Feby, as she is known, spoke about how her husband transformed himself and of his bravery in the face of death.
“No one could face death like him,” Feby told the congregation.
“While he led the seven prisoners to the place where they would kill them he sang. When some of them became slow he said: ‘Come on boys we can sing better than that’.
“When they entered the field they sang Amazing Grace. When they were shot they sang 10,000 Reasons. These were the songs we sang on our engagement, the songs we sang at our wedding.
“They only got to finish the second verse and they took him.”
Feby also told of how Chan refused to close his eyes before his execution and how he wore his glasses that night.
“He never wore his glasses. But he wanted to look them in the eyes. He ended well.”
Feby also recalled her final hours with her new husband before his death.
“That night at 7pm when I got to see him the last time they asked me if I wanted to write him a letter,” she said.
She wrote: “I still believe in miracles like the story of Lazarus. Don’t worry about me. I can see you with Jesus but I know my time hasn’t come yet. Keep singing when they take you to the field.
“Rejoice, I love you, see you soon.”
At the same time, Chan wrote a letter to his wife.
“You will need to continue with the vision on the island,” he wrote.
“Continue to fight for the rights of injustice in this country.”
She revealed when he was being led to the field of his death he said: “Bless Indonesia”.
Earlier, Michael Chan gave a tearful tribute to his little brother.
“Andrew was a great son, brother, uncle and in his remaining months as a pastor he was always thinking of others and their well-being,” Chan said.
“People deserve a second chance in life, people make mistakes and in life and deserve a second chance.
“Andrew showed me that everyone can change and change for the better.”
Michael asked that the Mercy campaign not just be about his brother and fellow executed drug smuggler Myuran Sukumaran, but also about all others around the works who need help.
Michael said he will miss arguing with his brother about who has the best NRL team — the Dogs or Panthers.
“You have done me proud and the family because you have done do much in a short space of time,” Michael said tearfully.
“I promised him at the beginning of this journey that I would be there until the end.
“It definitely made me proud to call you my little brother.”
A choir sang a moving version of Amazing Grace, the same song Chan and his fellow death row prisoners sang just before they faced the firing squad on the Indonesian island of Nusa Kambangan last week.
Fellow Bali Nine member Matthew Norman sent a moving tribute to be read at his friend’s funeral.
“Andrew lived his life to fullest and touched so many people’s lives during his time with us .... I owe Andrew everything he helped me to change my life and become the person I am today,” Norman’s message read.
Eulogist Miranda Riddington brought laughter to the large crowd when she said that only last week Andrew had told her “I love being a pastor in the prison, no one leave.”
She also paid tribute to Chan’s new wife.
“Feby brought out the best in Andrew, he gained so much confidence in himself, he grew in love and he grew more and more handsome by the day,” Ms Riddington said.
She joked about the famous fact that Chan loved his singing but couldn’t sing in tune.
Earlier, thousands of sombre mourners dressed in black filed into the Hillsong Church in Baulkham Hills for the “celebration service” for Chan.
The mother of Chan’s fellow death row prisoner, Myuran Sukumaran,
arrived with her children Chinthu and Brintha. Andrew’s mother Helen
Chan was comforted by friends at the front of the church.
The men’s Australian lawyer Julian McMahon, who fought so hard to save the two Australians was also in attendance.
A pastor who was with Chan and fellow smuggler Myuran Sukumaran on the
Indonesian prison island until they faced the firing squad, said the
Chan family had wanted a small service but that the public response to
the executions had changed that.
Michael Chan asked that instead of buying flowers, people adopt the pay it forward attitude and help someone, or donate their money to a worthy cause.
Andrew Chan’s co-accused Myuran Sukumaran met his death not knowing Filipina maid Mary Jane Veloso had been spared.
This insight is among others from Reverend Christie Buckingham, who was Sukumaran’s spiritual adviser leading up to his and Andrew Chan’s April 29 executions.
She said she was in awe of how both the Australians handled the dreadful situation and is determined to carry out their last wishes — to fight against the death penalty.
Chan and Sukumaran lead the group of eight in hymns including Amazing Grace and Bless the Lord, including the Matt Redman version, known as 10,000 Reasons and at one stage, as the singing lulled Chan called “Come on guys sing louder”.
Ms Buckingham said that she was aware of the firing squads taking
position and aim, using laser pointers through the pitch black night,
and deliberately put her arm up so that Sukumaran did not see them in
the distance, but continued to focus on her.
Ms Buckingham said that Sukumaran had wanted 10,000 Reasons to be the last song he sang and he was singing this as she and the other spiritual advisers were asked to step away.
Ms Buckingham was the last to leave, stepping backwards as she called to him “Myu can you hear me, I said keep singing, I said you are still going to hear me” as she moved toward the tent designated several metres away.
“At that moment he looked up to heaven and said ‘I trust you Lord, I trust you.” Chan called out “God Bless you Mrs B” as she moved away.
The spiritual advisers then moved into the tent and continued singing while the eight condemned men, lead by Chan, also sang.
“Then there was the shots and there was complete silence,” Ms Buckingham
said. The group then prayed desperately that there would not be the
need for any more shots, which they had
been told they must all witness. She is still in awe at how Chan and Sukumaran handled what was a terrifying and dreadful ordeal.
“He (Sukumaran) walked out of there with dignity, with honour, with courage, with grace,” she said of the moment they were asked to leave their jail cells to go to the killing field.
