The (In)tangible Rewards of a Teacher

I first started teaching after graduating from NIE in 1992 at Dunman Secondary School.

My first form class was Sec 4H - about 20 odd of them in the Normal Stream. A few of the boys were taller and bigger than me. They were good kids, just marginalised in the education system. I had to teach them Literature - a subject that was pretty foreign to them. They struggled to do well and I struggled with them. They had to learn Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice" - something that looks English but not exactly...they had that "loo gong si mi???" look often.

But they did to go on to their 5th year of study and graduated with O levels!! Some went on to pursue a degree programme - am so proud of them!!!

Today, I've lost touch with many of them. But on Sat 28 July, out of the blue, a cosy lunch meeting was arranged - just with Sushan and Jinjin. And Sushan brought her 3-yr-old, Rachel... so cute... She is now a mother of two, the younger one, a boy, Reagan, being 4-mth-old.

And Jinjin bought us lunch and brought us gifts. It's nice to be remembered... :)

Tree planted by streams of water

A few days ago, a vision of me being like a tree with emerging young leaves was told to me! I was greatly encouraged and was reminded of Psalm 1:3:

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose

leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

I want to be like this tree! To do so, I know I must be near the living water and seek first the kingdom of God.

A step nearer to being like this tree was made when I attended the New Life Encounter Retreat from 6 to 8 July. I learnt the importance of forgiveness - forgiving others, God and myself and not let my past hinder my personal growth.

Felicia, the one who invited Jeany, Drina, Winnie and I to NLE, also took a step of growth and faith when she was baptised today at Riverlife Church. We rejoice with her!

People come, people go

God sends people into our lives at appropriate times.

My big boss, Soo Yin, is leaving and her farewell lunch is today - 26 July at Megumi Japanese Restaurant. I've learnt a lot from her and through whatever interactions I have had with her, I've been blessed.



Keng Yeow left the department on 22 Jun this year and we had his farewell lunch at Foo Place on 19 Jun. He's like a big brother to me and he's such a joker. Hard to believe he is now a judge.

Peter is next to go - his last day is 4 Sept. He's another joker and he's taught me a lot from his experience.

Meeting Pastor Moses and Esther

Pastor Moses and Esther come from Nagaland, India. Winnie and I got to meet them on 23 July and I've learnt a couple of impt lessons from them.

1. Esther shared about the conversion of Lydia, a businesswoman in Acts 16 - how Paul spoke to the women gathered by the riverside, instead of doing what he intended to do - pray; the Lord opened Lydia's heart (it's the Lord working); she told her family members about God (she spread the good news to her family first) and they were baptised and she extended her hospitality to Paul and his companions (as a result she further prospered in her business).

At the close of her sharing, Esther asked us to reflect on how many souls have we saved. I must confess not many. She challenged us to not just live a life of busyness but one that is for God.

Once again this reminded me of my availability - would I have taken the opportunity to share whenever and wherever God placed me, like Paul? We are not merely adding numbers to God's kingdom but to save people from the fiery flames of the lake of fire and eternal suffering, separated from God.

2. Pastor Moses shared about God's presence and protection from the life of Daniel and his 3 friends. Daniel and his 3 friends stood up for their faith. Daniel was thrown in the lions' den but God sent His angel to shut the lions' mouths. (Daniel 6) The next morning, the king was overjoyed to find him unhurt and Daniel prospered in his reign. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown in the furnace (Daniel 3). In the furnace was a fourth person who looked like "a son of the gods". They emerged unharmed and they were promoted.

This reminded me that whatever situation I am put in (particularly at work - where there are more challenges for me), God is with me and will protect me and at the end of it, I will be "promoted". I take this promotion to be mean that I'll be at a higher level of growth.

Found - Tribute to Grandma

I happened to find the eulogy I wrote when my Grandmother was called home to be with the Lord more than 3 years ago. So, once again to remind myself that I need to make the best of the time I have on earth, preparing for heaven, making a difference, I attach what I have written below .....

