Forerunners Retreat 2008-Swee Ching

Forerunners Retreat 2008

Personal Testimony 30 Oct 2008 – By Lee Swee Ching

I anticipated the annual retreat simply because I have no duties and responsibility assigned and I can focus on the teachings and receiving. Probably because last year I missed all the sessions as I was helping in the children programs.

HOUR 2 ETERNAL HOME OF THE DEAD

As Adrian started teaching from Day 1 till Day 2, we absorbed 4 sessions of teachings. There was already fear in the hearts of some of the members but to me, I am pretty confident that I have secured a place in heaven.

After Hour 2 when Adrian shared that Demons operate by functions eg. Bitterness, anger etc, I shared with my cell group that recently I experienced bitterness as I serve God. I am like Martha who feels angry when she saw Mary sitting by Jesus’s feet, and demanded Jesus to tell Mary to help her. I felt like Martha, doing a lot of work, running around, and at times I feel bitter that I have to do so much and God never send anyone to help me. I realized that I need to be like Mary, who has chosen what is better, I need to sit at Jesus’s feet to listen to what he said, and not be distracted. SIGH.

And as we continue to discuss what is the driving force behind our lives, guess what is my answer? Work again!! I shared that I am someone who seems to “learn” by working and I serve God by working for him. Which is why I take every opportunity of work to “serve” Him, work is equivalent to serving God. I am actually pretty deceived.

WORSHIP EXTRAVAGANZA

I chose the song As The Deer. I need to be like a deer who pants for the water. I think my soul is crying out for God..

DAY 3 QUIET TIME

God spoke to me through Hebrews 6: 7-12 He reinforced that if my life like a field produces crops useful to those it is farmed, I will receive blessing, if my life produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and is in danger of being cursed and will be burned.  BUT the beautiful thing is God assured me that He is NOT UNJUST. He will not forget my work and the love I have shown Him as I helped His people and continue to help. 

I need to be diligent to the very end in order to make my hope sure. I cannot be lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. After the QT when XH led the song “I’m Amazed”, I just couldn’t stop crying.

SIGH.. I feel very sorry for myself.. and I feel the love of God overwhelming me.. and I feel sorry for those of us who are far away from Him like me.. so quite a mixture of feelings.

HOUR 5 THE FOUNDATION

During Hour 5 discussion, I shared that I do not have the full manifestation of obedience! I don’t think I fear God as much as He desired. And when Adrian invited us to come forward to receive prayers, I have to go up. Something is wrong with me. I confessed to Adrian that I am striving very hard to win God’s favour and I do not have any desire to read God’s word. I couldn’t think of any reasons why I don’t love the word of God. Adrian asked me to go down on my knees, lift up my hands and as he prayed over me, he spoke of pride and self-sufficiency. I have became proud and complacent, thinking that I do not need the word of God anymore. I have been deceived and pride has caused me to sin by willfully choose not to open the bible to read. I repented and confessed that I serve out of self-glory instead of His glory.

HOUR 6 HEAVEN & FINAL DAY

It is only after the last session’s discussion that I started to doubt if I can really enter through the narrow gate of heaven. Thank God for humbling me. Yes it took a total of 6 lessons to reveal that I have been over confident and complacent! SIGH but God is good. Really. He never fails to surprise me. 

On the last day morning, Joan shared the vision she receive for me when she was standing behind me interceding. She saw a running stream of water, gushing down fast. The water symbolizes God’s living water and His presence in my life. However in the water, there are pebbles and rocks. God assures me by saying “Despite all these obstacles (pebbles) in your life, my power is enough to move you through”. Amen!

As I write this testimony now, I know that pride is still in me. It does not disappear overnight after retreat ends. But I thank God that He revealed this sin in my life and I pray that I will overcome this. Please continue to remember me in prayers.

FR Retreat 08 Reflections-Esther Su Cheng

ForeRunner Retreat 2008 will mark the 4^th retreat I’ve attended since joining the zone in 2004. Thanks to God for His faithfulness and love in guiding me through these years and for using each retreat to speak to me powerfully. This year, as part of the Retreat Com, I was privy to the trailer of the curriculum we were using this year – Driven by Eternity during one of the meetings held at Adrian’s place.

I remember my reaction to the wonderfully produced video was, “Wah…so serious ah?” Serene’s response was, “Yes, this is a serious topic.” After that, I was left pondering what I had seen earlier and that stirred my heart to be excited to receive what God had prepared to speak to me through the retreat.

