7979吗哪暖心

9/15/2025

7979吗哪暖心 “我的心情最漂亮”——一名母亲从焦虑走向希望的故事 “I’m Feeling Great”- A Story of a Mother Walking Out of Anxiety

Read Now

CLICK HERE FOR ENGLISH VERSION

Yeoh Cheng Hwa (Volunteer) and Yu Tong (Right)

Kg. Baru Sungai Sayong is a remote village located in the Kluang district of Johor. Under the threat of urbanisation, many have left to work afar; those who remain are loyal villagers. Yu Tong (pseudonym) lives with her children in a house left by her late second husband in a secluded corner of the village.

Yu Tong moved to Kg. Baru Sungai Sayong after marrying her late second husband. They ran an economic rice business and raised a son and a daughter together. They would travel daily to Kluang to make a living. Although life was difficult, they managed to survive. However, life took a downturn when Yu Tong’s mother-in-law fell ill and was unable to care for herself, so Yu Tong took on the responsibility of caring for her and her children. After her mother-in-law passed away, she finally felt a brief sense of relief. However, things grew worse when her husband suddenly fell sick, which became the final straw that broke her down emotionally. Not long after, her husband lost the battle with oesophageal cancer, leaving her with their two children. Yu Tong said painfully, “My only reliance is gone …” She lost the only person she could depend on; this hit her really hard and almost crushed her.

She Moved On while Withstanding Anxiety Attack

After her husband passed away, Yu Tong became the sole breadwinner while suffering from various negative emotions. She sought treatment at the psychiatric department of a government hospital, where the psychiatrist diagnosed her with symptoms of anxiety. A friend encouraged her to take part in activities such as mountain climbing to release her emotions; however, it was not very effective. To cope with her struggles, she often cried late at night after her children had gone to sleep. She was aware of her condition yet was unwilling to expose her weakness or vulnerable side to her children. She kept it to herself, but eventually her children found out.

One night, her eldest daughter saw Yu Tong crying in the dark. Worried that something bad might happen to her mother, she comforted her while crying herself, saying, “Mom, please don’t be like this. We’ll be obedient children.” At that moment, Yu Tong, who was on the verge of giving up, suddenly realised that she must be strong for her two children and move forward steadfastly.

Determined to provide for her family, she decided to look for work outside the village. Every morning, Yu Tong would walk quickly to the bus stand at the entrance of the village to take a free bus ride. She worked as a volunteer at a company, receiving only a meagre income. However, due to an unforeseen incident, she lost her job, which further deepened her anxiety and sense of helplessness.

Light Appeared at the End of the Tunnel

After losing her first job as a volunteer, Yu Tong continued to look for other jobs. However, due to her house being too far from town, and because she had to prepare meals for her children, it became an obstacle for her to secure a permanent job. Despite these limitations, she still sought ways to increase their household income, such as working as a freelance hired hand cleaning houses, planting vegetables or fruits, collecting recycled items, and more. Whenever there was a need, she would take up the job.

Every piece of metal or other items, even fruit trees planted by her, is a source of income.

However, the biggest limitation of odd jobs is the unsteady income; she could only earn a maximum of RM1,000 a month, sometimes less. She had received aid from an NGO for many years, but when the aid stopped, they were immediately hit by all sorts of challenges, and their condition worsened. Yu Tong shared honestly: “I can’t see any way out. Anything I buy, I’ll be very stressed as I need to be calculative.”

Upon the recommendation of her younger sister, Yu Tong came to know the volunteers from the 7979 Holistic Care Station of Kluang Baptist Church. She kept silent initially, worried that they might approach her with some hidden agenda. After the volunteers’ repeated visits, invitations to community fellowship, and free meals, she slowly began to feel the genuineness of the volunteers and the church; only then did she lower her guard. When her life was hit by crisis again, Rev. Simon Chang, who is in charge of Community Care, applied for the “7979 Manna Food Bank” aid on her behalf.

“I was so happy when I was informed that I’m entitled to receive 7979 Manna Food Bags.” Yu Tong always smiled happily whenever she talked about the Manna Food Bags, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. She cooks most of the time, and they rarely eat out to reduce their expenses. Thus, the items in the Manna Food Bags were like rays of hope in her life, greatly reducing her financial burden. Besides Manna Food Bags, 7979 volunteers also counselled her and accompanied her through many emotional low points. Hence, she changed from being initially reserved to becoming more open and joyful.

In 2025, a storm blew away the roof of Yu Tong’s house. She couldn’t afford the high repair cost, so she sought help from another NGO; however, things didn’t work out, and she became very disappointed. When Rev. Simon Chang heard about this, he prayed for her. Not long later, when Yu Tong’s neighbour was repairing their roof, Rev. Chang advised Yu Tong to ask the contractor whether they could fix hers too. Ultimately, the repair cost of RM6,000 was reduced to RM1,000, which was later covered by the church. They also assisted Yu Tong by ensuring all repair work was done properly. When the roof was completed, Yu Tong said happily, “I can finally sleep soundly.”

Yu Tong immediately felt relieved when the roof was finally done.

