Dr Tami Fisk

“Therefore do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16)

“But He knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)


I came to know the remarkable medical missionary works of Dr Tami Fisk recently through a prayer meeting for the missionaries. A very brilliant medical doctor who let herself to be used by God till her last days despite her terminal illness. She died at the age of 39 in March 2005. Her family started a Mission Travel Grant Fund in her name to sponsor those medically-trained individuals who need funding in travelling expenses for doing medical services in East Asia. Her story inspired and spurs many, including me, to live a fruitful and purposeful life.

More often than not, trials such as sufferings caused us to pause and reflect on the conditions of our hearts, re-orient and re-focus priorities in our lives. The choices we faced each day are: to lose the joy of living in the present when we worry what may come or take things as they come, one day at a time, trusting God for the wisdom to respond properly. I learnt through last few years that everything will come to pass, no matter how difficult the situations or circumstances may be. As christians, we can draw divine strength from God to go through them.

Below are the abridged reviews on the book about her (‘Grasping Heaven’):

“This is the heart-warming and heart-wrenching story of a remarkable young woman and the grace and power of her ever-present God. Until I read this book I had no idea of the challenges modern day missionaries face. Some of the "minor" challenges would have seemed major to me, such as the smog in China turning Dr. Tami Fisk's white blouse gray the day she arrived, the challenges of learning a language with pictographic writing and then having to learn even more after she had finished school because of the country's many dialects, and the food that one is required to eat to avoid giving offense. (Pig head, eaten skin, hair and all, fried honeybees... yuck!)

She faced many trials as a medical missionary and in her later struggle with melanoma, but through them all she lovingly served others in any way she could wherever she was. She was aware of God's leading, love, and presence with her, so she accepted these trials as ordained by Him to draw her closer to Himself and refine her faith. She genuinely loved the Yi people of the Great Cold Mountains of China, and it showed in the compassion with which she cared for their health and became "Auntie Fei" to their children.

Tami, like all of us, was God's work in progress. Her life is a challenge to all of us to embrace His refining process as she did. From the way she "fought the good fight," I'm sure that she is wearing many crowns in heaven, and the effects of her love and her short life's work are still echoing in the lives of all she touched in China and around the world.” - By Nicolette M Dumke

“Even when Tami was only 9 years old she knew that she wanted to be a missionary and a doctor serving overseas on the mission field. As she grew up and was in high school she studied and made the best grades that she could. Tami always had a Bible in her hand and a notebook nearby so that she could keep notes of anything that she thought important. After a trip to China and meeting these people she felt led to serve in China.

Before she could serve long, she had come home for a stay and that is when she found the cancer. Tami never stopped helping people and the Chinese as long as she was able. Tami had never married and used all her time in the service for God.” -by Edna Tollison

“Shortly after returning home from a 3-year overseas assignment in China, 34 year old doctor, Tami Fisk found her left ear bleeding again. It was where she had a lesion removed several years ago. A biopsy was done. It confirmed she had melanoma. There were disappointments, tears and her frustration with the medical system. How long would she have to live? Would she be able to make it through the aggressive chemotherapy? Someone told her “maybe you are not healed because of a lack of faith”. In Tami’s response we see God’s grace.

“Grasping Heaven” tells Tami’s story, her trust in God, her journey of healing, from asking “Why me” to “why not me?” Melanoma did not stop her from conducting medical research on AIDS and SARS and their cure. By 2002, she was back in Asia, working closely with Chinese authorities on medical programs, working in hospitals in Sichuan in urban and rural settings.

May I close with a quote from Joan Wales (a nurse who had lived amongst the Yi about 60 years ago) when she shared with Tami her view: “Our only task is to let God do His work through us, at any age.”In sickness and in health, whatever our age, resting on God’s promises, may we share the Good News.” -By Ng Swee Mun(a member of Wesley Methodist Church who has known Dr Fisk and the authors of the book since 1997)

Tami left us with the following beautiful poem:

Today I am healed.
Perhaps not the way you had hoped for,
Prayed for, waited for
But I'm in a glorious new body,
Free of pain, full of new strength
Free to run and dance in a place
Where God Himself wipes my tears away
Immersed in a love, joy and peace
That we have a mere taste of
During our time on earth
In the presence of my God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
Who loves me more than His own life
Know that today I am healed.

Her farewell videos can be viewed from the following link:

http://www.tamifisk.com/bio.htm

'Happiness'

“I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.” (Ecclesiastes 3:12)

Recently OECD published its ‘Better Life Index’ which tries to understand why high incomes do not always translate into high levels of happiness. The indicators included housing, life satisfaction, governance etc. It is hope that such understanding will result in beneficiary policy outcomes.

It was found that Intangible factors such as psychological well-being, health, culture, living standards, time use and community vitality do matter to most people other than economic indicators such as income and employment. Happiness can be defined more by the softer, qualitative dimensions. Neither the ability to acquire nor the actual acquisition of material things often leads to sustainable increase in happiness. Possessions increase, so do people expectations.

