The left behind of modern development (visiting Urban Food Sharing, again)
Pudu was the bus interchange venue for me when I was in secondary school. Pudu Plaza was the hang out place for me after Taekwondo class on Saturday. Because we have a buddy whose parent was selling pork noodle in the hawker centre (which long gone now), before we placed ourselves in the video games arcade centre.
Later, one of my secondary classmate set up a stall selling claypot chicken rice and hotplate sizzling noodle at Pudu Plaza, of which I remember eating there once, but was like 12 or 13 years ago.
I came to Pudu again in 2009 with Lor, when Cinnamon Home Fellowship was scheduled to serve in Urban Food Sharing (UFS). UFS started in 1999 with the objective of servanthood around the community. The ministry identified Pudu and its vicinity as a start. This ministry is now entering its 12th year.
Currently is being coordinated and led by Kasey as well as a team of Kawan, which is a non stay in shelter for the street folks in Pudu.
After 2009, Cinnamon Home Fellowship was scheduled by the church to serve in the UFS on April 2, 2011.
The last round when Cinnamonites were on duty was 2009.
Cinnamonites Peter, Yvonne, Agnes, Lucas, Lynette, Carolyn, Elijah, Ariel and myself were there to assist and serve.
When we arrived at 12:30pm, then I remembered that Kasey told me the UFS only supposed to start at 2pm. But, recently, it begins to serve by 1:30pm.
We met the faithful volunteers that they are there week after week, whose names I do not know, because we have very little time to interact with one another, as the main focus was the folks, homeless, drug addicts etc.
I brought Elijah and Ariel for the first time, as it is about the right time for them to learn about life outside of our home, school, church, friends, Puchong etc. There are so many other things in life – people who needs help.
We took a walk down the lane before everyone arrived. I explained to them some brief background of UFS, the objectives, possible dangers and harms while serving as well as my experience being here.
We began by moving the tables, chairs and canopies out from a storage area, which is very close to UFS. At first there were only Elijah, Ariel and I to move the 160+ chairs, and later we have the rest of the team to join us. We thought that was a rather good work out, since I did not visit the gym today.
We helped the volunteers to put up the canopies and then to start arranging the cups, and filling it with Chinese tea, of which many old folks complained about it, as they prefer some other kind of drink.
Then, we moved on to fill the disposable plates with rice, vegetables and chicken.
At the same time, the children continued to help the folks on the Chinese tea refilled.
When all the disposable plates already filled with the food, we began to hand them out to the folks who came to UFS.
Once that was done, we have short chat with some of the folks, before start to clean up the place.
We met a rather interesting claimed Christian brother, who also said he is the volunteer of UFS. He first approached one of the Cinnamonites with obvious lacking of attention. I have an instinct of being able to identify this, maybe because of our profession.
He informed that he is looking for a job. In fact has been looking for job for some time now. By the way, he shown a text message to a Cinnamonite that his mentor, aka sifu was admitted in UH due to heart attack. His mentor, aka sifu is younger than him. This Christian brother that I am talking about is 46.
From my experience, he is very obvious a former drug addict, and I am not too sure whether he has gone through the rehab and come clean now. Reason being, he seems rather unorganise with his thoughts when he began to talk. Unless he just been released from the rehab, or he is still at it.
Out of the kind heart, he was invited to join us for a afternoon tea session, which I thought would be a good time to have fellowship with the rest of the Cinnamonites. He spoke to almost everyone of us, and I was to speak to him. Most of the items that I spoke to him was about his background – where he used to stay, born, raised, schools, work etc. However, only place of birth, childhood location and school that I managed to obtained.
Thanks to the former home fellowship that we attended many years back, we have been briefed about dealing with former drug addicts. This includes, not to trust what they said.
After the afternoon tea session, we parted, heading home. Elijah and Ariel wanting to buy the pastry from a bakery, so I brought them there. Guess what, this Christian brother was waiting for us outside the shop. He first told me that he has a bottle of petrol. Next, it is dangerous to bring it around, and it could burn, danger to children. I got the hint that he was up to something. I first got the sons into the car, while I have my backpack in the car, while grabbing my phone out.
Also, our car was pretty much blocked by the bakery staff and customer cars, which meant I am unable to drive the car out even though I honked.
He saw my BlackBerry Torch, and immediately asking me to pass him the phone so he could make a call, as his phone has ran out of credit. I told him, “Don’t worry. Here is RM10. Take it and reload the phone credit, so you could make calls. I gotta go.”
“But, I need more than that.” he told me. I got into the car and prepared to leave.
By that time the bakery staff began to realised his car was blocking me, and he moved his car.
I drove and headed to Maju Express Way entrance. He actually followed us from the back on the motorcycle, and he rode close to our car and knocked on the window to tell me to stop.
I lower the window and said this politely to him, “It is very dangerous for you to do that. I could have knock you down. I gotta go.”
“No, I want to get your handphone number. Your home fellowship promised to pray for my sifu. I want to come to visit your home fellowship. Please give me your home fellowship members telephone numbers.” he said.
“You can pray for him or you can ask the church to pray for him tomorrow, there is no difference. I gotta go.” I insisted.
He continued to follow us from the back, when I was driving through Shaw Parade, and later towards Jalan Imbi. I made a quick exit to some lanes in Imbi and speed off. He sort of lost us there.
Whatever it is, I thank God for His protection on us, especially our sons.
One Comment
retna
The light of God shining reflected on your face…that’s why he followed you.