Their friendship started with a request to tag along for some char siew rice. 

One lunch followed another. Five years of monthly lunches and 10 years of annual gatherings later, the opportunity to share the Gospel finally arose.

There was nothing coincidental about it.

God, I will go

Back in 2003, Sharon Fong felt a clear prompting from God to leave her job as an accountant in one of the big four firms. She was thriving in her job and due for a promotion soon, but the call was clear.

In obedience, Fong left. Her only request: “God, I will go, but give me a prayer group.”

Pastor Sharon Fong (third from right), with her current colleagues at Covenant Evangelical Free Church. Photo courtesy of Sharon Fong.

God answered her prayer.

Soon after she joined, a more senior colleague, who was also a fellow church member, reached out – it turns out that Fong was the answer to a long-awaited prayer!

They started weekly prayer meetings that soon grew in size, and together, they prayed for the office and their colleagues.

An invitation to lunch

Fong was then a young finance executive in a large organisation.

The work was stressful and fast-paced. She was in charge of ensuring the factory’s cost-competitiveness – a report on the latest figures was required every two weeks.

Doing so meant coordinating with many people across various departments before making production-line decisions. There was a constant pressure to reduce costs.

“I had to meet the numbers,” Fong recalled. “But it was like I was fighting fires every day.”

Because of the nature of their responsibilities, Fong’s teammates had little time nor energy for bonding. During the lunch break, hardly anyone would go out for lunch because of time constraints.  

But Fong was clear about her role in this company – it was a place that God had specifically called her to. She was on the alert, watching for opportunities to be a blessing to someone.

Fong herself was task-oriented and sun-avoidant.

She preferred short and quick lunches in the factory’s cafeteria so that she could get back to her work. She did not enjoy walking under the hot sun just to eat!

Inviting colleagues out to lunch ran contrary to her nature, but it was a simple – and intentional – step that Fong took in a bid to bond and fellowship with her colleagues.

But there was one colleague who was different.

Shereen Han*, though closer to her mother’s age, had a friendly disposition and would cheerfully accept Fong’s invitation to lunch. Han’s favourite meal was the char siew rice at a coffeeshop near the factory.

So, once a month, Fong and Han would walk out to have lunch together.

An unlikely friendship

Despite Han’s openness, they had little in common. Han was a long-time administrative staff in her 50s while Fong was the new hire in her mid-20s.

Fong shared that, at the start, their conversations centred around Han’s children and grandchildren.

But as they continued to meet, a friendship was built – and when Fong left the company five years later, the pair kept in touch through annual team gatherings that Fong organised and hosted together with another Christian colleague in the team.

It took effort and prayer. Fong said: “People think that reaching out to someone is easy, but it never is. It is about investing your time and energy.

“When you say, ‘Can I share something close to my heart?’ Then, and only then, will people listen to you – you have to earn the right to share Christ.”

A heavenly banquet

That friendship was put to the test in 2015 when Fong found out that Han had aggressive, end-stage cancer. By then, 10 years had passed since Fong left the company. They had met annually at gatherings which Fong hosted sometimes, but the relationship was not as strong as it was before.

Not many ex-colleagues knew about Han’s condition and Fong prayed that she would be given an opportunity to visit her.

Eventually, she did – and Fong took the opportunity to share the love of Christ with Han. 

That very day, Han accepted Christ.

Despite being too weak to attend church, Han would listen to online sermons at home before she passed on in 2015.

In a world where relationships are becoming increasingly transactional, Fong determined to practise the ministry of presence to those around her. 

For Han, this ministry lasted 15 years. But for others around Fong, it still continues today.

Their friendship started with an innocuous plate of char siew rice. But in time to come, they will both share the joy of the King’s banquet – for eternity.

*Name has been changed for privacy.