My Solace and My Home – Sister Pearlynn Pang
My parents are great parents. They have taken care of my sisters and me really well and always put effort in protecting our interests. I tend to, however, see things differently from them. I was withdrawn and introverted in my family. Ever since I was young, I had always loved being alone in my own ideal world. They had trouble reaching out to me as I tended to withdraw to myself a lot. I felt that they could not understand me, and neither could I understand them. As a result, I also did and said many things that hurt my parents.
I learnt and tried to do many things on my own. However, everything often seemed so stressful to me. I used to have panic attacks and pent-up emotions because I was not the best at talking to people about them. I kept many things to myself. One good thing, however,
was that I grew up believing that someone was up there for me. Even though I did not know who exactly He was, I had often prayed randomly whenever I needed help. Surprisingly, my prayers were mostly always answered. Being a rather feelings-oriented person, I trusted that that someone was looking out for me. This seemed very irrational because it was all based on how I felt. But I just believed it.
My friend brought me to church after A levels. Honestly, I was very attracted to God’s perfection. I simply loved God’s compassionate, kind and loving world. What made me say the sinners’ prayer was how I finally felt that, wow, I can live in such a world too. I can live in a world that is so right and perfect. I invited Christ into my life because I acknowledge Him as my one and only Saviour who created and loved me for who I am. I felt a sense of belonging with Him. He gives me peace and comfort in times of difficulties. My panic attacks also became less frequent. Ever since, I no longer experience them anymore.
Most importantly, God taught me how to honour my parents and to see things from their perspective. He taught me that my parents love me very much too and I should work hard to build my relationship with them. Even though things take time to change, my relationship with my parents have improved a lot in these past three years since I came to know Christ. God really repairs relationships and I hope that my family too can see how good God is. It is really a blessing that God is in my life!
I Can Do All These through Him who Gives Me Strength – Sister Mak Choy Lin
The Past Me
My parents doted on me since young. I was arrogant and had a temper that, once unleashed, could not be controlled. My mouth uttered vulgarity; I was willful and quarrelsome. I was guilty of all these! My brother could not control me, and my sister kept a distance from me and moved out to live by herself. At that time, our livelihood depended on my parents’ leaving for work early and my mother’s bee hoon stall which opened in the night. Although I was a mischievous child, I helped my parents take care of the home. I attended school, cooked, set up the night stall, and took care of my two brothers. When I was older, my superstitious mother said my I would have a difficult life and needed to work overseas in order to feed myself. Thus in 1998, my mother encouraged me to go to Singapore to look for a job. Thus, I left for Singapore alone.
The Present Me that is Changing
My first job was a woman factory worker. I was not optimistic about my future. As a believer in the goddess of mercy, upon seeing a temple, I would pray and offer up incense. My job was not smooth sailing. Two year later, a colleague who was a devout Christian, sister Qiu Feng, brought me for the first time to Calvary Jurong BP Church. (Sister Qiu Feng told me that she had been praying for me for a long time before she mustered up the courage to invite me to church. I am thankful for her faith that led me to know Christ!) In the midst of an unceasing stream of love, in September 1988 after the church’s gospel rally, I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. Very happily I called mother to tell her of my decision. Mother sternly told me that I could believe in Jesus but never to be baptised. With the Lord’s grace, I found a better job. I stayed alone in the hostel of Calvary Pandan BP Church. For convenience, Sister Qiu Feng led me to nearby Calvary Pandan BP Church. The faithful sisters-in Christ who loved the Lord knew that I was alone and they cared for me. They would remind me on Friday night to attend fellowship on Saturday, and then again remind me on Saturday night to attend worship service on Sunday. In the past, each time when I passed by churches and see gentle and courteous Christians dressed smartly with a smile on their faces, I would greatly envy them. Finally, now I could experience the sincere care and love of brothers and sisters-in-Christ, and the peace and joy a Christian would experience. In 1990 when, as was my usual practice, I called to tell my mother of my progress in my job and the joy I experienced, mother told me in a serious tone that in the past three years, she had observed my change and my growth after I believed in Christ. In the past, Choy Lin’s stubborn and hard heart has been changed by the Lord Jesus into one that is as soft as toufu. Mother was very grateful to the Lord Jesus for saving her daughter. She thus instructed me to be baptised in Calvary Pandan BP Church to become a real Christian.
