Hope Alumni of America, Inc.
Due to the ongoing uncertainty with the COVID-19 Delta variant, the Board of Directors has decided to cancel the Bus Tour planned for this October 2021.
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
Board of Directors
Hope Christian High School Alumni Association of America
Jean is the eldest of 4: (Jean, Anna, Paul and Lillian) of our beloved the former Rev. and Mrs. George Chua of our Benavidez Church in Manila, Philippines. She is a member of our Compass Class of 1956, the second English graduating class of Hope Christian High School. There were twenty of us, and we were very close. Always willing to listen and provide biblical encouragement, Jean is a trusted friend, one you can share your inner thoughts and feelings with. And she could keep a secret.
Jean was the editor of our high school year book. Her motto was “First things first.” And her ambition was "To be a scholar.” In our yearbook, she was described as follow:
A talented young lady, an honor student, skilled in arts and a lover of music, an active Christian, plans to major in English College. She is such a serious type of girl. You’ll notice her with a veil of worries over her face … that’s the symbol of her eagerness in her work.
This early narrative already shows the contour of her trajectory in life. A soprano singer, Jean was a member of our Vesper Choral group. We rehearsed and recorded Amoy Hymnals every Sunday afternoon at the Rev. Veenschoten’s home. We produced seven weekly gospel radio programs that were beamed over the Far East Broadcasting Station to Southeast Asia, including China. In addition, each month, we accompanied the Rev. Joseph Esther to proclaim the gospel and brought music to isolated Chinese merchants in the Philippine provinces.
Jean summed up her fifty years of life as "Beauty for Ashes” (Isaiah 61) in our 50th year Class Commemorative Yearbook. She wrote,— “Where there were years of pain and afflictions - ashes, 'the Lord has turned them into ‘beauty’- blessings upon blessings, more than I can imagined and hoped for.” Jean disclosed that despite her success as a Chinese brush painter and calligraphy instructor, for over twenty years her depression had prevented her from painting creativity. But in early 1993, she felt the calling of the Lord to be "a court painter, painting for the King.” She started to paint again — first, all about roses, “His banner over me is love.” (Song of Songs 2:4), she said. Later, Jean described a vision and a journey of the Lord wooing her into experiencing His amazing love, so that she did not just know it in her head but increasingly in her heart, until she was consumed by the fire of God's love. Jean’s spiritual journey of her faith in Christ from "head to heart" impressed me that she was experiencing a centering of her spirituality, finding a home for Christ in her soul, from which her life and painting began to emanate with love and joy
This centering of her soul, I feel, enabled Jean to overcome the fear of breast cancer. Amazingly, in 1994, Jean admitted that she was able to paint a horse in the Chinese style with a few powerful strokes, a feat quite impossible because she had not painted a horse for sixteen years. The Lord gave her the meaning of this horse painting: “He Laughs at fear afraid of nothing.” (Job 39:22). She testified that twenty-nine paintings have come so far from the Lord to change her and transform her life. Her paintings have come to speak to the church, the bride of Christ, and has benefitted many cancer-ridden patients all over the world.
On May 30, 2020, Jean joined several of my other former classmates now safe in the bosom of Jesus. I was fortunate to be able to briefly speak to Jean shortly before she was called.
In our class album, this is Jean’s swan song, quoted from (Psalms 118:15-17). "Shouts of joy and victory resound through the tents of the righteous: 'The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things! The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!’ I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.”
Indeed, the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things through lifting Jean’s life. Through her paintings, writings, and testimonials, Jean lives and continues to speak.
Albert Gaw, MD
Class of ’56
Hope Christian High School
Manila, Philippines
Big congratulations to Hope Christian High School alumnus Charles So, for being recognized by the commissioner with a special gift during the Medal Awards Ceremony of the New York City Department of Correction, held on June 22, 2021.
We are proud of you!
To God be all the Glory and Praise!