This is dedicated to all human survival modes. Robust health is essential if we want to meet our goals in this life. It is never too late to be wise. It is never too early to revise.
There's a reason the hymn 'Amazing Grace' remains the favorite hymn for so many people. The powerful lyrics remind us that because of Jesus, none of us are ever lost because God is with us always. Learn the story behind Amazing Grace, read the complete lyrics and watch a few of our favorite videos of this beautiful hymn.
Amazing Grace Lyrics
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see.
Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me, His Word my hope secures; He will my Shield and Portion be, As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease, I shall possess, within the veil, A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun forbear to shine; But God, who called me here below, Will be forever mine.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we’d first begun.
SongwriterJohn NewtonPublished byPublic Domain
The Story Behind Amazing Grace
This song isn’t a song of theology—it’s John Newton’s own heartfelt expression of gratitude to God, who helped him turn from his profane and wicked life and eventually fight against the ills he practiced. Later in life, Newton became a supporter and inspiration to William Wilberforce who lead the fight to pass the British Slave Trade Act in 1807, which abolished the slave trade in that empire.
John Netwon's story behind "Amazing Grace"
The Greyhound had been thrashing about in the north Atlantic storm for over a week. Its canvas sails were ripped, and the wood on one side of the ship had been torn away and splintered. The sailors had little hope of survival, but they mechanically worked the pumps, trying to keep the vessel afloat. On the eleventh day of the storm, sailor John Newton was too exhausted to pump, so he was tied to the helm and tried to hold the ship to its course. From one o'clock until midnight he was at the helm.
With the storm raging fiercely, Newton had time to think. His life seemed as ruined and wrecked as the battered ship he was trying to steer through the storm. Since the age of eleven he had lived a life at sea. Sailors were not noted for the refinement of their manners, but Newton had a reputation for profanity, coarseness, and debauchery which even shocked many a sailor.
John Newton had rejected his mother's teachings and had led other sailors into unbelief. Certainly he was beyond hope and beyond saving, even if the Scriptures were true. Yet, Newton's thoughts began to turn to Christ. He found a New Testament and began to read. Luke 11:13 seemed to assure him that God might still hear him: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him."
That day at the helm, March 21, 1748, was a day Newton remembered ever after, for "On that day the Lord sent from on high and delivered me out of deep waters." Many years later, as an old man, Newton wrote in his diary of March 21, 1805: "Not well able to write; but I endeavor to observe the return of this day with humiliation, prayer, and praise." Only God's amazing grace could and would take a rude, profane, slave-trading sailor and transform him into a child of God. Newton never ceased to stand in awe of God's work in his life.
Used with permission from John Newton Discovered Amazing Grace.
John Newton Discovered Amazing Grace
7
Newton Lost at Sea
John Newton Discovered Amazing Grace
Newton Lost at Sea
The Greyhound had been thrashing about in the north Atlantic storm for over a week. Its canvas sails were ripped, and the wood on one side of the ship had been torn away and splintered. The sailors had little hope of survival, but they mechanically worked the pumps, trying to keep the vessel afloat. On the eleventh day of the storm, sailor John Newton was too exhausted to pump, so he was tied to the helm and tried to hold the ship to its course. From one o'clock until midnight he was at the helm.i
With the storm raging fiercely, Newton had time to think. His life seemed as ruined and wrecked as the battered ship he was trying to steer through the storm. Since the age of eleven, he had lived a life at sea. Sailors were not noted for the refinement of their manners, but Newton had a reputation for profanity, coarseness, and debauchery which even shocked many a sailor.
Recalling Scripture8
John Newton was known as "The Great Blasphemer." He sank so low at one point that he was even a servant to slaves in Africa for a brief period. His mother had prayed he would become a minister and had early taught him the Scriptures and Isaac Watts' Divine Songs for Children. Some of those early childhood teachings came to mind now. He remembered Proverbs 1:24-31, and in the midst of that storm, those verses seemed to confirm Newton in his despair:
"Because I have called, and ye refused . . . ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also laughed at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh: when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer."
John Newton had rejected his mother's teachings and had led other sailors into unbelief. Certainly, he was beyond hope and beyond saving, even if the Scriptures were true. Yet, Newton's thoughts began to turn to Christ. He found a New Testament and began to read. Luke 11:13 seemed to assure him that God might still hear him: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him."
