Recently, the Lord gently rebuked me through the book of Haggai 1 to consider my ways: Does my priority lie in being occupied with building my own house or the Lord's house? You see, the Israelites were not oblivious to the work of the Lord. Temple building was on their to-do list, but it was more of a matter of when. So often we forget that God doesn't need a house! And yet, He uses us as the body of Christ to build his house. Ultimately, He desires a house because he yearns for a relationship with His people. It's from His house that he mediates his blessings to His people! Oh how that radically changes the way we view our priority, acknowledging that temple work is hard, but recognizing that it is truly a privilege and not a responsibility when we have the opportunity to invest in someone's life, disciple someone, or even share a smile with those that are hard to love. May this passage challenge us to reconsider our priorities for the new year ahead.
This month at work has truly been a bittersweet one- my principal leaving, and two students graduating- I was an emotional wreck on the last day of school.
My principal has been more than a principal to me. In fact, from the day I had my job interview with her, I was overwhelmed by her lovingkindness, her genuine care, and her love for the students. It felt like catching up with a long-time friend. As the months progressed, I had the opportunity to take the front-row seat to witness her virtues in action. She deeply cares for each student and each member of the LHS team. One of my colleagues even shared with me how our principal would invite her to come into the office not to talk about work but about burdens on her heart. She shared that whenever she received news of the teams' loved ones passing, she wouldn't just convey her condolences, or even send them flowers, but will personally be present at the wake itself! Full of radiance, generosity, and a servant-heart, she is someone that I will sincerely miss.
This past month has been encouraging as my pre-conceptions and walls of certain colleagues got torn down, as well as the gentle lessons learned that I cannot please every one of my colleagues. I used to hold a tainted view of one of my colleagues solely because I was struck by how stern she could be towards her students. Yet God used her to humble me and remind me of my tendency to judge others before I really got to know them. Within the past few months, I've had such sweet, intimate chats with her, she's shared nuggets of her experience in SPED schools, and she's even treated me to bubble tea! She lights up my day with her beautiful smile and greetings every single morning! Oh, I'm so thankful for her!
I've also been so encouraged by one of my colleagues who used to be a devout Muslim. Through opportunities to work alongside each other, I've learned that he's a Christian! I had the chance to hear about his testimony and he shared about how he was invited to a Christmas service and heard the plain, undiluted Gospel being preached. He was extremely intrigued and decided to pick up the Bible on his own. He felt awful that he hadn't even finished reading the Quran, and so after the Koran, he started reading the Bible. He shared with me that he was so thankful that he wasn't asked to read one of the 4 gospel books then, and he took it upon himself to start with Genesis. He realized how the Quran was just a summary of Genesis, but Genesis was so detailed and answered so many more questions he couldn't find in the Quran! He also mentioned that he noticed that Christians around me were loving and serving people from a place that's been first filled with the grace of God before overflowing it to others, instead of serving from a place of desiring to do good works (works-based salvation). Wow, I was so in awe! God is so, so good! There's something so incredibly special about getting to hear testimonies from people who were once Muslims. It truly widens your perspective and deepens your appreciation for God's undeserving and unfathomable grace!
This month was also form teacher and class allocation month, a nerve-wracking time for all teachers. Admittedly, I realized that I feel that way too because deep down, I have my likes and dislikes but I was quickly being brought to mind of my sinful tendency to believe certain preconceptions about others without even getting to know them first. One of my sweet colleagues gently reminded me of the importance of giving each child a chance- looking past their physical disabilities- and intentionally investing in each child. I loved the culture and spirit of this school! People were so quick to celebrate the class I was given. I'm genuinely excited for the year ahead. I know I have so much to learn, but the thought of having a class of my own, and the ample opportunities I will have to deeply know and love my kids makes my heart so warm and grateful. Oh Lord, may my students see Christ in me that you may get all the due glory and praise.
Wow, I've written so much and haven't even had the chance to talk about my students yet! Please forgive me if this newsletter turns out rather draggy! I truly give thanks to God for the golden opportunity to share the plain, undiluted Gospel with one of my classes through an introduction to why people celebrate Christmas. I also had a chat with one of my other students and found the opportunity to share with him that I'm a Christian. He mentioned that his hometown is in Batam, and I shared that I was there recently! He was so excited that I've been there before and I had the chance to share that I was there on a mission trip, and our conversation slowly led to the Gospel. Truly pray that despite having to use sign language as my means of communication, I will continue to seize every opportunity to show him who Jesus is.
