TWO ADVENTURES IN TWO WEEKS

“Pinch me”, I say and no one can make me believe I will have two crazy adventures in two weeks. Just to weeks ago, I posted my blog on RIVER TSUNAMI – 5 seconds from certain death.

Today, 24 November 2007 is another crazily unusual day. A group of us from the Rotary Club of Bandar Utama had gone in to what is probably one of the furthest Aborigine tribes in Malaysia – the Jehais. In a remote corner on a breathtakingly beautiful lake on the Malaysian – Thailand border, we had driven 6 hours across what in the last part of the journey is no more than a Logging track.

We had made the trip early on the morning of Friday, 23 November 2007 in a convoy of 3 Four-wheel drive vehicles. On that first day itself, we had a few narrow encounters. As we drove on the timber trail, suddenly out of the blue would come these huge timber trucks who would bear down on you. It was a terribly frightening experience, especially on hill-slopes where there was little traction. I was driving the 3rd vehicle and in one instance, I just narrowly avoided hitting one of the logs that was protruding from one of these huge timber “monsters”. What an adventure even before we arrived.

When we finally arrived at our destination, we found about 100 malnourished, totally neglected Aborigines. As we spoke with the Pastor who was helping them out, we found that all past effort to try and help them had failed because they simply lived in another world.

Our mission was to bring some relief to them them and although it was not an easy task, we had a great time with their children – all 40 of them. They were just like any other children, gaily laughing and prancing about. My heart went out to them and as I sang with them, I felt so alive and vibrant. We gave them gifts and had meetings with their leaders. Life is all about giving and so long as there is a big enough heart in us, others will be blessed.

A night out in the Malaysian wild is truly a great experience. The moon was a huge ball of yellow and as its rays reached down to light up our campsite, we could not but help marvel at how God had created nature so wonderfully. We had been warned not to wander too far off from the village because there had been previous encounters with Tigers and also wild elephants.

With such an advisory, we decided that gathering around in the security of our raised open hut was perhaps the best thing to do. Soon enough we started singing songs of old and many of us re-lived many of our childhood days once again. We slept almost at 3-00 am. The hard ground on which we slept was a reminder to us of how blessed we all are in the comfort of our homes.

As dawn broke, I caught a glimpse of dancing rays darting across the skies shielded by a layer of mist. I could not help praising God for giving me such opportunities to encounter the best that nature had to afford. We could not imagine what adventure would await us a little less than an hour later.

We broke camp at 8-30 am and decided to drive to the nearest town of Grik for breakfast. I went on ahead of the other cars as I was tasked with taking a Pastor Henry to Grik. After an hour of driving, Marios, our friend from Nigeria said that he had seen some elephants by the roadside. I decided that I should turn around and bring my Grandson Daniel (who was with me on this trip) to see the elephants.

On that first “pass”, I drove to about 20 feet from the large whitish-grey wild elephant who seemed to be the head of the pack. I wanted to take some nice shots of it. Suddenly without warning, she gave a loud trumpeting cry and came fast towards us. Marios who was seated on the left side screamed to me to step on the gas. That was really frightening but more was to come……..

On the return pass, I also slowed to shoot some pictures and that was when that ‘lead’ elephant got really agitated and she now started to charge at us. That huge elephant almost got to us as everyone in the car shrieked for me to drive off as fast as I can. The elephant ran with us for about 50 meters. We barely escaped from its wild trumpeting charge. As we reached safety some 200 meters down the road, we turned back towards the elephant and it was still trying to come to us.

We had a really narrow escape and as I drove with still trembling hands towards Grik, I knew that this was a really narrow escape and by God’s grace, I had a glimpse of what it was to face death or serious injury just a whisker away. It was a scene I will never forget. It almost rivaled the river Tusnami that I encountered just 2 weeks earlier. God is good!

Ong Hock Siew

TWO LIVES SPARED - A moment of mercy

This was what the river Tsunami looked like when it came. It was a terrifying scene, sweeping everything before it.... Sam and I were on ther river Kilambun. I had been camping and swimming on this river for more than 20 years and nothing in my imagination could have prepared me for this

This is a scene that will be forever etched in my memory. Sam, who was there with me say that it is a scene so frightening that she cannot even go near water now. The waves 10 feet tall when they came at us. As we ran for our lives, we were praying that we will be spared........








For 35 minutes, the river went on its raging ways sweeping everything before it. What was once a river with rocks and trees by its side was all gone. For 35 terrifying minutes, we were dumbstruck. Our lives were spared and it will be our call to serve people more.....


As we stood and watched, we realized how mortal we were. We realised that we were at best fragile and weak. Compared to the sight before us, we just felt helpless. It is by God's Grace taht we survived.....





Soon the river returned to its normal self... not a trace of what had happened before. Just two hours later, it was calm and serene just it has been for ages. As we stood there the next morning to bid the river farewell, we could not help but speak silent grateful thanks tot he almighty who by his mercies had given us a new lease of life.......

THE MIRACLE OF LIFE – A DESIRE FOR SURVIVAL

As I turned to look at the huge wall of water coming at me, it looked surreal for a moment. It was as if I was rooted in a moment of time that was enthralled by the vista that was before me. Then that brief moment was broken and I realized that if I did not run fast, I would be forever engulfed in that frightening wall of water.

I shouted to Samantha at the top of my voice to run for her life. And run she did!!! This was miracle 6. Most people would have been paralyzed by fear at the sight of the huge wall of water bearing down on us. But she only hesitated for a moment.

