James Fong Update - 21-Nov-2008

James has recovered a lot compared to a few months ago. He can even go to gym and exercise now. Please continue to pray for his full recovery.

James Fong Update - 03-Nov-2008

James Fong and his family have returned from their trip from NZ. As usual, while he was in NZ, he scared off three men out of a hot spring by simply invoking the name of God, and on another occasion, talked to an Irish Catholic priest about the assurance of salvation which comes from Christ alone.

Read the whole thing, and say hello if you know him.

James Fong Update - 3-Oct-2008

James Fong's heart condition continues to improve, although his heart is still very weak compared to an average person.
Read about how he has been walking with God in recent days and pray for him.

[Update 13-oct-2008: a typo fixed, thanks, Sharon.]

James Fong Update - 17-Sep-2008

James has recovered a lot, although he is still very sick compared to someone with a normal, healthy heart.
Let's continue to pray for him and his family as they seek God's guidance in how they should serve Him and what capacity.

James Fong Update - 28-Jul-2008

James Fong caught a cold, but feels better than before. Let us continue to pray for God's sovereign grace in his life in health and sickness.

Read his post here.

James Fong Update - 04-Jul-2008

James' health has improved (somewhat). Even though his heart condition is still nowhere near the "healthy" range, the recent improvement has brought a great encouragement to the Fong family. Please continue to pray for them.

James Fong Update - 29-Jun-2008

James Fong has been seeing doctors, toasting to Jesus, catching urine with his hands, and is preparing for a short Bible talk. It seems like he's been quite busy and active. But please continue to pray that his health would improve. I'd like to see him being able to attend church on Sundays as a start.

James Fong Update (and more) - 16-Jun-2008

It's been a while since James posted a new entry on his xanga site. It's been even longer while since I posted about him and his prayer requests.

I simply direct to his entry this time, and ask you to pray for him and his family.

While you are at it, for those who know me and the situation (I know who you are!), please also pray for Steve who used to be the pastor at my church and his wife Alice, who is fighting a cancer. And also pray for Cecily Moar for those who know her for her health, although I won't go into the details about it here.

James Fong Update - 8-May-2008

Update from James Fong.
1) It turns out he was misinformed about an ingredient of the golden pill he ate some time ago.
2) Pray for the Burmese:

As much as our family appreciate prayer for our well being, please join us in praying that the Burmese (Myanmar) military junta would lift their ban so that more international relief effort may help and support those truly facing life and death minute by minute. Above all, let's pray for more gospel workers to go into Burma and show what heaven is like and introduce the Burmese to the king of heaven, particularly under the current hellish circumstances.

3) Continue to pray for James as he will be getting another test which will help the doctor to decide whether he should be on the transplant list.

Read the whole thing here.

James Fong Update - 2-May-2008

James Fong updated his xanga. As usual, his post is full of praise for God and action-packed for Jesus.
1) He wants to know what we prayed for, so he can report back how God has answered our prayers.
2) He says he can't sleep well thesedays and asks for prayer.
3) He found out that he ate bull semen! (Yes, this is true. Go and read the whole thing.)
4) Prayer request for Zoe's recovery from a flu.
5) Encouragement from James:

May I encourage you all to continue to make the most of the health God has given you while you have it, to fearlessly and confidently share the gospel with all your might until the Lord returns.

Read the whole thing.

James Fong Update - 28-Apr-2008

Belated update link to the latest xanga entry from James Fong.

James Fong Update - 15-Mar-2008

Latest from James Fong.
I'm pleased that he can go out and take a walk for more than 30 minutes now. It may not sound like much, and it isn't for a normal person, but I am happy for him that he can do for that long and saw improvements over the week. It must be helpful for his mental and emotional health as well as physical.

Please continue to pray for him and his family, as he also, no doubt, continues to pray for us all.

May the Lord continue to encourage us to read His word and enjoy His greatness no matter what the circumstances are.

James Fong Update - 09-Apr-2008

Even as suffering from a heart failure, our mighty James Fong "flashed" the premier of New South Wales, Morris Iemma today. Nice work!

You can read about it here.

Please continue to pray for James and Janet, and the family for God's continued protection and providence.

James Fong Update - 03-Apr-2008

James Fong's xanga site is updated. He's still sick, and struggling to accept and adjust to the new lifestyle. Yet, he clearly loves God still and it shows in his continued zeal for evangelism. It strikes me how he manages to share the Gospel with a new person he meets (or at least lead the conversation towards it) almost each week. I must be really living a Christian bubble or I am ignoring all the opportunities around me.
Anyways, go and read his update, pray for them, be challenged by them, and live as a Gospel bearer.

