Testimony from the Wife: Madam Choy Sook Leng (Mrs. Shun) (6 June 2012)
We have 3 children – a 14 year old boy, an
12 year old older daughter and a 6 year old younger daughter. My husband
started attending the Father’s club in July 2010. As all of us who are married
with kids will testify, parenting is no easy task. I am glad Chris signed up
for the Father’s Club.
Chris found some
good friends there whom he could identify with and who share the same needs and
challenges. He looks forward to going to the Father’s Club
and MAG meetings every month and enjoys exchanging ideas and materials
with the other fathers. I believe, to Chris, being able to unload parenting
burden in a safe environment where almost everyone is in the same boat, is
therapeutic. He is evidently very pleased with this new found MAG group and I
was delighted to see him finding so much support and encouragement from them.
Not only Chris
is happy, in the months that follow, the children discovered that they have a “transformed”
daddy. The bonus for me is I have a “new” husband.
Having been born
the eldest in the family coupled with many years in the corporate world, Chris
adopted a more commanding style type fathering all these years. After father’s
Club, one distinct change he made is he came down to the children’s level. He has become “down to earth” and sporting. More laughter and noise are coming from our
kitchen cum work area whenever daddy is with the children or in the family car.
There is never a dull moment. Very often,
they are pulling each other’s legs. When the children get out of line, dad is
more patiently correcting and guiding. Daddy has also got to watch himself as
the elder two children often will highlight his mistake in a teasing and
diplomatic manner when the need arises. Nonetheless, the respect for daddy is
still maintained as they know daddy has proven to be firm on the right things
and is more discerning and wise than them.
Chris is more
conscious about spending more with the family, either one to one or with the
entire family. This is especially timely as our eldest two are in their early teens.
I am especially thrilled to see Chris doing the “manly” things together with my
eldest son as he is more of an introvert. We are also doing more things
together as a family and we make it a priority. Going out for ministry together
like teaching the Orang Asli kids and reaching out to the needy is one area
that encourages me most.
Even though the Father’s Club is not the
Husband or Marriage Club, somehow I believe the fathers also get refreshers on
how to love their wives. These days, I hear a lot more “I am sorry”, I get
dishes and teas brought to me by my beloved husband. I thought, praise god for such husband.
My son will learn by example how to be that godly and serving husband that God
will be proud of.
Thank you so much Pastor Chris Kum and DUMC
for starting the Father’s Club. Christian families ought to be strong, united
families so that we can be the light of the world and reach out to the world
where families are breaking up. Fathers, if you are not in the father’s club,
may I encourage you strongly to start early. If you want your wife to treat you
like a King, treat her like a Queen!
Testimony from the Husband: Christopher Shun Kong Leng (14 June 2012)
After hearing my darling wife's testimony, it is humbling and also encouraging
to know that by attending Father's Club, so much positive things have begun to
take shape in our lives as a family. In Father's Club, I think that the lessons
that were most important is understanding about the Father’s heart and how much
He cares for us and loves us even as Fathers, we in turn seek to love our
wives and children. I think that once we better appreciate our Heavenly Father,
we feel encouraged to love our family in a likewise manner.
You know, we men have been raised
to be the Generals and our wives the Majors. {We make General decisions for the
family and wives make the Major decisions!} . Growing up, we did not have many
good role models and the local church did not actively teach us practically
what it was to be Husbands and Fathers, we had to "learn on the job"
often with more failures then successes. I am so grateful that DUMC, two years
ago began a Men's ministry called Father's Club to meet this urgent need and
step into the gap. As we know, Satan' s strategy is to attack the Christian
family unit to break it apart, then the family is neutralized
then the local Church is crippled and the spread of the Gospel is impeded.
It is easy???..NO WAY!! but having
the support of fellow Men undertaking the same journey as us, encourages us
greatly. We get to share and laugh alot but we ALWAYS do PRAY so that we can
overcome the difficulties that we are facing. For some, it is overcoming
cultural chauvinistic mannerisms, for some it is learning how to say SORRY but
for most of us, it is learning how to accept WHAT we are and WHO we are, as
Heads of our respective families and taking up the challenge and baton to be
MEN of Destiny.