Deliverance - Salvation of John Newton
That day at the helm, March 21, 1748, was a day Newton remembered ever after, for "On that day the Lord sent from on high and delivered me out of deep waters." Many years later, as an old man, Newton wrote in his diary of March 21, 1805: "Not well able to write; but I endeavor to observe the return of this day with humiliation, prayer, and praise." Only God's amazing grace could and would take a rude, profane, slave-trading sailor and transform him into a child of God. Newton never ceased to stand in awe of God's work in his life.
New Directions - John Newton's Conversion
Though Newton continued in his profession of sailing and slave-trading for a time, his life was transformed. He began a disciplined schedule of Bible study, prayer, and Christian reading and tried to be a Christian example to the sailors under his command. Philip Doddridge's The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul provided much spiritual comfort, and a fellow-Christian captain he met off the coast of Africa guided Newton further in his Christian faith.
Newton left slave-trading and took the job of tide surveyor at Liverpool, but he began to think he had been called to the ministry. His mother's prayers for her son were answered, and in 1764, at the age of thirty-nine, John Newton began forty-three years of preaching the Gospel of Christ.
John and his beloved wife Mary (At the end of his life John would write that their love "equaled all that the writers of romance have imagined") moved to the little market town of Olney. He spent his mornings in Bible study and his afternoons in visiting his parishioners. There were regular Sunday morning and afternoon services as well as meetings for children and young people. There was also a Tuesday evening prayer meeting which was always well attended.
World's Most Famous Hymn - Amazing Grace
For the Sunday evening services, Newton often composed a hymn which developed the lessons and Scripture for the evening. In 1779, two hundred and eighty of these were collected and combined with sixty-eight hymns by Newton's friend and parishioner, William Cowper, and published as the Olney Hymns. The most famous of all the Olney Hymns, "Faith's Review and Expectation," grew out of David's exclamation in 1 Chronicles 17:16-17. We know it today as "Amazing Grace." Several other of the Olney hymns by Newton continues in use today, including "How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds," and "Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken."
Rector John Newton - Abolition of Slavery
In 1779 Newton left Olney to become rector of St. Mary Woolnoth in London. His ministry included not only the London poor and the merchant class but also the wealthy and influential. William Wilberforce, a member of Parliament and a prime mover in the abolition of slavery, was strongly influenced by John Newton's life and preaching. Newton's Thoughts on the African Slave Trade, based on his own experiences as a slave trader, was very important in securing British abolition of slavery. Missionaries William Carey and Henry Martyn also gained strength from Newton's counsel.
Newton lived to be eighty-two years old and continued to preach and have an active ministry until beset by fading health in the last two or three years of his life. Even then, Newton never ceased to be amazed by God's grace and told his friends, "My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior."
Trailblazing poet The Olney hymns first brought attention to Newton's friend, William Cowper, who later became a famous national poet, considered to be the first of the "Romantic" poets. Cowper's "There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood" and "God Moves in a Mysterious Way" have continued to find their way into today's hymnals.
Amazing Grace Lyrics
Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound) That sav’d a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears reliev’d; How precious did that grace appear, The hour I first believ’d!
Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promis’d good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be, As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease; I shall possess, within the veil, A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun forbear to shine; But God, who call’d me here below, Will be forever mine.
With the storm raging fiercely, Newton had time to think. His life seemed as ruined and wrecked as the battered ship he was trying to steer through the storm. Since the age of eleven, he had lived a life at sea. Sailors were not noted for the refinement of their manners, but Newton had a reputation for profanity, coarseness, and debauchery which even shocked many a sailor.
Recalling Scripture
John Newton was known as "The Great Blasphemer." He sank so low at one point that he was even a servant to slaves in Africa for a brief period. His mother had prayed he would become a minister and had early taught him the Scriptures and Isaac Watts' Divine Songs for Children. Some of those early childhood teachings came to mind now. He remembered Proverbs 1:24-31, and in the midst of that storm, those verses seemed to confirm Newton in his despair:
"Because I have called, and ye refused . . . ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also laughed at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh: when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer."
John Newton had rejected his mother's teachings and had led other sailors into unbelief. Certainly, he was beyond hope and beyond saving, even if the Scriptures were true. Yet, Newton's thoughts began to turn to Christ. He found a New Testament and began to read. Luke 11:13 seemed to assure him that God might still hear him: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him."
Deliverance - Salvation of John Newton
That day at the helm, March 21, 1748, was a day Newton remembered ever after, for "On that day the Lord sent from on high and delivered me out of deep waters." Many years later, as an old man, Newton wrote in his diary of March 21, 1805: "Not well able to write; but I endeavor to observe the return of this day with humiliation, prayer, and praise." Only God's amazing grace could and would take a rude, profane, slave-trading sailor and transform him into a child of God. Newton never ceased to stand in awe of God's work in his life.
New Directions - John Newton's Conversion
Though Newton continued in his profession of sailing and slave-trading for a time, his life was transformed. He began a disciplined schedule of Bible study, prayer, and Christian reading and tried to be a Christian example to the sailors under his command. Philip Doddridge's The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul provided much spiritual comfort, and a fellow-Christian captain he met off the coast of Africa guided Newton further in his Christian faith.
Newton left slave-trading and took the job of tide surveyor at Liverpool, but he began to think he had been called to the ministry. His mother's prayers for her son were answered, and in 1764, at the age of thirty-nine, John Newton began forty-three years of preaching the Gospel of Christ.
John and his beloved wife Mary (At the end of his life John would write that their love "equaled all that the writers of romance have imagined") moved to the little market town of Olney. He spent his mornings in Bible study and his afternoons in visiting his parishioners. There were regular Sunday morning and afternoon services as well as meetings for children and young people. There was also a Tuesday evening prayer meeting which was always well attended.
World's Most Famous Hymn - Amazing Grace
For the Sunday evening services, Newton often composed a hymn which developed the lessons and Scripture for the evening. In 1779, two hundred and eighty of these were collected and combined with sixty-eight hymns by Newton's friend and parishioner, William Cowper, and published as the Olney Hymns. The most famous of all the Olney Hymns, "Faith's Review and Expectation," grew out of David's exclamation in 1 Chronicles 17:16-17. We know it today as "Amazing Grace." Several other of the Olney hymns by Newton continues in use today, including "How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds," and "Glorious Things of Thee are
John Newton Discovered Amazing Grace
Newton Lost at Sea
The Greyhound had been thrashing about in the north Atlantic storm for over a week. Its canvas sails were ripped, and the wood on one side of the ship had been torn away and splintered. The sailors had little hope of survival, but they mechanically worked the pumps, trying to keep the vessel afloat. On the eleventh day of the storm, sailor John Newton was too exhausted to pump, so he was tied to the helm and tried to hold the ship to its course. From one o'clock until midnight he was at the helm.
With the storm raging fiercely, Newton had time to think. His life seemed as ruined and wrecked as the battered ship he was trying to steer through the storm. Since the age of eleven, he had lived a life at sea. Sailors were not noted for the refinement of their manners, but Newton had a reputation for profanity, coarseness, and debauchery which even shocked many a sailor.
Recalling Scripture
John Newton was known as "The Great Blasphemer." He sank so low at one point that he was even a servant to slaves in Africa for a brief period. His mother had prayed he would become a minister and had early taught him the Scriptures and Isaac Watts' Divine Songs for Children. Some of those early childhood teachings came to mind now. He remembered Proverbs 1:24-31, and in the midst of that storm, those verses seemed to confirm Newton in his despair:
"Because I have called, and ye refused . . . ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also laughed at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh: when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer."
John Newton had rejected his mother's teachings and had led other sailors into unbelief. Certainly, he was beyond hope and beyond saving, even if the Scriptures were true. Yet, Newton's thoughts began to turn to Christ. He found a New Testament and began to read. Luke 11:13 seemed to assure him that God might still hear him: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him."
Deliverance - Salvation of John Newton
That day at the helm, March 21, 1748, was a day Newton remembered ever after, for "On that day the Lord sent from on high and delivered me out of deep waters." Many years later, as an old man, Newton wrote in his diary of March 21, 1805: "Not well able to write; but I endeavor to observe the return of this day with humiliation, prayer, and praise." Only God's amazing grace could and would take a rude, profane, slave-trading sailor and transform him into a child of God. Newton never ceased to stand in awe of God's work in his life.
New Directions - John Newton's Conversion
Though Newton continued in his profession of sailing and slave-trading for a time, his life was transformed. He began a disciplined schedule of Bible study, prayer, and Christian reading and tried to be a Christian example to the sailors under his command. Philip Doddridge's The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul provided much spiritual comfort, and a fellow-Christian captain he met off the coast of Africa guided Newton further in his Christian faith.
Newton left slave-trading and took the job of tide surveyor at Liverpool, but he began to think he had been called to the ministry. His mother's prayers for her son were answered, and in 1764, at the age of thirty-nine, John Newton began forty-three years of preaching the Gospel of Christ.
John and his beloved wife Mary (At the end of his life John would write that their love "equaled all that the writers of romance have imagined") moved to the little market town of Olney. He spent his mornings in Bible study and his afternoons in visiting his parishioners. There were regular Sunday morning and afternoon services as well as meetings for children and young people. There was also a Tuesday evening prayer meeting which was always well attended.
World's Most Famous Hymn - Amazing Grace
For the Sunday evening services, Newton often composed a hymn which developed the lessons and Scripture for the evening. In 1779, two hundred and eighty of these were collected and combined with sixty-eight hymns by Newton's friend and parishioner, William Cowper, and published as the Olney Hymns. The most famous of all the Olney Hymns, "Faith's Review and Expectation," grew out of David's exclamation in 1 Chronicles 17:16-17. We know it today as "Amazing Grace." Several other of the Olney hymns by Newton continues in use today, including "How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds," and "Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken."
Rector John Newton - Abolition of Slavery
In 1779 Newton left Olney to become rector of St. Mary Woolnoth in London. His ministry included not only the London poor and the merchant class but also the wealthy and influential. William Wilberforce, a member of Parliament and a prime mover in the abolition of slavery, was strongly influenced by John Newton's life and preaching. Newton's Thoughts on the African Slave Trade, based on his own experiences as a slave trader, was very important in securing British abolition of slavery. Missionaries William Carey and Henry Martyn also gained strength from Newton's counsel.
Newton lived to be eighty-two years old and continued to preach and have an active ministry until beset by fading health in the last two or three years of his life. Even then, Newton never ceased to be amazed by God's grace and told his friends, "My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior."
Trailblazing poet The Olney hymns first brought attention to Newton's friend, William Cowper, who later became a famous national poet, considered to be the first of the "Romantic" poets. Cowper's "There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood" and "God Moves in a Mysterious Way" have continued to find their way into today's .
Amazing Grace Lyrics
Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound) That sav’d a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears reliev’d; How precious did that grace appear, The hour I first believ’d!
Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promis’d good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be, As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease; I shall possess, within the veil, A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun forbear to shine; But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.."
Rector John Newton - Abolition of Slavery
In 1779 Newton left Olney to become rector of St. Mary Woolnoth in London. His ministry included not only the London poor and the merchant class but also the wealthy and influential. William Wilberforce, a member of Parliament and a prime mover in the abolition of slavery, was strongly influenced by John Newton's life and preaching. Newton's Thoughts on the African Slave Trade, based on his own experiences as a slave trader, was very important in securing British abolition of slavery. Missionaries William Carey and Henry Martyn also gained strength from Newton's counsel.
Newton lived to be eighty-two years old and continued to preach and have an active ministry until beset by fading health in the last two or three years of his life. Even then, Newton never ceased to be amazed by God's grace and told his friends, "My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior."
Trailblazing poet The Olney hymns first brought attention to Newton's friend, William Cowper, who later became a famous national poet, considered to be the first of the "Romantic" poets. Cowper's "There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood" and "God Moves in a Mysterious Way" have continued to find their way into today's hymnals.
Amazing Grace Lyrics
Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound) That sav’d a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears reliev’d; How precious did that grace appear, The hour I first believ’d!
Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promis’d good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be, As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease; I shall possess, within the veil, A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun forbear to shine; But God, who call’d me here below, Will be forever mine.
As epidemic that caused a national crisis and international alarm? Hardly anyone would consider that an intervention of grace by a sovereign God.
But 48-year-old infectious diseases specialist and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) victim, Dr Leong Hoe Nam, is not just anyone; he is a man whose excruciating experience with SARS while quarantined in Germany was a key step towards knowing his Father’s love.
Many of us would remember 2003 as the year of SARS. Stories of the shared experiences in pain and joy have been told; the actions of heroes honoured, the lives of victims remembered. But Dr Leong’s remarkable story towards God is one that few have heard.
A mysterious disease
In 2003, Dr Leong and his wife, Dr Lim Hong Huay, were infected with SARS and quarantined in Frankfurt, Germany, for two-and-a-half weeks.
It turned out that Dr Leong had contracted the virus while treating the first SARS patient in Singapore – “patient no. 1”. He happened to be the infectious diseases doctor on-call the day she was admitted. At the time, her illness was a mystery.
No one knew about SARS then. The working diagnosis of her illness was “atypical pneumonia” – which only meant that she had an unknown lung infection.
But Dr Leong came down with a high fever and severe body pain – symptoms he attributed to dengue. After plenty of rest and fluids, his fever subsided. So he and his wife decided to go ahead with their plans to attend a conference in New York. Two days into his trip, he fell ill again.
This time, it was he who was diagnosed with “atypical pneumonia”.
Before Dr Leong and his wife left for Singapore, he called a trusted colleague in Singapore to update him on his condition. By then, patient no. 1’s illness had been identified and the term “SARS” had just been coined.
Unbeknownst to him, Dr Leong’s phone call would set off a chain reaction which eventually led to his being quarantined in Frankfurt, Germany.
Suffering through SARS
Dr Leong suffered badly from the effects of the SARS virus. He recalled: “I had to cope with hacking bouts of cough. Every single attempt to adjust my posture would result in my coughing out blood.”
Even breathing was difficult. “One evening, I tried to take deeper and deeper breaths but to no avail. I felt suffocated – as if the air had no oxygen – even though I had on a full-face 100% oxygen mask.
“The sensation of breathlessness was terrifying.”
He said: “I was not a Christian then but I was not afraid of death, because all of us will die. I just knew I had to avoid mechanical ventilation if I wanted to keep the odds in my favour.”
A love that pursues
He soon overcame the virus and started to recover. But he faced a bigger problem: Inactivity.
Dr Leong, a self-declared workaholic, was stuck in a German hospital with nothing to stimulate his active mind. He was someone who needed to be doing or reading something constantly.
“I’m busy. Always busy. Work to me is like cheese to a rat. Give me work, I will do. Give me a treadmill, I will run.”
“That Bible was the only English text that I could get my hands on.”
Back in 2003, mobile phones were still rudimentary and most people still used a dial-up connection for the Internet. Getting hold of something to read in English was almost impossible. The Winter Olympics was showing on the television, but there was only so much figure skating he could endure watching.
But his wife, who was a very young Christian then, had gotten hold of an English bible. She asked him to read it since there was not much else to do.
Today, Dr Leong laughs as he recalls his desperation: “I was a reasonably fervent believer of another faith, but that Bible was the only English text that I could get my hands on!”
His wife suggested that he start with the Gospel of Luke since they were both physicians, as was Luke. Dr Leong obliged, even though he says now that he thinks the Gospel of John would have been a much easier start with.
By the time he was done, Dr Leong was confronted with the person of Jesus: “Jesus was either an incredibly charismatic and influential leader with a bunch of fools for followers, or there is indeed a true God and Jesus is the Son of God.”
Dr Leong could not decide if the God of the Bible was real … or not.
He and his wife eventually returned to Singapore and fought in the ongoing battle of the SARS crisis.
On May 31, 2003, Singapore was declared SARS-free, and life went back to normal for the couple. Dr Leong was not yet convinced of God’s truth. But he felt no pressing reason to resolve this puzzle, so the question was left unanswered.
Finding God
In 2004, Dr Leong moved to London to pursue his PhD. Life was good: Unlike his life in Singapore, he now had a lot of time on his hands. Weekend road trips out of the city were the norm.
“If I had to go through SARS a hundred times over just to know the God whom I love, I’d do it.”
At the insistence of his wife, they found the Chinese Church In London and joined a cell group. Back in Singapore, when Dr Lim first started attending church, Dr Leong had thought it was a complete waste of time. “I detested it because Sunday mornings were my precious mornings off!”
But in London, Dr Leong did not mind attending church and cell group together. In fact, he made friends with a cell member named Marcus Andrew, whose wife was a doctor.
Andrew answered many of Dr Leong’s questions about the faith and directed him to resources on Christianity as well.
This became a crucial foundation that set the stage for his eventual conversion.
In 2006, Dr Leong was having trouble in his research – his experiments just weren’t working out. And to make matters worse, he could not find anyone to ask for advice and guidance. He was well and truly stuck.
“I literally felt the warmth of God’s presence.”
By then, Dr Leong had heard enough about God that he decided to pray and ask for help with his work. “God, help me get my experiments working. Just help me.”
Nothing happened.
Dr Leong started to get frustrated, but he kept praying. Eventually, he started to bargain with God: “OK God, I’ll do it Your way. Whatever You want, I will do. But You really need to help me with this.”
Still nothing.
Then one day, as Dr Leong was walking from the tube at Hampstead station towards his college, he prayed a different prayer.
“That’s it. God, come what may, I submit to You. If the experiments work, then they work. If they don’t work, I still submit to Your authority in my life.”
“God’s hand is on my work now. Without Him, all the work that I do would be useless.”
Suddenly, he was embraced by God. “I literally felt the warmth of God’s presence. He was hugging me! God said to me, ‘You are my son, you are my beloved son.’ And all my stress and anxiety about work, everything, just melted away.”
Dr Leong remembers this thought clearly: “OK, it doesn’t matter. Whether my experiment succeeds or not, it doesn’t matter. I’ve got God with me now.”
Two steps to faith
Looking back on his journey to faith, Dr Leong surmises: “If I hadn’t been infected with SARS, I wouldn’t have read the Bible. If I hadn’t gotten away from work in Singapore, I wouldn’t have known God.”
He says that he is often asked if he has any regrets about SARS. The benefit of hindsight is not lost on him; time has passed but the experience is still fresh in his mind.
He takes a moment to compose himself before replying: “God is very, very, very dear to me. If I had to go through SARS a hundred times over just to know the God whom I love, I’d do it.”
He recognises the painful experience of SARS as a necessary intervention and milestone in his personal journey. “If God hadn’t taken me away from the distractions of work, I would never have read the Gospel of Luke.”
And if he had not read the Gospel of Luke, he would never have been confronted with Jesus.
Dr Leong in his office at Rophi Clinic; “rophi” is a Hebrew word which means “to heal”
Many might believe that science and God do not mix. But while Dr Leong works hard at keeping abreast of new developments in science, he leaves room for God to intervene and guide him through every case that he takes on.
In fact, he relies on God’s guidance to the extent that his colleagues have been known to say that he “performs miracles” on his patients. Dr Leong attributes the good work he does to God, clarifying that it is not his brilliance but, rather, fruits of his obedience to the promptings of God.
“God’s hand is on my work now. Without Him, all the work that I do would be useless.”
Who is Tan Huey Ying?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tan Huey Ying
This writer Huey Ying is a millennial with a résumé to prove it – she was a plankton-sized part of the finance industry before serving in a Christian organisation. She loves the sea and you will find her somewhere near the water during her holidays.
Surgical masks, once simply a strip of cloth tied around the face of a doctor or nurse, are today manufactured using non-woven fabrics made from plastics like polypropylene to filter and protect. They are also available in many different styles and grades depending on the level of protection the user requires. Looking for more information on surgical masks to meet your medical sourcing needs? We’ve created this guide outlining some basics about these masks as well as how they’re manufactured. If you're interested in finding out more information about how respirators, gowns, and other personal protection equipment is made, you can also visit our overview of how PPE is manufactured.
Here’s what we’ll be going over:
What are Surgical Masks Used for?
Types of Masks
C.D.C. Updated Guidelines for Mask Usage
How are Surgical Masks Made?
Surgical Mask Tests
Can Any Manufacturer Become a Surgical Mask Manufacturer?
Sourcing for Mask Materials
What are Surgical Masks Used for?
Surgical masks are designed to keep operating rooms sterile, preventing germs from the mouth and nose of a wearer from contaminating a patient during surgery. Although they have seen a rise in popularity among consumers during outbreaks such as the coronavirus, surgical masks are not designed to filter out viruses, which are smaller than germs. For more on which types of masks are safer for medical professionals dealing with illnesses such as the coronavirus, you can read our article on the top CDC-approved suppliers.
Types of Masks
There are four levels of ASTM certification that surgical masks are classified in, depending on the level of protection they provide to the person wearing them:
Minimum protection face masks are meant for short procedures or exams that won’t involve fluid, spray, or aerosol.
Level 1 face masks often feature ear loops and are the general standard for both surgical and procedural applications, with a fluid resistance of 80 mmHg. They’re meant for low-risk situations where there will be no fluid, spray, or aerosol.
Level 2 masks, with 120 mmHg fluid resistance, provide a barrier against light or moderate aerosol, fluid, and spray.
Level 3 face masks are for heavy possible exposure to aerosol, fluid and spray, with 160 mmHG fluid resistance.
It should be noted that surgical masks are not the same as surgical respirators. Masks are made to act as barriers to splashes or aerosols (such as the moisture from a sneeze), and they fit loosely to the face. Respirators are made to filter out airborne particles such as viruses and bacteria, and create a seal around the mouth and nose. Respirators should be used in cases when patients have viral infections or particles, vapor, or gas are present.
Surgical masks are also not the same as procedural masks. Procedural masks are used in clean environments in hospitals including intensive care and maternity units, but they are not approved for sterile environments such as the operating room.
CDC Updated Guidelines on Mask Usage
The CDC has recently relaxed guidelines on the use of masks to allow hospitals and other healthcare centers to stretch resources during this time of extreme demand. Some of these measures include:
Removing face masks for visitors in public areas unless they’re exhibiting symptoms.
Extended use of face masks, such as continuing to wear the same mask while seeing multiple patients. It’s important to note the mask is to be disposed of if it becomes soiled, damaged, or difficult to breathe through. Additionally, the wearer cannot touch the outside of the mask. Wearers should only remove the mask once they’re away from the patient care area.
Having patients showing symptoms use tissues or other barriers to cover their mouth and nose while healthcare workers use masks.
Using masks past the manufacturer sell-by date, as long as they aren’t damaged.
Canceling elective procedures where face masks would be required.
Limited reuse of face masks, where they are taken off and put back on between seeing patients. This should only be done for masks that aren’t soiled, damaged, or difficult to breathe through. Masks should be stored while folded inward to avoid contamination, and tie back masks should not be used for this. Wearers should remove them only once they’re away from the patient care area.
Prioritizing masks for necessary activities. This includes necessary surgeries and procedures, when there is a possibility of splashes or spray, for prolonged close contact with potentially infectious patients, or for aerosol-generating procedures if there are no respirators.
How are Surgical Masks Made?
Surgical face masks are made with non-woven fabric, which has better bacteria filtration and air permeability while remaining less slippery than woven cloth. The material most commonly used to make them is polypropylene, either 20 or 25 grams per square meter (gsm) in density. Masks can also be made of polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyethylene, or polyester.
20 gsm mask material is made in a spunbond process, which involves extruding the melted plastic onto a conveyor. The material is extruded in a web, in which strands bond with each other as they cool. 25 gsm fabric is made through meltblown technology, which is a similar process where plastic is extruded through a die with hundreds of small nozzles and blown by hot air to become tiny fibers, again cooling and binding on a conveyor. These fibers are less than a micron in diameter.
Surgical masks are made up of a multi-layered structure, generally by covering a layer of textile with non-woven bonded fabric on both sides. Non-wovens, which are cheaper to make and cleaner thanks to their disposable nature, are made with three or four layers. These disposable masks are often made with two filter layers effective at filtering out particles such as bacteria above 1 micron. The filtration level of a mask, however, depends on the fiber, the way it’s manufactured, the web’s structure, and the fiber’s cross-sectional shape. Masks are made on a machine line that assembles the nonwovens from bobbins, ultrasonically welds the layers together, and stamps the masks with nose strips, ear loops, and other pieces.
Completed masks are then sterilized before being sent out of the factory.
Surgical Mask Tests
Once surgical masks are made, they must be tested to ensure their safety in various situations. There are five tests they must be put through:
Bacteria filtration efficiency in vitro (BFE). This test works by shooting an aerosol with staphylococcus aureus bacteria at the mask at 28.3 liters per minute. This ensures the mask can catch the percentage of bacteria it’s supposed to.
Particle Filtration Efficiency. Also known as the latex particle challenge, this test involves spraying an aerosol of polystyrene microspheres to ensure the mask can filter the size of the particle it’s supposed to.
Breathing resistance. To ensure the mask will hold its shape and have proper ventilation while the wearer breathes, breathing resistance is tested by shooting a flow of air at it, then measuring the difference in air pressure on both sides of the mask.
