God's Protection from all Evil
Paul S. Wong
In his book "Malaya Upside Down" the author Chin Kee Onn, who is my uncle, wrote that there is no war without rape just as there is no fire without smoke. During the invasion of the Japanese armed forces into Malaya (former name for West Malaysia) several atrocities were committed against the women and young girls. Out of these horrible happenings came out true stories of heroism, courage, faith and the supernatural intervention of God. My father Zacchaeus Wong and I were direct participants in one of these experiences. I have a very powerful testimony that tells the world there is not only a One True God but He also protects those who believe in Him.
"The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore." (Psm. 121:7-8)
There are two people that not only molded my early childhood character but also influenced my Christian thoughts for the rest of my life. They are my maternal grandmother and my father who was also my role model. When I was one year old I had diphtheria and was on the verge of death. My maternal grandmother, the only Christian in our family at that time, prayed for me, and the Lord healed me. This healing resulted in my mother, several relatives and friends believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and were baptized into Him. My grandmother was uneducated therefore could not read the Bible, but she was a "doer of the Word of God." Her heart was pure and she trusted in Jesus.
When I was ten years old my grandmother died. Just before breathing her last breath she prayed out loud in the Spirit and spoke in tongues. Then she looked up as if she had seen a heavenly vision. She smiled and the Lord took her home. Something miraculous happened. A sweet smell filled the room. There were no flowers but it was fragrant. That miracle impacted many relatives that were not Christians.
My father Zacchaeus Wong was a teacher in an American Mission School and did not believe in what was taught in our congregation. After a serious discussion with our minister for three hours he made a decision to be baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. There was a thunderstorm but he insisted on receiving the baptism without delay. Both my father and the minister rode their bicycles to the Kinta River and he was immersed in the "living water" while it was still raining. Soon after his baptism my father was baptized in the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave utterance. After my father had received the Holy Spirit he was very joyful and went everywhere telling people about the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Pacific War broke out. Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor and then Malaya the following day. As soon as our town Ipoh was bombed our family, together with five other families that are related to us, evacuated to our uncle’s tin mine in the jungle. Including the mining workers about 50 people were housed in a bamboo and thatched grass roof building called "kongsi". There were two large rooms. All the men slept in one room while the women and children slept in the other.
The British had prepared to defend Malaya by placing their armed forces along the coastline. The Japanese knew the defenses and parachuted their troops in the middle of the peninsula thus avoiding a head to head battle. They had penetrated the jungle by riding on bicycles that could be folded and carried on their backs. Nobody knew how close the Japanese crack troops (marines) were until it was too late. The adults in the "kongsi" discussed about how the Japanese soldiers had surprised neighboring villages and raped the women and young girls. Out of the discussion there was a decision to cut the hair of all the women and girls to make them look like males. They even wore men’s clothes.
One morning while I was still in the room, suddenly all the women and girls rushed in and quickly hid under their beds. There was horror in their faces. I was ten years old at that time and did not know what was going on, so I looked for them under the beds. They gestured me to get out of the room, and whispered "Shish!" As I tried to leave the room I heard a great noise outside the room. My father was standing on the doorway. I ran and stood next to him on his left. There were many soldiers with guns and bayonets in their hands. There were about ten of them. They were wearing khaki uniforms with camouflage. I saw leaves stuck on their uniforms and helmets. Their faces were painted. They looked ugly. I was terribly frightened.
