For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1
God is with us in every season of our lives. Each season is a chance to learn and grow as we keep in step with the Holy Spirit, according to God’s timing.
For over 35 years, I served in KKMC WSCS in partnership with different ministries. I guarded against making personal sacrifices, and so I imposed limits on the scope of my service. I always justified my choices by saying that I did not want my service to interfere with family time. I realise now that those years of service did not come from a cheerful heart. Rather, I served to appease an uneasy conscience.
As I continued my spiritual journey, God showed me that genuine service cannot be separated from love. We can go through the motions of serving God, yet our hearts may not be right with Him. I encountered Jesus finally when He showed me that I must know Him, not only by meditating on the Scriptures, but also by walking and talking with Him. By obeying God, we become part of His redeeming plan. Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, I began to experience the joy of truly knowing Him and serving Him.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10
I have been an educator for more than 50 years, having taught at Raffles Girls’ Secondary School, Singapore Polytechnic, NUS and Yong Siew Toh Music Conservatory over this period. The highlight of my life as an educator was attaining an MA in Applied Linguistics from NUS at the age of 60!
Teaching has always been my passion but I did not know how to align it with God’s purpose in my life. About 4 years ago, two Christian sisters and I organised a Women’s Conference in Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City, Vietnam through an independent missions board. That was the beginning of my involvement in missions and in cross-cultural outreach. The Women’s Conference, entitled Daughters in Christ, aimed to Equip, Encourage and Empower women pastors and lay preachers. I experienced a spiritual awakening when my passion to teach came into alignment with God’s purpose in my life. As I served God, I began to experience an intimate fellowship with Him. I realised that missions is about spreading the Gospel while performing a practical service, which in my case, was teaching.
Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.
1 Samuel 12:24
A revelation came to me of how God was working in my life and I prayed:
“Father God, I confess that this is a new season for me. I know that there are many challenges ahead but I want to serve you in this ministry. Your grace is sufficient for me. Cover me with Your grace, Father, and make Your strength perfect in my weakness.
Father God, please show me the path of life during this new season before me. Help me to step only where You want me to step. Let every decision I make be only what You would have me to do, and fill me with Your abundant life as a result of this new season.
I ask that You would help me to obey You in every area – in this new season and always! In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Mission: Impossible. “But with God all things are possible” (Matt 19:26)
After I returned to Singapore from the Women’s Conference in Ho Chi Minh City, I started to train a small group of Vietnamese teachers, over Zoom. God blessed me with a tuition centre to run and with it, a very good curriculum. The following year, in 2021, one of the Vietnamese teachers sought my assistance in helping her Vietnamese students communicate in English. I decided to give them a few lessons from my curriculum during their summer vacation. All this was clearly God’s providence and direction.
The Holy Spirit prompted me to organise a KKMC WSCS Missions event in collaboration with the KKMC Children’s Ministry. This event involved the Vietnamese children I was teaching. Through this, I saw myself as God’s missions partner. God provided resources, blessed the organisers with amazing creativity and inspired the organising team to give of their best to glorify Him.
For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
Zechariah 4:10
‘Christmas with Joy’ was the culmination of months of preparation for this cultural exchange programme. Fourteen DiscipleKids and 30 Vietnamese children came together over Zoom for the first time in this event jointly organised by KKMC WSCS, KKMC Missions, and KKMC Children’s Ministry. The children, ranging from 9 to 11 years of age, sang Christmas carols and participated in a skit depicting the birth of Jesus. It was a great opportunity for outreach as the Vietnamese participants were all unbelievers.
Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.
Mark 10:14
Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31
I am thankful that God has blessed me with the gift of teaching. More than that, I am grateful that God has provided a way for me to serve Him with this gift. I wish to be a good steward and continue to experience Jesus while serving Him.
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:10-11
ALL GLORY TO GOD!
Mrs Maureen Fong,
Missions Coordinator, KKMC WSCS
Photos courtesy of Maureen Fong.
