GOD RAISED UP OCF FOR HIS ETERNAL GLORY.

 Newly home from java, Gwenda and I were delighted to be house parents for the historic, first OCF convention at St Peter’s College.   J. Oswald Sanders, International director of O M F Singapore and Alan Burrows, principal of Adelaide bible college fearlessly taught   the Word of God.   Such faithful teaching characterized OCF from the launching. Our children Ruth,16 John 14, Judith 11, Miriam 8, Elisabeth 4 and Priscilla 2 shared the delightful pioneering occasion.

I taught at each meal a verse from Isaiah 53, the crucifixion chapter, and we repeated the entire chapter while adding another verse.   In Singapore, a Presbyterian saint told how she had memorized the chapter a generation earlier,   but was still precious to her.

Gwenda composed the hymn, ’We’re preparing now in Australia to serve Jesus Christ overseas.’ We rehearsed this hymn in Norman/Ming Wee’s home in 1999 preparing for Malacca.   While our voices had matured, our trust in our Lord had deepened.   OCF tradition invited musical contributions annually. 50 hymns have been composed for these annual trysts.   Guard this treasure lest it be submerged in ageing process.

Who will compose such a unique, treasured song book?   A cherished hymnody.    

When Bishop Dudley Foord faithfully and powerfully taught God’s word at Mt. Breckan Victor harbor, OCF convention, Gwenda and I were honored to be house parents.   The bible teaching consistently challenged us to godly living with a missionary calling.   Our family visited Bathurst and Melbourne conventions, packed into our station sedan, and seeing the Spirit of God accomplish His royal purpose, with faithful bible teachers.

OCF moved our children. Ruth has spent a generation in USA; John returned for years to Java and then biannually to Rwanda; Judith returned to visit Java, Singapore, Malacca, and Vietnam for Samaritan’s purse;   Miriam served the Lord in Sudan, Ghana and now serves her Lord among thousands of Sudanese here; Elisabeth spent years in Northern Ireland and holds a Chair of international studies; while Priscilla/ husband Peter backpacked for years over teaching vacations.

OC F surprisingly impacts lives, enriched with the teaching and live, colorful fellowship. Our family thanks God for this unanticipated impact.

WE taught OCF God’s Word at Holy Trinity Anglican church each Saturday over a lengthy period. Bill Bowden shared with us precious truths. Bill was an all-Australian junior footballer, a cricketer of renown in Adelaide, TAFE lecturer and commenced as a   pastor at 40 years with his unique teaching skill.   He is now with His Lord. Our Bible teaching was linked with   professional work.   My dear wife Gwenda orchestrated our days so that we could also see our girls’ netball and John’s football.   Our children patiently accepted, and understood.

Recently, we have been overjoyed to see again some of the great characters who enriched our lives initially in OCF: and have left an indelible mark on their families and generation . Most of these students were here under the Colombo Plan as guests of our   Australian government, whereby   outstanding intellects of South East Asia studied on a modest, living   allowance.      God’s sovereignty remarkably enriched OCF members: and laid a Christian foundation in their home nations.   We visited the primitive post-war Singapore when returning from Indonesia in 1957; God shaped and reserved specialists in every discipline for the stupendous expansion of this independent nation.

Tony/Lily Loy from   Hong Kong visited us.   Lily had stayed in our home, loved by all, especially our daughters, and becoming ‘Mother’ to OCF members. Lily topped her architectural faculty; and married Tony Loy, who specialized in orthopedic surgery, practicing in Hong Kong. Their three children are graduates in medicine and electrical engineering. Tony visited us on the 40 th anniversary of his graduation. He fearlessly told his fellow graduates of Christ.   When we enquired Tony’s present position, he told how he replaced hips, knees, shoulders for 2 days each week in Hong Kong, while he counseled and pastored the other days.   ‘Hallelujah! We burst out.    

Peter/Amy Cheng have faithfully served their Lord fifty years among the Cantonese brethren in Adelaide.   Peter is a leading orthodontist, which specialty accessed the mining city Broken Hill.   Their commodious home was haven for many of God’s people passing through. They ministered to the Cantonese, where Amy fluently interpreted, agreeably   supplementing   Peter’s English preaching.   Today they shepherd a flourishing, Cantonese church in Cairns, some 3, 000 miles ( 5000 kms ) on our north eastern coast. With God nothing is impossible.     

Peter/Amy   accompanied these distinguished guests to our home, and also the Swincer farm at Victor Harbor, who shared, particularly with son, Graeme, such a strong link with OCF especially in bible teaching, multiple feasting and fellowship. 100 guests relished holy fellowship.