Splash resistance. In splash resistance tests, surgical masks are splashed with simulated blood using forces similar to human blood pressure to ensure the liquid cannot penetrate and contaminate the wearer.
Flammability. Since several elements of an operating room can easily cause fire, surgical masks are tested for flammability by being set on fire to measure how slowly it catches and how long the material takes to burn. ASTM levels 1, 2, and 3 are all required to be Class 1 flame resistant.
Can Any Manufacturer Become a Surgical Mask Manufacturer?
It is possible for a generic manufacturer, such as a garment factory, to become a mask manufacturer, but there are many challenges to overcome. It’s also not an overnight process, as products must be approved by multiple bodies and organizations. Hurdles include:
Navigating test and certification standards organizations. A company must know the web of test organizations and certification bodies as well as who can give them which services. Government agencies including the FDA, NIOSH, and OSHA set protection requirements for end users of products like masks, and then organizations such as the ISO and NFPA set performance requirements around these protection requirements. Then test method organizations such as ASTM, UL, or AATCC create standardized methods to ensure a product is safe. When a company wants to certify a product as safe, it submits its products to a certification body such as CE or UL, which then tests the product itself or uses an accredited third party testing facility. Engineers evaluate the test results against performance specifications, and if it passes, the organization puts its mark on the product to show it’s safe. All of these bodies are interrelated; employees of certification bodies and manufacturers sit on the boards of standards organizations as well as end users of the products. A new manufacturer must be able to navigate the interrelated web of organizations that handle its specific product to ensure the mask or respirator it creates is properly certified.
Navigating government processes. The FDA must approve surgical masks, which under pre-pandemic circumstances could be a long process, especially for a first-time company that hasn’t gone through the process before. However, the FDA has recently relaxed rules to allow some companies to get emergency use authorizations for surgical masks. It is also willing to work with manufacturers pivoting from other products. More information as of April 2020 can be found here.
Knowing the standards to which a product must be manufactured. Manufacturers need to know the testing that a product will go through so they can make it with consistent results and ensure it’s safe for the end user. The worst case scenario for a safety product manufacturer is a recall because it destroys their reputation. PPE customers can be difficult to attract since they tend to stick to proven products, especially when it could literally mean their lives are on the line.
Competition against large companies. Over the past decade or so, smaller companies in this industry have been acquired and consolidated into larger companies like Honeywell. Surgical masks and respirators are highly specialized products that larger companies with experience in this area can manufacture more easily. Partly from this ease, larger companies can also make them more cheaply, and therefore offer products at a lower price. Additionally, the polymers used in creating masks are often proprietary formulas.
Navigating foreign governments. For manufacturers specifically wishing to sell to Chinese buyers in the wake of the 2019 coronavirus outbreak, or a similar situation, there are laws and government bodies that must be navigated.
Getting supplies. Currently there are mask material shortages, especially with melt-blown fabric. A single melt-blow machine can take months to make and install due to its need to consistently produce an extremely precise product. Because of this it has been difficult for melt-blown fabric manufacturers to scale up, and the massive global demand for masks made from this fabric has created shortages and price hikes.
Sourcing for Mask Materials
While materials for surgical masks have undergone shortages due to the ongoing pandemic, open-source patterns and instructions for masks made of more common materials have been popping up across the internet. Although these are meant for DIYers, they can also be used as a starting point for commercial patterns and production. We’ve found three mask pattern examples and provided links to sourcing categories on Thomasnet.com to help you get started.
Regional Medical Center
The Olson Mask: This mask is designed to be donated to hospitals, which will add the hair ties and waxed string for a better fit to the individual healthcare worker, as well as inserting the .3 micron filter.
The Fu Face Mask: This website includes an instruction video for how to make this face mask. The pattern requires you to measure the circumference of your head.
Cloth Mask Pattern: Sew It Online’s mask includes the pattern design on the instructions. Once the user prints the instructions out, they can simply cut out the pattern and start working.
Supplies
Quantity
Thomas Sourcing Categories
Fabric Scraps
Need 1 light and 1 dark color fabric for visible contrast
Now that we’ve outlined details on the types of surgical masks, how surgical masks are made, and challenges to companies trying to break into the field, we hope this will enable you to source more effectively.
The purpose of this document is to collect and present research on the way surgical masks are manufactured. While we endeavor to curate and create the most up-to-date information, please note that we cannot guarantee 100% accuracy.
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