We'd have a chant "Ong Gary Gary Gary, Ong Gary Gary", and the funniest memory I had was when he was in charge of organizing games, and when he was briefing us, all of us gather around him, he farted!
I lost touch with him, when I left church in the mid 80s.
Strangely, I came into contact with him again when a friend Eugene Wong (a good friend I know since Primary School) came with him and others, to Vietnam - maybe in 2008, and we caught up for a meal. Uncanny.
Either late 2010 or early 2011, Gary discovered he had stomach cancer. He fought his battle openly, documenting his thoughts through facebook. He had a crazy sense of humor, laughing at himself, showing off his scars. He joked with the nurses/doctors.
Once whilst in HCMC, and after lunch going back up to the office, I looked up at the TV showing CNA channel, and there he has - Gary was on TV! Some chef was cooking up a dish for him.
He physically started to look a bit worse mid of this year, and I just had to go visit him, which I did. I didn't know what to expect, but surprisingly 3 hours just went by just like that! We had a good chat, catching up what he's been doing (he ended up as a tennis coach), and how he discovered he had stomach cancer. Now that I'm into photography, we also had a bit of chat on that - since he's been a long time photographer. I spoke with him more in the 3 hours, than I've had ever, accumulated over the course of growing up. Not just in quantity of time, but really talk.
What worried me at the end of our chat, was I had a feeling that despite what he had gone through, or maybe because of it, he had (like me) stopped having a relationship with God, and hadn't restored that. And it didn't look like he had all the time in the world too! So before I left, we prayed (well, I prayed for him), that if it is God's will, that he be healed, but more importantly that he know Jesus again.
The saddest moment (recently) was also the greatest moment, when I got on facebook last night to read a post from Minnie (his mom). "
It hit me, and I'm not sure why. Through facebook messages and postings (from him, his sis and mom), it did seem that he was physically deteriorating, looking skinnier, spending longer times in the hospital. I can't say that I'm very close to him, although I feel I am, just from reading his frequent updates on facebook. It's the way he openly fought his battle. Never in despair, never anger, never blaming anyone - but making the most use of the time he had left. Its clear from his facebook page that he lived a life that deeply impacted many more. Even his sister and mom, both wonderful women in the Lord, were great examples on how to live with a dearly loved one whose time on earth is limited. They celebrated his life, not moaned his death.
Perhaps, we should live like that. We start to really live, if we start treasuring the days we have left. No time to gossip, no time to despair, no time to waste. And in reality, we don't know how long we have. It could be tonight that the Lord takes me, or tomorrow I get hit by a car. Or it could be 10, 50 years, before I meet the Lord again - should that change how we live?
Jesus says that He will come like a thief in the night, when we least expect it. When we are so busy planning our lives, our next holiday, our futures. The question is, are we ready to meet him now?
What hit me, was that Gary was ready to meet God. I was alive in praise. Better late than never. Thank you God for opening his eyes in time, and lifting the veil of darkness - so that Gary can know the love of God and the sacrifice of Jesus for him. He made it, to Jesus side. Thank you God.
Well, thanks Gary for living your life the way you did (btw, any internet in heaven you can see this?). Despite your "death sentence", you lived your life much more than I would have. And you finished the race, well, and you've gotten the ultimate prize in heaven.
See you soon.
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