Our school had a prize-giving day each year and this was my first time being involved in the entire process. Watching the students shine on stage with their unique gifts and talents brought nothing but tears of joy. Getting the chance to work closely with a bunch of students made that whole evening ten times more sentimental and sweet. Oh, who knew that I would love these children to such a level where words aren't enough to describe the kind of love I have for them!
Whimsical Interlude
This sweet sister in Christ literally made me feel like a princess. She went all out to make sure every moment was centered on me. I felt so incredibly loved and cherished. 4 hours flew by! Oh how I'm so thankful for the heart-to-heart chat we had, for getting to hear about the Lord's faithfulness and how he crafted such a powerful love story for your family, bringing you low so that you may boast in anyone but Christ! Ms S. means the world to me and I deeply treasure the sisterhood we share in Christ!
I broke my record with sweet Emma, having an early breakfast meetup at 7:30 am in the morning! But oh, what a precious morning it was. There's something so special about journeying with older women, getting to hear their testimonies, their family background, and the ways in which God brought them low to draw them nearer to Christ. Emma did just that. She deeply cares and loves, and she has the biggest heart of hospitality! You hear glimpses about her from afar, but she fulfills just that and so much more! My heart is so full and filled with joy at the opportunity to witness Christ in the lives of those who have walked before me and yet, are still clinging onto the certain hope of the Gospel.
As my youngest brother is approaching his teenage years in the blink of an eye, I wanted to find time to make him feel loved and special. As a celebration of his birthday and big exam this year, we finally had the chance to spend nearly an entire day with each other. We started off by heading to Wild Wild Wet, followed by dinner, and ended the day snuggled tight to watch a movie. Oh how I realized that oftentimes, we buy into the belief that money can buy happiness. But throughout my day with my brother, the Lord reminded me through him of just how it's the little things that matter. There were countless times when he would ask me to go on the lazy river with him instead of the exhilarating slides solely because he wanted to chat with me. Many of you probably recall that I didn't pass my PSLE and had to retake the exam. With my youngest brother in the same boat as me, I choose thanksgiving for I realize that God has given me yet another chance to invest in his life, whether it's bringing him out for a treat, helping him with his homework, or even just the promise I had to him that I didn't get to fulfill of sending him for his exams, oh God, please humble me and put me in a heart posture that desires to invest in my brother's life. I love him so much!
One of the sweetest moments I will always treasure during my college years were the times when I got to gather with a few brothers and sisters to sing praises to the Lord and pray for the school/one another in an intimate setting. These moments never fail to remind me of the beauty of community, as well as how God doesn't require us to come to him with special talents or an elaborate setup (e.g. a physical church). Rather, coming before the throne of grace with our brokenness and dependence on Him brings Him delight, honour, and glory. I'm so grateful for these people that He has placed in my life who truly desire the Lord more than anything this world can offer. May we seek to make Him known no matter where we go!
Partner Me In Prayer
- I hesitated to share this here, but realizing that I am surrounded by fellow co-workers who are praying for me, I would appreciate prayers on this aspect too. Recently, I learned that one of my students, for lack of a better word, has a crush on me. Initially, I dismissed the thought when his classmates told me the piece of news. However, as time passed, I noticed that he would seek every opportunity to get to know me better. Please don't get me wrong, he is a very sweet and hardworking student. But being someone who's easily emotionally affected, I definitely want to set my boundaries as a teacher. Would you please pray that I will pursue discernment, and ultimately use this opportunity to allow him to see me as someone that he can trust, someone that he can see Jesus in. I pray that I will find the chance to share the Gospel with him, especially since I learned that he attends a prosperity gospel church.
- I was on a SPED teacher training course in the last week of this month with one of my colleagues. She's really more of a friend to me and I thank God for the chance to spend so much quality time with one another, which we usually don't get to at school. I thank God for the opportunity to reconnect with her on a deeper level since our last meetup when I first joined this school. Please pray that I will continue to cultivate a heart posture of genuine care and interest in her life. I was reminded that people can tell if you're trying to push an agenda on them. Pray that I will earnestly desire to take interest in her life, and continue to find opportunities to share the Gospel with her.
