Testimony from Bro. Benjamin Cheng
My name is Benjamin, I’m one of brother Ittai’s nephews. It doesn’t feel that long ago when uncle Ittai and auntie Sau Kwan came to my wedding in Australia, and uncle Ittai spoke at my wedding ceremony. Therefore, I do feel to say just something little bit more for uncle Ittai, if that is ok.
My family moved to Australia when I was around 6 years old, so I only really saw him at most about once a year. My earliest fond memory of him was when I was still a little kid, coming to HK for a visit. My parents bought me a new robot toy, but I broke the head piece. I remember being very upset, but while visiting uncle Ittai and auntie Sau Kwan, uncle Ittai glued the piece back on which gave me much comfort.
While growing up through the years, when I did see uncle Ittai, it was usually only briefly, like one night for dinner or a lunch meal. One impression I got for sure was that he was a very busy person. I asked my mum once and her reply was “because his serving the Lord” which I didn’t really quite understand at the time. Like all our uncles & aunts, uncle Ittai and auntie Sau Kwan would get us gifts, always very useful ones, either healthy snacks or a pair of new shoes, but something extra I always received was some sort of ornament or picture frame and it would have a Bible verse. I now understand that they like to give the most valuable gift of all, the word of God.
However, when uncle Ittai talks about the Bible truths to us, it was never in the way of a Bible teacher. He was always very human. He would ask me about my studies, my job, am I interested in any sister, but there was one thing he would always ask me. He would ask with a pleasant smile and his high pitched voice, “did you enjoy the Lord?’ Even when he spoke at my wedding, the fellowship he gave my wife and I, wasn’t in the lines of “deny yourself, take the cross, exercise your spirit.” Rather I remember two words he gave, he said to always say “thank you and sorry.” He was very human.
In recent years, observing my uncle Ittai, I learned to pursue and serve the Lord absolutely, we must pay a price. The more precious something is, the higher price we need to pay. Just from observation, I knew he paid a price to serve God. But one thing I also have observed even in very serious matters, he was never with anxiety, he was always joyful and at peace. Even until the very last time I saw him over video call.
When I heard the news about his cancer, I asked the Lord how I can pray for him. The Lord gave me this prayer “Lord, whether uncle Ittai was to live on or not, Lord do it for the sake of your Body.” I knew uncle Ittai with auntie Sau Kwan loved the Lord, but they also loved the Body, the Church, and the brothers & sisters. When I finally found out that uncle Ittai was taken by the Lord, the Lord reminded this word to comfort. “As believers in Christ, we don’t just have a God of miracles nor healing, we have a God of resurrection.”
My only regret is that I did not get the opportunity, and of my very poor Chinese, to really share with him what my experience of Christ was. I want to tell him these days I do enjoy the Lord. I enjoy Him every day. So finally I would like to share this verse:
Heb. 12:1 “Therefore let us also, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, put away every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and run with endurance the race which is set before us.” Lord, I thank You for brother Ittai as our dear uncle and also a gift to the Body. Thank you uncle Ittai for your prayers and intercession for me and my family. Thank you for setting up yourself a pattern of faith, in loving the Lord and serving the Lord. May you now rest in the Lord and be among the cloud of witnesses cheering us on to finish the race that is set before us. (Bro. Benjamin Cheng, church in Sydney)