Another Testimony – RSC 2014
Testimony by Mrs Priscilla Pham-Poland about the Malaysia Regional Student Convention 2014
I am the mother of Johan Poland. Last year in January, we enrolled Johan in VLCS and we had doubts if we were doing the right thing. In the first year, Johan was not keen to attend RSC and we did not force him to participate. But this year, Johan managed to take part in the School Challenge and he qualified for RSC. As a parent, I wanted to know and see what RSC was all about and to support and encourage Johan at the RSC. Therefore, both Johan and I attended the RSC.
On the 24th August, we all gathered at the airport, and I was amazed at how big the group was. There were about 40 students aged from 8 years to 18 years old, about 13 staff members and 4 parents, totalling 57 of us!
The synergy among the students was very good. They took care of each other, with the older students looking out for the younger ones. The staff members were also very vigilant about the welfare and safety of the students during the whole trip. As a parent, I am happy to know that my child is in good hands with the staff.
Being at RSC, I could witness how RSC is a platform for the children to excel at their events. The children have a chance to build confidence and belief in themselves to perform in front of an audience. This will help in their character building and self-esteem which a classroom will not be able to provide. They also have the chance to see their fellow students participate in different events and this will encourage them to also try doing these events. The students were fantastic at helping each other and encouraging each other at their events. They had time to bond with each other, and team work was evident.
I would encourage every parent to let their child participate and attend RSC to enjoy the synergy, bonding and fellowship which will help build their confidence and belief in themselves. Parents, I would encourage you too to attend at least one RSC to experience what I have experienced. In the words of my son, Johan, “Next year I will do better…” Now, I have no doubts sending Johan to this school.
See you at RSC 2015!
Parent’s Testimony – RSC 2014
Testimony by Mrs Grace Chow about the Malaysia Regional Student Convention 2014
I am Grace, mother of Peyton Choo of Middle School, and I would like to share my experience and observations as a parent attending RSC 2014 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, 25-29 August. I decided to accompany my daughter as this was her first overseas trip with the school. Being a little protective, I insisted on going along even though she pleaded with me not to. As this was our first RSC trip, I wasn’t sure of what to expect. I just knew that it was a competition amongst ACE students from the region.
Prior to that, I noticed that Peyton was busy preparing and practicing her events daily at home. In fact, I did discourage her from participating in so many events, as I didn’t think that she could do it, especially in table tennis, running and solo singing. Nevertheless, Peyton insisted on trying and doing her best. She believed that God would help her and give her the strength. Besides her effort, I must also commend the hard work and dedication of the supervisors in helping the students to prepare for their events.
During the trip, Mrs. Boey and the supervisors took excellent care of the students as if they were their own children. They were all one big happy family! What impressed me most was that the students themselves were very caring and supportive of one another. The older students always looked out for and took care of the younger ones. They displayed the virtues of responsibility and love for one another, like brothers and sisters.
In my opinion, RSC is a good platform to display the students’ talents and abilities, while building their self-confidence when they participate in the competition. The spirit of sportsmanship was also displayed among them. During the competition, everyone was very supportive of each other in cheering and, in events where they did not do that well, in consoling one another.
The other high point was the rally nights. We were very touched by the messages that Pastor Thompson preached every night. They were so impactful, even to me. One that struck me most was about daring to step out of one’s comfort zone to do great things for the glory of God. Lastly, I must also commend the fantastic, delicious meals that were provided during the event.
I would like to encourage all the other students and parents to experience RSC in the future. I was totally blessed by the experience and will continue to allow my daughter to participate in RSC yearly.
Remember, God has a plan for each of our children, and all we have to do is to trust and submit our children to Him. Only Jesus can bring out the best in our children. Once again, I am grateful that I had the chance to experience what RSC was all about. Thank you!
Student Testimony: A Hopeless Situation
“If there’s one thing we learn from the Scriptures, it’s that we can NEVER place a period where God has placed a comma.” This sentence struck me like a slap in the face. Flashing back to 2013 – one of my toughest years ever – I remember wanting to toss away the idea of graduating from high school early. The amount of PACE-work that I had to do was just so overwhelming that I procrastinated like crazy. (Procrastination doesn’t get you anywhere, by the way. Learned that the hard way.) That year, I had my parents choking me with their constant nagging, an interview that gave me so much stress, and internship at a restaurant that pretty much took away most of my precious time. To make the long story short, I was on the verge of giving up, but God picked me up at the right moment and got me back on my feet. 2013 was so full of ups and downs and I even thought that I made a mistake transferring from a public school to an unrecognized, private school that uses the ACE curriculum. I’m not trying to promote anything here, but as I look back, I felt that I made the BEST decision in my whole entire life! My 5 years in Victory Life Christian School was a BLAST and I’m thankful that God brought me there.