If buying tangible things does not generate sustainable happiness, what will? It seems that experiences out weight material goods in generating happiness. Most material possessions do not involve other people. People tend to describe themselves by the activities they engage in, rarely do they define themselves by the houses they live in, watches they wear. Deep inside their hearts they know that these are superficial things. Attending a concert, going on holiday, going to the spa, dining at a famous restaurant are experiences that have a greater social value than acquisition of material possessions. It comes at no surprises that people are willing to pay top dollars to get such experiences which give them happiness (e.g. paying S$580 for Faye Wong’s concert). Nintendo Wii became so popular when it was first launched because it was then the only truly interactive entertainment. Even older women and those who did not normally play computer games became its fans. Intangible nature of such experiences also makes it almost impossible to compare.

What then are the implications for the policymakers here? Certainly paying $100 to go to casino is not likely that kind of experience that can bring a person happiness. It is true that most Singaporeans after their material things are satisfied, they want more intangible things in order to be happy. The recent general election was originally thought by some to be one of no ‘hot issues’ since we achieved high economic growth and full employment. The results turned out otherwise, causing serious soul-searching among the policymakers.

I once asked my youngest sister why she and her family are not keen to migrate here. She gave me a very thought-provoking answer: she did not wish her children spending leisure time mostly on shopping. In Malaysia, she can drive them far away from the city to be near to the nature. My eldest daughter still talking and sharing excitedly her living experience in Tokyo even though it was already more than half-a-year ago. I think we do need more parks, museums, arts galleries of that kind to make Singaporeans happy. Of course, one can also be happy with experiences that do not come with a price tag, e.g. watching sunset,or sharing one’s precious time with the needy.

Reader's Digest Health Rules

“A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, an good news gives health to the bones.” (Proverbs 15:30)


I find the Reader’s Digest June 2011 issue’s ‘Health rules for eating well’ very helpful. These rules are so simple to follow yet few are doing because we want 'convenience':

• Eat ‘food’ not anything ‘edible’: Most of items on the supermarket shelves do not deserve to be called food, rather they are just edible food-like substances, highly processed.
• Eat food that will eventually rot: Food processing seeks to extend the shelf life of food often by removing nutrients that attract fungi, bacteria, hence render them less nutritious.
• Eat your colours: The colours of many vegetable reflect the different anti-oxidant phytochemicals they contain which protect our cells.
• The whiter the bread, the sooner you’d be dead: White flour is not much different from sugar. It offers none of the good things such as fibre, Vitamin B, healthy fats in wholegrains. Large spikes of glucose can cause havoc on our insulin metabolism.
• Eat mostly plants, especially the leaves: We will consume far fewer calories if our diet is mainly plant-based.
• Stop eating before you’re full: Ask yourself not ‘am I full but is my hunger gone’ so that you will not over eat.
• Eat sweet food as you’d find them in nature: Natural sugars almost always come packaged with fibre which slows down their absorption. It is better of eating fruit rather than drinking juice.
• Break the rules once in a while: It is better not to be obsess with these health rules which is bad for our happiness and health. There will be special occassions to indulge ourselves. What matters most is your eating habits on a typical day.
• Pay more, eat less: Spend more for better food,we will probably eat less of it. If high quality food tastes better, we will need less to feel satisfied.
• Avoid good products that contain more than ‘five ingredients: The more ingredients in a packaged food, the more highly processed with many additives, enhancers and preservatives. For example, if you eat a comb of banana, the only ingredient is banana.

Children school holiday camp

Proverbs 4:6 “Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.”

Last week I was involved in my church’s 3-day children school holiday camp as a volunteer. I was in charge of a group of 9 children, 5 boys and 4 girls from primary 1 and primary 2. A youth was assigned to help me out as this was the first time I participated, and I had no idea what was expected of me.

It was an enriching experience for me and I came home with three observations. For one, I learnt to handle ‘restless’ young boys which I totally had no experience at that point of time (as I only have daughters). I realised different methods had to be employed to make them obeyed instructions, or else they could climb over your head. Many a time they would ignore your verbal instructions but likely obeyed you if you told them of the consequences of disobedience beforehand. For example, they been made to sit on your lap if they refused to sit still. This is something embarassing and uncomfortable to them, thus acts as a deterrent.

The other thing I observed is that it seems more children are having food allergies. Out of the nine children, three of them have that, two boys and one girl. So I had to be very watchful when these children had their meals and tea breaks. They are normally allergic to dairy products, seafood, eggs, peanuts, citrus fruits. I Read that symptoms of allergies can take the form of eczema, general redness or rashes, and asthma. Frankly speaking, I couldn’t remember any of my classmates had that when we were young. No one really knows why allergies are on the rise among kids. But there are a number of theories put forward.

One explanation may be that the same percentage of kids has allergies, but we’re just doing a better job of diagnosing them. Kids certainly seem to be getting tested more often, and for more allergens, than they were in the past. Another theory is the hygiene hypothesis. It suggests that many ailments including food allergies may be on the rise due to our lack of exposure to certain germs, bacteria, and parasites. This lack of exposure may cause our immune systems, which should be attacking those foreign bodies, to attack us instead. This theory has no direct evidence. Yet some people think that there are allergens hiding in highly processed foods and we are exposed to such food at earlier ages, and maybe our bodies (and especially our immune systems) aren’t ready to handle them.

One more thing that I observed from this camp is that more people are having ‘unique’ names as I went through the children’s name list. None of the traditional Christian names like Paul, Peter,John, Mary makes it to the list. Instead I find names such as ‘Ansel’, Recnen’ unfamiliar and yet intriguing. Looks like the next time I can make a good guess the age group a person belongs to just by his/her name.