Captain Low Sin Chock had lived a full, successful life that many dream of. 

He represented Singapore in athletics at the SEAP (South East Asian Peninsular) Games in the 1960s.

Sin Chock (left) was the 1963 record-holder over 100m (10.8sec) and 200m (21.8sec).

Sin Chock (second from right) during his running days.

He flew high and travelled the world for three decades as a pilot. He was part of the pioneering batch of pilots who joined national carrier Singapore Airlines after the dissolution of Malaysia-Singapore Airlines in 1972.

“I’ve always been blessed in some way,” he shared in a story of his life that his son Melvyn Low helped him to write for his baptism class in 2024.

“I always had this feeling that Someone was watching over me, protecting me.”

But that was as far as his religious convictions went. Melvyn, 58, described his father as “agnostic at best”.

It wasn’t until July 2022, when Sin Chock suffered a heart attack, that things changed.

At the age of 83, he was warded in hospital for the first time in his life. 

His kidneys were failing and his blood pressure was dangerously low. Fluid was building up in his lungs, and he struggled to breathe.

But amid the medical chaos, Sin Chock experienced something extraordinary: A vision that would forever change his life.

The dream that changed everything

“One night, as I lay in the hospital bed, I dreamt of small children gently laying hands on my abdomen and swollen feet,” Sin Chock recalled.

“I felt very comforted by their presence.”

The next day, when Melvyn visited him, Sin Chock told him about his dream. To both their surprise, it was the beginning of a much deeper conversation.

Melvyn (in suit, around the age of 17) with his younger siblings Mark and Marisa, and their parents.

Melvyn told his father the “children” were probably angels that God had sent to watch over him.

“I then started to share with him why I believe in Jesus,” Melvyn said.

“In Christianity, salvation – being saved from the consequences of our mistakes – is not something we earn by doing good works. Instead, it’s given to us when we believe in Jesus – God’s Son.

“It was the first time I had the courage to share my faith with him – a typical Asian father who was not one to talk much,” said Melvyn. 

Melvyn was in for another surprise. When he asked if his father wanted to invite Jesus into his life, his father agreed and said the Sinner’s Prayer after him. 

After he was discharged from hospital, Sin Chock attended church with Melvyn and his family.

Later, when Melvyn told his mother, wife and siblings about it, they were similarly shocked.

“It was something we never expected,” Melvyn said in wonder.

New beginnings

After being discharged from the hospital in August 2022, Sin Chock began attending services at Barker Road Methodist Church with his son and his family.

For Sin Chock, church wasn’t just about attending services; it became a source of calm.

Melvyn’s and his sister’s families and their parents, with Pastor Kai Meng.

“I felt peaceful when I went to church,” Sin Chock said. “I enjoyed the sermons, especially from Pastor Lai Kai Meng.”

The visions he continued to receive also brought him closer to God in ways he couldn’t fully explain.

In April 2023, before undergoing a stent procedure on his heart, doctors warned Sin Chock that his kidneys were likely to fail, and dialysis would be necessary. He prepared himself for this outcome, but he believed “Jesus would help me through this”.

That night, something incredible happened.

“I closed my eyes and found myself in a deserted place with mountains in the distance,” Sin Chock said.

“I saw my wife, Fern, walking with someone. I called out to her to take care of herself. I felt at peace, knowing she was being looked after.”

Sin Chock sketched what he saw in his vision: His wife and the figure with long hair wearing long robes in that place that is “both a desert and deserted”.

The dream seemed to assure Sin Chock that his wife Fern (pictured here during their engagement) would be well even if he were to leave this world.

“When I opened my eyes, I was back in the ward.” 

Inspired by Uncle’s faith

Sin Chock’s next experience seemed to confirm something even more profound.

“I closed my eyes again and asked Jesus if I could see Him,” Sin Chock said.

“Then I saw purple flashes of light appearing between the peaks of mountains. The flashes came closer, and I felt it was Jesus showing Himself to me.”

Melvyn was struck by his father’s certainty. “He didn’t see a person or a spirit. When he saw those purple flashes, he was convinced it was Jesus. He was convinced he saw heaven. He was deeply moved by the experience.”

The next night, Sin Chock dreamt he was in a large church, with a high vaulted ceiling.

“There was a cross on the panels of the ceiling,” he said.

Added Melvyn: “He described it like he had seen some element of heaven or at least what the church would look like in heaven. He was very excited to tell me about it.”

Sin Chow’s sketch of the element of heaven he had seen in his dream.

After these visions, Melvyn recalls that his father would ask him to pray for him when he went through his treatments. 

Over the next few days, the doctors monitored Sin Chock’s heart and kidneys.

“Miraculously, my kidneys improved and I didn’t need dialysis,” Sin Chock said. “I was discharged and felt grateful for God’s healing.

As his health improved, his faith grew stronger.

In July 2023, he joined an online run of the Alpha course. Its loving, non-judgmental, no-pressure approach welcomes all to ask questions about the Christian faith.

At 84, Sin Chock was one of the oldest participants, but he eagerly engaged with the online discussions, and enjoyed learning from the other people whom he described as “so knowledgeable about the Bible”. 

“He also shared his story of change with the group,” said Melvyn.

“He also admitted, ‘I don’t know much about the Bible, but just pray to Jesus and everything will be all right.’

“One participant in her 60s said that she was inspired by his belief in Jesus.”

The happiest day of his life

The following months were filled with spiritual milestones.

Sin Chock decided to take the next step in his faith.

In January 2024, he joined a class to prepare for baptism. Three months later, just days before his 85th birthday, he publicly proclaimed his faith in Jesus.

Melvyn praying for his father when the latter was baptised.

“That was the happiest day of his life,” Melvyn says.

“He’d found peace, and he was so sure of his faith.”

Celebrating “the happiest day of his life” and his 85th birthday, with loved ones.

But even in the face of declining health, Sin Chock remained positive.

In April 2024, he was rushed to the hospital with a heart valve infection and landed in ICU (intensive care unit). But just as before, his family prayed and he made a miraculous recovery and returned home.

A month later on May 28, 2024, he was warded for an infection. He passed away peacefully that night.

The legacy of Low Sin Chock

Melvyn was deeply moved by how his father’s journey unfolded.

“The Archbishop of Macau once told Dad, ‘God will find a way to reach you.’

“And I believe that’s what God did. “Dad was saved, baptised, and then God took him home peacefully.”

At Sin Chock’s wake, friends and colleagues who had known him for years were stunned to hear that he had become a Christian.

“Many of them couldn’t believe it,” Melvyn said.

One crew member recalled the times Captain Low – well-respected as a “great commander” – would offload passengers who undermined his authority or addressed him by a racial slur.

“When I shared his story with them, some were moved. I believe that God worked through Dad’s life to inspire others and help them believe.”

It’s never too late

Reflecting on his father’s journey, Melvyn says: “Dad was always confident and strong-willed, and proud of his achievements.

Sin Chock was one of Victoria School’s most renowned sportsmen, the fastest schoolboy of his time.

“After he encountered Jesus, he was a different person – peaceful, calm and certain of what awaited him after this life.

“The visions gave him a sense of confidence of where he was going and Who (that is, Jesus) he would see when the time came.”

Melvyn added that his father had not spoken much of these visions, but his experiences were undeniable.

“I believe these visions were God’s way of reaching Dad. It’s a reminder that it’s never too late for God to reach you.

“No matter how old you are or how far you’ve strayed, God’s grace can still touch you, even in your final years.”

A version of this story first appeared on Stories of Hope.

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