My last year in VLCS (2013) was the most memorable. Just when I thought that nothing good was going to come out of my “dilemma”, I saw that it had brought me closer to God and I learned that God is, was, and will always and forever be faithful. I said that I was on the verge of giving up right? Well, God placed people in my life who strengthened me daily in His Word, people who cheered me up every morning (I remember waking up and just crying out to God everyday in my last 3 months of school), and with people who are ever ready to listen and just encourage me whenever something was wrong. He placed people who gave timely sermons and sharings too! It was amazing.
I’m writing this to encourage myself, and any of you, that whenever a situation seems hopeless, God is always there. HE IS FAITHFUL! Remember that! His grace is sufficient for us, and His power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) His arms are not too short to save, nor are his ears too dull to hear. (Isaiah 59:1)
“Because only God can turn a mess into a message, a trial into a triumph, a test into a testimony, and a victim into a victory.”
Nadia graduated from VLCS in November 2013, and is now studying Psychology in Seattle. Visit her original blog (used with permission).
Testimony of Timothy’s NS Deferment
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
Parents’ Testimony – Samantha Hou
Email from Mrs Priscilla Hou:
It is with much gratitude that we write to thank VLCS for all that Samantha has received throughout the entire three and a half years she has spent in the school.
Sam started attending VLCS after completing secondary one in one of the all-girls schools in Singapore. By that time, she was discouraged by the constant bullying that was happening in school, of which she was a victim. She often came home unhappy and distraught. By the middle of secondary one, we were convinced that we needed to rescue her from her daily tormentors. She had lost confidence in herself and was totally helpless when faced with her aggressors.
Within a year after Sam started school in VLCS, she blossomed. She became more confident, and found much joy and pleasure in learning the ACE curriculum. At the same time, she grew in wisdom, not only in things of the physical realm, but also in the things of the spiritual. We were amazed!
Today, Sam is a wonderful young lady who is such a joy to be with. She is kind, thoughtful and cares for the less fortunate. Sam completed the High School Diploma at the age of 16, and applied to Houston Baptist University for a place to study for her first degree. Not only was she offered a place very quickly, she was also offered a Founder’s Scholarship! This indeed came as a complete surprise to us since we had not applied for any scholarship and had most certainly thought that we would not qualify for any! God is good! His favour is upon Sam!
So, thank you, Mrs Boey, Ps Raj, Mrs Valluvan, Mrs Lim and Mrs Liah, for all the hard work you have put in to bring about transformation in the lives of all the children in VLCS, which Sam is proud to be a part of. Thank you for all the opportunities given to groom and to nurture each precious child of God. Sam is very blessed to have been a recipient of all that you have offered to the school – your love, your encouragement and your commitment. She has indeed spent her most impressionable years in the right place, at the right time.
Letter from Graduate’s Parents
We pray that you will be encouraged by this letter from the parents of our youngest graduate, Joshua Chong, who has enrolled in a local university at the early age of 16! (shown below at his graduation from Victory Life Christian School at last year’s Victory Nite)
PS: Don’t forget to share the good news!
Mission Trip Reflections
Here are a few personal reflections that we felt about LTC, DTS, the orphanage and the worship there:
LTC:
Elisha: LTC taught me how selfish I am being with my life.
Timothy: They sacrificed a lot to learn about God and to come to LTC.
Ramona: The simple life they led touched me.
Ecclesiastes: Fun, loving experience.
Samantha: Though there was poverty, there was also happiness and contentment.
Jeremy: If they could sacrifice so much for God, having so little, how much more can we sacrifice for the glory of Him.
Karlo: They are nice.
Eunice: Their lives are simple and they’re very innocent. I can see that they are content with what they have.
Mrs Valluvan: They are contented.
Mrs Lim: I was very, very impressed with their commitment and devotion. I felt that the students knew how to honour the speakers that came up to speak by giving their full attention. I feel they live close to God.
Mr Raj: I feel the peace and love of the Lord, and the love for the Lord fills this place.
