When Richard Cheng’s mother suffered a stroke in 2000, he gave up his job as a computer systems engineer which saw him shuttling between China and Singapore for two weeks at a time. It also meant turning down a promotion to  division manager.

As her only child, he returned to Singapore to care for his mother.

“Family is important,” said Cheng, now 55, told Salt&Light.

It was not an easy decision. 

After serving in the Singapore Air Force during his army days, Cheng became a technician, slowly teaching himself and working his way up the career ladder to become an engineer. Without official qualifications in engineering, Cheng could not find work in Singapore even though he had made good progress in China.

And so he took over his mother’s bak chor mee (minced meat noodle) stall at Bedok 85 Market.

Richard (in red) in the days when he was a bak chor mee hawker and weighed 100kg. With Angela (second from left) and their children. Photo courtesy of Richard Cheng.

Lives changed. Celebrating Christmas in 2014 – the year that every remaining member of the family came to Christ. From left: Angela, Richard, their youngest daughter Susan, third daughter Wendy, second son William, oldest daughter Shirley and Shirley’s husband Yao Yuan. Photo courtesy of Richard Cheng.

Cheng was in his 30s and had four young mouths to feed.

The hours were long, and money was tight. He could barely make ends meet even though he and his wife, Angela Hang, now 51, worked 12 to 14 hours a day, seven days a week.

As if things were not stressful enough, both husband and wife had fiery tempers and often quarrelled.

Saving a marriage in 40 days

In 2010, Cheng took his family on a staycation to Marina Bay Sands.

They decided to watch Fireproof, thinking that it was an action movie.

It turned out to be about how a couple’s rocky relationship was restored with guidance from the Bible.

“I thought the Bible must be quite amazing. It could save a marriage in 40 days!

The movie played over in Richard’s mind. He was amazed by what a single book could do.

“I want to get hold of this book.”

Cheng mentioned the movie to his daughter’s school principal, who then gave him a bilingual Bible. He read to completion within a short space of a few months.

In February 2011, eldest daughter, Shirley, then 23, invited her parents to attend Alpha sessions. There, they were able to ask questions about God and the Bible, and grew in faith as they learnt.

Soon Cheng noticed a change in his wife. He felt it in himself too. His hot temper had melted away, and he was able to stay calm. The difference was so evident that customers of their noodle stall noticed that the couple no longer quarrelled so much. In fact, they were getting along well with each other.

Other occurrences that happened over the Alpha course convinced them of the presence of God in their lives.

In the second week of the course, Cheng went to buy Bibles and Christian materials from a store in Tanglin, spending $340 on them. For the family, it was a princely sum. Angela commented that he had just spent all their money.

Walking near Bugis on their way home, they noticed a stack of money lying on the floor. At that moment, an elderly lady turned around and told them that they had dropped some money on the ground.

They picked up the money hesitantly, and were surprised to find that what they were holding in their hands was the exact amount they had spent on the books.

They saw it as God’s provision.

Cheng invited Jesus into his life on the fourth Alpha session, and Angela on the eighth session.

He felt what he described as “the fire and the wind”, a sudden unexplainable heat and breeze in the room. As the sessions were indoors, Cheng knew that he was sensing the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The most profitable day of the week

Cheng’s wife suggested that they should go to church on Sundays.

It was hard to take time off on Sunday – the most profitable day of the week. Cheng mulled over it, but did not come to a decision.

Then a customer asked if the stall was going to be open on Sunday. Without hesitation, Cheng said that they would be closed on Sundays.

As they honoured God, He showed His faithfulness again.

The couple discovered months later that their income had not dipped even though they only worked six days of the week instead of seven.

“You have to wake up”

Even with the day of rest each week, the hours they put in at the bak chor mee stall were long and challenging.

Cheng, who once weighed 70kg, was now 150kg from eating unhealthily and not exercising.

In July 2011, he felt a numbness in his limbs and blacked out.

He suffered a hemorrhagic stroke. Cheng was just 47 years old.

He was in a coma. On the third day, Cheng heard a voice: “Wake up. You have to wake up.”

“I think it is Jesus.”

Cheng woke up, walked to the toilet, and returned to the hospital bed – to the shock of the nurses.

“I kenna scold by the nurse.

“But after that, I cannot walk anymore.”

He could not believe that he had a stroke, “Stroke only happens to the old people, I thought.” He also knew that a miracle had taken place.

After eight days of physiotherapy, he was discharged from hospital.

Christian friends who rallied around Cheng’s hospital bed while he was unconscious, continued to support him and his wife in his long, difficult recovery.

End of the noodle stall

Cheng’s mobility was badly affected. He was in great pain, triggered by even the slightest movement of his head or his fingers.

Cheng’s wife closed the noodle stall to look after her husband. She would encourage her husband to exercise, and eventually they were able to take long walks together.

Cheng’s inability to work meant that the family did not have a steady income for months. The head of the family, with four children still in school, yearned to recover quickly so that he could go back to work to support them.

But he need not have worried. God provided.

The family always had enough. He received financial assistance from Bethesda Care Services as well as from some mystery donors. 

And on days that were especially difficult, Cheng felt a strength that could only come from God.

Cheng and his wife were baptised shortly after his discharge from hospital.

Marathon man

Six months after getting baptised, Cheng decided he wanted a meaningful job. “I don’t want to be a hawker all my life.”

He joined Bethesda Care Services, after expressing interest in working for them. He started working part-time in the kitchen. But discovered his calling when he volunteered to join the Meals-on-Wheels (MOW) team in delivering meals to the elderly – many homebound.

On his first time helping out, he met a man who was crawling on the floor and could not stand. “I realised then, how important this meal delivery role was – that I am here to help them,” Cheng has said. 

Richard packing food at Bethesda Care Services for delivery. “There are times when an elderly suddenly passes on. Sometimes it’s due to accidents that happen when they are home alone. There is no one to look out for them. They are alone. It becomes our responsibility to look out for them when we deliver meals,” he has said. Photo by Jewel Yu.

Very quickly, he came on board as a full-time staff with the MOW team. He also accompanies the elderly on visits to the doctor, and shares God’s love with the people he meets.

Because of his health scare, he understands and is able to encourage the elderly and stroke patients. “I have gone through the same pain as them.”

Cheng had recovered significantly since his stroke. But he still walked with a limp and suffered a delay between his perception and his movements and fell nearly every day during his first few months on the job.

“The falls were like an exercise. I fell down and got back up,” he said jokingly.

His supervisor was concerned about his safety. But Richard was determined, and convinced his supervisor to give him a chance.

Through his work, Cheng got fitter and fitter.

Through exercise and physical therapy, Cheng was able to jog within three months. He began with short distances which became longer and longer. Progress was slow, but Cheng persevered, and his health improved.

 In 2014, he took part in a full 42km marathon, finishing in a good time of four hours and twenty-four minutes.

Richard could barely speak or move after suffering a stroke in 2011. In 2014, he successfully completed a 42km marathon. Photo of Richard’s finisher medal and t-shirt from Bethesda Care Services.

Cheng recognised that the transformation in his life could have only come about because of the grace and power of his Lord and Saviour. God was not just a God of miracles, but One who is real.

“Jesus gives you the true things,” said Cheng, who continues to seek his God who loves and cares for him.

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