Since my retirement as Diocesan Bishop at the end of March 2007, God has been faithful in caring for us over the twelve years.
I was asked to serve as the Chairman of St. Mark’s Cozy Home for a year and Honorary Acting Vicar of All Saints’ Church for more than two years during my retirement. At the same time, I am down to take Holy Communion Services (English and Cantonese) on the third Sunday of every month, if I am in Kuala Lumpur.
Soon after our retirement, we felt God leading us to look after our grandchildren. Besides caring for our three grandchildren on my son, Stephen’s side, we also go down to Singapore to care for our daughter, Irene’s two daughters. Amy had to spend three months for the elder granddaughter, (now 12 years old) and six months for the younger daughter (now 10 years old) until they were able to be sent to the child care centre in Singapore. Over in Kuala Lumpur, we helped to look after Tobias (16 years old), Gaby (12 years old) and Tabitha (10 years old) during the day.
We thank God for our children who have taken us on holidays to Vietnam, China, Europe and Korea over different years. We feel blessed by them for the care we shower by looking after our grandchildren.
We thank God for blessing us with good health, in spite of my diabetes for over 25 years and Amy having two surgeries. With well-monitored medical check-ups every three or two months and careful management of our savings and God’s guidance, we are able to meet our expenses over the years.
Each day we spend time with God in prayer, read His word and seek His guidance for our daily work, our family and happenings around us and in the world. I am also able to find more time to read books and commentaries to study the Bible in depth.
We are grateful to God who keeps us occupied each day and who is able to meet our needs even though we go through difficult times or sickness. As we honour Him, He will honour His servants: this is our faith in our ministry.
Lim Cheng Ean
5 June 2019
我于1979年完成五年神学课程，在西马教区被按立为会吏，开始我全职传道生涯至今已40年了。回忆神的呼召及恩佑，把本是个平凡乡下人的我，改变成牧师及荣休会督，我不得不引用保罗的话：“然而我今日成了何等人，是蒙神的恩才成的。” (林前15:10上）
When I was 16, my brother and I attended a Methodist Youth Retreat organized by the Tamil Methodist Church, Taiping which was held in Bukit Larut. It was at this retreat that I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Saviour. I was a Methodist then.
我生长在基督教家庭，祖母虔诚信主，但父母由于工作极少到教会。我参加主日学，听圣经故事，明知有神及耶稣爱我，但没有服从神。少年的我离开教会结交损友，染上不良习惯。舅舅邀请我参加圣公会少年团，我就在少年福音营信主，积极事奉并追求圣经及灵性长进。16岁那年，我在青年营听道后，回应全职服事的呼召，并将这承诺存在心中。