A tribute to my grandmother, Mdm Wong Choon Sim,
called home on 16 February 2004

Although my grandmother had not been well, all is definitely well with her soul.
I would like to sum up her life in three words: faith, hope and love.

Faith
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.

My grandmother had great faith. It is her faith that has greatly encouraged me. Even in her sickness, in her pain, she had always prayed for God to heal her. Never did she once blame God for what was happening to her.

When she was hospitalized in May and then in July last year for pneumonia, we were worried that she could not make it for my sister’s wedding in August. But by her faith, she did.

When we asked her where she’d like to go upon her discharge, she said she would like to visit my sister’s place which was on the fourth floor, with no lift landing. We were worried about how she was going to make it. She told my brother-in-law, “I will walk” and by her faith, walk she did.

When she was hospitalized again in January this year, she badly wanted to go home to celebrate Chinese New Year. She was disappointed when the doctor said she was not well to do so, especially when she had a very bad breathless episode lasting about 2 hours. After that episode, she told my sister, “ I thought I would never see the sun rise again”. It was that serious and much later, the doctor hinted that that episode could have been fatal. But, by her faith, she did manage to go home for 4 joyous days in the midst of Chinese New Year (from the 9th day to the 12th day – 30 January to 2 February).

My grandmother truly had great faith.

Hope
1 Timothy 4:10
And for this we labour and strive that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the saviour of all men, especially those who believe.

My grandmother put her hope in God. She had the peace of God which surpasses all understanding and she knew that she would dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6). She once joked that her house in heaven was ready, the only problem was that her passport was not ready yet.

Almost everyday at the hospital, I would sing one of her favourite Hokkien songs to her. The title can be translated as “hold my hand, my Lord” and the last line of the song goes something like: “As I walk before the gate of God, I hear God’s voice calling me, his child to enter into His presence”. This line holds a special significance for us as we know that we are all children of God, called into His presence.

Now, my grandmother has been called into God’s presence. She is now in heaven, with God, in a much better place, where there is no pain and no sorrow. There is only much joy and rejoicing there.

Love
1 John 4:21
And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Upon my grandmother’s death, I had people coming up to me, nurses at the hospital, neighbours, strangers… basically they told me my grandmother had been very nice, she was always smiling, she was sociable…

I witnessed this “niceness” myself. On Saturday morning, the nursing manager on finding out that my grandmother had difficulty swallowing her medicine, took it upon herself to pound the medicine and mix it with orange juice and fed it to her. It was a horrible concoction but my grandmother drank it up bravely and was gracious enough to say “thank you very much” in English to the nursing manager who was non-Chinese.

She never wanted to trouble people. She even apologized to our maid for causing her so much inconvenience. The maid told me that my grandmother had been very sweet to her and she feels her loss greatly. It is as if a knife had pierced through her heart.

I share the same sentiments as our maid. Although my grandmother was never rich materially, she was rich in the ways of God. And this is the legacy she has left behind for us: to have faith, hope and love. She had made a difference in her life. She had been M.A.D – making a difference in her life and this has prompted me to think how I would like to live mine.

Windworkz@All Saints

The big band I'm with, Windworkz, performed at the All Saints' Home on 14 July 2007.

I was the emcee, speaking mostly in Mandarin which was pretty stressful for me. (I had to write out the script in English first before translating them, mostly with the help of my fren, Esther.)

We had lots of fun - playing Jazz standards such as Girl from Ipanema, Fly Me to the Moon, Mack the Knife and Rock Around the Clock.

And we had a combo band with two vocalists - Jeff and Audrey singing Chinese oldies such as Yue Liang Dao Biao Wo De Xin, Ye Lai Xiang, Rong Shu Xia and Shang Hai Tan.

Here's a picture of our audience who were wheeled into the chapel - if you look carefully, you'd see our family members and other supporters in the background...

This is our 4th gig. Windworkz played for the St Luke's ElderCare Charity Event in Feb, Oldham Hall's drama production in Apr and the Tsao Foundation event in May. We believe in fun and fellowship and playing for a good cause. It's amazing how far Windworkz has come since we were formed in January!