Love in Action
During my first quarter at Stanford, I came down with severe slipped disks. Sometimes I could not even get out of bed without help. So, reluctantly, I had to take the quarter off. I flew back to Hawaii to rest.
During my second quarter at Stanford, I struggled hard but got only a C, a B and two Ps (which I took for pass/fail result only). It was far from a dream start.
I was hoping that the third quarter would bring better fortune. But just a few days before the start of the quarter, I came down with a bad flu. The flu got worse and worse till I was diagnosed with bronchitis. I couldn't stop coughing, even coughing out blood. My running nose was severe too. My sneezing competed furiously with my coughing, each trying to outdo the other, resulting in only one loser: me. And this loser couldn't sleep at all.
I reluctantly take another leave of absence. I couldn't concentrate on my studies or keep up with the hectic pace at Stanford.
During this period, I encountered some of the greatest demonstrations of love I had ever seen. For example, Liya, a Taiwanese PHD student in Environmental Engineering from the Chinese Christian Fellowship, visited me regularly. Knowing my appetite was poor, she prepared a delicious home-cooked meal and went right up to my dorm to deliver it. If I weren’t at home during her visit, she would place it near my door. When I was in during her visits, she would make sure that I ate her food. I would always be grateful to Liya who became a mother to me. She loved much in the most practical way.
Also, one of the CCFS people was a medical doctor. He visited me at my apartment without charging a fee. He asked me to cough into a cloth, which I did and out came blood.
When my medicine was running out and I was still feeling unwell, I had to go to the doctor again. But I could not go to Stanford’s clinic because I was not a registered student (I had dropped out of the quarter). So a kind friend, a Singaporean Aeronautical Engineering PHD student also from the CCFS, drove me to an affordable clinic at the nearby city of San Jose. After that, he drove me to the drugstore to collect the medicine and also to get groceries. At that time, I knew he was particularly busy. I peeked and noticed that he was looking at his watch. But he still helped me willingly. What an act of sacrifice.
I was hoping to continue staying at the Stanford dorm. But only registered students were allowed to live there. I appealed but my appeal was turned down, so I had to find housing elsewhere.
I also had to clean my dorm before I leave. Still sick, I knew I had to muster all my strength to do that. But before I did so, I heard a knock on my door one day and thought it was Liya. But when I opened the door, I saw four of my Chinese Christian Fellowship friends. One was holding a mop; another a broom; yet another a pail. They had come to help me clean my room. They also washed the entire floor. What a pleasant surprise. I was really touched. They had taken time out of their very busy schedules just to help even without my asking.
When I was kicked out of my school dorm, the CCFSers let me stay at one of their apartments. Their apartment wasn’t a school dorm but a beautiful terrace house. I lived there with 4 others, including an MIT grad working at the Silicon Valley. They showed me great hospitality, and I enjoyed their wonderful cooking.
My first three quarters at Stanford had been a disaster. I was out for two of the three quarters. For the single quarter that I actually finished, my results were poor. What a start to my Stanford adventure.
But I witnessed the kindest deeds. The CCFSers went out of their way to help me although I was nothing but a liability to them. The love of God in their hearts shone through. Having experienced such love, I am convinced that love was indeed the greatest.
Many more struggles awaited me at Stanford. I had barely touched the tip of the iceberg as far as finishing the curriculum was concerned. But with the love of God, my family and friends, there was a chance even for me. |
