1941
Sunday Dec. 7th, Japan attacked Pearl Harbour, USA. The same day Hong Kong mobilized its forces and I (鍾華亮), a member of the Royal H.K. Volunteer Defence Corps, reported for active service at Lei Yue Mun Fort, HK. The next day, 8 hours after attacking Pearl Harbour, Japan invaded H.K. On Dec. 12th, the Battery was ordered to prepare for retreat, and I and two others were to stay behind to destroy the fort – a brush of death. The following morning, the order to retreat was cancelled. (Miracle #1 – My death was foiled.)

On Sunday Dec. 14th, among the first wounded, I was taken to Queen Mary Hospital, away from the battle zone. Later, the Battery retreated to St. Stephen's Boys College, Stanley where in a bitter fight nearly all my comrades were killed. (Miracle #2 – I was not there, dead.) On Thursday Dec. 25th, HK surrendered. The following day, for fear of being taken prisoner-of-war, I escaped from QM to a relative Dr. T.C. WONG's ( 王子傳醫生) uninhabited house nearby. There, still suffering from war injuries without further treatment, I knew no sorrow. Instead, I rested, singing hymns at the piano every day.

1942
In early 1942, my younger brother Francis Wah Yiu (十弟華耀) joined me. One day a Japanese army colonel, who I later found was Head of Japanese QM Military Hospital, and two officers came and sang hymns (in English) with us. Apparently they were Christians! Later, I told the colonel that , weak and unfit for work, I would like to return to my native village where my people would take care of me. He drew out a visiting card and wrote an order allowing me to return to Free China. In May, I arrived at Kweilin with my mother, two younger brothers and some 40 church youngsters. (Miracle #3 – I was free again.)

I reported to the British Military Mission (英國軍事代表團 ), and was immediately sent to a Chungking hospital. Alone in a strange land, with an ugly face and poor health, and illiterate in the sense I had limited Chinese education and did not speak Mandarin, and with no 'connections', I found my life totally shattered. However, in the nick of time, God came to my rescue, for the British Military Mission found me a job at the Australian Legation (澳洲公使館) as (personal) secretary of Sir Eggleston, Minister Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary to China (澳洲公使). (Miracle #4 – This was manna, the bread from God.)

Several months later, Dr. C. H. Wong (王寵惠博士), Foreign Minister of China and former Judge of the International Courts of Justice, helped send letters to/from my sister NG CHUNG Kam Sun (吳鍾錦新) in Japanese-occupied HK. She replied: "Forget Hong Kong." (Miracle #5 – God's first message came, to which I paid little attention.) At a church minister's dinner, I was at the same table with General Yu-Hsiang FUNG (馮副委員長玉祥將軍), the 'Christian General' and Deputy to Generalissimo CHIANG Kai-shek. I asked him when the war would end, and he replied: "God has His plan. Be obedient, have faith, be patient, and be positive." Erh, through Fung, God was giving me a stern lesson: "I have done many things for your good, and yet you do not realize I have a plan for you. Your faith is inadequate. You lack patience. You have lost your direction. BE POSITIVE." Awakened, I recalled His first message through my sister which led me again to St. Paul's words: "Forgetting what is behind and straining what is ahead, I press toward the goal." (Phil. 3:13/14) I said to God, "I'm wrong. Forgive me. I'm weak and lowly. Guide me, my Lord, to the goal you have set for me." (Miracle #6 – God's 2nd message.)

1943
The BMM sent me to Calcutta for further hospitalization. This being my first visit there, I knew nobody and was an absolute stranger. After some ten days in the hospital, I felt better. One Sunday, with doctor's ok, I took a brief furlow to attend a service at the Cathedral. That was my FIRST day out and my FIRST Sunday worship in India. Among the worshippers I was apparently the only Yellow man. When the choir rose and sang, I saw a Yellow man there. After the service, he came to greet me. Alas, he was my only friend in the city and comrade from Lei Yue Mun Fort, HK! He then took me home, where I FIRST met Rebecca (陳可慰). She came from Kunming the previous evening to take up a NEW NURSING JOB at the China National Aviation Corp. (中國航空公司), and that was her FIRST day, as well as her FIRST SUNDAY, in Calcutta. Everything happened during my one-and-only Sunday furlow in Calcutta! My hospitalization was my waiting period for Rebecca's arrival before my return to Chungking for work a few days later. How wonderful was God's design. (Miracle #7 – Rebecca/Leslie met.)

Back in Chungking, at a diplomatic dinner, I met Dr. W.H. ONG (翁文灝博士 who also had facial paralysis), Chair of the National Resources Commission (中國資源委員會主席), and two U.S. experts. When they voiced their surprise at me, a young man with facial paralysis, I told them my war experience and my desire for further education. Subsequently, they arranged for my China departure and USA entry for further study. (Miracle #8 – The pillar of fire and of the Cloud aided me!)

1945
Thus, I resigned in 1945 from the Australian Legation, and flew to Calcutta en route to USA. At that time, Rebecca was a nurse in the clinic of China National Aviation Corp. She knew all about what I was doing. She had a heavy family burden, taking care of her aged parents and supporting her younger brother's medical education. Under the circumstance, how could I with mountainous uncertainties have the gut to marry her and then to leave her behind unable to help her at all? How could I expect Rebecca in her situation to marry me and let me go without giving her support and a married life? But she was strong and had absolute faith in God. To her, what was absurd to man could be God's plan. So, we both concluded that since God had done so much to bring us together, it was God's wish that we should marry and leave our future in His hands. Finally, on July 7th our wedding took place. It was a great event in the Chinese community. All members of the Chinese Church and friends turned out in full force to help make it a wonderful wartime Chinese wedding! (Miracle #9 – a day to remember.) Thank you, Lord. To you be the glory. Surprisingly, Japan surrendered on August 15th. On August 28th, Leslie left for New York City by US troop ship and, under God's care all things miraculously went well with Leslie, Rebecca and her family thereafter wherever we were!

NOTE: To save time, Leslie skipped "the first Leslie-Rebecca meeting in 1943" in the July 9th testimony.

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