A very long one. Don't read if you're gonna get bored.
This is a testimony by one of the members of my church back in Penang. Don't think I've met him 'cause the past 4 years I was in Melbourne. The robbery was highlighted in the local newspapers in January.
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I would like to thank and praise God that I am able to stand here before you today because of the goodness, grace, mercies, and the protection of the Lord.
I would like to thank Pastor Isaac, Pastor Jessilyn and Pastor Thomas, my Tg. Bungah 2 cell leader and members of Penang Christian Centre, for their unceasing prayers and support during the most crucial moments of my life.
I was almost dead but my God made all things beautiful and gave me a new lease of life. I am very grateful and thankful to God for His unfailing love and mercies for He never leave me nor forsake me during the darkest hours of my life. In fact His light shines brightly through during the hopeless situation I was in. Praise the lord!
The Bible says in Revelation 12:11 we overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony.
My name is Eric Yeow and I am a 26-year old single from Alor Setar, Kedah. I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior only 2 years ago through my uncle and spiritual father, Andrew Ang. My father is a staunch Buddhist, my mother is a free thinker and my 2 younger school-going brothers are also not Christians.
I worked as a shop assistant in one of the shops at Gurney Plaza.
Since my first day of work, I have protested about having to do banking for the company. So on 10 January 2005 at about 2:30 pm, I reluctantly delivered my company’s weekend cash collection to Maybank at Cantonment Road, Penang. The bank was only 5 mins. ride by motorcycle from my working place.
As usual, when I reached the bank, I parked my motorcycle and got ready to enter the bank to deposit the cash which I was carrying in my bag behind me. Suddenly, a man came towards my back and pulled my bag. Without thinking, I pulled the bag to my front. In desperation, the robber used a gun to shoot me at close range. He fired straight at my head. Praise the Lord, I was saved by the helmet which I was wearing. By God’s grace the bullet skidded off.
Unsatisfied with his attempt, the robber fired 2 more shots at my upper right chest. Unfortunately, both the bullets went straight down my body, damaging my right lung, liver, small intestine, the diaphragm and two broken ribs. Then one bullet lodged in my liver and the other one in my pelvic area.
I was still conscious and shouting for help. I remember shouting ‘Jesus help, Jesus help’ as I fell down on the road in front of the bank. I was lying on the road helplessly and thinking whether any of my loved ones and friends would ever know of my situation. It was most unfortunate that I was at the wrong place and the wrong time. Sadly nobody gave me a helping hand though there were so many on lookers.
Thank God He must have sent one small sized lady to come and help carry me into her car. My whole body was covered with blood. She sent me to the Adventist hospital at Burmah Road.
I was still conscious when the doctors rushed to help me and I pleaded with them to do something quickly to save me. I felt so helpless at that time. I cried to Jesus for help as I saw my life flashed before me. That moment my thoughts were on my loved ones and my uncle. I told myself I am not going to die yet until I see them and Lord Jesus, please have mercy on me.
I thought I was not going to make it as the damage was so bad and extensive and my whole body was completely soaked with blood. I heard the doctors calling for more blood and as I commit my life and destiny into God’s mighty hands, I passed out.
After 2 hours in Adventist Hospital with the doctors not able to do much to stop my bleeding, I was sent to the Penang General Hospital. In GH, I later found out I have used 25 pints of blood in total.
During the first 48 crucial hours, I was told by my attending doctors that they have almost given up on me. The chief surgeon, Dr. Hamsah, even left the operating room at one point to pray to his god for divine help as he never expected my wounds to be so extensive and my condition was so much worse than he thought.
The surgeons told my family that my chances of survival were only 2%. The surgeons were helpless as they were unable to stop the bleeding after operating on me for nearly 6 hours.
Then they decided to call in top liver specialists from Selayang Hospital, Selangor for assistance. Praise God that 4 senior surgeons were able to come on the second day. Before I was pushed into the operating room on the 2nd day for the 2nd operation, the surgeons told both my father and uncle to prepare for the worst. The surgeons said that if I continue to bleed, they will have to let me go and I will die. Thank you that Jesus, You did not let me go yet! Amen!! Hallelujah!!
All these information were kept from my mother. I was told that she fainted 3 times outside the operating room as she could sense the hopeless situation. I would like to thank all the sisters and brothers who literally camped in the hospital to comfort my family. Praise be to God.
The 2nd operation also lasted six hours. Finally, by the grace of God, the bleeding stopped. However, the surgeons have to leave the bullets in my body. They told my family that when I have regained my strength I will have to go through another 2 operations to remove the bullets.
When my family heard that my bleeding had stopped, without any hesitation, both my father and mother hug my uncle and shouted “thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus”. Hallelujah. Both my parents accepted Jesus as their Savior the next day. Praise be to God!
I could not believe it at first as my father is not only a very staunch Buddhist but for the past 30 years he has been volunteering to help in many temples in Alor Setar. He is known in many of these temples and will not so easily become a Christian. Praise God that he has now completely stopped helping out in the temples and worshipping the true and living God. For he was very disappointed with his so-called members for not coming forward nor show concern during the time I was fighting for my life in the hospital.
I have written both my parents’ names in the book of life cards in PCC for the last 2 years and have been praying for their salvation. As I looked back, I would say that what I went through was worth it to see my parents saved. Praise the Lord! God is good and He makes all things beautiful in His time.
