About Eddie

I was asked to write about the characters that would appear in this year’s easter production in GTPJ. I still can’t believe that there would be a play about us, and our lives! I’ve written a little about me, so here’s the story of Eddie, my husband.

How we met...
Eddie and I met in high school. He was in an all boys school just down the road from my school, and we first got to know each other through some social meet between Leo Clubs. I was the more active one those days, getting involved in almost every possible clubs you could throw a stick at. Eddie was more nerdy, more of the guy who liked to stay in the background, remain unnoticeable.

Back then, he and Jin were already good friends and I remembered that they had another friend, Alex, probably the more charming of the 3. In fact, we (the girls) all though Alex was the cutest anyway. In fact, I recall, Alex was the ladies man, Jin, the bad boy and Eddie, the mute boy, because he doesn’t talk much. We were quite insensitive then, weren’t we?

Things started happening!
We became quite close during Form Five, when we would have study groups for SPM, and because we stayed close to each other, he sometimes walked me back in the evening, when my mom couldn’t pick me up. He was quite a talkative person once you got him alone. He’d talk about not just his computers and stuff, but other topics, ranging from religion, politics, general knowledge and even stupid jokes.

He was quite a know-it-all and a joker, but he would listen as I spoke to him about me and my family, about the rift between my mom and dad. Dad worked so hard he never had time for us. I told Eddie about my ambitions and future, and he told me his. I remember, there was a field between our homes (we call it The Padang–yes, very creative name lah), where we would sit on the swings and chat. He was so shy back then, he preferred us to sit like that and talk instead of face to face, so he’s more comfortable speaking.

After Form 5, he started working in a small company, but we always kept in touch. I was in a local college back then, but he would call every day and asked me about my day. I knew he worked hard and was busy, but he would make time for us and buy little gifts and things for me. He was a very frank person too. He told me how much he liked me and wanted to be serious in a relationship. After a few months of grief for him (I knew I loved him even then), I decided to give us a chance, even though I knew my Dad wouldn’t be too pleased with him being a non christian.

"...he knelt and asked me..."
We were about 18 then, and we’ve gone through so much together. He worked his way up and became close to Kenny, his boss; and he also brought in Jin into the company. At 26 he proposed to me. He brought me out to The Padang that night (which was now quite abandoned, since we had both shifted homes, and no one else really used it much). He actually had hired people (or his friends) to clean up the whole Padang, fix up new swings, and decorated it with flowers and candles all over. He had rose petals strewn all the way to the two swings we had always sat in when we were young. And on my swing, which had flowers all around the chains, was a box. No, I don’t think I need to elaborate what was in the box =). This time, he knelt face to face as I sat on the swing, and proposed. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me. Also a bit malu, because so many people around there stop by to keh poh and look. He never told me how he managed to afford such a presentation; but he several times hinted that Kenny had helped out in terms of money.

Yikes, I’ve rambled again! I can write so much about Eddie, but will stop now. But every night I pray for him. For his salvation, and that his new business with Kenny and Jin would not take him away from his family, the same way my Dad was taken away by his job. I love him with all my heart, yet, without the love of God between us, I still feel that something is missing, and that one day, that something can be found, by the both of us.

p/s: Don't we just love passport photos? ;p

Watch this SPOT!: March 11, 2008 (Tues)
"Trailer Alert! Coming soon to GTPJ"
Stay tuned for the full trailer showcased last weekend!

[tags : easter broken easter drama gtpj glad tidings church event]

Art Imitates Life

Which is...to most people, the best form of art there can be...

We've been receiving a lot of inquiries from readers after Steph's post asking us whether broken is based on a true story. The best and most accurate answer we can give you is that broken is originally written, conceived and inspired after much prayer and discussion amongst the creative teams at GTPJ.

While it is created from scratched, we do not doubt that the message or scenes from broken will strike a chord with the audience and perhaps, it just could be a true life story for someone out there.

So Steph and the characters that follow suit are figments of our imagination, relating their own background stories with you. So come Easter, you'll be so familiar with them when you walk into the hall, it's as if you're visiting an old friend.

And we suggest, you let them take you on that journey....

The team @ broken

[tags : easter broken easter drama gtpj glad tidings church event]

My Easter Story

Hi. My name is Stephanie Chan. Most of my friends just call me Steph. I heard that there would be a play this Easter in Glad Tidings PJ loosely based on my life. I am highly impressed with the amount of blogs and publicity the production, called 'Broken', is having!

