nothing is more rewarding than witnessing the profound transformation that happens in a person when he or she grows deeper in relationship with God through understanding the Bible in their mother tongue.