Adelaide: Between the Wars

ISBN 978-1-922957-55-9
PAPERBACK

A Simple Melody

Goes a long way

Someone wisely wrote that “where words fail, music speaks.” There is much more in music than any of us can ever imagine; and often we take music for granted. In this book, Jenny Chi has carefully brought her readers to an awareness of how music has the potential of positively impacting all of us in our everyday situations.

The title A Simple Melody came from an Irving Berlin popular tune in the fifties (around 1950) sung by Bing and his son, Gary Crosby. The message is that a simple melody can go a long way by its uses and benefits. Here, Jenny shares her personal experience with music, how it has impacted her own life and especially how she utilized it so effectively in various and numerous ways. The book also contains the stories of her friends and family members and what music meant to them and how it enriched their lives.

Up to the point of her departure to be with her Lord Jesus Christ, it had been Jenny’s hope that many will be personally inspired to allow both sacred and secular music to flow into their lives, and boldly explore the myriad benefits as to how music can so wonderfully bless them.

About the Author

Jenny Chi passed away and went into Glory with her beloved Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, on May 15, 2022. She left behind her dear husband, Rev Dr Tony Chi, two sons Jonathan and Jeremy, and their respective wives, Sandra and Stephanie, and five lovely grandchildren, Michael, Lauryn, Lucie, Christoppher, and Norah. Jenny was born on June 16, 1941 in Melacca, Malaysia, and she grew up with six siblings. She was a secondary school teacher by training, but stopped her teaching career in 1968, when she went to Evanston, Illinois, USA to be with Tony who had enrolled as a graduate student at Northwestern University.

Tony completed his Master of Arts Degree and Doctor of Philosophy (Comparative Religions) Degree by way of a joint graduate study degree program between Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary and Northwestern University in 1973. While Tony studied, Jenny worked full time at the administration department of the United Methodist Board of Pensions. In their five years there, Jenny earned enough money to help pay for Tony’s tuition fees. Thus all her USA friends declared that Jenny had earned her “PHT” degree (putting hubby through).

Jenny lived an extraordinary life. She shared more than 60 years of church ministry together with Tony. Jenny gave unfailing support and encouragement to Tony as the untiring, self-giving Pastor’s wife, and also as a devoted mother and a much loved grandmother to her five grandchildren. On top of all these, she believed she had a God ordained ministry of her own. In answering God’s call to ministry, she started Sunday schools, set up youth ministry programs, organised choirs, initiated ladies’ meetings, prayer groups, and floral arranging classes. She also did a lot of home visitation, and conducted worship services in many of the church’s agedcare homes and centres.

She left a legacy which will never be forgotten by all who knew her. Jenny had an unfathomable love for people – any and every person in need. She loved being in service for others and gave herself completely to anyone who might undergo distress, discomfort, or any sojourner who might be spiritually lost, weary, or heavy laden with personal problems.

Someone wrote that Jenny had taught him the true meaning of love in Christ by her generosity, hospitality, and selfless giving of care to countless others. “I’m a better person for having known her.” Jenny’s extraordinary life is best summed up by another’s testimony of her: “Jenny, you are an amazingly lovely person, and the closest thing to an ANGEL Of GOD on earth.”

A timely quotation says: “IN JESUS, THERE IS NO LOSS.” God, in His Wisdom gave Jenny to live among us through decades of selfless giving ministry. In 2022, after over sixty years of total giving of herself in the service of God, Jenny found her place among God’s angels, and heard Him declare: “well done, good and faithful servant, enter now into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25:21 KJV). Jenny, truly it can be said of you: You have fought the good fight, you have finished the race, you have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4: 7).