Mrs Rajan: It was a very warm experience for me. Everyone I met was superb, and I was able to learn and observe their simplicity, obedience and unity.
Mrs Kwang: I think that LTC is physically self-sufficient as they don’t have to worry about money to feed themselves because they grow their own food.
Mrs Boey: LTC was purposeful in fulfilling its call to make disciples for all nations. The students’ aspiration to reach out to their villages for Jesus is inspiring.
Vino: LTC was a learning experience; one I would never forget.
DTS:
Jeremy: They are spirit-filled people with a fire for God.
Ecclesiastes: It’s amazing how they came all the way from Burma to Thailand just to study.
Karlo: Amazing.
Mrs Valluvan: They are hungry for His Word.
Mrs Rajan: DTS was a very short but lasting experience. I will never forget their smiles and warm greetings, even before entering the class.
Mr Raj: A small place where big dreams are realized.
ORPHANAGE:
Samantha: They were innocent and humble, yet content and they love God.
Elisha: I felt that God was telling me family is not always about blood, but about bond.
Ramona: God is all that matters, and He is family.
Eunice: We must be more thankful that we have our parents.
Mrs Lim: It touched me very deeply. Especially their singing and how they reached out to serve us. I would have loved an opportunity to spend more time with them and for our students to share with them as well. They were very appreciative of the gifts, and when I embraced them, it really touched me for some of them really needed someone to hold them.
Mrs Boey: I was touched by the caring couple who rented a bungalow to house the seven orphans. I was also touched to see them well provided for, especially in the spiritual aspect. I could see that they worship with conviction. It was really good to see the VLCS girls extending love to them through gifts, hugs and friendship.
Vino: Though they had lost much, they still could be sweet and gentle. That’s something really valuable to have.
WORSHIP:
Ramona: We are to be ashamed of our school’s worship.
Karlo: Their worship – phenomenal.
Eunice: They really sang with their hearts. We should learn from them.
Jeremy: Truly inspiring. Even the people not “performing” were worshiping, thus drawing the focus away from the band, but to God.
Ecclesiastes: We can learn a lot from them to improve ourselves.
Samantha: I think they were very enthusiastic. Even though they are less fortunate, they are more sincere in worshiping God.
Elisha: The people in our school are so technical in our worship, but the people there are very sincere as a whole.
Timothy: I really loved their hymns. Loved the sincere way they sang it.
Mrs Kwang: Their worship is fantastic as they worship from their heart. They actually took pains to memorize the hymns.
Mr Raj: The fragrance of praise and worship was evident.
Mrs Lim: Their worship, be it LTC, or the Lahu church, was one of excellence. It was very much for the heart and engaging the Spirit! The worship leaders were also very good. Although I didn’t understand what they were saying, I could feel their connection with the Lord. Everyone was also worshipping with one heart and voice. Very inspiring!
Mrs Valluvan: They were sincere.
Mrs Rajan: I am ashamed of myself; they gave their whole heart and sang with one accord, worshipping in spirit and truth. Their zeal can be heard and seen in their voices. They find joy in God. Though a little flock, but great in the sight of the Lord.
Mrs Boey: Their exuberant worship is amazing, especially knowing that they do not have much, but they are full of hunger and thirst for the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord is there to encourage, educate and empower them to do great things for God.
Mission Trip Journal
SUNDAY 13/11:
We finally arrived! Uncle Terry and Aunty Linda came to fetch us at the airport in two trucks and a van. It was late and we didn’t do much. After reaching the house, which was owned by a man named Kitichai who generously lent it to us for our stay, we unpacked and sat for debrief. Uncle Terry once again told us to be prepared to leave with our hearts stolen away. Not knowing what that meant, many of us didn’t pay heed to it. Little did we know how true that statement was. After the debrief, we went to sleep.