Let me backtrack a little to weeks before the retreat. I have just started a new job in social services and I’m certain God has called me here. (That’s another story for another time…)
While excited that I’m here serving where God has put in my heart since yonks ago, friends around me have also started on other journeys in their life such as pursuing a degree, getting attached/married, starting a new job, etc.

To be very honest, as I look at these friends, I felt that God has forgotten about me while He is moving everyone forward rapidly. As these friends moved on more, I felt that God has left me behind everyone else even further. And thus the instinct to compare myself with these friends so I don’t feel so bad about where I am started growing within me...

Fast forward to the FR retreat held at the Girls’ Brigade Retreat Centre this year. So, the week prior to the retreat was super busy and packed with endless things to complete, hence not much time devoted to preparing me spiritually for the retreat except for a quick prayer now and then. Even the morning before the check-in time, I was at work, alone in the centre where I worked because the rest of the team was busy at an external event.

The morning itself was busy as I was busy with work, and busy writing the skit for the Retreat Committee’s item for Worship Extravaganza. In the end, I was later than I thought I would be and most certainly, that did not start things on a good note for me. However, I prayed that God would take away the feelings of unsettledness within me so I could be fresh and ready to receive what He wants to say to me.

Even though the teachings by John Bevere spoke to my heart and reminded me to look at my life differently, in my heart, I felt strangely distant from the Lord even though I was at the retreat to encounter Him. Besides being physically tired, I could not understand why I was
feeling so detached from God.

During the Spiritual Formation on Monday morning led by Adrian, I was journaling down some thoughts about my current relationship status – Single. I wrote the following down in my journal:“Lord, I cannot believe that You will bring me a man who will meet my
needs…” (Underlined and bolded for emphasis).

When I read the words I wrote, I froze immediately. Suddenly, it became so very apparent that I’ve really been very self-absorbed! Read those words again and tell me you don’t agree. I’m
certain you’ll agree with me what I’ve written will sound like I’m expecting God to meet my desires to meet a man who will meet my needs. Who am I but a little being on this vast
universe? Compared to the Almighty Creator, who am I?

What a self-centered and self-serving person I’ve become indeed, expecting that God will meet my demands as if I deserved it! I thank God that He is also a merciful and loving God who did not choose to terminate my existence here on this earth following such pride! Immediately, I prayed for forgiveness and turned to Psalm 51:
1
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
2
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
3
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
4
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,^[a]
And blameless when You judge.

And,

10
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
13
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.

Indeed, I prayed that He would forgive my transgressions and forgive me for I had sinned greatly against Him and Him alone. I prayed that He would restore to me the joy of His salvation so I may teach transgressors His ways and then, sinners will be converted to Him.

However, if I thought God was done with me, I was wrong because He certainly had a greater message in store for me during the Praise and Worship session led by Davinia. During the session, Adrian gave an altar call and I went up to receive prayer.

Through Adrian, God told me to stop comparing myself with others. Whatever glories He has given them, it is theirs alone. He has a unique plan for me and I just need to trust Him. He is my Jesus and no one can change that. I was also told to stay obedient to what He wants so He can bring me further.

Those very words spoke to my heart and tears started flowing uncontrollably. As I sat there meditating and reflecting, I heard God asking me – Why are you rejecting My love for you? I
cried even more as I recalled one of the passages covered during the teaching taken from Hebrews 4:6:
6 if they fall away,^[a] to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for
themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

With each comparison I made, I was telling God that His dying on the cross was not good enough for me. With each comparison I made, I was sending Jesus back to the cross to be crucified again and again and again and again and again. With each comparison I made, I was telling the world that whatever Jesus did on the cross was not enough.

With each comparison I made, I was telling God He didn’t know any better than I. With each comparison I made, I was telling God that He doesn’t know what’s best for me. With each
comparison I made, I was putting myself in God’s position, much like Lucifer who thought he could make a better God.

As I meditated some more, I realized that these seeds of comparison had so insidiously taken root in my heart and I had failed to notice how serious it had become. Our enemy does work
in ways like these and I cannot give him too much credit for what I’m responsible for as well. Though I had been prompted to study His Word seriously and to spend time growing in His Word daily, I have become like the analogy I used in my sharing with others – getting changed and ready to go for a run but I ended up sleeping instead.

God also further revealed to me that these seeds of comparison had given birth to the fruit of envy and jealousy of others. With that fruit, it has choked up my ability to be loving towards others and sharing in and rejoicing with each step in life they had made. I had become selfish and self-centered and self-serving which is the total opposite of the fruits of the Spirit God had told me to cultivate.

