James Yap is, by his wife’s description, “a man of few words”.

He is not one to talk a lot, much less about himself. But since last year, he has been penning his thoughts on his Facebook page every few days.

His entries chronicle his journey with Stage 4 cancer, documenting treatments, side effects and prayer requests.

What is more surprising, though, is that the accounts are infused with praise and thanksgiving. In his posts, there is not a shred of self-pity.

Last October, just months after his diagnosis, James wrote: “Praise the Lord.”

The next month, an entry read: “Thank the Lord for opened and closed doors, hand-picking doctors to form the best medical team for me!”

A year since discovering that the cancer in his colon had spread to his liver, James, 58, wrote: “This is a gift, apart from the greatest gift of Christ Himself.”

How did the cancer spread so fast?

Last August, on his 57th birthday, James went for a checkup – a routine one since he had stents put in his heart eight years ago.

When the results came out, his cardiologist was shocked. James was anaemic. In men, this could be a feature of colorectal cancer.

New tests were ordered and it was confirmed that James was anaemic. His cardiologist prepared him for the worst.

In September, he went for a colonoscopy and an MRI scan. Results revealed a large tumour in his colon, as well as evidence that the cancer had spread to his liver.

James’ tumour shrank with chemotherapy.

James was shocked. He had just done a blood test six months earlier and had “passed with flying colours”. Just a month prior, he had also cleared a thorough medical checkup for insurance purposes.

His oncologist had no answer as to why and how the cancer had gone undetected or spread so quickly within mere weeks.

In hindsight, there were tell-tale signs that James might have been unwell, like unexplained weight loss and extreme fatigue.

Alice and James live very heathy lives. They go for morning walks and James eats very healthily. He does not drink coffee or tea and prefers steamed food.

Alice recalled: “I was wondering: Why so tired? I was thinking whether he was going through male menopause. Or maybe because he had just retired, so he was a bit aimless.”

There must be more

James and Alice had been music lecturers who later opened their own music school. Just before the cancer diagnosis, James had stepped back from his lecturing job.

Though they had faithfully served in their church’s music ministry and even spent four years in Germany using music to reach out to foreign students, James had always felt he was meant to do more.

James and Alice preparing for their music exam in Germany. Music has been a part of his life, his career and his ministry. But James always felt that God wanted him to do something more.

Alice often encouraged James to settle his disquiet with God.

“As she prompted me, I was prompting God. There were many, many years of praying, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do in ministry?’” James said.

Alice and James performing at their graduation concert in Germany.

When he received the cancer diagnosis, he was sure that he had finally gotten his answer.

“I believe this is the ministry that God wants me to be involved in: to use my cancer journey to encourage people in similar conditions, so they won’t feel that they are alone.  

“This is the ministry that not many people can do unless they themselves have gone through the whole thing. So when I give them tips and hold their hands, I would have earned the right to be close to them because I have also gone through what they are going through.”

Open doors for the gospel  

Since starting his Facebook account a little over a year ago, several people who are similarly battling cancer have reached out to James. “We can hold hands and pray for each other,” he said.

James with Alice and their daughters.

Closer to home, his ordeal has opened the door for him and Alice to encourage Alice’s mother. The older woman had become a Christian some weeks before James’ diagnosis, only to waver in her decision a few days later.

When the couple broke the news of James’ cancer to her, they encouraged her to rely on her faith and pray for him. James believes the timing was divine.

He posted on Facebook: “God is so awesome – all within His plan, unbroken by forces around her. Praise the Lord.”

Breaking the news to his father also gave James the chance to speak more openly about death and eternity. Though his father has been going to church for years, James always worried that he did not have a personal relationship with God.

Wrote James on Facebook: “I took this wonderful opportunity to share with him the possibility of my death, that I might not see him ever again in heaven for eternity.

“I told him that he’s got to be sure of his salvation and implored him to consider the renewal of his faith in Christ (if he has ever accepted Christ personally as his Lord and Saviour before) – that he would allow me to pray with him. And we did together on September 14, witnessed by my mom sitting by his side, and Alice by my side.”

The couple shared their faith with one of James’ doctors as well. He had noticed that the couple had been calm when they received the bad news.

Alice said: “I told him, ‘We know Who is in control. We know our God will provide for us.’”

Partnership in the Body

Apart from open doors to the gospel, James has experienced the body of Christ at work. Even as he sought to encourage fellow warriors in the cancer battle, God sent Christians to encourage him.

James (in green) being prayed for by his close friends.

An old friend found out that James was suffering from a frozen shoulder and body itches – side effects from the chemotherapy. He promised to get his cell group to pray for him.

That night at 10pm, both side effects subsided significantly. James later found out that the cell group was praying for him at precisely 10pm. “So we see the glory of God again,” he said.

James (right with hat) and Alice (left with hat) with their cell group friends from Covenant Evangelical Free Church.

On another occasion, a pastor from another church was visiting James’ neighbour’s wife. When he heard about James’ condition, he dropped in to pray for him. Until that day, he had been a total stranger to James.

James also has a WhatsApp chat group of some 50 friends from a network of various churches, as well as past students of his music school and their parents, to keep them informed of his journey.

Being able to worship onsite in church during his cancer treatment was something James truly treasured.

“As they prayed for me, they also received a lot of encouragement. Some of them who had not been so active in prayer restarted their prayed life when they saw the results of prayer.

“For everything, God has a purpose.”

A caregiver’s faith journey  

While James was resolute in his response to his illness, Alice took a little longer to come to terms with her feelings.

“I felt like God 跟我们开玩笑 (was playing a joke on us). I was living the retirement life. The kids had grown up, we have our music centre, I had published books. Everything was according to plan and I was pretty happy with this.

“When we got the results, it was not easy.”

But as she reflected on how God had been with her over the years, Alice realised that there was “no other way but to come back to God and ask Him how He wanted us to go through this”.

Being a caregiver has its challenges. Alice prepares all of James’ meals, takes him on morning and evening walks, and helps him with his treatment and medication.

Alice cooks all James’ meals, making sure that he eats right.

“I couldn’t sleep well for six months. Every night I would check his breathing and heartbeat. But as long as he can be healed, I can accept anything,” she said.

She has also been encouraged by James’ unwavering faith: “Even with his pain, he will kneel and pray. Last week when he couldn’t kneel on the floor because he has become so bony, he knelt on the bed.”

Alice’s devotion and dedication has not gone unnoticed by James.

He said: “I really appreciate Alice so much. She has been there for me … When I blurt things out when I feel frustrated, she controls herself.

“In the past, she would want to settle things. But when this journey started, she changed.”

In the clear but not over

In March, James underwent surgery to remove a tumour.  What should have been a five-hour procedure stretched to 10 hours. But it was a success. James was cleared of cancer cells.

James recovering from his 10-hour surgery.

However, his journey is not over. In August, James blacked out for 10 minutes during his usual prayer time.

He wrote on his Facebook page: “I couldn’t recall anything at all what I would usually pray. I actually shivered and teared as I shared with Alice that when everything else might fail one day, besides not forgetting her, most importantly, I pray that I must not forget our Great Almighty God (His love and all that He has done for me).”

Despite still experiencing pain in his abdomen and numbness in his fingers due to chemotherapy, James remains positive.

“Now I understand how complicated our system is. I don’t take things for granted. I really thank God for not only walking with me but with my whole family.”

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