A CHRISTIAN FAMILY - NEVER TOO LATE. Perspectives from two sisters : Christine Ma-Lau and Andrea Ma

SMITTEN BY FAITH ISSUE # 0008 25th September 2021

This week, my special guests – Christine Ma-Lau and Andrea Ma - two sisters from Hong Kong - are also my beloved ‘godchildren’. I am their ‘kai-ma’ which is godmother in the Chinese sense rather than the Christian. When I moved to work in Hong Kong almost 40 years ago, Fred and Linda Ma ( the parents of Christine and Andrea) were one of my first friends and today, this friendship is even more precious - deepened and shared by our faith in God. I must confess though that in those early years in Hong Kong, I was a passive Catholic as I described in my book, ‘Late Have I Loved Thee’ (which is available for free download to all paid Subscribers ). Forty years ago too, neither Linda nor Fred were Christians. It was only later, when the girls were teenagers, that Linda and the whole family became Christians. In my case, after many years of guru-searching, it took almost 50 years to come back to God ! Certainly, for Linda and me, we discovered that it’s never too late to love God. As you will read below from the girls themselves.

Christine - the elder sister with Andrea as little girls and now, grown women.

I would like to share with my readers the transformative story of the Ma family spoken in their own words by Christine and Andrea. I will also share my ‘Interview’ with them.  These thoughtful kind and compassionate girls epitomize so beautifully what it is like to find God’s love within the cocoon of a faithful Christian family. More remarkable is that faith came late in their lives - first, their mother Linda, then the teenage girls and then their father. The transformation was life-changing; swift and joyful. The Ma family grew closer together, the family united in their new-found Christian faith and in the case of Christine and Andrea, they blossomed into beautiful thoughtful and God-loving accomplished professionals, happily married women and now loving mothers ( 4 children in Christine’s case and 2 in Andrea’s ). Here, I must mention also how very precious it must have been for Fred and Linda to have their only daughters married to upright young Christian men who are also active in church ministry too! Dr. Kevin Lau ( Christine’s husband ) and Ian Foo, a lawyer ( Andrea’s husband ) are now part of this wonderful Christian family who proudly and actively serve God.

Left : Christine with husband, Dr. Kevin Lau

Right : Andrea with husband, Ian Foo

Today, Christine is the founder of the JEMS Character Academy in Hong Kong which provides character education to children up to the age of 12 years. She is also an adjunct professor at the Education University of Hong Kong and an adviser to the Centre for Religious and Spiritual Education there. Together with her husband, Dr. Kevin Lau they have 4 little children and Christine says that their spiritual lives are vital components of their happiness.

Andrea is the Head of Healthcare at the publicly listed multinational company, Swire Pacific Group in Hong Kong where she shapes the Group’s healthcare strategy and long-term development, investment and management portfolios. Still, in spite of her busy professional life, Andrea and her husband Ian Foo, a lawyer who together have two little girls, give back a lot of their time to their church and community activities where Andrea says God has always played a huge role in their family.

How did 40 years flash by so fast ? Looking at Christine’s and Andrea’s own growing family and how they are bringing up their little ones reminds me of Hosea 10:12 : “Plant the good seeds of righteousness and you will harvest a crop of love” and Ephesians 6.4,  "Fathers ( and mothers), do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." 

It was never too late. Starting with the small Ma family, they have added on the Lau and the Foo families. They have done all that and more ! So, let’s hear from the girls directly.

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NEVER TOO LATE TO HAVE GOD IN OUR FAMILY

PERSPECTIVES FROM CHRISTINE MA-LAU AND ANDREA MA

25TH SEPTEMBER, HONG KONG

FROM CHRISTINE :

Growing up, it seemed to the world like I had everything – a loving family, great friends, a good school and a promising future but I remember always feeling like I had a hole inside of me. I didn’t know what it was and why it was there. My mother became a Christian when I was in high school and out of respect for her, I started to explore the faith, seeing how it had made such a profound impact on her. So in my first year at University, I joined a Bible study course to learn more about Christianity. It was a 10-week course and 5 weeks into it, I was convinced that God was real, Jesus came to live on earth and die for me and that the Holy Spirit could dwell inside me, so I got baptised soon after. I remember sharing my testimony at my baptism class saying that by accepting Jesus into my life, I realised that the hole that I always had was in fact a God-shaped hole and only He was able to fill it. And He did. Knowing God answered my questions about where I came from, what I was here on earth to do and where I was going to go afterwards. It gave me meaning, purpose and direction and now 22 years later, God continues to give me those 3 things and more.