MONDAY 14/11:
Today, Karlo, Jeremy, Ecclesiastes and Mrs Lim made our breakfast. Once we ate our fill, we headed down to LTC. For those who don’t know what that is, LTC, which means Lahu Training Centre, is basically a Bible college. To get there, we took a truck. Instead of sitting in a stuffy air conditioned area with all of us squishing each other, we road at the back of the truck with the cool winter wind and a whole lot of fresh air. It was a wonderful experience, one that many of us had never done before. When we got to LTC, the first thing we saw was their soccer field. It was big! The boys were all excited to play with the other LTC students but we had other things to do first. Mrs Boey shared about the Holy Spirit, Karlo shared his testimony and Mr Raj shared with the LTC students on the beatitudes after a short but wonderful worship session. When done, we broke up into small groups to share and interact with the other students. We found it quite hard as the language barrier posed a huge challenge for both us and the students. Mrs Valluvan, Mrs Lim, Mrs Rajan and some of us students helped out with cooking lunch for the whole school. The menu: chicken curry. It was wonderful! Finally we got to play with the students. The guys played with the guys from LTC, and the girls played with the girls in LTC. After playing, the boys from our school went with the students of LTC to learn how to cut banana trees and the girls climbed the hill to pick tea leaves and mustard seeds. One thing we learned from this was how patient the LTC students were with us. Even when we kept making mistakes, they just laughed it off and showed us the right way. When we got back, Nabi, our translator braided the girls’ hair. By then it was dinner time and we headed to church where we had a scrumptious thanksgiving dinner. After that, we took trucks to Uncle Terry’s church where we had a wonderful church service. Our students played a song, and Mrs Kwang shared her testimony. We finally ended the day with a debrief.
TUESDAY 15/11:
Morning came and Elisha, Ting Yi, Mrs Valluvan and Vino helped set the table and make breakfast. When we were all ready, we headed to LTC once more. It was our last day to be with the LTC students so we were all quite upset. Today Mrs Lim shared, and Mr Raj continued the sharing of the beatitudes. Then, Mrs Rajan came up to teach the students basic English. It was a fun and interactive way of teaching, where our students demonstrated how to use phrases such as, “good morning, how are you and how old are you,” and the LTC students practiced with each other. For lunch, apart from rice, meat and vegetables, we had one extra dish – fried worms. For those who have never eaten them, fried worms are crunchy and salty, a wonderful add-on to a simple dish. After lunch, we tried out the traditional costume of the Lahu people. The design was one of bright colours set on a black background. For added design, there were silver bells on it that jingled, making a soft delicate sound as you walk about. We had a time of photo taking while the students crowded around us looking. Though we didn’t want to leave the LTC compound at all, we went to see the Myanmar-Thailand border and then went for a picnic on a beautiful forest area. When we came back to LTC, it was already dark. We had a campfire complete with games, dancing, singing, a time of sharing of testimony by Timothy, prayer and food. It was here that we finally had to say goodbye to all of the students. We were touched by the simple way they lived their lives and how much on fire they were for God.
WEDNESDAY 16/11:
After eating a scrumptious breakfast made by Ramona, Samantha, Eunice and Mrs Rajan, we brought our luggage down and onto the truck. We were on our way to Mae Sai. First, we stopped at the Golden Triangle where we shopped and ate lunch. After that, we went to our hotel to unpack and unwind. When that was done, Elisha, Ramona, Ting Yi, Eunice, Samantha, Mrs Lim, Mrs Boey, Aunty Linda and Vino went to an orphanage, while Karlo, Jeremy, Ecclesiastes, Mrs Valluvan, Mrs Rajan, and Mr Raj went to DTS, Discipleship Training School. The orphanage was made up of 7 girls, the couple who ran it and their two sons. At the orphanage, Mrs Lim narrated the story of the prodigal son and shared her life story with the girls. We hugged each of them and gave the gifts we had made or gotten for them. Many of the girls were touched and cried. It was a touching experience and we stayed longer than we intended to. At DTS, Mr Raj shared his life story, and many were touched as well. The students made friends with our students and left a lasting impression on them. The one thing that stood out in both the orphanage and DTS was the degree of sincerity in their worship. Afterwards, we had a steamboat dinner and headed back to the hotel.
THURSDAY 17/11:
On the last day of our mission trip, we ate the breakfast buffet provided by the hotel, did some last minute shopping, and then headed to the airport. None of us wanted to leave, and we were all sad. True to his word, Uncle Terry was spot on when he said we would have our hearts stolen. However, each of us knew we were touched by this experience, and through it we became more certain that there really was a true God, Jesus Christ.
When asked to comment on the trip, Karlo said, “Life is short. We need to use our short life to glorify God.” What he said was what each of us students felt. None of us wanted to leave, and each of us would love to go back there, not only to help the people in Thailand, but also to learn from them.
