A Heartfelt Email I write eons ago......

Hi XX & YY,

This is Fiona here, also from TCC & you might have seen me in church every now & then. I caught your family's blog from YX's & am very touched & encouraged by your simple yet honest sharing of God's grace & His hands upon both your marriage, lives & kids!

Also working in a VWO, I could relate to the low pay, restrictions placed by policy olders (i.e. Means testing) & frustration one face at work at times. Still, after 5 year of being in the system, I guess it is still the kids that I love & serve that keep me going strong w/o being affected to much by it. Otherwise, how to survive?

When I first started out in SPED, i kept asking God, why are there children with special needs on earth if He is such a loving & good God?

I didn't really get a clear, definite answer but after much pondering, traumatising my pastors & questioning, peace came into my heart with the understanding that we are after all in a fallen world. On earth, the prince of darkness has dominion yet God's Sovereignty still reigns.

My experience with the parents of the kids I work with has proven time & again that special kids are given to parents who are special b'coz they have the heart big enough to love & accept them unconditionally - no matter what!

I got to know Jesus when I was studying overseas at Murdoch, in 1999. Attended TICC which later merged with FCC in Perth. Oh well, it was a rollercoaster ride as my mom threatened (at that time) to terminate my studies & asked me to return to S'pore immediately since I want to follow Jesus. May as well don't waste time & their precious money studying so much.

My years in Perth were the foundations being laid for greater & better things to come when i returned to S'pore. (I didn't know it then)

The 1st few years upon my returning were fighting battles - one after another. To the extent whether i should return back to Perth to "escape" my family. It was not the right thing to do & my granny was seriously sick then. Thus I has to be with her as I was her favourite granddaughter. She was the one who lovingly took care of me when I was born premature at 7 mths (another thing i am grateful to God for).

When I sank into depression b'coz of some medication & work related pressure in 2005, i experienced for myself what it meant when the Bible said the devil's aim on earth is to kill, steal & destroy. Whatever lies I could believe, i did! (still can't believe i did!) But still, our God is a faithful God as He sent people to minister & comfort me & His Word slowly walked me out of those dark, unforgettable & hideous times.

As He did His restorative work in me throughout the whole of 2006, i relearnt alot of things about myself, my Heavenly Father & those around me. my walk with Him has taken a new dimension of faith & of who He is & what He can do. Indeed, He is the Rock that I can absolutely cling onto when trials come!

Sorry for this long sharing! Thanks for reading! Just want to let you know you & your family's journey of faith is a reminder to me once again that He never fails!

God bless!

Cheers, Fiona :)