Uncle Herbert passed away last Friday.
He and his wife have been our family friends ever since we went to BA since I was a little boy.
When I was growing up I remember visiting his house every year during CNY and he would host us and a few other families for a simple meal. My favourite was the popiahs that I had to roll for myself.
IMO, his greatest act of Christian service was to take a bunch of "forgotten" boys under his wing almost 35 years ago.
In the early 80s, there was a bunch of young boys who loved to run to the neighbouring provision shop off Jalan Girang because they didn't seem to fit into the "normal" Sunday School programme.
Seeing this, he went out to get them back by attracting them with organising soccer matches, teaching them to make paper guns, planes and even sparred with them by teaching aikido during church time in parallel with the normal programmes.
Under his supervision and love, most of them have grown up to be good men of faith; while several of them are no longer in the church, I believe that he had made a tremendous impact on their lives during that time.
Uncle Herbert, we will miss you terribly until we meet again.