The story is about what I’ve gone through, and how God brought me out and showed me that even when all hope is gone, He is still faithful. And isn’t that what life is about, friends? Faith in God? Billy Graham once said this: “We cannot truly face life until we face the fact that it will be taken away from us.”

I’ve had many things taken away from me, yet, at the end, I look towards the final reunion with the ones I love, and with God. As God gives abundantly, everything I have is His, and does not the owner retain the right to take back?

Goodness, I sound so melancholic! I don’t want to give a bad impression on my first post, no, else the blog admin would be removing it =). I was asked to write a little more of the characters that will appear in this Easter production, so I will do just that and hopefully not give too much away.

"Well, let’s start with me. Stephanie, or simply, Steph."

I am really excited to see how I am portrayed! I hear that there are some songs ‘I’ would be singing. I am curious about that, since the last time I sang on stage was as a 6 year old, that there is a reason why it was the LAST time! I suppose the actress playing me will definitely sound infinitely better than me.

Let’s see. About me. I was raised in a Christian family; my dad works in a large MNC, and my mom a homemaker. Along with my two sisters, we learned about Jesus Christ, Christmas, Easter and all that in Sunday School. I wasn’t the model christian, no. I suppose like everyone, college and university life gave a little too much freedom without guidance. I didn’t do drugs or whatever, but I was drinking, partying, smoking and not exactly living the life of Mother Theresa =). It all changed over a christmas–I think I was 22 years old–in a rally where I rededicated myself to God and recommitted into ministries. I remember Pastor Francis and his wife counselling me like I was a teenager still!

"Of course, then there was Eddie."

Ah, Eddie. He was just the kind I liked. He wasn’t brash, or boastful, no. He was very unassuming, quietly doing his task, never getting too worked up, always in front of that computer of his. He loved helping people out, and doing charity works and he always talked about starting his own charity for street children when he made enough money. We’ve known each other since high school. We got together after college and when we were 26, he proposed.

There was no huge diamond ring, no; he couldn’t afford it, but it didn’t matter. He could give me a coke can ring for all I care! We were married a year later.

Eddie was perfect, except that he wasn’t a Christian. I never thought too much about it; and when Pastor Francis talked to me, I dismissed it. I mean, I see many couples doing fine and they don’t go to church together. Eddie and I traveled together. We didn’t go Europe or US or anything, no. We went places like Ipoh, Malacca, Langkawi and even once as far as Bangkok! He wasn’t stingy, but he was very careful with his money, because he grew up very poor. To me, it didn’t matter. I married the man I love and know that he loves me in return.

Well, that issue grew, it seems. Eddie was very adamant about not going to church or being a christian. He believes most christians are hypocrites. I am of course, saddened by that, and all efforts to change his mind have failed. I am resigned to just pray for him, but now, 6 years after marriage, I can understand why Pastor Francis spoke to me about marrying a non-christian. I didn’t realise it would be such a big issue between us; but eventually it did become one.

We never really talked much about it, no. He didn’t mind me praying alone or reading the bible; but he doesn’t like being prayed for. He always said he made it without God’s help so far, why should he depend on God now?

Our marriage hit some rough patches. I never thought I would argue with Eddie but we did. We had such different views; about abortion, about homosexuality. He always thought I was judgmental about it but no, it wasn’t the will of God for these things to be! He wanted me to stay home on Sundays and the weekends but those were the days when I had to be in church for my ministries. He believed that we should not force a religion upon our child, but allow him to choose on his own when he grows up. But most of our arguments centred around money. He hates it that I have to give 10% tithes. He thinks the church pastors are getting all the money. He argues if I can give that much, why can’t I give the same to the buddhist temple? And why did I work and then have the church tax me on top of my income tax? Eddie was always, always careful with money; and he saw my tithes as a sheer waste, and I think it slowly made us grow apart.

I never thought it would be so difficult to make him understand! Must my love for him always oppose my love for God?

I understood now the wisdom of the verse in 2 Corinthians 6:14. I love Eddie dearly. I don’t regret sharing my life with him, no. But I do wish I had prepared myself better for this marriage, or at least clarified with him before jumping into it. It would have been much different, I believe. Perhaps I would not be married even. But I always know God would have a better plan for me, even if it was life without Eddie.

I do ramble on! I will keep my subsequent posts as short as possible. Till then, I better sign out now! You can contact me on my facebook at http://www.facebook.com/people/Stephanie_Chan/1169463738. You can send me a message!

Watch this SPOT!: March 7, 2008 (Fri)

"What's been happening on Tuesdays and Sundays!"
Take a look at some action shots from our weekly practices.

[tags : easter broken easter drama gtpj glad tidings church event]