FROM ANDREA :

I was blessed enough to grow up in a loving family, with parents who always gave us the best and a caring and selfless sister who to this day is still my best friend. School went well, I had good friends and I never questioned the meaning of life or the existence of God. After all, life seemed so smooth without Him. Until I was in my teenage years and my mother became a Christian. She was always a spirited character but the way she spoke about God was different from anything else – she was suddenly full of joy (regardless of the tough circumstances she was going through), bursting with passion and love for Jesus! She shared miracles and testimonies of how God had spoken to her. She prayed for me and my sister fervently for us to come to know God, and she brought us to church. It made me want to explore who this God was. It was through her that I started seeking Him, reading the Bible and other Christian books and joining a Christian fellowship once I started university. My sister came to faith shortly after that and she also prayed for me and told me how much Jesus loved me. I remember that when I finally made my decision and accepted Jesus into my life, both my mum and sister were in puddles of tears because they were so happy!    

Left : Kevin and Christine with Christian, Elizabeth, James and Matthew

Right : Ian and Andrea with Rachel and Olivia

AN INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTINE AND ANDREA

Joan     :           When it comes to participating in a spiritual community, do you think that many grown-ups don’t think that children can be involved or don't know how to include them? I know that your mother Linda was really active in her church and you two helped her with her ministry and community work. Please share with us how it was like growing up with a mother who was so committed to God and who made sure that her children could share in this joy too.

Christine : My mother became a Christian when I was in high school and I remember being very confused at the time because she was so zealous and I couldn’t comprehend why. Having Jesus in her life changed her completely and she was so eager to have the rest of the family join her in experiencing God in the same way. I became a Christian a couple years after she did and I remember she and many elders empowered me to step out of my comfort zone to serve God together.

One memory that stands out is when she organised an evangelistic street event for the youth in the centre of Hong Kong. We had youth leading worship and dance on stage, a young man preaching the word of God and the youth of Hong Kong being challenged to pray for the city and to call the lost back to the Father. For one of the sessions, I was invited to represent the youth to pray for our city and its young people. I remember thinking what a blessing it was to be able to serve God alongside my mother and that through our faith, we had a common interest, a common Love and a common goal.

Andrea : I think the younger the better! After having kids myself, I have really been blown away by the pure faith my four year old daughter, Rachel has. There was one time I was worried about a very sick friend, and to see how I could help, I did a lot of research online. When Rachel saw this, she said to me with absolute conviction, “Mummy, don’t worry. Let’s pray and Jesus will heal her.” No wonder Jesus said in Matthew 18:3, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven !”

Faith in action is very powerful. My mother, my sister, her husband Kevin, my husband Ian and I – we all  speak about Jesus. We are out there evangelising to others, serving the poor and supporting local pastors to spread the Gospel. I really believe there is no minimum age to that and we’ve even started bringing our 4 year old to do community service to encourage her to show compassion to the less privileged in Hong Kong.

Joan : I think that one should never underestimate the spiritual abilities of a child. All children have an innate awareness of God and goodness. I know that Christine believes this – you even have your own character academy where you teach little children – up to the age of 12 years. Tell us about JEMS.

Christine : I founded JEMS Character Academy twelve years ago because I was, and still am, passionate about seeing young people develop their character virtues such as honesty, compassion, kindness, respect and responsibility. In an age where so much of our education’s emphasis is put on academic achievement, I really wanted to offer something that would balance the scales. My favourite quote about character is this – “Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education”, Martin Luther King Jr. We need to be educating and equipping our children to develop their character strengths because those are the true and long-lasting elements of success. What good is a person if they have a 4.0 GPA but they got it by cheating? What good is it if a person is a billionaire but is unkind and has no meaningful relationships? I really believe that character is the foundation of all worthwhile success.

I think we have all been made in the image of God and have traits that reflect His goodness. But we also need to have ‘training’, be it by growing up in an environment that reflects this goodness, learning it intentionally or reflecting on life experiences on how to grow. It’s never too early to help a child grow in his or her God-given character strengths.

And I am in complete agreement that we should never underestimate the spiritual abilities of a child. I remember one pastor telling me that the Holy Spirit in a child isn’t smaller than in an adult just because a child is smaller in physical size. He works in and through all of us, and sometimes even better through children because they have less ‘baggage’! So speaking about God, living out Godly ways, reading scripture, going to church and having fellowship with others, praying, evangelising should all happen when a child is young because “train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6)

Joan : This next question is for Andrea. Growing up, you were the little sister and your relationship with Christine was more than just looking up to the big sister. It was pretty special. You have mentioned to me how much family support especially from big sister Christine was so important to you. I am reminded about what St. Peter said, “ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." Peter 4:8-11. Andrea, can you share some of your thoughts on this ?

