In Memory of Andrew Chan Cheak Wan

Graveyard of Andrew Chan

Time flies, 19 years have passed. Today, I want to take time to remember a good teacher and acknowledge his contribution in teaching me the Word of God. As God's servant, He took the trouble to fetch me to church. Back in 1993, I had made up my mind that if no one takes me to church from Shah Alam to attend a KL  Seventh-dayAdventist church at Bukit Bintang, I would never bother to go. There's no internet access in Malaysia at that time. I had to use phone directory to locate Seventh-day Adventist church. I wasn't a believer at that time, I didn't have a good reason to go to church. I didn't think that it's logical for me to take bus from Shah Alam to KL. I thought if I called the church and if the Pastor said no one could fetch me up, then I would concluded that I really didn't have to go. What was my reason going to church anyway? It was actually trying to get a copy of the Sabbath School quarterly lesson . I enjoy reading the Sabbath School quarterly lesson.  I thought I just had to go to church with only one aim, get the quarterly lesson. 

Thanks to brother Andrew for fetching me to church. I purposely troubled him, I was very mean to Christian, for I thought if they claimed themselves as Christian, then they should do service "free of charge". Not only he fetched me to church, after church service he fetched me to work as a promoter in a shopping centre at Klang.  I  really amazed in his ability to explain the book of Revelation. He had assisted me to understand the plan of salvation. If it's not because of his encouraging words in urging me to finish my degree at the States and his advice to me, to help my parents understand that I wasn't a fanatic by showing good result in my study, I thought back then, it's really no point to study since my parents didn't trust me. My thought of quitting my study in overseas was what I wanted. But today I still remember his words as he asked me to complete my study and really study it so well, so much so that with a good result, my parents could not question about a God whom I believe. I showed my parents how I was changed for the better and not the worst. I would not have put efforts in completing my study if he didn't encourage me in my difficult times. At that moment, all I wanted was to work rather than to study. When I finally finished my study in 1995, I thought I could share my joy with him but sadly I could not do so.

Every year during this time, I'll go to his graveyard, just to do a deep searching of my heart and ponder upon my life as well as reflect upon the way I teach my students.  Whatever I do, I hope "finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8).