Then I too started running but because of the loose pebbles, I slipped and saw my slipper coming off. As I turned to retrieve it, the first waves hit me and I was pushed to the side. If I had been pushed to the middle of the river, I would have lost my life. I was that close to dying. Before the main wall of water hit, I got up and ran again, praying to God to spare my life and also Samantha's.

Just as I reached higher ground, the main wall of water hit the entire bank of the river and it was engulfed in a swirling, raging torrent of huge white water waves. The rest of the campers had heard that terrifying sound of rushing waters and were just in time to watch the river’s maddening free-flowing rush into the fast approaching darkness. It was a terrifying sight and one that will be etched in my mind forever. The whole spectacle lasted for half an hour and it was a few hours later that the river returned to its normal pristine self without a trace of the overwhelming turbulence that had taken place.

I went down later to the river and sat for a long time recalling what had happened and in those few brief moments realize how precious life had been. I reviewed my own relationship with God and thanked him for giving me a new lease of life - a life that I must now dedicate to helping others who have need of my assistance. My heart was filled to overflowing with a gratitude that comes from knowing that we have a God who is benevolent in every sense of the word. To know and to sense his love is a privilege that goes beyond expression in words. It is a supreme connection of my spirit and soul with the almighty and I am really really grateful for it.

I have been blessed with skills and talents that gives me a dimension of performance that is outstandingly relational and I have purposed that this will be what I will do. I will use what I am good at to bring hope and goodness to others with a sincerity that will take selfishness out of the equation. I will motivate others in my own unique and special way. I will make people bring out their best and go beyond their own expectations. God made us all to be achievers and winners and that will be my call - to create a people of excellence in what they do!! To do this, I will need to give up some of the businesses that I have and some of the activities that I am involved in. It is a call to "GIVE UP" and to "LET GO". That's what I will need to do.

As I turned to look at the river in the pitch darkness, I realised that I have been selfish and narrow in my own mind-set. This is the time for change. This is the time to look at a world-wide audience and to bring a definite message of positive meanderings to them. Every obstacle can be overcome and every difficulty can be surmounted.

This is an introduction to what I am and what I intend to do. Welcome to a world of compassion and service and perhaps some adventure too!!

Ong Hock Siew
onghocksiew@gmail.com

A MIRACLE OF UNIMAGINABLE PROPORTIONS 1

Many of you may not have heard of "Sabah", a state of Malaysia located on the exotic island of Borneo. The highest mountain in South-East Asia is located there and running behind it is a river called Kilambun; a river so clean and pristine that you can just drink from it because the waters just flow off Mount Kinabalu and there is no human habitation on it. If I claimed that it is the cleanest river in Asia, not many people who have been there would dispute it.

I have been to that river numerous times over the last 20 years. It was my favorite destination. Each time, I would bring friends and we would camp by the river side on a bed of pebbles that was so wholesome and relaxing it would take our breath away. In the daytime, we would swim at a perfect 'water hole' some 12 feet wide, 150 feet long and 6-9 feet deep. The icy cold water was so refreshing it would take away all worries and problems. Treks up the river would be rewarded with vistas that are so beautiful that most visitors would want to just stay on by its side.

On that fateful day (Friday, 9th November 2007) which is just a few short days ago, that river would turn into a horrendous torrent of "white water" that would sweep all before it. I am not sure if many of you believe in prayer but I hope you will hear me out in this article before you decide on your stand. That morning before we launched out, I prayed to God for safety and covering, asking him to keep us safe through whatever adventure would come our way.

I have been in adventure all my life and I used to run one of the top adventure companies in the region. I know the "treks" of Kilambun intimately and have widely trekked up river to almost its source. As I stood there at 12 noon that day, I got our guides to take out the tents and just as I was about to pitch it, I heard a clear distinct voice that said "No, don't camp on the river banks!" This was one of the rare occasions where I have had such an encounter. Hesitatingly, I changed the decision and went up the trail and found a place that was about 30 feet higher than the river and we pitched tents there. Why I did it is a mystery that will remain with me until the day I die. This was miracle no 1.

Then the rest of the campers, some 7 of them started trekking up the pristine Kilambun river. I caught a glimpse of dark clouds and knew from my long years of trailing that it was raining up river. Still in the heaviest of rainy days, we had done this for the last 21 years and it was always safe. As they went up-river 500 meters to the next water hole, I caught up with them. As the swimming began in conditions so pristine, I reminded them to come back to the camp-site within the hour. Somehow miracle 2 took place. They came back within the hour.

As I prepared the coffee and tea, I asked one of the workers to call all the campers to come up out of the river where they were enjoying themselves just lazing around. Usually, I would allow them to continue having a great until sundown which is about 6-30 pm in that area. Why I asked them to come up at 5-30 pm with all their bags is another mystery that will never find explanation. It was just something in my spirit and 'psyche'. They all came up and ended quietly drinking their coffee and finding their comfortable niche in the campsite. This was Miracle 3.

Then, Samantha, the trip guide and a staff of mine decided to go down to the river to wash up. Somehow or other I felt uncomfortable and told her that I would go with her to wash up some of the prawns that we had bought for dinner that night. We went down to the river and I started dipping in the deep side to freshen up. The waters were really calm and inviting. Samantha sat by the side of the river cleaning up. I then came back up to a rock on the river and started to de-thaw the prawns. this was Miracle 4. How we did not continue swimming when we usually would have continued was Miracle 5.

Then it happened. There was a loud whooshing sound so strong that it startled us completely. Samantha asked me what it was and I just shook my head. That was when I turned my head up-river and saw a huge brown river "tsunami" some 10 feet high rushing down-river at us. It covered the whole width of the river and it is a sight that I will never forget for the rest of my life. God was really merciful that day. He spared our lives.