Issue #18
Seeing the Needs of By: Lim Wai Kheong / Translation: Chien Chin
One week after the announcement of the Movement Control Order (MCO), my friend told me that a friend who stays near my house lived on eating instant noodles almost every day. I asked curiously, "Why is this happening?" I was then made to understand that this friend has been receiving cash salaries in the past; with the temporary closure of his company, he was unable to get his salaries. The boss also requested all employees to accept a pay cut. He didn't have much money left, and the landlord didn't allow him to use the refrigerator, so he could only live by instant noodles. Before this, a few friends gave him some dry food such as canned food, which temporarily solved his problem. I told my wife about this. We felt that eating only instant noodles isn’t good for health. My wife said, “Since we are also cooking at home, we can cook a portion for him! He can eat whatever we eat." We thought this was a good idea, so we texted this
friend through WhatsApp and told him that we would include his portion in our meal’s preparation. After some discussion, this friend agreed. So, for the next two months, we prepared freshly cooked food for this friend on alternate days. My wife will pack the food carefully, and I will deliver the food to this friend's house and hang it at the gate. Thereafter, I will take a picture to inform him and he will collect it himself. Later, another friend knew about this and suggested that he could help out too. He will occasionally cook more food for us, that I may bring some to the friend. We didn't meet this friend until he resumed work, and our little service also came to an end. I am thankful that during this difficult time, God gave us the opportunity to help others with our limited capabilities. He will help us to see the needs of others according to our capabilities and resources. All we need is to respond with faith and do our best to help others.