My name is Kok Yong and I would like to share my experiences about how our loving and gracious God works in my life.

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In September 2020, a pastor’s name came into my mind during my quiet time. I was surprised, but the name repeatedly rang in my head, so I just prayed for the Lord to bless and protect the pastor. More bewildering was the pastor’s visit to our next cell-meeting. I shared what happened with the group and the following verses were sent to me by the pastor after.

 

Jeremiah 17:7-8

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

     whose trust is in the Lord.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
   that sends out its roots by the stream.
And does not fear when heat comes;
   for its leaves remain green.
And is not anxious in the year of drought
   for it does not cease to bear fruit.

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In the days that followed, I received more verses from other chat groups relating to trust, faith, and confidence in the Lord – like Proverbs 3:5-6 and Psalm 112:7. I began to wonder if I had a trust “issue” and shared this with the same pastor.

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The response were these words of wisdom: “Remember my mention about sensing the verses are a here-and-now Word, but also a future-to-come Word ...?” “I have found in my own journey that "trust" and more specifically "trust in the LORD" is something that will be tested time and again. And every time I think I have arrived; I have found the "trust in the LORD" bar re-set at a higher level ...” That was in September 2020.

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Fast forward to the evening of 7 January 2021, my daughter-in-law noticed that my right foot was swollen. The next day I went to the polyclinic and the doctor there referred me to the Seng Kang Hospital Accident & Emergency (A&E) department.

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At the A&E; I underwent blood tests, an ultrasound scan, ECG and others. No indication of any life threatening issues, but I was sent to the General Medicine Clinic for more tests and scans of the whole body.

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On 18 February 2021, I was confirmed to have stage 4 prostrate cancer of a very aggressive nature. The biopsy result was 9; when matched against the Gleason’s Index of 1-10 (10 being the most aggressive).  The cancer had also metastasized up to my hip bones and the lymph nodes. Without treatment, I was told I would have about 6 to 12 months to live. With treatment, God only knows how much time I have.

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My children and my wife were devastated by the news, but I was calm. Didn’t God tell me in advance that I was going on a new journey? Didn’t He send me a message through a pastor to trust Him?

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In the following days I had to tell my family that I am fine and at peace with God; that God will never harm His own children, and that I trust Him and will let Him take the lead in this new journey. God sent so many angels during those few months and with each step, I grew more certain of His divine intervention. While at Sengkang General Hospital, He sent me the Deputy Head and Senior Consultant from the Division of Medical Oncology of the National Cancer Centre who is treating me now - Wow!!!

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God also placed around me our church pastors, mentors, brothers, and sisters in Christ. One of them told me, “Focus on Jesus Christ and on the Cross, not on your sickness, treatment or side effects.”

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This resonated with my own belief, trust and faith in God; and is also what the Bible – the Word of God - repeatedly reminds us.

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My prayer to God when I was told of my cancer has not changed from what I have normally been praying for, except maybe it has become more urgent. The first is for my children and families (who are pre-believers) to find salvation in Jesus Christ as they journey with me through this uncertain period. Secondly, I asked the Lord to allow me to continue to do the work He has for me and He has enabled me to glorify His name with my testimony.

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With regards to this cancer, I have prayed that - if He is going to heal me, then He will, according to His time and purpose. Otherwise, I prayed “Your will be done.” Having said that, I must stress that there is nothing in the Bible that prevents us from praying for healing. In fact, James 5:14-15 says:

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“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.”

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When we submit ourselves completely to God, He makes things happen and we feel very blessed and comforted. Remember this verse because it ties in with the next story.

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On 28 March 2021, my wife Amy and I attended the 5pm on-site worship service. While I was waiting for her outside Sanctuary 2, our Pastor in Charge approached me saying he felt a need to pray for me at that moment but thought that I had left. Normally, Amy and I would have already been on our way home, however, that Sunday was Amy’s first usher duty with the new Welcome Ministry, hence the reason I was waiting for her. Together we went to the front of the Sanctuary where he prayed over me. I felt so wonderfully blessed and was reminded of the words from Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

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That is why I am so confident in our God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. He never ceases to bless me whenever I am anxious or meets new challenges. I know I am held very firmly in His loving arms.

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Unknown to me, my wife had been praying that I would not require chemotherapy. On our first consultation with the oncologist, he listed chemotherapy as the first option and then a series of other possible treatments. Then he circled back and said that we will go for a hormonal treatment that included an injection every 3 months and hormonal tablets daily. A body rash appeared a few weeks later and the oral dosage had to be reduced. By the Grace of God they went away after a few weeks and did not return when the dosage was raised to its original level.

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They Lord had answered my wife’s prayer. Glory to His Name!

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My blood pressure started to rise and so my hypertension pills were increased. To this day my blood pressure is normally very high in the morning and lower in the evening despite the many different types and very high dosage of hypertension pills that I am taking.

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In July of 2021, after a blood test, an hormonal injection and a second dose of Covid-19 vaccine, I was hospitalised for a Group B streptococcus infection. If not for the early admission due to excruciating pain that caused me to almost black out, I would have lost my right arm or died from the deadly bacteria. Thank God for His Gracious Mercy!

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The PSA prostate cancer marker for a normal person is 0-4. On 18 February 2021 when I was first diagnosed; my PSA marker was 2814, practically unheard of.

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By December 16 of the same year, it had dropped to 2.3 well within the normal range. My swollen right foot had also returned to its normal size. Praise the Lord; all Glory is His alone.

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About three and a half years later, on 19 September 2014, my PSA marker went down to <0.02, an objective that my oncologist had set for us to achieve. He had called it the “magic number” that we had to reach; for me to have a chance to enjoy a quality life and be able to extend it for many more years. When we first heard about it, my wife and I called it God’s number. My oncologist also told us that because of the aggressive nature of my cancer, I will never be able to reach a “remission stage” when treatment can be stopped as the remnant aggressive cancer cells could be hiding in any part of my body.

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My journey has not been smooth sailing. This cancer and my heart condition (triple coronary bypass in Dec 2000) have caused me to be immuno-compromised. I have been in and out of hospital several times - for covid-19 infection, breathlessness (more than once), pneumonia, trigeminal neuralgia (a nerve problem on the face), and a lower backache so painful that I couldn’t walk. There were other infections like shingles and several occasions of cough and cold that last for months. My breathlessness episodes continue to surface without warning.

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A major side effect of this hormonal treatment is the weakening of the bones so I have to have a calcium injection every 6 months to ensure they do not become too brittle. Obviously I have to also be very careful not to fall. The Lord has kept me from falling many times; and when I do, I can feel Him holding me and gently letting me down.  

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It is now August of 2026, 5 years since I was diagnosed with this cancer. My last PSA marker in July still showed <0.02. I am now 79 years old, a father of 3 children and a grandfather of 2 grandsons. How gracious and merciful our Father in Heaven is. Throughout this journey, my wife and I have felt the Lord’s presence so intimately in our lives. We will continue to have faith in His amazing and unconditional love no matter where this leads us. Our focus is on the Cross and in doing His work. Allow me to close with this verse:

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Romans 8:28:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

 

- Testimony by Kok Yong (KY)

 

This testimony has been edited for clarity and length. *Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals.