Those of you who were in Ottawa five years ago, might remember hearing the name Angela Tong on the news, you might have seen her picture in the paper.

Angela Tong was a 22 year old fourth year linguistics student at Carleton University. She was also the president of a Bible club on Campus, and spent most of her spare time at Bible tables, counselling students, leading Bible studies handing out tracks, spreading the gospel and meeting with students who had questions about the Bible. Everyone who knew her loved her. She was the sort of person who was just like the type of person Taka spoke about over the retreat. Her whole life radiated with Christ, from her smile to her talk to her walk. Everyone who knew her knew that she was a Christian. I myself had the priviledge of knowing Angela for several months. We lived on the same street and I had the opportunity to spend time at her church and with her family on several occasions. She was always smiling, always going out her way to serve others with her time, her prayers and her support. Whether it was getting out of bed early, even when she didn't have school, to pray with her unsaved Father; or driving someone home on the other side of town even though it was quite late... I can honestly say that during the entire time that I knew her, I can't remember seeing Angela do anything selfishly or for her own interests.

Sadly, that time was cut short. Three years ago this past Tuesday, on March 14th 1997, one week shy of her 23rd Birthday, Angela was murdered. It was a stabbing, they know who did it and he is in jail now, but I don't want to focus tonight on the who, why's and how's behind her murder. Those details are irrelevant in the light of the fact that Angela is gone.

The weeks after Angela died were really hard on me. I was filled with questions. Angela was such a strong witness on campus. Why would God allow her to be taken away? And why should Angela, a girl who since she became a Christian spent her time serving Christ through others, have to die in such a cruel, violent way. Put perhaps it was because of the way she died that God was able to get so much glory.

For weeks, the papers printed articles and letters quoting people that Angela knew. All of them had similar things to say: ‘God was #1 in Angela's life, Angela was very giving, ‘an example of how we should live' It struck me that had Angela just lived her life and died of old age, her life might never have been made public in such a way, and people might not have learned about her, an example of a real life changed by Christ. An example of what a real Christian is.

The more I thought about this, the more I was struck with the gripping question: ‘What if it was me?' What if I had been the one who had just been killed, would God be able to get such glory as He'd gotten through Angela's life and was now still getting through her death? Did most people around me even know that I was a Christian? What would people have to say if it was me? A simple pat comment like ‘she was such a nice girl'?

Angela's death also made me come to grips with the fact that there are no guarantees as far as life is concerned. Most of us here today I'm sure expect to live to be at least 70 or 80... I'm sure Angela did too. But the reality is that life is short. You might live to be 70, or you might not even make it home tonight. Maybe some of you are here tonight and you've never actually received Jesus Christ as your personal saviour. You might have heard several times from your friends about how Jesus died on the cross and rose again to pay the penalty for your sin, and that if you believe in Him and ask Him into your life you can be saved... but you've never done it... you said you'd think about it. You're putting it off til later.... The Bible says ‘behold now is the accepted time, today is the day of salvation' because really, now is all you're guaranteed. If you've never personally received Jesus and asked Him into your life, I urge you to do that now, or make sure you speak to someone here, any member of the ministry team, or Jeff, or whoever brought you.

For those here who are Christians, we can all learn from Angela's testimony. I wonder, and I speak to myself too when I say this, if this was to be my last day, would I be ashamed when I looked back at how I'd lived my life, at opportunities to share the gospel that I'd missed, at hours that I'd spent watching TV or the latest movie when I could have better spent it in prayer or Bible reading...

I hope that when my time comes, that Jesus will truly be able to say ‘well done thou good and faithful servant'. I want to have a life that, like Angela's, just screams out Jesus. I want them to be able to say that ‘God was number one in my life.' I want them to remember Jesus in me.

It's the final page
Of another life
Seemed much too short
Yet was so full
From start to end 
Her word spoke of Jesus
And even now
Her light shines on

	But what if it was me?
	What if it was you?
	What if God called me home
	What if my life was through
	Would they remember Jesus
	Give Him glory ‘cause of me
 	What would they remember 
	What would their words be?
			
O Satan thought
He got the final word
Thought he'd quenched the fire
That burned in her
But still God gets glory
As so many are talking now
About the difference 
God made in her

It's the final page 
Of another life
But there may be  pages empty
For you and me 
Today we must choose
To give our all to Him
If this was your last day
Would you be ready?

Kristine Kruszelnicki March 1997

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