Dr Seet Ai Me regularly visits Adelaide and U K, maintaining contact with her dear family and grandchildren, her ongoing delight.   Who can measure Ai Me’s contribution to OCF, the Christian church and Singapore.   She taught her bible class for years, while pioneering her diagnostic clinic.   Ai Me specially ministered to those with hearing impairment.    She was elected to the Singaporean Parliament, with the portfolio of Minister of Education, with emphasis on religion and ethics- the first woman to enjoy portfolio in this Parliament.  

Daniel Guanaratnam often prayed late at night in our home during student days.   He had come to a living faith in his Lord listening on shortwave to the Far East broadcasting from Philippines. Daniel did his doctoral study at MIT Michigan. Several nations sought him as water consultant, notably Malaysia, Singapore and Israel.   My dear wife prayed that we   would meet in Seoul, including the delightful praying in a department store.   ‘Daniel! What are you doing here, we shouted? Daniel had built expansive dams under Japanese war reparation near my hospital in Java.   Later he built massive dams in China investing some billions supplied by the world Bank. His accomplished team revered him, acknowledging his worshipping in the underground church. ‘100 hundred million believers‘, he confidentally affirmed.   He brought his beloved to our home to meet those with whom he prayed during his engineering course half a century ago.  ‘I am a missionary to the missionaries,’ while Daniel preached powerfully to us.   One of life’s precious moments, when in one person God has done exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or even think.‘    Once- in- a- life time treasured moments glorified His dear name.

Dicky Yap Chin Fah was admitted to my ward in the Royal Adelaide Hospital with acute appendicitis. In his convalescence Dicky visited our home.   He readily received the Lord Jesus as his Saviour and Lord.    Immediately, he urged many churches   to daily study God’s word, especially commending Scripture Union bible studies.

Returning from Indonesia, our ship berthed at Singapore.   We next saw Dicky Yap when our son John and I visited Kuala Lumpur , traveling through Communist territory by overnight train.   We lost contact with him until recently.   The Lord honored his witness in the Milk industry in the Philippines: God’s hand rested on Dicky Yap as on Joseph in scripture, WE received a copy of - My utmost for His highest- from him: showing how God had blessed him with a saintly wife- had given a family, who were graduates, and loved the Lord- that Dicky had provided for many men to attend bible college for training.   What a great God is our God! Jeremiah wrote, ‘I know the plans that I have for you” 29:11.

Panusunan Siregar found the Lord Jesus as Savior, staying in the home of as saintly missionary who had served her Lord in China. Sun Siregar graduated in engineering, majoring in ship-building, which national industry flourished at Whyalla. On his return to Indonesia, Sun established a ship-building industry in Jakarta, especially producing smaller, unassuming, concrete boats.     The Lord blessed his missionary witness in this vast nation. His wife, Alma, translated Oswald J Sander’s ’The Holy Spirit of promise’.   Their children graduated well.  

  Esther Chan thanked the Lord for her enriching relationship with OCF. During her medical course, she completed some BCSA study each year. When Esther visited our home, she brought a page of questions, which my dear wife sympathetically unraveled. Later, Esther’s intimate walk with her Lord dissolved any uncertainty.   After medical graduation, Esther and Jenne Te, established a Cambodian church, which they faithfully maintained during her clinical years.

Esther completed her theological studies at BCV, combining in PNG   medical and bible teaching.   Her letters to my dear one on demonic influence revealed her spiritual insight. Esther graduated in Family medicine, specialized in obstetrics and has a master’s degree in theology. She teaches God’s Word in a Chinese church in Victoria.

OCF‘S sustained teaching applies, ‘From a child ( undergraduate ) , Esther had known the holy Scriptures, able to make her wise unto salvation.’ Many stand with her.

Lord, keep these beloved servants from falling and present them faultless before the Presence of your glory with exceeding joy.

Our web site, www.biblestories.stellaris.com.au, incorporates Gwenda’s writing for family and children; while my bible studies are a life-time investment.   By God’s gracious power, it accesses many nations. by sight and sound through English.

It has MP3 studies to strengthen the faith of the hearers.

 “A Doctor Looks at the Bible” sets forth a living faith in the Lord Jesus as a preparation for a life-time in medical practice. .   My beloved Gwenda precisely and devotedly edited this.   In English, it will be available on the DOULOS mercy ship.  

We will soon release the Russian translation for several nations to strengthen their trust in our Lord and Savior. This is a miraculous provision- proof that ‘My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’

‘By grace are you saved through faith.’     Harrold Steward