Encouraging Testimonies from a Wife and a Husband

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.