I was unconscious in the ICU ward for nearly 10 days. During that time, my condition was still very critical. My whole body was hooked up to many tubes and equipments and I was breathing through a respirator. At one time, I have very high fever and was breathless. My parents were very worried that I may not get well. The cell members and PCC prayed for me and thank God that the fever went off. When I regained consciousness, I thank God that the excessive bleeding and high fever did not damage my brain. I was able to remember and recognize my family and cell members
Then on 27th January 2005, another miracle happened to me. Not even the doctors could understand or explain how this can happen. One of the bullets that were lodged in my damaged liver moved into my damaged intestine and I passed it out. This is an amazing miracle of God. “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” – Matt 19:26. The other bullet has now shifted from the pelvic area to my buttock near the anus. Praise the lord!! I pray that the Sovereign Lord will cause the 2nd bullet to pass out also.
After 21 bumpy days, I was transferred out of ICU to a special ward on the 1st floor. I was in this special ward for only one week as my condition continues to stabilize. There were a lot of fears in me because of what I have gone through. Thank God that by this time I can read my Bible. Through prayers and reading God’s Word, all my fears have now gone.
My uncle who works in Ipoh sacrifices a lot of his time traveling to and from Penang to see me in the Hospital. As Chinese New Year approaches, he told me that he would like me and my family to celebrate Chinese New Year with him in Ipoh. I was very excited but I knew it may not be possible as my condition did allow me to travel. We prayed that God will grant me the desire of my heart and that I will be discharged before Chinese New Year.
Then the day before Chinese New Year eve I was transferred out to the public ward C10 as my condition further improved. On Chinese New Year Eve, 8th February 2005, my family members, friends and my uncle visited me. They were all hoping that I would be discharged on that day and that was my desire too. Unfortunately the doctors advised that it was not possible for me to be discharged as I still have a number of tubes attached and they needed to observe me for another 2 to 3 days before they can make any decision.
On that morning, one of the chief police inspectors came to the hospital to take my statement. After recording my statement, what surprised all of us including the patients besides me was that the police inspector took out his wallet and gave my father Rm150.00. He told my father this money is for me to celebrate Chinese New Year. Once again, I experienced the favour of God upon my life.
My parents and family members stayed with me until 3pm when they were told to go home as I will not be discharged yet. They were very disappointed with this news. But all glory to God, the hospital called my uncle at 4pm on his hand phone and informed him that I can go home. My family members and I were overjoyed to hear the good news. It is almost one month from the day I was shot. My parents rushed back to the hospital again to sign the discharge form.
I would not have been discharged if God did not intervene. I learned later that the nurse made a mistake and remove all the tubes from me when she was supposed to remove only one tube! My God really knows the desire of his children’s heart. Romans 8:31 says if God is with me who can be against me?
On 27th February 2005 my cell members came to our home in Alor Setar to remove all the idols and do house cleansing upon the request of my parents. Hallelujah!! My parents have agreed to be baptized soon in the church in Alor Setar. Amen!
Meanwhile, I was told to go to Selayang Hospital for a check-up of my liver on 7th March 2005. There was a blood spot on my liver and the surgeons may have to do an operation on me. I have already gone through much pain and mental suffering in the two operations and I did not want to go through another operation. I was worried and prayed to God to spare me this operation.
There were also other things that worried me – the financial aspect, accommodation in KL and the traveling. We committed all these to God and trust that He will in His sovereignty see us through.
My uncle contacted my company and told them of our problems. By God’s divine arrangement, my company arranged to put us up in a 4-star hotel, in KL instead of a run-down boarding house that we were planning to stay in. Also, they told us they are prepared to reimburse us for whatever medical expenses incurred during this check-up. Sadly till now they have not reimbursed yet. And few days ago I received a letter from my Company implying to terminate my service. Is going to be very difficult for me and my family financially but I know my God is testing my faith and will not abandon us. God is good. Amen!!
On the morning of 7th March 2005, after 1 ½ hours of scanning and testing, the doctors told me there is no need to have the operation as my damaged liver is recovering very well. Thank God for answering my prayers.
However, the two stitched wounds on my abdomen need to be attended to daily at any clinic. I was worried as there was a continuous discharge of pus from the wounds even though I kept it dry. I came back to Penang to stay with my uncle and he took me to a nearby clinic at Tg. Tokong for the daily dressing.
Again I believe it was God’s divine arrangement for me to be attended to by this Malay lady doctor. When she saw the discharge, she realized that there must be some cause for it. As she probed around my wounds she found 5 long threads with crude knots embedded in the wounds which the surgeon overlooked and did not remove. All of the doctors in Alor Setar, Ipoh and Selayang who attended to me also overlooked these threads. This Malay lady doctor pulled out all the threads and perform another small operation on me just a few days ago and now the wounds are healing well. Praise the Lord.
Brothers and sisters, I believe all things are possible with God if we only believe and trust in His sovereign will even though it is not always easy. God has done so many miracles for me, one after another. During my desperate moments, He pulled me out from the jaws of death and gave me a new lease of life. And He saved my parents from eternal condemnation and gave them eternal life. I know God can also do the same for you and your loved ones for the Bible say God is no respecter of persons.
Jesus loves you and He knows our every problem. Come to Him as you are.
Please continue to remember me in your prayers that I will gain strength and health from day to day and as I surrender myself to Him as dirty clay in the Potter’s mighty Hands to be re-constructed daily and to be used by Him for His Glory for I know God has not finished with me yet.
Thank you for the time given to me and God bless you all.
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WillZ
