We have known Kathy for over 30 years from Hongkong days. She has always loved and served the Lord. Her testimony was published in Asian Beacon in 2010. Last year we met up with her in Hongkong and got an update of her story.
Contrary to the pronouncement “she may never leave the mental hospital”
She Has Never Gone Back
By Kathy Leung with Goldie Chong
From New Zealand to Hongkong
Kay Furey was from the UK. She fought in World War II in Egypt and met her husband a New Zealander and moved to New Zealand after the war. They had 3 sons and when they were still very young, she contracted cancer. In hospital, one day her neighbor called her, “Go home. It’s your husband – we don’t know where he went. Your sons are locked inside the house”. In desperation she cried, “God you have to help me. I can’t die and leave my children with no one to care for them.”
Miraculously God healed her and from then on and for over 30 years she had an amazing prayer and healing ministry. She was in her late 50s when she felt God called her to go to Hong Kong. Her church where she was a deaconess remonstrated, “they speak Chinese there. You are too old to learn Chinese.” But her call was so strong that she sold her house, put her belongings in storage and paid her own way to Hong Kong. After trying to serve in different ways, one and half years later, nothing much had been significantly accomplished. Feeling rather discouraged, Kay thought maybe she was wrong to come to Hong Kong after all, so she contemplated returning home. At this point in time Valerie, an English missionary who ran the Home of Loving Faithfulness called, “there is a young Chinese girl who needs ministry. Would you take her?”
Broken family
Kathy came with a background of rejection and suicidal depression. Her mother was sold to a family at age 10, and had an unhappy life and married a man 17 years older. In 1956, Kathy was taken to HK by her adopted grandmother who was released by the Communists, after having been in house jail for a few years.
Tragedy
Kathy remembered she did very well in primary school. She had a good memory and good grades. However, at age 12 she was hit by a bus. The doctors advised amputation of her injured right foot. Fortunately this did not occur but Kathy was seriously affected by worry and sleeplessness, not being able to focus and now suffering from a poor memory. An elderly woman who saw her injury unthinkingly declared, “Ah, what a pity…. you will have NO hope of future happiness.” Pressured by negative pronouncements Kathy slid into further darkness. She was diagnosed to have chronic acute depression.
Suicide
At age 15 Kathy attempted suicide, and then tried three more times afterwards. The most serious attempt was choosing the isolated graveyard where her grandmother was buried to down two bottles of Dettol and 100 sleeping pills so that she could go and join her grandmother. Having passed out and in a coma she was discovered by some mourners and taken to hospital. Miraculously her throat and voice were not damaged. She was then sent to the Psychiatric Unit for further treatment. She could not help hearing the conversations of the hospital staff “once here, she may never ever be able to leave.” In June 1973, a team of psychiatrists contemplated sending Kathy to the mental asylum where they would keep her for the rest of her life. Her grandmother had died in 1970, so she was alone without a home or any visible support! But GOD had another plan.
Divine connection
Valerie meanwhile had contacted Kay Furey and asked for her prayers about this dire need. Confirmation came when Claire, Kay’s prayer partner, saw a vision of a new baby being lifted up by a pair of hands coming down from heaven and believed God was saying “there is hope for Kathy”. And that’s how Kathy went under the wings of Kay Furey.
Kay started a 40 day fast for her together with Claire. Kathy did not know what they were doing; only wondering why Kay did not like to eat with her! When Kathy finally knew what they had done for her, she was tremendously touched, “you fasted for me!” She had never felt someone could love her so much with such a big sacrifice! Right then, she took the bag of sleeping pills that she had secretly brought with her and flushed them down the toilet. She stopped her medication and never depended on it again.
A new life
For a period of nine months, at Kay’s “House of Prayer” ministry on South Lamma Island west of Hong Kong, they had worship time every day and the Word was not so much taught but caught. Kathy remembered they prayed about everything and regarded the Word as essential as breathing in air.
At the end of nine months, Kay felt it’s about time to return home to New Zealand. Saying farewell to each other Kathy held Kay’s arm and said, “Mama Kay, you have given me everything. I have nothing to give you.”
Kay replied, “I know why I came to Hong Kong. It was for you. You don’t owe me anything. Just live your life for Jesus.“ And that is what Kathy has been doing until now. Kay’s mantle of prayer has been passed on to Kathy as she now serves as a Prayer Counselor in her community. She even saw her father come to Jesus after being healed of cancer, along with her mother who gave her heart to Jesus before she passed away!
