I have been married to my wife Daina Sulimin for more than 18 years (she’s a Catholic from Sabah). Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I will be accepting Christ & giving my testimony. In fact, I’m a stubborn husband and a staunch Buddhist. I have once told her sarcastically that, “I want to marry you, but not your religion”. I’m not sure how many men dare to say this to your future wife! Please don’t ahhh! ”. She should have asked me to read (1 Corinthians 7: 1-40; About Marriage). To me back then, all religious teachings are the same –to do good deeds & not to harm others. 

But over the years, probably due to her tenderness, leading by example and prayers (1 Peter 3:1); I agreed to allow our 3 kids to be brought up in the Catholic way. They started attending Catechism classes. With the current increased in numbers of social illness among children and teenagers; I personally felt that they need to have a solid religious teaching foundation.

Early Mar’14, while sending my kids for Catechism class; sister Helen Chen stopped and told me that her husband, Valiant has already registered for the RCIA class. She said, why not I accompany him. The class is just to expose you to Catholic teaching and it was NOT meant to ‘convert’ people. Hearing that, I agreed to join in. To me, at least I have someone probably with the same thinking as mine, joining the RCIA. I just want to know more about Catholic teaching for the sake of my three kids. 

Later, David Choo came to pass me the registration forms (see picture on the left). By God’s plan, he is now my “god-father’.

My journey into RCIA began after I came back from my Mt. Kinabalu hiking trip at the end of Mar’14. I felt something is ‘calling’; which I can’t explain. I took lots of picture

I started to dream…places that I’ve never been before – I saw huge church space, big Mother Mary statue, procession of candles, people queuing around a cave with our Lady (in my dream). I told my wife and she said it’s probably St. Lourdes. Who Created All This???

Our Lady Of Fatima

St Lourdes

My journey into RCIA began after I came back from my Mt. Kinabalu hiking trip at the end of Mar’14. I felt something is ‘calling’; which I can’t explain. I took lots of pictures.
I only knew it when I saw some postcard pictures over the internet; it was indeed similar too St. Lourdes and our Lady of Fatima (pictures below) I had a goose bumps each time I see these pictures again.

 In Oct’ 2014, some “un-explained’ vision and experience happen when I went to Church of Immaculate Conception,
Sg. Batu, Sungai Petani,
Kedah.

Dear, brothers and sisters in Christ; this testimony are from my real life experienced and not even once I thought of seeking any personal fame or creating stories. As the scripture says:

1 Corinthians 10:33 – “Even as I try to please everybody in everyway; for I’m NOT seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they maybe saved”.
Isaiah 25:1 – “O Lord, you are my God, I’ll EXALT You, I’ll give thanks to your name; for You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness”. Amen.
On 22nd June’14, our 1st lesson started. I joined in with dozens of questions loaded in my mind. TWO important aspects in the bible teaching (shared by some of my Christian friends) that I personally couldn’t accept at that point of time. FIRST:

      John 14:6 – “I am the way & the Truth & the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
      John 3:5 – “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the spirit.”

Amy Wong, one of our RCIA teachers during the 1st class lesson, told me to refer to:
      John 15:16 – “You yourselves did not choose Me, but I have personally chosen you”.
She explained, when the time you were born, its already written on your palm. It’s just a matter of time, you’ll come back to the Father.

I became more curious. How can God (Christ) choose me if I personally didn’t buy His words fully in the bible? I began to surf the internet to asked Mr. Google and started reading some simple religious books recommended by the RCIA teachers. The more I read, the more things were ‘revealed’ in front of me.
Matthew 7:7 – “Ask, and it will be given you, seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.”
Revelations 3:20 – “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice & opens the door, I will come in to him & eat with him & he with me”.

My SECOND concern is about “honoring’ our parents – “filial piety”. I was against the teaching of Christianity when I saw some of my own relatives (from other Christian denomination); didn’t even one to respect/performed their father final funeral rites. Things change when I started to READ the Bible teaching. I came across scripture saying (Deuteronomy 5) about: The 10 Commandments. A huge rock at St. Anne Church in Bkt Mertajam, Penang; The Forth Commandments also mentioned about “honoring parents”. It clears my doubt.
Matthew 15:4 – “For God commanded, Honor your father and mother, and who
speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die”.
Ephesians 6:1-2 – “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right”.

I would say my conversion journey was un-planned for but I believe it has been “guided”; probably by those praying tirelessly for me and divine intervention. It is impossible for me to do this alone. I decided to go for Pilgrimage Tip to Holy-land (with my wife) last year Nov’14, in searching for the Gospel trail and to understand the bible better. I was the only non-Christian in the group. It was a very enlightening and fruitful trip. As they say, the rest is history. The journey was definitely not easy, filled with ups & downs; the closer you’re to be with God, the heavier your cross (testing moments). But it’s all worth it. After all, I’m reminded almost on a weekly basis by the RCIA teachers that, “no one is forcing us to convert’. Just go with the flow. Shalom!, Alleluia, Alleluia…