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8th January 2001 The inspiration for sharing about mum's family in South-East Asia as a testimony to God's faithfulness and his perfect plan through the centuries, came to me in two ways: Firstly, I have a growing disinterest in human history, and as such, all monuments, tombstones and achievements in the name of the human race seem so insignificant to me as everything will disappear except for spiritual realities. God has his history however. Jesus has opened my eyes to what he has done through many members in my own family as I have had the opportunity to share with mum and listen to her testifying to God's grace and goodness. Mum has rarely shared much and all I remember was that her dad was an artist and her grandmother brought her up following the death of her mother. As I saw God's hand in work I was and am humbled as I realize that many were called to kingdom work by Jesus' love in my own family and despite their weaknesses were faithful in their obedience. So Iam merely learning to following other brothers and sisters who have gone before, reminding me of hebrews 12.1 "therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses...." We are all called to run with Jesus and there is no greater pleasure and privilege whatever our situation or work. Secondly, we as a family have been invited by my sister and brother-in-law to travel with mum to Singapore and Sri-Lanka next summer as they feel the Lord wants to use the finances they have in this way. We hope to meet christians, family and anyone else Jesus may put on our way. This has enabled me to share more with mum about people she knew. If you fancy sharing these few pages with me, please bear in mind that nothing is very organised or planned as in a proper historical thesis or scientific account but rather a collection of my thoughts. Iam sure that many details are missing but I have shared I feel what is essentiel. Mum's priority has always been to see Jesus take the first place which is why I know so little of my own family history. I have put the most important bits in here with information (paintings, archives) in the latter pages. Dad's time will come! |
 Art collection
Exhibition
Art catalogue
The family
My Introduction
In french
 Missionary Helen Dunn, grandma's teacher & guardian |
Conversations with Mum A few rather disorganised notes! (taken over Christmas and the New year) Mum's grandmother Teng Cheng bee (mum's grandmother) was born in 1882. Her parents were in business in the Fukien province in China. Her family turned to Jesus and became christians when Her brother was healed at the mission hospital. Ting Cheng Bee was invited at 7 yrs of age to become a pupil at the mission school. Her parents, who were doing business in vietnam, left her in the care of the missionary-headmistress, Helen Dunn, of the Pa-ying mission school for girls, which was founded in the same year Teng Cheng Bee joined. her parents. A pioneer work was founded by Jesus, both through the mission school and through Teng Cheng Bee. Mum's grandma was possibly amongst the first chinese girls to become a doctor through the education she received. Girls in the C'hing dynasty were supposed to bind their feet and thus live an "upper-class" existence, due to their immobility, whilst servant girls with unbound feet would answer their every call. Teng Cheng Bee did not bind her feet, which enabled her to be a doctor and later serve in missionary work. You can read of her professional studies and "curriculum vitae" in the biographical sketches written for her son's exhibition. As a doctor she married her husband, also a doctor from a missionary family in China, and opened her own maternity hospital in Amoy. She had an extensive medical missionary work in the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Subaya, Bali, Taiwan. The official biographical notes of at the exhibition under the patronage of the British council and the governor - general describe her work : "Out of sheer love of humanity, she offered an itinerant medical service during her extensive travels, to such places as indo-China, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia". According to published biographical notes of her life, she had "since her childhood cherished the ambition of dedicating her life to missionary work". Her vision was to go wherever christians or non-christians needed her in different countries and avoided big towns within China, preferring the remote areas in China. Her specialisation was in midwifery and gynaecology. She was either carried in a carriage supported by two rods by two men or pulled in a rickshaw. She was driven by car in the Philippines and in South-East Asia. |
 Dr. Teng Cheng Bee Mum's grandma |