Mission Trip Testimony
Dear all,
I am glad to submit my testimony of the recent mission trip to the Lahu tribe in Chiang Rai:
At the airport before departure, we were encouraged by a testimony from one of our student’s parents. She had a desire to buy two notebook computers to give away to the ministry among the Lahu villages, but hesitated because of the daily news of devastating floods in Thailand. However, she sensed the Lord’s prompting to buy them regardless of the news. She obeyed the Lord and on the following day, she received a six-fold blessing! Praise the Lord! This testimony encouraged us greatly to know that the Lord will equip us and He will see us through this mission. We departed full of confidence and thanksgiving to our Lord!
We arrived at Chiang Rai around 11pm. Terry with his wife, Linda, and Kitichai and his wife, who speaks Chinese, were at the airport to welcome us. They drove us to a big bungalow dedicated to accommodate visiting missionaries. Terry gave us a heads-up that we may be ‘messed up’ and leave our hearts with the Lahu people when we leave. And he was right, as some of the staff and students are planning to return one day!
Terry (a farmer from Idaho with a degree in agriculture) and Linda (a teacher) were missionaries to Africa for more than 13 years before settling in Lahu for 10 years now. They are in their sixties and are great model servants of the Lord! They have no children of their own but have six adopted children in Chiang Rai and some more in South Africa.
The LTC is a Bible school with 44 students (ages 17- 36) and is situated up in the mountains, about 10 minutes of rough terrain from where we stayed. The Lahu at LTC were exuberant in their worship, and when they sang, “Hide me now, under Your wings, … King over the flood, I will be still and know You are God”, the presence of God was so tangible amongst the people. Their singing brought tears to many of us. Before preaching on spiritual giftings, I inquired of the Lord on what to say. Instantly, I sensed that He wanted me to tell them that He calls them His friends. He knows that they fear Him and love Him and He sees them like He saw Gideon, each of them a mighty man of valour. He will empower them to do great things. Amen! Later, I found out from Linda that those words are so apt as the Lahu have low self-esteem and are looked down upon by most Thais. God is good all the time!
Just before preaching, I realized I forgot to bring my notes to the training centre as I left them in the washroom where we stayed. Praise the Lord, His peace was with me to totally depend on Him to speak through me on spiritual giftings. I know it was effortless on my part! To God be the glory! After preaching, the Lord directed me to ask who speaks in tongues. Only a handful raised their hands and I then proceeded to ask who would like to speak in tongues and saw more that 90% of the students raise their hands and came forward for the altar call. We prayed and laid hands on them and they began to speak in tongues. To God be the glory!
The next morning as I communed with the Lord, He wanted me to share the fact that He came from Nazareth, a place where people doubted if anything good could come from there, and that He was known as a mere carpenter. It was awesome to hear His voice and know how much He loves the Lahu and desires for them to do greater works! I felt led to share Luke 11:11-14. My sharing that morning was once again light and easy. Praise the Lord!
The Lord gave us the best weather – cool and sunny. We were well fed and enjoyed Lahu tea and bamboo maggots! The breakfasts prepared by our students and staff were seasoned with sacrifice of sleep, and tender loving care. It was also a good experience of community life for us when we, together with LTC students, were invited to a village dinner provided by a family celebrating the harvest! There was abundance of good spicy food and many happy people!
We visited a couple who rent a bungalow to house orphan girls. This couple graduated from LTC. All the girls are believers and they can sing very well! Our students were generous with their love and gifts and Mrs Lim shared an interactive story of the prodigal’s son and her own testimony. Even though we don’t speak their language, we parted with many warm hugs, teary eyes, smiles and more hugs.
I am blessed to see VLCS students giving generously their time and resources, never complaining of the rough terrain or traveling in trucks, staying alert in extending help and fellowship. I saw mutual respect and honour, and was especially glad to see their willingness to love others, their spontaneity in sharing their testimonies, having fun in teaching English and leading in games. Thank you VLCS students and I believe all of you will do greater works in the days to come, being a people prepared for the Lord!
Blessings,
Mrs Boey
Thank you from the Mission Field
An encouraging note of thanks and appreciation from Terry and Linda Thompson, who hosted our mission team in Thailand:
Greetings,
We believe the team was ordained by God and was very successful. Everyone handled themselves well and Christ was uplifted by their actions. Everyone was good examples of Christian men and women. The impact on our students and staff will be felt forever in their individual lives. We thank you for your sacrificial gift of funds but more importantly for the lives you sent to us. Personally it was a great joy to interact with each one of the staff, parents and students to help encourage us in the Kingdom.
Much Love,
Terry & Linda
Photo of the Moment
