His name is Jimmy

Almost every day when we visit the market at Jurong West St 52, amidst all the good hawker food, affordable wet market produce and the “pasar malam” atmosphere, we encounter a young man named Jimmy sitting in a specially designed wheelchair selling tissue paper.  “Help me buy tissue paper, mah” is his clarion call.

Jimmy is a local boy who studied in Shuqun Primary School.  He remembers playing around at the void deck of my block in his school days.

At age 32 years old, he met an accident which injured his back and left him wheelchair bound.  He is unable to sit up straight and so the wheelchair was designed with a 60-degree slant.  I have seen the surgery scars at the back of his neck.

Jimmy is now 40 years old and, as usual, I spoke to him this morning at the market.

I told him I will write his story for The Winepress and let our brothers and sisters know of his plight so that they can volunteer any help within their means whenever they are at the market for shopping or breakfast.

He shared with me a personal testimony.  Once during his National Service, he went out with his buddies for a drinking session.  After midnight when they had all left and he was alone and he was lost, he saw a church and he asked Jesus to help him.  Suddenly a man came up beside him and asked if he was lost.  I suggested to him that God sent an angel to guide him.

Over the time that I have known Jimmy, I have shared about Jesus to him, giving him tracts and a book about Heaven.  He is living at Jurong West St 42 with his parents who are devout Taoists.

Jimmy speaks English and that is why I am able to dialogue with him.  If you are in the vicinity, go up to Jimmy and greet him, and support him in whatever way you can. He is quite open to others praying for him.

Matthew 25:36

“I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

Martin Cheah