Since then, the relationship between Yu Tong and the volunteers has become closer. Volunteer Yeoh Cheng Hwa continues to deliver Manna Food Bags to Yu Tong and assists her family, including her children. Under the volunteers’ genuine care, Yu Tong has been slowly recovering from her anxiety. During our interview, when she was asked, “When was your happiest time?” she replied:

“I was thrilled when I received Manna Food Bags and when my house roof was fixed.”

Walking through the fog of anxiety, Yu Tong is slowly regaining her life and has found her long-lost smile.

Volunteer Cheng Hwa is checking the Manna Food Bag’s content, ensuring all items tally with the list, and that nothing is left out.

What an Abundant Supply

In this simple house, every messy corner reflects how Yu Tong struggles in life.

杨增华志工和语彤（右）合影

双溪沙翁新村（以下简称“沙翁村”）位于柔佛居銮县，是一座较为偏远的乡村。 ¹在城市发展浪潮的冲击下，许多人到外地谋生，留下的，是稀稀落落还在坚守原地的村民。语彤（化名）住在村庄安静的一角，与孩子一起守着第二任丈夫留下的房子。

当年，语彤从外地嫁来沙翁村，与第二任丈夫一起经营杂饭生意，并育有一女一男。每天早上，她便随丈夫一同到居銮谋生。生活虽困苦，但日子尚能勉强维持。可没过多久，生活就起了波澜——家婆患病，无法自理，她便主动承担照顾家婆和孩子的责任。家婆去世后，语彤终于卸下照顾家人的重担，可以稍微松口气。谁知不久后，丈夫却病倒了，这成了压垮语彤的最后一根稻草——她的情绪也一步步走向崩溃。不久后，丈夫不敌食道癌，撒手人寰，留下她和两名孩子。语彤悲痛地说：“我唯一的依靠没有了……”，她失去世界上唯一可以依靠的人，这打击似乎要压垮她的心情。

焦虑来袭，她依然坚定前行

丈夫离世后，语彤独自担起养家责任，同时也深受负面情绪困扰。于是，她到政府精神科医院求助，她被医生指出有焦虑倾向。朋友曾尝试带她登山，以及其它方式，鼓励她宣泄情绪，但成效不大。为了宣泄情绪，她时常趁孩子入睡后，在深夜独自以泪洗面。她知道自己的状况，但不想在孩子们面前露出脆弱、丑陋的一面。尽管她努力掩饰悲伤，终究瞒不过自己的孩子。

某个夜晚，大女儿无意间撞见语彤在黑暗中悲泣的模样。她害怕妈妈出了什么事，便哭着劝慰说：“妈，妳不要这样。我们会很听话的。”原本不想振作的语彤，听了孩子这番话后，她有所醒悟——自己必须坚强，为了这两名孩子，坚定前行。

她下定决心外出找工作。每天早上，语彤徒步，赶到村口的巴士站，乘坐村内唯一的免费巴士，在一间公司担任义工，获得微薄的收入。然而，一场事故导致语彤失去这份工，加重她心中的焦虑和无力感。

在困境中，出现亮光

失去第一份工作（义工）之后，语彤继续寻找其它工作。但住家距离市中心遥远，加上需要料理孩子的三餐，让她始终无法获得一份正式的工作。尽管如此，她仍努力寻找赚钱的契机，靠打散工维持生计，例如打扫屋子、种植蔬果、收集废纸皮和废铁等。只要有人通知，她随时赴工。

每一片废铁、每一样物件，包括种植的水果，都是语彤维持生计的重要来源。

然而，散工的收入极其不稳，一个月最多不过RM 1000，有时甚至更少。她曾接受某机构多年物资上的援助，当对方停止帮助后，生活各方面严重受到影响，情况更吃紧。语彤坦言：“完全没着落，我买任何物品都更有压力，因为要精打细算”。

经妹妹的介绍，语彤认识了居銮恩福基督浸信会7979全人关怀站的志工。一开始，她保持沉默，担心他们接近她是另有目的。经志工多次探访、邀请她参加社区团契，以及赠送粮食之后，她逐渐感受志工和教会的关怀是真诚的，才慢慢卸下心房。当她的生活陷入危机时，负责社区关怀的章厚诗牧师便为她申请“7979吗哪食物包”。

“当我得知可以领取7979吗哪食物包的时候，我好开心”。谈及吗哪包，语彤露出漂亮的笑容，眼里满是感激。为了节省开销，语彤平时每天自己煮饭，鲜少在外用餐。而吗哪包的食材，犹如为她的生活迎来希望的亮光——大大减轻经济压力。除了提供吗哪包，7979关怀站的志工们也时常开导她，在情绪上陪伴她走过许多低谷。原本沉默寡言的她，慢慢变得开朗，话也多了起来。

2025年，一场风灾吹走了语彤家的屋顶，她无法承担高额的维修费。焦急之下，她向某个某个团队求助，可惜不了了之，心头的盼望，也渐渐落空。章牧师得知这件事之后，为她祷告。不久之后，语彤的邻居开始装修屋顶。牧师便趁机请语彤找对方一并协助，成功将原本RM 6000或更高的修理费用，降至RM 1000。所需款项便由教会成员筹措，协助语彤一家顺利完成修缮工程。屋顶修好后，语彤开心说道： “现在我可以安心地睡觉了！”