Lillie Rogers - A Woman crucified with Christ

Lillie Rogers, a true disciple of Christ

I like the glow in her white hair, resting on a wrinkled stern, 'no nonsense' face. I like the posture she sits while praying. Closed eyes, head bowed. All that stern look in her face became so different. Tenderness surfaces, like a little girl before her father. I like the way stood beside my pastor. That uprightness of inner self that comes from years of molding from the King.

I know her yet I do not. Not personally yet she became 'personal' especially recently. Lillie Rogers, a 87 years old woman whom I called, a true disciple of Christ. Came all the way from the States to Singapore, obeyed the call of the Lord to start His work in this tiny island. Amoured with nothing except Him, His Words and a burning passion for Jesus, she started sowing, planting and watering work in His kingdom. Today, Agape Baptist Church is the fruit of her labour, by God's grace has risen to her potential as the bride of the King. Fulfilling the call of Jesus, simply because one woman had obeyed.

No, I have not met her personally, neither spoken to her. But I would love to hear from this old missionary, still growing strong in the Lord. So many things she had taught are passed down to my Senior Pastor, who was then her mentee. Three areas worth remembering of her are these:

A Woman who has One Hunger One Desire
Recently, my SP and his daughter, Thea came back from the States having visited Lillie Rogers at her home. As I browsed through all the photos taken on her, I was inspired . A thought came to my mind, "A single frail woman of her age. of 87. What is left of her? What does she has?" Nothing, literally nothing. She has nothing, yet gotten everything.

She gained Christ. That is the strong message that comes from her life. That is nothing she is holding on to except her faith in Christ, her hope in Christ and her love for Christ. All these were written over her life, as I seen over my SP's life.

What does she has except Christ? What will she leave behind except Christ?

A Woman who Prays and Prays
Over the years, we know of Lillie Rogers as a woman of prayer. She had written a book on Prayers with the scriptures who had deeply inspired SP and many old veterans in the church. One photo that was taken still showed her as one whp gets up early to begin the day with the Lord. She still prays from 5am to 7am everyday.

Oh, what a virtue and spiritual discipline that she had cultivated. I believed, the answers to her prayers are not as important as spending the time in prayers to the One she adored.

This is one spiritual discipline I desire to inherit. Early risers for Jesus.

A woman who loves the Word. Prays the Word and lives the Word.

A Woman's Passion who Never Dies

While reading through her blog maintain by a lady who is writing a biography on her life mentioned this:

Over the Christmas season, Lillie sat listening to a preacher sharing about a missionary in China. He explained what missionaries do and all that they go through. Tears came to Lillie's eyes as her heart said "Yes" to Jesus again. "Oh, I want to do that. I want to be like that missionary", said Lillie.

She is old but never too old for a dying passion for Jesus and His purposes.

I pray that my growing old days would be one like Lillie Rogers, still growing and going strong in the Lord. Keep inspiring us Lillie Rogers. Your life speaks.

Cheers to Wong Po Po

"I thank my God every time I remember you." (Philippians 1:3)

"There are many good reasons to remember her. And it is very difficult for me to try to sum up in just a few moments a life of 97 years. I have so much to talk about her." That was what I told to a group of grieving family members, relatives and a handful of Chinese ministry members in the Cremation Service of Wong Po Po, whom I dearly called her '亮婆' in Cantonese.

The word 'HOPE' came into my mind as I pondered and thought of her.

H - She Hears the Lord.

Po Po was someone that seek to hear the Lord in her life. Simple, uneducated old grandma hears well and remembers well. Isaiah 6:8 says "I heard the voice of the Lord saying". She has a habit of hearing the Lord in her own special way. And because she was accustomed to hearing the voice of the Lord, she recognized the Lord's whisper easily.

