Last Sunday was Father's Day and it was the day I so wish my dad was alive. Now sitting here typing this I have tears in my eyes and wishing my dad was still around. He was a man who had so much love to give to everyone around him. So today's blog, is in remebrance of him, the best dad anyone in the whole wide world could ever have....
And here's a beautiful write-up on my dad by the HLS ppl....it brought tears to my eyes....and made me miss him even more....thanks for keeping my dad alive in our hearts. Everything that is written in here is exactly what my dad is.....I LOVE YOU DAD!!! and I MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY!!!
In Memory Of HLS 1st Director, Mr. Joseph Yee Nin Kah
Uncle Joe (Mr. Joseph Yee Nin Kah) , the first Director of Human Life Service Centre, had in his office which was located on the second floor, the following prayer pasted on the wall.It was somehow a reflection of his life:
Seek to be Generous
Seek to be Generous
Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous ,
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labour and not to ask for a reward;
save that of knowing that I am doing your will.
Amen.
Uncle Joe was called to rest on August 4th (2004). While he was alive, he was known to be an active, cheerful and warm person to everyone. His sudden passing has left everyone stunned and feelings of heaviness began to fill everyone’s heart. The whole experience felt like a dream, a dream which everyone wanted to wake up from, but was inevitable.
Days after the funeral, we resumed our work at the centre. The day-to-day activities in the office were also back to normal. However, it was only then that we started to realize that Uncle Joe’s desk was empty, and suddenly it hit us, that Uncle Joe would never return to work with us anymore…
In 1994, Uncle Joe, aged 48 then, resigned from his comfortable and highly paid job to accept the challenge given by the bishop (Bishop Anthony Lee) of the Catholic Church, Miri Diocese, to establish a centre that would focus on “pro-life”. As one could imagine, to start such an organization with zero resources in hand requires one to put in a great deal of time, dedication and effort. However, under the leadership and guidance of Uncle Joe, and with the help offered by many volunteers, all the hard work finally paid off. The result was the birth of “Human Life Service Centre” on 15th October 1995 Subsequently, on 19th March 1996, “Human Life Service Centre” set up a shelter home called the “St. Jospeh’s Home”.
Uncle Joe’s favorite phrases were, “Don’t worry, just trust in the Lord” and “Nothing is impossible for the Lord”. It is this belief that has kept Human Life Service Centre in existence till today. Now, even without Uncle Joe’s presence, his spirit will continue to live in our hearts. When the centre encountered numerous difficulties and challenges, Uncle Joe would always hold strongly onto his belief. His compelling determination and spirit has given the rest of us the courage to continue to strive and fight against the culture of death, so that the joy of life can be celebrated by all corners of society.
Uncle Joe’s favorite phrases were, “Don’t worry, just trust in the Lord” and “Nothing is impossible for the Lord”. It is this belief that has kept Human Life Service Centre in existence till today. Now, even without Uncle Joe’s presence, his spirit will continue to live in our hearts. When the centre encountered numerous difficulties and challenges, Uncle Joe would always hold strongly onto his belief. His compelling determination and spirit has given the rest of us the courage to continue to strive and fight against the culture of death, so that the joy of life can be celebrated by all corners of society.
Uncle Joe has undoubtedly shown us his genuine love for life. He always gave his best into everything that he did, whether big or small. He humbled himself by offering to educate us on the use of personal computers, designing newsletters and magazines. He even hung banners, carried tables, chairs and tools for exhibitions. Occasionally, he would go to the St. Joseph’s Home to mow the lawn, repair what needed to be fixed, etc. He always said, “Do not complain. Do what you need to do.” No matter how exhausted he was, he never showed it. Instead there was always a smile on his face and he was always cheerful with everyone at work. When we faced problems, difficulties and pressures at work, he would always come in to light up the atmosphere in order to calm us down. When we needed someone to talk to, he was always there to lend us his ears. There was never an ‘employer-employee’ kind of relationship between Uncle Joe and the rest of us who have worked with him. Often, we shared with each other our lives’ experiences and knowledge. We also gave support and encouragement to each other.
The job of a “pro-life” follower is not as glamorous as it seems to be. We have to fight a continuous battle against the culture of death. Abortion, contraception, euthanasia, pre-marital sex, domestic violence, pornography, etc., are all examples of the culture of death which depletes the meaning and value of life. Sadly, this “culture” has already penetrated tenaciously into our homes and society at large. In his quest to fight against the strong grasp and influence of the culture of death which destroys precious lives, Uncle Joe had always been cleared and committed to his mission and direction. This resulted in a variety of pro-life activities being organized to aim at alerting the society of the meaning and understanding of life – “Life begins from the moment of conception, whereby respect should be given from that moment on. Most importantly, this innocent life should be granted the right to live”. Thus, the Human Life Service Centre started to make its journey into the rural areas in 1997, spreading the good news of life to all.
Batu Niah was the first destination that the Human Life Service Centre had arrived for such a mission. Following after that, each year from July to October, Uncle Joe and all staff involved would be busy planning and preparing for the journey to other rural areas to give talks. We would often invite along volunteers for the travel. The areas which we have covered throughout the years include Baram, Limbang, Lawas, Lapok, Belaga & Brunei Darussalam.
The job of a “pro-life” follower is not as glamorous as it seems to be. We have to fight a continuous battle against the culture of death. Abortion, contraception, euthanasia, pre-marital sex, domestic violence, pornography, etc., are all examples of the culture of death which depletes the meaning and value of life. Sadly, this “culture” has already penetrated tenaciously into our homes and society at large. In his quest to fight against the strong grasp and influence of the culture of death which destroys precious lives, Uncle Joe had always been cleared and committed to his mission and direction. This resulted in a variety of pro-life activities being organized to aim at alerting the society of the meaning and understanding of life – “Life begins from the moment of conception, whereby respect should be given from that moment on. Most importantly, this innocent life should be granted the right to live”. Thus, the Human Life Service Centre started to make its journey into the rural areas in 1997, spreading the good news of life to all.
Batu Niah was the first destination that the Human Life Service Centre had arrived for such a mission. Following after that, each year from July to October, Uncle Joe and all staff involved would be busy planning and preparing for the journey to other rural areas to give talks. We would often invite along volunteers for the travel. The areas which we have covered throughout the years include Baram, Limbang, Lawas, Lapok, Belaga & Brunei Darussalam.
In March that year, during an interview with a news reporter, Uncle Joe remarked, “The value of life is not measured by how much we own, but by the way we live it. The life of a cleaner is not worth any lesser than yours or mine. His contribution to the society has also been assured. We cannot judge a person’s life by looking at how big or small at the things he does, or how much he has contributed. Instead, as a member of society, we should carry the responsibility of showing love and care to the people around us as well as to see and appreciate the value of life in others. Only then will we be able to build a loving and respectable society.”
For one to protect life, one needs to understand the fundamental meaning of life. “Human life is a gift received in order then to be given as a gift.” Therefore, we should take the responsibility to protect life, and to offer ourselves “as a gift ” to others through our love. Uncle Joe had indeed lived a life which ‘he was giving himself as a gift to others’. That spirit was so strong that even during the last moments of his life, he was still working hard, serving others. During the nine years of toil, Uncle Joe has planted the seeds of love and care in the hearts of the people. We believe that his hard work will not be wasted. The seeds will continue to grow and bear fruit one day.
Taken from: http://www.hlsmiri.org/history.htm
Again, I love you dad, I love you so much...
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