She, along with the spiritual advisers for the others, spent three minutes with Sukumaran after he had been tied to a wooden pole for execution before being asked to step away and wait in a nearby tent.
She had earlier spent about 90 minutes with Sukumaran in his isolation cell at Besi Prison on Nusakambangan island, praying and talking as the minutes ticked down to the end.
They were then driven to the execution ground and the advisers waited in a tent while the men were strapped to the wooden poles, wearing white T-shirts. As they were being taken to the wooden poles the condemned group sang “Mighty to Save...
May there souls rest in peace #BaliNine
“They only got to finish the second verse and they took him.”
Feby also told of how Chan refused to close his eyes before his execution and how he wore his glasses that night.
Feby also recalled her final hours with her new husband before his death.
“That night at 7pm when I got to see him the last time they asked me if I wanted to write him a letter,” she said.
She wrote: “I still believe in miracles like the story of Lazarus. Don’t worry about me. I can see you with Jesus but I know my time hasn’t come yet. Keep singing when they take you to the field.
“Rejoice, I love you, see you soon.”
"Love of his life ... A photo of Andew Chan and wife Feby shown in a slideshow to the congregation"
At the same time, Chan wrote a letter to his wife.
“You will need to continue with the vision on the island,” he wrote.
“Continue to fight for the rights of injustice in this country.”
She revealed when he was being led to the field of his death he said: “Bless Indonesia”.
Earlier, Michael Chan gave a tearful tribute to his little brother.
“Andrew was a great son, brother, uncle and in his remaining months as a pastor he was always thinking of others and their well-being,” Chan said.
“People deserve a second chance in life, people make mistakes and in life and deserve a second chance.
Michael asked that the Mercy campaign not just be about his brother and fellow executed drug smuggler Myuran Sukumaran, but also about all others around the works who need help.
“You have done me proud and the family because you have done do much in a short space of time,” Michael said tearfully.
“I promised him at the beginning of this journey that I would be there until the end.
“It definitely made me proud to call you my little brother.”
A choir sang a moving version of Amazing Grace, the same song Chan and his fellow death row prisoners sang just before they faced the firing squad on the Indonesian island of Nusa Kambangan last week.
Fellow Bali Nine member Matthew Norman sent a moving tribute to be read at his friend’s funeral.
“Andrew lived his life to fullest and touched so many people’s lives during his time with us .... I owe Andrew everything he helped me to change my life and become the person I am today,” Norman’s message read.
Eulogist Miranda Riddington brought laughter to the large crowd when she said that only last week Andrew had told her “I love being a pastor in the prison, no one leave.”
She also paid tribute to Chan’s new wife.
“Feby brought out the best in Andrew, he gained so much confidence in himself, he grew in love and he grew more and more handsome by the day,” Ms Riddington said.
She joked about the famous fact that Chan loved his singing but couldn’t sing in tune.
Earlier, thousands of sombre mourners dressed in black filed into the Hillsong Church in Baulkham Hills for the “celebration service” for Chan.
"Grief shows ... Myuran Sukumaran’s mother Raji arrives at Andrew Chan's funeral at Hillsong Church in Baulkham Hills."
"Andrew Chan's Mother"
Michael Chan asked that instead of buying flowers, people adopt the pay it forward attitude and help someone, or donate their money to a worthy cause.
“God Bless you Mrs B”
Andrew Chan’s co-accused Myuran Sukumaran met his death not knowing Filipina maid Mary Jane Veloso had been spared.
This insight is among others from Reverend Christie Buckingham, who was Sukumaran’s spiritual adviser leading up to his and Andrew Chan’s April 29 executions.
She said she was in awe of how both the Australians handled the dreadful situation and is determined to carry out their last wishes — to fight against the death penalty.
Chan and Sukumaran lead the group of eight in hymns including Amazing Grace and Bless the Lord, including the Matt Redman version, known as 10,000 Reasons and at one stage, as the singing lulled Chan called “Come on guys sing louder”.
"Spiritual adviser Christie Buckingham making one of the last trips to
Nusakambangan island with the men’s lawyer Julian McMahon"
Ms Buckingham said that Sukumaran had wanted 10,000 Reasons to be the last song he sang and he was singing this as she and the other spiritual advisers were asked to step away.
Ms Buckingham was the last to leave, stepping backwards as she called to him “Myu can you hear me, I said keep singing, I said you are still going to hear me” as she moved toward the tent designated several metres away.
“At that moment he looked up to heaven and said ‘I trust you Lord, I trust you.” Chan called out “God Bless you Mrs B” as she moved away.
The spiritual advisers then moved into the tent and continued singing while the eight condemned men, lead by Chan, also sang.
been told they must all witness. She is still in awe at how Chan and Sukumaran handled what was a terrifying and dreadful ordeal.
“He (Sukumaran) walked out of there with dignity, with honour, with courage, with grace,” she said of the moment they were asked to leave their jail cells to go to the killing field.
She, along with the spiritual advisers for the others, spent three minutes with Sukumaran after he had been tied to a wooden pole for execution before being asked to step away and wait in a nearby tent.
She had earlier spent about 90 minutes with Sukumaran in his isolation cell at Besi Prison on Nusakambangan island, praying and talking as the minutes ticked down to the end.
They were then driven to the execution ground and the advisers waited in a tent while the men were strapped to the wooden poles, wearing white T-shirts. As they were being taken to the wooden poles the condemned group sang “Mighty to Save...
May there souls rest in peace #BaliNine
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