One time, she held my hands and related this to me when I visited her at her home. The 'Senior Citizens' association that was below her flats distributed a pendant for the old folks in her block. She received one as well and she hung it across her neck. Subsequently, she had sleepless nights for a few days until she removed her pendant. She told me this, "Jesus does not like me to put on this pendant. He asked me to remove it and I will sleep well. It is the pendant's spirit that had stopped me from having peace. I heard Jesus telling me, so I did it. Now, I can sleep well every night." Her grin on her face reflected her contentment and joy that I could not forget.


O - She Obeys the Lord
She heard the Lord, she obeyed the Lord. Though wheelchair bound, she never failed to attend Sunday Services unless she fell sick or was staying overnight at her granddaughter's place. Many would think she was there to pastime since she had nothing much to do. We were so wrong. These were the words from her mouth, "Jesus told me that I must not be lazy. I need to go to church every Sunday. So I have told my granddaughter that I will not stay at her place anymore on Saturday. Otherwise, I will missed the Sunday services." 1 Samuel 15:22 says. 'To obey is better than sacrifice."


P - She Prays to the Lord
Po Po loved people to pray for her and she would in her simple words, pray. In year 2004, the Chinese services were held on a second floor of an school building. (Christ Church Kindergarten) Week after week, the church members would fetch her from her block and brought her there. Another pool of men will then lift her up while she's on the wheelchair. One day, she reached the foot of the flight of staircases. As usual, there were three men that were all ready to lift her up. She stopped them immediately and said this to us. "I told Jesus that I want to attend church but it is too troublesome for them to carry me. I am so heavy. So I pray and asked Jesus to give me strength on my legs, so that I can climbed." And what followed was a scene that I could not forget. She stood up, gripped both her hands tightly on the handle of the stairs. Step by step, slowly and gradually, she climbed up two flight of stairs to the venue. For the rest of the two years we stayed at the same worship venue, she climbed the stairs. Jesus heard and answered her child-like faith prayers.


E - She Encourages through her Life
I wouldn't say that Po Po was one that knew how to encourage someone as she was always direct and outspoken. However, she bore something more evident than encouraging someone. The latter days of her life journey itself was an encouragement. There were several occasions that she was all by herself alone at home. One particular night, it was dark and she was getting up to the toilet, slipped and fell. As there was no one at home, she could only pray and asked Jesus for help. That moment, she saw lights shining brightly from the miniature Christmas tree that I had given to her. With the lights, she could see better and as she seek to climb up onto the chair, she felt there were many hands helping her up to the seat. "I know Jesus had send the light for me. He send His angels to help me. Jesus loves me so much." She related this incident to me so excitedly when I paid her a visit to her place.

It was not strange and unusual to hear her declaring this often in her Cantonese, "Thank you Jesus. Thank you church. Thank you everyone of you."

Many times, we thought we were the 'send ones' by the Lord to minister to her needs. Instead, the Lord had brought her to our paths to minister to us as an encouragement.

H-O-P-E : Her life is a message of HOPE.

Psalm 25:3 says, "No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame." She knew how to hope in the Lord in her difficult moments. When her knees were weak and needed a miracle to climb the stairs. She needed a helping hand when she fell and was alone in the dark. She hoped. She taught her granddaughter Stephanie to trust in the Lord and she prayed for her salvation. She hoped.

She continued to live in hope from day to day. She lived in the Blessed Hope, which means she knew how to live in such a way to keep her hope alive. her hope of meeting her Jesus one day. her ultimate destination and home.

Po Po, you had left so many wonderful memories for many of us. A precious legacy and message through in your life - HOPE in the Lord.

I will surely miss you Po Po. Those times when we laughed together heartily. When I called you '亮婆' (Pretty Granny) and you will call me back '亮女' (Pretty Lady). Those times we simply talked. The times where both of us remained silent without words, yet love conveys.

This loss is only a moment. For those that hoped in You will meet again one day. See you '亮婆'

Mdm Wong Quee Chan, also known as '亮婆'
Born again on Year 2003.
Baptized on 25th December 2003
Departed at the age of 97,
Dated 30 June 2010