Felled by a heart attack and a stroke, this Pastor thought his ministry was over, then God spoke to him in four special encounters

Rev Louis Chai had big plans. He was due to go to the Oxford Centre of Missions Studies in England to pursue a PhD in World Missions. The Pastor-in-Charge of Paya Lebar Chinese Methodist Church (PLCMC) at the time, missions had always been upon his heart.

Rev Chai (in white) baptising a new member when he was the Pastor-in-Charge of PLCMC.

But just a day after returning from a Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS) Chinese Annual Conference (CAC) Pastors’ retreat, Rev Chai suffered a heart attack while playing tennis with his second son.

He had always led a healthy lifestyle – swimming and cycling regularly, and eating clean. There had been no signs that there was anything amiss.

But a fortnight after the heart attack, Rev Chai was found slumped over in his bathroom at home. He had suffered a stroke.

He lost his ability to speak and his movements slowed considerably. This was devastating for a man who had once been sporty and was effectively bilingual.

Rev Chai had a stroke in 2013 that left him unable to speak for some time.

This is Rev Chai’s and his wife Alison’s account of how God encouraged him as he struggled to piece his life back together again.

Four encounters with God

Rev Chai: In those first two years after the stroke, my daily routine was simple. I read the Bible, copied down Scripture by hand, attended doctor and therapy appointments, and took late afternoon walks by the seaside.

But between 2015 and 2019, the Lord blessed me with four special encounters. 

After the intermediate to large stroke, Rev Chai struggled to regain his cognitive abilities.

1. “I love you, and I will lead your path”

Rev Chai: The first encounter happened 22 months after the stroke. The Lord woke me up at 2am. I sat up on the edge of the bed, and He spoke to my heart, telling me clearly that He loves me.

He showed me how beautifully He had been taking care of my wife and my three sons, reminding me that He was doing a much better job looking after them than I ever could have done myself.

Rev Chai (right) and his wife Alison.

Rev Chai with his sons.

Then He told me He was in full control and would lead my path. I was filled with a sudden, overwhelming joy and all my lingering sadness was instantly gone.

Surprisingly, after that night, my clarity of thought and my ability to speak improved dramatically.

Alison: At 6am that morning, Louis woke me up to tell me he had just had an incredible encounter with God. I looked at him and immediately noticed he was completely filled with joy. He also spoke with a level of fluency I hadn’t heard since the stroke.

That Sunday at church, he didn’t sit in the corner avoiding people like he normally did. Instead, he went around actively talking to the brothers and sisters.

Our brother in Christ, Shawn came up to me in shock and asked: “What happened to Pastor? He is totally different today!”

I smiled and said: “Yes, God spoke to him. Go ask him about it.”

Shortly after, Rev Norman Wong invited Louis to serve at the Bethany Methodist Nursing Home. God wonderfully arranged for a brother from the Hokkien service of PLCMC, Lim Eng Kwang, to drive Louis there twice a week so they could minister to the bedridden and the sick together.

Rev Chai (right) serving at Bethany Methodist Nursing Home.

Soon, our ministries expanded. We began travelling overseas to conduct the Kairos course and visit churches and missionaries. We even had the opportunity to preach to a congregation of 2,000 people. Many were deeply encouraged by Louis’s testimony.

But after about six months of high energy, Louis hit a low point again.

A few people he knew passed away, and he read news about Christians being executed in the Middle East. Deep sadness and fear crept back in. He began to wonder anxiously: Am I going to be next?

2. Freedom from the fear of death

Rev Chai: About a year later, we attended a sharing session by Tom Craig, a missionary from the US to the Middle East.

He shared how he and his fellow missionaries lived with a readiness to die for the Lord. They believed that if they lived, they would serve and glorify God. But if they were martyred, their deaths would also glorify God. Alive or dead, their ultimate purpose was the glory of God.

Hearing such a fierce, unshakeable testimony ignited my own faith. In an instant, the Holy Spirit set me completely free from the paralysing fear of death.

Alison: Once again, our house was filled with his laughter and singing. It was a beautiful season. He would literally laugh and sing hymns in his sleep. I was so deeply thankful to witness this gift from God. It was purely His grace and mercy lifting Louis out of the pit of discouragement.

3. “They are my work in progress”

Rev Chai: A few months later, we travelled to Hong Kong for a Missions Conference organised by the World Federation of Methodist Church Chinese Annual Conference.

Initially, I felt frustrated looking at the schedule. It seemed to be filled with the usual inward-looking church activities, and I grumbled internally that we should be focusing more on the unreached harvest fields and how to support frontline missionaries.

As I was worrying, the Lord spoke directly to my heart: “Do not worry, Louis. They are my work in progress.” A wave of relief washed over me. I realised our Lord is completely in charge and my only job is to follow Him.

True enough, by the time we returned from that conference, I witnessed many of the Pastors becoming deeply passionate about missions.

4. Jeju Island: Finding contentment in His Majesty

Rev Chai: In 2019, after our eldest son got married, we went to Jeju Island in South Korea for a holiday.

Standing by the sea, looking up at the majestic mountains and a massive volcanic crater, I was completely awed by God’s creation. A realisation hit me: Who am I to complain about my situation? Why am I letting myself feel depressed or anxious when I have such a great, magnificent God loving and caring for me?

Rev Chai admiring God’s creation on Jeju Island.

That night, my wife and I were so excited talking about the day’s experiences that we couldn’t stop chatting until 2am.

But just two hours later, at 4am, the Lord woke me up and prompted me to meet Him on the hotel rooftop. I had the sweetest, most beautiful fellowship with the Lord under the early morning sky. I literally sang and danced for Him on that rooftop. Knowing that because He is in control, my only job is to worship Him, I was full of joy.

The view from the rooftop that morning.

The years of reprieve

Rev Chai: From 2019 to 2023, I was full of vibrant energy. I woke up at 5am every single day, drank a cup of milk, and took our dog for long walks by the seaside. I made many friends at the market and among the morning walkers.

In 2023, after my mother-in-law went home to be with the Lord, Alison and I decided to dedicate our time to missions.

(Seated, front) Rev Chai and Alison serving at Spring Home Foundation in Chiang Rai, Thailand in 2023.

We travelled overseas 12 times in 12 months, visiting various mission fields and supporting frontline missionaries. I was filled with incredible joy knowing that despite my limitations, I could still play a small part in God’s world mission.

Alison: Mission work has always been at the very heart of Louis’s calling. Even before his journey through Trinity Theological College (TTC) and his ordination as a Pastor in CAC, he was called to serve at Antioch Missions in 1996.

That same passion led us in 1998, during our time at Geylang Chinese Methodist Church (GCMC), to start a ministry reaching out to mainland Chinese friends in Singapore. Since then, we have been incredibly blessed to witness hundreds of them come to know Christ.

Today, we remain deeply active in missions. Our primary focus currently is leading teams to Batam to minister to children in orphanages and support pregnant women at a local shelter.

Louis also continues to serve as an advisor for One Hope Centre, a wonderful charity he pioneered alongside GCMC Pastors during our time there.

Read the first part of Rev Louis Chai’s story about how suffering a heart attack and stroke changed his life and his faith.

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