Mum's grandfather Dr. Lim Peng Kiang had christian parents. His father, Lim Un Jin, was a pioneer missionary pastor, later principal of Hawaii theological Seminary and leader of the group of churches in the province. His two brothers were also doctors and the third a chemistry lecturer. There were also several doctors amongst his nieces and nephews which made me think that this was one big ego trip of status seeking! It gets worse in my grandad's generation (obviously mum's parents) when my grandfather's sister apparently did medicine and married a doctor who had seven doctors amongst his brothers and sisters not to mention their children (You can check it up in one of the archives) which means that there are at least 7 doctors in each generation! I calmed down when mum said that the aim of the christian pioneering missionaries was to aim for a medical career as an opportunity to serve the needy and bring the good news and love of Jesus to many. Those who were looking for a "fast buck" would often go into business! His spirit of servant-hood and love is clearly illustrated in mum's grandad's short life as he died of smallpox which he contracted from one of the people he was visiting. he was 27 years of age. |
Dr. Lim Peng Kian (Mum's grandpa who died at 27yrs) Dr. Lim Un Jin Mum's grandpa's dad pioneer missionary-pastor & theological college principal |
Mum's grandma and Watchman nee Mum was a teenager in Amoy and was brought up by her grandma as her mother died when she was a baby. Her dad was busy with his studies in America and his work in different universities in later years. when Watchman Nee came into town as a young student. Many missionaries and evangelists passed through Amoy, which had a main port. Mum's grandma's home was a focal point of many itinerant missionaries. Grandma was a landowner and also inherited land from her husband following his death. She allowed villagers and neighbours to use land they needed without paying rent. She often left the forest untouched and also had many orange groves. Watchman Nee was a young student in Foochow and as a young christian mentioned two spiritual mothers in miss Ho and Miss Lee who helped him in spiritual matters. Mum saw Watchman Nee for the first time when she came home at lunch- time and saw a big crowd in her home. She saw a tall gentleman (about her dad's height, as he was quite tall in stature, speaking to the crowd gathered in their home. He dwarfed her grandma who was also speaking and standing next to him. It was the first time that Watchman Nee had come back to Amoy having been absent from the area for many years. Ting Cheng Bee, her grandma told mum about Watchman's Nee's story. It was during the japanese occupation that he spent most of his time in Shanghai. In fact, Watchman Nee worked in senior management or as director for a large pharmaceutical firm owned by a fellow christian called Ming Tsen Hung. Having retired with good earnings and many profits, Watchman Nee had come back to Amoy but would not give anything away concerning his plans. He would only ask people to pray for God's work to be done. In the next few years, Watchman Nee had bought a large area of land on a hill in Foochow (Koo Ling) and built a retreat centre for christian leaders to be trained around 1949. All food and lodgings were paid for! Mum had been baptized a few years earlier, on the 31st of January 1947 in Amoy. the retreat centre was a place of spiritual cleansing and honesty. A time of confession of sin and of need before the Lord and a time of breaking. All self-ego and self-pride had to be rejected. Watchman Nee had been rejected by many traditional denominatons during his earlier ministry and had been even stoned by christians and non-christians alike but in his later ministry was accepted by the christians and well-respected. Grandma, Teng Cheng Bee had many guest-rooms for China inland missionaries and she would take care of Watchman Nee, especially when he was weak and very ill. Watchman Nee aimed to unite missionaries and evangelists from China and overseas (the Philippines, Singapore, many chinese towns). Amonst his fellow- evangelists, mum remembers Lao Chowsing, Ting Ching Po, Chen Cheng Sing (see photo). Teng Cheng Bee, did not have any guest rooms after the communist take-over but lost her land and property to Mao Tse Tung's régime. During the communist régime, mum remembers hearing of Watchman nee's faithful service amongst his people. He stayed in China and was later imprisoned (which is well documented). He encouraged a fellow worker Witness Lee to work overseas, in Asia and in Los Angeles whilst he himself stayed in China to serve his people amidst growing persecution. mum remembers two ladies who were totally committed to Jesus, whom she describes as "fearless in fashionable Shanghai"! Many prominent people were won to the Lord in that city : bankers, post office directors, doctors, all of whom mum knew well. |
Dr. Chingson Y Ling Prof. Lim's uncle 
Mrs.Yap An Jin my grandpa's sister 
Dr.Yap An Jin married my grandpa's sister |
