We, parents of Timothy Kwang, want to give glory to our Lord Jesus Christ for His abundant grace and favour upon our son and upon VLCS.
Timothy has been granted National Service deferment till 2014 to complete his American High School Diploma studies in VLCS.
This deferment approval is an awesome miracle from our Lord. We want to recount our journey of faith (and honestly, anxiety too) in praying for VLCS and our son, and how God has displayed His wondrous splendour and power, and of love and mercy on us.
As late as early June 2012, though work was in progress, VLCS had yet to obtain its CPE approval status. And this CPE certificate is a prerequisite to be eligible for Mindef to consider deferment for our students.
Race against time
It was a race against time. Our son, Timothy, was fast approaching his 18th birthday in July, which for a Singaporean boy means time for National Service enlistment. In fact he had already received pre-enlistment communications from the Ministry of Defence way back in December 2011.
We did all the needful and even approached Mindef personally to appeal for deferment for our son so that he can complete his Year 12 to qualify for the American High School Diploma. Our appeal was rejected because VLCS was not a CPE approved school yet, and thus our application was not eligible for Mindef’s consideration.
Timothy was very much dismayed. Because of gaps in the two different education systems, he started in VLCS at Year 9. He was at about Year 10 in 2012, and would need about two more years to complete his Year 12 to get his diploma. He asked our Lord why he was prevented from completing his basic education not once or twice but thrice!! “Three times, Lord, why, why, why?” he asked, “Why won’t you let me finish my schooling?”
(Just for some background information, Timothy was down with a severe and debilitating illness in 2010 just before the GCE O level examination. He relapsed in 2011 when repeating his O level in his then St Andrew’s Secondary School. He was thus prevented from completing his O level education twice. Having to leave VLCS for National Service in 2012 would mean he would be obstructed from completing his basic education thrice in a row! It would be a hard blow on him.)
Praying parents pound on Heaven’s door
Our family prayed for God’s intervention and also for His will to be done. I sought reinforcement by raising the issue at the weekly Praying Parents’ Partnership Group of VLCS. Together, we knocked, or rather pounded, on Heaven’s door asking for God’s favour to grant the school the CPE status and its ensuing eligibility for NS deferment for the male students.
Praise be to God that HE gave us the CPE status in mid June 2012. Immediately, armed with this certification, we applied to Mindef for Timothy’s NS deferment. However, Mindef needed time to study the school to ascertain its eligibility. “Oh, God! This is the time for YOU to show YOURSELF Big, real BIG. Please, Lord!” I implored Him.
Meanwhile, by August 30, Timothy was asked to report for enlistment on Oct 9, 2012. The situation looked bleak.
But praise to our God who is never late! The deferment approval for him to complete grade 10 came on September 3rd 2012. (Three months from application to approval but just in time, not late. Praise be to God for His grace.) The enlistment order was rescinded. Timothy is the first student of VLCS to be granted NS deferment in the history of the school. Praise the Lord! Right after him, two other students in the school were also granted deferment.
“The LORD is (indeed) close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
In January 2013, Mindef extended the deferment to 2014 for Timothy to pursue Year 11 and 12 of his studies.
We are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. We indeed serve an Almighty God whose arm is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. (Isaiah 59:1; 50:2)
What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? (Deuteronomy 4:7)
Shalom,
Winnie and CT Kwang
