Personal Encounters with Elkanah Suwito

By Tek & Goldie Chong

Many of us who grew up and worshipped in the Melaka Wesley Methodist Church in the 1960s/70s remember fondly our pastor Rev. Suwito.
 We knew him as The Kim Soei
(“The” is pronounced “Tay”). When the Indonesian government required all their

Recently Asian Beacon published articles about his children Aubrey and Juwita who are well-known in the Malaysian music scene.

My Dad

By Juwita Suwito

26 December 2014 marks 20 years since the passing of my dad, known to most as Rev. E.T. Suwito. To those who knew him in the 60s, the name “The Reverend The” would also ring a bell. (His Chinese name is The Kim Soei)

In my travels, many have come up to me to share their personal encounters with dad while he served as a minister in the Methodist Church of Malaysia as well as a translator with the Bible Society of Malaysia. This always encourages me and reminds me to be faithful with the legacy and ‘2nd generation favour’ that I have been blessed to inherit.

Memories

And so, when a family friend suggested that we invite friends and relatives to put these encounters in writing, mom, my brother Aubrey and I thoughtfully agreed. A flurry of emails flooded our inboxes from near and afar – some from senders we have not met in years – all of which had heart-warming memories of dad.

I have learnt much from these accounts. I discovered a bit more about my dad whom I knew for less than 19 years. (He continues to be a strong influence in my life nonetheless!) But more importantly, I received a glimpse of how one life, simply lived, can impact generations to come long after moving on to eternity. We share these encounters with you with the hope that you would be encouraged too.

Thanks to Uncle Ngoh Peng Teck for initiating this little project!

Note: How Peng Teck initiated this project:

Many have felt the great loss of a dear friend and pastor.  Over the years his wife Hannah and her children Aubrey and Juwita have been encouraged when friends and relatives, even recently, spoke of their personal experiences of Rev. Suwito.  The family has decided to invite those who have something to share to put it in writing so that the articles can be compiled together under the title “Personal Encounters With E T”.  This collection of testimonies will be treasured by the family for generations. 

» Blog: “Remembering E.T.”