By the way, James, or Janet, if you ever visit me here, you said:

One of the greatest blessings of being physically unwell and housebound is the fact that I can spend more time with Janet and the kids.

That is a great blessing for both you and your children although they are very young at the moment. I just wonder if you'll ever know how much I can relate to that.

James Fong Update - 14-Mar-2008

Sorry, I was slightly delayed in posting James Fong updates this time around.
Please go over there, and read the update, pray, and leave some encouraging words.

James Fong Update - 06-Mar-2008

Mrs. Fong gave us an update.

• Since then he has had an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) which was much the same as the last one - not much improvement (but no deterioration either - praise God) on his ejection fraction (heart pumping) which was 20%. He has also had a CT scan of his head - which was apparently normal. However, during the procedure, he had another black out. We are all unsure what these new symptoms mean but James will be hospital for 4-5 days to have further tests.
• We ask that at this time, you pray for James - that God would give him peace and strength and comfort despite feeling unwell and the uncertainties of what lies ahead. For myself, please pray that I may be able to juggle looking after Zoe and visiting James.
• Praise God that Auntie Grace and Grandma Fong and Uncle Stephen (and their dog Rusty) have again offered to look after Jeremiah (who also has a cold - please pray for his healing as well) during this time.

Please continue to pray for them.

James Fong Update - 28-Feb-2008

Latest from James Fong:
1. Jeremiah and Zoe getting along well.

[Jeremiah] has woken up every morning and rushed to the bassinet to give Zoe a little cuddle and kiss.

2. James soldiering on as a witness of Jesus

Today (Thursday Feb28th) I met up with the Centrelink job assessor at 830am, who was determining whether I would qualify for disability pension. She told me that she was a registered nurse and that she was sorry to read the bad news of my heart condition from the medical report written by my doctor. Like many other people, she assumed I would be despairing of life itself and was about to recommend that I get some more support. I told her that God had given me peace and that He is in control, even though things seem bleak. Praise God, I was given the opportunity to tell her that many friends from church and family have been praying for me and have been a great support to me. She was surprised that I already had a ready made network of relational support through this difficult time. I was reminded that this community support, indeed is one of the great blessings of a community of people knowing and loving Christ. At the end of the interview, the assessor indicated to me that she was a practising Catholic and affirmed to me that God is great and has the power to heal me. She also told me that she would be recommending that I get the disability pension and that I would find out in the next few days whether in fact I would be approved or not (through this end stage bureaucratic process). I was moved to ask her if I could pray for her, and she graciously accepted.

3. Priceless gift

I know I'm not supposed to mention specific people who have been generous with us, so that they can store up their treasures in heaven, however recently Janet and I were particularly, and deeply touched by a collective gift of $245 given by street people living in the Surry Hills area, passed on by a local chaplain. [...]They gave generously to us out of their poverty, [...]

James, you are just about the most authentic, encouraging, and challenging witness of our Lord Jesus Christ I've ever met!

James Fong Update - 22-Feb-2008

Updates on James Fong.
Summary:
- in his own words:

Since Jeremiah has been staying at my sister's place, I've become much sadder since both Janet and I missed him terribly. I know God gave me a very small taste of the pain, it must have cost God the Father, to have His Son- the Lord Jesus, to leave the heavenly home to be here with us on earth.

- Janet had a baby girl (Zoe Fong):

On Wednesday Feb 20th, [...] at 1104am, Zoe Fong came into the world weighing 3.4 kg and 52cm length.

Please join me in thanksgiving and prayer for James and his family

James Fong Update

James posted another update on his xanga.
Two prayer requests from him:
1) Please pray that an opportunity may arise to meet up with Daniel and that he may come to accept God's free gift of eternal life. (To find out more about who Daniel is, read his post on xanga)
2) Today, Friday Feb15th Janet started getting contractions 330am. [...]we would value your prayers for safe arrival of bub, but more importantly, that both bub and Jeremiah will grow up to love and serve God all the days of their lives.

Read the whole thing at his xanga page.

Bonus: A tip for evangelising to a muslim

I learnt from an evangelist to Muslims that it is important to not defend the Bible with apologetic answers, rather just indicate that you are offended since you consider the Bible to be the word of God. I found that after I told him that I was offended by his comments that the word of God is corrupt, he showed me more respect.

Pray for James Fong

An update from the Fong's family.