Andrea : I always say that God gave me the best sister in the world. But he didn’t just give me a big sister – Christine was my second mother (especially during our boarding school days in England when we were away from home), teacher, encourager, counsellor, Bible study leader, travel and foodie partner, and much more. She was definitely a big part in my journey towards faith, including answering my many many questions while I was still seeking and praying for my salvation, and Christine still plays an important role in supporting me today.

Joan : What do you both remember most about your spiritual journey ?

Christine : I think some of my most memorable years were when I served as the youth pastor of my church. You could say that I was offering training to others while at that time, I think that God was training me the most. Jesus calls us to be servant leaders and I think that’s what He was teaching me  – that as the leader of these young people, my job was to serve them. I remember praying with and for them into the wee hours of the morning, worshipping for hours alongside them, earnestly waiting to hear God’s word so that I could bring it to them every weekend, spending time to discover each of their God-given gifts so I could find ways for them to use them at church. Through all that, I learnt to hear God more clearly, wait on Him more patiently, love others more humbly and believe in God more boldly.

Andrea : Even though I did not become a Christian until I was in university, my sister and I went to a Church of England boarding school and had to go to chapel every morning, reciting the Lord’s prayer. On Sundays we had a longer worship service and listened to a sermon. We had Scripture classes which taught us bible stories which I had never heard about growing up. I joined the church choir in sixth form, and the 16th and 17th Century hymns we sang were beautiful, even though I didn’t know or believe what I was singing at the time. After I gave my life to Jesus, the lyrics and melodies all came back to me again and I realised how God had been engraving these words and prayers in my mind all along. 

Joan : Now that you are both mothers too – how will you teach your children about God?

Christine : There’s so much I want to do and so much that I need to learn on this journey. We read the Bible with our children, pray together with them, pray for verses specific to each of them, pray over them, thank God everyday together and go to church together weekly. But I think most of all, I want them to know that God is real and near. I want them to know that God hears our prayers and can answer them. I want them to know that God created them and has a unique plan for each of them. I want them to trust God in a way that is unshakeable, knowing that God is good all the time.

So, when they are scared about going to a new school, we pray and ask God to help us “be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:9). And at the end of the school day and they had a great day at school, we praise God for being there to help them be strong and courageous. Or, when (true story), our son prayed for a younger sibling and his baby brother came into the world 9 months later, we remind him of the power of his prayers and how God is so good to listen to them.

Andrea : I read the Bible and pray together at night with my daughter, even if it’s just a few short words to thank God for her day. I ask her whom she would like to pray for as well, for example her cousins, family members who don’t know Jesus yet or others. Another important part is surrounding ourselves with other brother and sisters in Christ who will be good role models to them of God’s character as they grow up. It is said that “it takes a village to raise a child” and we couldn’t agree more! Our “village” consists of family, grandparents, godparents and our church community.

There are so many things in the world nowadays which are uncertain, confusing and cannot be explained. But the unchanging truth I cling on to is the love of God and how He is always with us. Through all the storms and challenges they will face, I pray that they will turn to God for a solution and not man. As a family, I pray that together we will be a blessing to others and that God’s name will be glorified through our deeds.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Top left : Linda and Fred Ma with Christine

Middle : Grandma Linda with Andrea and all the grandchildren

Right: Little Olivia’s Baby Dedication Day in Church

Bottom - the little kids at Christine’s JEMS Character Academy

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Editor’s Note :

Dear Reader, thank you for reading this weekly edition of SMITTEN BY FAITH. 

ALL articles in every issue are FREE.

For those of you who upgraded to be a PAID Subscribers for US$ 60.00 a year, thank you so much ! All proceeds go to the Regina Apostolorum Foundation to promote Catholic higher education. 

PAID Subscribers will also have additional access to the COMMENTS BOX, the Q & A and the Discussions. You will also receive the digital copy of the recent book by Joan Foo Mahony, ‘LATE HAVE I LOVED THEE’ and at the end of 2021, VOLUME ONE 2021 of Smitten By Faith, a yearly digital compilation of each year’s articles. Paid Subscribers will also receive additional exclusive material from time to time.