Mum's dad (my grandpa) You will find all you need to know from the archives and biographical sketches concerning his professional life. Suffice it to say that mum's dad was sent to the United States for medical studies but he came back with an art degree and very soon he accumulated more qualifications. He became internationally well known and acclaimed and worked under the patronage of Malcolm MacDonald, the governor-general for South-East Asia, and consul-general of the chinese government. His collection became one of the most important on chinese decorative art. He taught at Amoy University and at Peking University. He also knew suffering and lost his first wife (mum's mum) very early on, then had to flee into the malaya jungle during the japanese occupation losing many suitcases containing his work. His unique book on chinese art was lost forever. It was with the contents of one suitcase which he saved that he was able to put on his exhibition. He was forced to sell many paintings through financial need and ill health during the japanese occupation. Before the war, grandpa (mine) became interieur-exterieur designer to "Shaw Brothers" (the asian equivalent of Hollywood). they had cinemas in many countries of South-East Asia and made many films. Grandpa often had to visit new sites to plan for cinema design or interior design. Shaw brothers developed two theme parks in South-East Asia called "New world park" and "Great World park" (with bumper cars, cinemas, restaurants, etc in the 1930s!!!). Mum remembers being chauffeur driven into the park where she could go quite often (as Shaw brothers provided both car and driver). My one thought has always been that my grandpa has wasted his life spiritually gaining much human success but to no avail. mum shared with me how on his death-bed he revealed much more of a relation with God than what he chose to show. When mum's grandma sent her news of her father's death to Sri-Lanka, where we were living at that time, her grandma assured my mum that her dad was with Jesus. According to mum, her father did not say much but showed his spiritual belief in little ways. Doctor Luke, son of Faithful Luke, a well known evangelist working with Watchman nee, was often at mum's dad's bedside at the end. Doctor Luke married the eldest daughter of CK Tang, (chain-store in Singapore) and mum remembers going to their wedding. Mum's grandma continued to believe that Jesus would take care of everything. I remember sometime ago when mum reminded me of God's miracle. When South-East Asia finally capitulated to the japanese, mum got the last british passport that was issued before the british fled from China, which was nothing short of miraculous. The passport she was issued was not a passport for british colonies but a full british passport! Mum's dad received assurances from the consul that mum and her grandma could flee the country and go to Singapore where all matters would be taken care of. In fact, China was not a colony, but there was a British Consul to serve british citizens and businessmen. When mum got the last ship to Singapore they arrived in September 1949 and Mao Tse Tung became chairman of the People's Republic of China on the 1st of October 1949. The customs in Singapore mentioned that only four people returned to Singapore from China during those difficult months. Two of them were mum and her grandma which mum says "was the Lord's special care". When we travelled to London in 1972, she had a full british passport on her first visit to Britain and did not need an entry certificate. God had planned everything beforehand. God is great and his goodness endures for ever. In 1 Corinthiens 1.27, we see that all our talents, wisdom, success, is nothing in God's eyes because all that counts is what he did through us on earth so that "let him who boasts boast in the Lord" (1.31) Our trip to England from Sri-Lanka from the heart of civil war and curfew was also miraculous but that is another story. |
prof. Lim my grandpa 
My grandpa as a student 
My grandpa in the USA |
Archives and notes I have thrown in various photos both relevent and irrelevent (you have been warned) with annotations where appropriate and various archives if you fancy looking through: -Catalogue of grandpa's art exhibition with various biographical sketches, notes and an exchange of correspondence between mum's dad (Professor Lim) and the governor-general in South-East Asia, Malcolm Macdonald. -Photos and notes of family in China, Singapore, malaysia, the Philippines and some from Sri-Lanka. Sources: mainly mum. |
Malcolm MacDonald governor-general for SE Asia patron of the exhibition & grandpa's friend |
Prayer for our Trip to Sri lanka and Singapore (July 2001) 1. In Singapore, we pray the Lord would guide us to meet up with christian brothers and sisters, family if any, and any other friends or contacts. 2. We hope to visit brothers and sisters at the "Christian Fellowship Centre" in Sri-Lanka, christians families and chinese friends who knew dad. My sister reminded me that the chinese community in Sri-Lanka did business on the basis of trust and often money was loaned to a chinese friend starting up in business on the basis of a hand-shake. 3. We look forward to meeting close friends and family as well as churches mum knew from her childhood. We have had contact over the years with my mum's best friend who was Aunty Grace, mum's "soul-mate & cousin" (her husband Ernest and children Christina and Leonard & wife Rita), her brothers teck-Hui, Teck- Cheong, Teck-Hong, Teck-Kiam, and their families. Aunty Grace's mum was the "adopted" god-daughter of mum's grandma Ting Cheng Bee and was very much her spiritual daughter. We hope to meet christian friends such as the Chew family and many others. |
Mum with her best friend Grace |
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