Clad in a t-shirt, shorts and slippers, Victor Lo looked a little lost, maybe even homeless.

It was late 2021 and pandemic-related movement restrictions had eased slightly.

After being cooped up at home, Victor took a stroll down Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur (KL), longing for some fresh air and a change in scenery.

He was also excited at the prospect of meeting Cyndi Yong, founder of community organisation Petaling Street Community Care (PSCC) whose work with the homeless and underprivileged had been covered by local media.

He had been in touch with her via the phone to invite her to speak at a local community event, but they had never met.

That day, he was transporting food packs from a donor in his area to KL for Cyndi to distribute.

“I was walking around when she came over to give me a pack of food, thinking I was living on the streets,” Victor said with a smile.

“My first thought was, “Oh, what a kind soul.”

Cyndi, on the other hand, was hardly impressed by Victor.

“I remember thinking he was stuck-up and unfriendly. At the back of my mind, I thought I would not want to meet him again,” she recounted with a laugh.

Eyes opened to the poor

Known as Mummy Cyndi to the homeless community in KL, Cyndi was once a VIP tourist guide for international visitors.

But when the pandemic struck, the single mother was left without an income. For a time, she and her daughter, Latreia, had to queue up for food aid.

In her need, God opened her eyes to the poor living in Petaling Street: ex-prisoners, drug addicts and the homeless, many elderly and frail.

She was spurred to start PSCC, through which she raises contributions and collects food donations and personal necessities to be distributed in areas around KL where the shunned and poor often gather.

“I wasn’t thinking about romance or finding a life partner at the time,” said Cyndi, whose abusive ex-husband left her and Latreia nine years ago.

Though a relationship had not been on her mind then, deep down she was sure that her singlehood would eventually end. “In 2018, the Lord told me, ‘I have prepared a Boaz for you’,” she said.

Every now and then, she would remember the word and wonder who, when and how.

Sparks, but silence

After they met, Victor wanted to get to know Cyndi more, especially after discovering she was single like him.

He also shared a similar desire to help the less fortunate. Throughout the pandemic, he would help to salvage or fix broken household electrical items, and pass them on to families in need.

The couple on one of their food runs, distributing cooked food packs to the homeless and sharing a word of encouragement and hope.

To keep things casual, Victor invited Cyndi out for meals at places like the mamak or hawker centres. Almost always, he asked because he was “in her area”.

Cyndi said: “I truly didn’t suspect anything! Once, I did try to find out if he was a Christian by asking him what he does on Sundays (to see if he goes to church), but he thought I was asking about his hobbies.”

After she discovered that he was indeed a believer, their friendship blossomed over shared meals and similar interests.

But as he said nothing about their relationship, she too kept silent.

Winning the hearts of three women

For three years, Victor showed up more and more frequently, trying to get to know Cyndi better.

He was regularly volunteering for food distribution and logistical support. His skills as an electrician and handyman were also useful to PSCC.

On a personal level, they were growing closer.

Unable to deny reality any longer, Cyndi needed to know what his intentions were. In January 2024, she asked him: “Are you looking for a fling?”

Victor said he was not so young that he would look for a fling. He wanted something serious.

“I then said, ‘If you’re being serious with me, are you willing for me to take you to meet my mother?'” Cyndi said.

Victor readily agreed, much to her surprise.

“I had to win over three women (Cyndi, Latreia and her mother) for this to work out,” he said with a grin.

A near-death experience

Victor had been open to the relationship because some years ago, he had received a prophecy.

“I was in church and the visiting pastor released a word that I would bear much fruit in my later years,” he shared.

After three years of getting to know one another, Cyndi and Victor decided to start courting in 2024.

At the time, he was past 50 and did not know what that meant.

But this word saved his life in 2013.

“I was hiking Bukit Tabur in KL and standing near the edge. The earth beneath me gave way and I felt myself sliding down the face of the cliff. It was about five to six storeys down and I thought, this is the end,” Victor said.

Suddenly, he remembered the prophecy and realised that God was not done with him yet.

Awakened from his reverie, he saw a protruding tree root and grabbed onto it. It saved his life.

Quieter by nature, Victor enjoys helping others away from the limelight.

Since then, Victor has become more aware of God’s plan for his life.

“I’m a great believer that if God has destined something for you, things will move easily. And when I got to know Cyndi better, it felt like that,” said Victor, now 62.

Making a commitment for life

After officially becoming a couple in January this year, things moved quickly.

In February, the couple, along with Latreia, went on a four-day mission trip to Cameron Highlands to visit indigenous communities with food and necessities.

Along the way, their car got into a severe head-on collision with another vehicle. Their car was written off, yet Victor emerged with only a few bruises and scratches.

Cyndi, on the other hand, suffered whiplash in her abdominal area and excruciating pain in her back and neck.

“I thought I was paralysed, but thankfully it was nothing permanent. The fact that the three of us are alive proves that God’s hand is upon us,” Cyndi said.

The near-death incident also made the couple think about taking their relationship a step further.

On July 7, Victor and Cyndi exchanged vows surrounded by 150 family members, friends, church leaders, ministry partners and PSCC volunteers.

The couple chose the specific date because the Lord had revealed to Cyndi that He would join them as one on July 7.

The number 7 is also significant to her.

“It means perfection. My birthday, IC number and many other numbers in my life all add up to 7, and even our wedding date is God’s reminder that He makes things perfect,” she said.

Better together, stronger for His glory

Through their partnership, Victor and Cyndi believe God is equipping them for more ministry.

They spent the first weekend of married life attending a seminar on spiritual gifts and evangelism.

From strangers on KL’s streets to partners in life and ministry, Cyndi and Victor are excited at what God has in store for them.

Now, they are praying for God’s provision of a motor home (caravan) to bring the gospel to Chinese-speaking villages in Malaysia.

“I’m still workshopping the name, but ‘Good News on Wheels’ sounds good. These villages are filled with lonely, elderly people. Many are caring for their grandchildren while their children work in the bigger cities,” Cyndi explained.

She is also aware of her spiritual gift as “God’s television and radio”, and hopes that her speaking ministry will continue to grow as she delivers God’s revelation for His people.

As a family, Cyndi, Victor and Latreia have formed close bonds and enjoy doing life together.

For Victor, who has a quieter disposition and avoids the limelight, he is happy to provide back-end support and be an encourager on a personal level.

“I’m not really good with people, but I’m willing to learn. As God told Cyndi, it’s a move from repairing things to repairing lives,” he said with excitement.

“My heart is more settled now,” Cyndi added.

“More than 20 years ago, God told me that He will take me places around the world for His work. He said, ‘You will not be alone. Someone will be with you, doing the technical stuff (because He knows I can’t). And He kept His word.'”

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