The Present Me
In 2015, I am grateful for Chu Ling who brought me to Tree Of Life Christian Church. Pastor Andrew, Elder Kerh Li, Elder Chin Tian, Deacon Xing Guo and Deacon Lawrence loved the Lord very much and cared deeply for church members. I happily worshiped with brothers and sisters and enjoyed the joy of fellowship. I joyfully served with the sisters responsible for refreshment. This allows church members from English and Chinese congregations to fellowship while enjoying delicious food. Thank God Choy Lin’s signature curry chicken, sandwiches, sushi and braised eggs were warmly received with love. Thank God for the encouragement of brothers and sisters. I sincerely thank God for giving me this opportunity and strength to serve Him, and enabling me to do my best to serve the church and her members.
My life is filled with numerous tests and scares. From job hunting to being oppressed by supervisors, changing jobs, attending upgrading courses, and then being acknowledged and protected by my supervisor. In every part of this turbulent life journey, I see the Lord’s protection and care. My diagnosis of third stage colorectal cancer was discovered in the nick of time because the Lord loves me. I could face this sickness and undergo treatment with a positive attitude because I have great faith in the Lord. I entrust myself completely to the Lord. Recently, the Lord allowed me to successfully receive a pay-out from an insurance policy for 40 types of illnesses. I have faith that the Lord’s grace is sufficient. Because of life in Christ, I do not need to worry about food or clothes and in sickness. Praise the Lord!
I would like to share with everyone a verse and a hymn. They have encouraged and supported me in every moment of my life so that I could walk on courageously. I hope they will give strength to everyone too.
“I can do all these through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13
Hymn [Day by Day]
Day by day dear my LORD I ask of you three things,
To see you more clearly,
To love you more dearly,
To follow you more nearly,
Day by day.
My Household Will Serve the Lord – Brother Eric Goh
My family started worshipping in Calvary Jurong BP Church in 1980 when my uncle, an Elder in Sharon BP Church, brought us there. I was then in primary 4 and knew nothing about Christianity. The following year I accepted Christ and was infant baptised. That night when I prayed the sinner’s prayer, I suddenly felt a load of burden come off my shoulder and felt peace in my heart. Since then I have never looked back. My faith in God began to grow as I read the Bible daily and learned more about God.
I could also see the transformation in my life. Before I received Jesus as my Saviour, I was living a life of sin where fighting daily and stealing were a norm to me.
In 1984 I was elected by the session as president of Junior Fellowship. I rejected the offer at first because I felt that I was spiritually inadequate to lead. Through my father’s encouragement I accepted the offer. That year was the most challenging year for me as I had to learn to pray in public. Each week I had to go on stage to do an opening prayer in front of adults and children before starting the fellowship meeting proper. I was also asked to be the camp leader for the annual Junior Fellowship camp. Our Junior Fellowship advisor left the planning to us as a form of training. It was through this challenging training that I realised how hard it was to be a leader. You had to be an example for the rest to follow.
I was promoted to the Youth Fellowship the following year. That was the most challenging time for me. Besides serving as a YF committee member, I also served during Sunday worship service as an usher and AV crew, and sang in the church choir. My Sunday was normally spent in church until 3pm. As the years went by I had to give up some areas of service due to more personal commitments. But I persisted in serving God in the Youth Fellowship and in ushering. Ten years ago, my children started worshipping in TOLCC while I chose to remain in Calvary Jurong BP Church. I was still active in the Young Adult Fellowship and also as a teacher for the Young Teens on Sundays.
Two years ago I decided it was time to relinquish my duties in Calvary Jurong BP Church and I started to worship God together with my children as a family in TOLCC. As a Christian for the past 30 years I have never looked back. Yes, God never promised us that the Christian life was a bed of roses. There are always trials and temptations along the way that makes us want to give up following Christ. But God promised to give us strength to overcome each trial and temptation. It is through these trials and temptations that strengthen our faith towards God. As head of the family and having seen my children serve God faithfully in TOLCC, I will abide by the words from Joshua 24:15b: “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”