In Memory of Alumna Lim-Bay Wan Jee

 

In Memory of Lim-Bay Wan Jee (1973-2025), EAST Alumna 2007, MDiv ICS 

Over the past weekend, EAST Community has lost one of our best and brightest students who graduated in 2007 with a Master of Divinity in Intercultural Studies – Bay Wan Jee. The Lord has called her home. All who know her and have been touched by her gentleness and warmth will cherish our memories with her in our hearts. She graduated from EAST with an Academic Excellence Award, earned by those who are top of their MDiv cohort academically. Wan Jee has also served as a missionary with Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF) for 15 years from 2008 after her graduation from EAST. Her ministry was with the elderly in Japan. But when she was undergoing cancer herself and had to go through pain, hers was also a ministry of pain among cancer patients whom she could relate to and empathise with.

Below are eulogies by her teachers and friends about “whose” and “who” she is with the resultant impact on others. Hers was a life well lived for Christ. Aptly, her theme verse for her obituary was, “For to me, to live is Christ, to die is gain” Phil 1:21 (NIV). Her life quote came from Jim Elliott: “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

“Wan Jee was a joy to have as a student. All of papers were excellent, exceeding the highest standards and more importantly she was specific and clear how she would be applying or was already applying the lessons in her life. She had a wonderful spirit combining head, heart and hands. She was the kind of student who blessed her teachers and classmates with a burning heart to serve the Lord as a missionary!”

– Dr Rick Langston (former EAST resident faculty who taught Wan Jee on missions-related classes)

“Wan Jee was someone who would lend a helping hand to her fellow classmates, even when she herself was pressed for time. She was a diligent student who studied late into the night to ensure that her assignments were completed on time. Davina remembers texting her to urge her to stop studying and go to sleep. Although we could not meet her when she pursued language studies in Hokkaido, we managed to visit her twice while she was serving in Tokyo. It was always a joy to see her and hear about her experiences. She was determined to fulfill God’s call upon her life, even though ministry in Japan was challenging.

Wan Jee was a quiet, deep thinker. Though she appeared frail, she possessed great inner strength. We already miss her dearly.”

– Drs Casey and Davina Ng (former EAST lecturers who had taught Wan Jee, they are currently ACTS College President and Lecturer respectively)

“Our meeting with Wan Jee was a surprise gift from God. The first time we met Wan Jee was during the first chapel after we enrolled at EAST. She, having stayed with a Christian family in Japan, recognised that we were from Japan and immediately approached us. At that moment, we realised that we already knew her name. In fact, her host family were our friends and had told us to meet Wan Jee if we ever went to Singapore. We only knew the name ‘Wan Jee’ and did not expect to meet her in such a large city like Singapore. Imagine our surprise when we discovered she was our seminary classmate!

Since that day, Wan Jee became a special friend to us. Sometimes in Japanese, sometimes in English, we enjoyed sharing updates and prayer requests with each other. It was always atime of encouragement and joy. After graduating from seminary, Wan Jee became a missionary with OMF and came to Japan to serve the elderly. We respect her faith in God and her love for people in need.

The last time we met was in May 2024 in Shinjuku. Together with her husband, Chuan, we had a wonderful time listening to their love story. Our last exchange was through WhatsApp before she started her recent treatment. Here’s a part of the message we received from Wan Jee: ‘I am so grateful to have you as my bible college friends and friends beyond bible college days. My special Japanese friends. Chuan and I also love you all very much!!!!’

We are deeply saddened that we won’t have another chance to chat with you on this earth.

We will never forget your love and friendship. Arigatou, Wan Jee!”

– Taka & Eri Ueki (EAST Japanese classmates with Wan Jee, staff of Japan Campus Crusade for Christ)

“I remember Wan Jee as a creative artist, an encourager and a faithful friend. She loved to draw since young and had recently worked on a beautiful book for OMF with which she gifted me. She generously supported me financially when I went into full-time ministry. She encouraged me when I faced discouraging times as a missionary in Japan. When she herself became a missionary to Japan later, Wan Jee didn’t shy away from sharing about the spiritually ‘hard’ ground there or her own health struggles in her newsletters. She remained God-centred even when illness kept her away from action. I will miss you so much, old friend. You have been such an amazing blessing to me. Ja mata-ne (‘see you later’ in Japanese).”

– Meiyen Layne (former EAST and Cru staff who had served as a missionary to Japan)

“With a spirit radiating the warmth of divine grace, Wan Jee is a woman of profound kindness, gentle sweetness, and unwavering loveliness. She stands as a pillar of support, a devoted servant of God, a luminous role model, and an outstanding student of EAST.”

– Real Naleng (a close EAST classmate of Wan Jee from Cambodia, currently a Com and Sustainability Program Director at Fountain of Hope Cambodia)

“Wan Jee was a classmate of mine when we both studied at EAST. While we weren’t particularly close friends, her gentle spirit and willingness to share her heart deeply inspired me. In 2005, I joined a cross-cultural mission trip to Albania and Turkey alongside Wan Jee and two other EAST students. Throughout the trip, she opened up about her passion for missions and her desire to serve in Japan. Her sharing has been significant for me during this eight-week internship. Remarkably, after we graduated from EAST, all four of us became involved in long-term cross-cultural missions. Thank you, Wan Jee, for your life and commitment to God.”

– Fay Yong (EAST classmate of Wan Jee, former missionary to Mongolia, currently an EAST staff)

“Wan Jee has been a patient and gentle soul, always loving and giving. I visited her with my two children in Tokyo. They met for the first time and the children loved her right away. We even went gallivanting one whole afternoon and ended with a dinner. In uni, she was always ready with a smile and showing care.”

– Ong Bee Yong (Wan Jee’s university classmate and long-time friend)