With that revelation still fresh in my mind, I renewed my commitment to spend time studying His Word daily and to continuously reject any thought of comparison that comes up in my mind, and instead, to counter those thoughts with things that are pure, noble and good as instructed by God in Philippians 4:8.

Through the many teaching sessions, God stirred my heart to be a true Disciple of Christ so I can make a different for Him in the world and I want to be that ForeRunner for the Lord! I am committed to taking my walk with Him seriously because His warnings for those lukewarm
believers are severe. And because heaven is far more wonderful than my human comprehension allows, I want to be there in heaven to see for myself what it is like! To ensure I get there, I have to start right here, right now and to obey everything He has told me to do!

I’m also heartened to hear of the many testimonies shared during the retreat about how God has spoken to my fellow brothers and sisters-in-Christ to make the changes in their lives. I pray that we will all continue to spur each other onto greater faith and obedience in Him, and not just allow ourselves to return to our former older habits in the weeks to come.

I trust that the Lord will continue molding the hearts of fellow Forerunners so we can truly become people who will bring glory to the Lord with each thing we do so others may see His
works in us and praise our Father in heaven. Most importantly, as each of us rise up to the unique calling God has given to each of us, may we impact lives of the pre-believers in the world around us, and the lives of our lukewarm brothers and sisters so we can truly approach the throne of our God in the judgment day with boldness and hope, and confident of where we will spend eternity.

Eternity begins right here, right now! 

Journeying with you in Christ,

Esther Marikea 

29 Oct 08

It's Back...

Be Driven...

...by ETERNITY.

More details at http://www.forerunnersonline.com/

Building A House by Faith

Building A House by Faith…

A testimony by ZJ

We have been married for almost 2 months now and looking back in our journey, we are overwhelmed at the faithfulness and goodness of our Lord and how our heavenly Father has provided for us everything that we need as we embarked on the journey towards being husband and wife. This testimony is quite overdue but it is still needful for us to pen this down as a reminder to ourselves and an encouragement to others that God is indeed faithful in every step and every season of our lives.

As with typical Singaporeans, our journey of marital union began with the hunting of our new home. When the holy spirit worked within our hearts to confirm our desires to tie the knot and enter the covenant of marriage, he has already gone ahead of us to prepare a dwelling place for Himself as a sanctuary of worship for our new family unit. A couple of weeks after we have decided on getting married, the Lord provided the opportunity for a walk-in selection of housing units in the Yishun/Sembawang/Woodlands area. Through the years before as we talked about where we would like to reside when we got married, staying in Yishun has always been the desires of our hearts. But we were uncertain how that would be possible, as there were no new units coming up, and we foresee that we would not have the capability to buy from the open-market. There were previous walk-in selections before and there was always talk that it would be the “last” walk in selection for Yishun area. But in those earlier times, the Holy Spirit had not led us to join the frenzy of application. Still, the Lord knew what was in our hearts and in his divine time, he led our hearts to confirm our commitment to marriage and opened the door to apply for a house at Yishun!!

So we went forward to send our application. With the vast number of applicants, our balloted queue number was in the range of 300 (out of over 2000 applicants). We waited patiently for our turn to select the unit of our choice, and in the mean time have made a list of the top 50 units we would like to consider. On the day of selection, it was quite an interesting experience as we head down to HDB hub and sat at the waiting area, our eyes fixed on the TV screen, watching closely which units were still available. The first choice on our list was quickly taken. Our second and third choice remained available as we waited – one was in Yishun, and the other was in Sembawang. Based on our limited research from the floor plans given online, we were quite drawn to both. We asked the Lord to guide our decision and make the choice clear and simple for us. We decided that we would choose the Yishun one if it was available at the time of selection. We prayed that if the Lord so willing, to keep this unit for us, if not, to make it clear to us by letting someone select it before we go in. We give God praise and thanks for providing us with this Yishun unit and making it clear to give up considering the Sembawang one. (It was selected by someone else just moment before our turn!)

Now, being a walk-in selection, we only have the generic floor plan to look at. As this Yishun unit was a re-possessed unit (2^nd hand unit that was taken back by the government and then released for sale), we did not know the condition of the place at all. After selecting the unit and paying the deposit, we arranged for a viewing with the HDB branch office. To our pleasant surprise, the house was wonderfully tiled with marble flooring and kitchen cabinet! This meant that we would not need to do major re-works! How the Lord knew what we needed and provided so graciously for them! There were also the many bonus factors like it being a corner unit, having nice and friendly neighbors, being a lift landing floor due to the lift upgrading that was completely just as we began renovation works, and having an open view in the living room – all the little nitty grittiness that we did not really know to look into. In our inexperience, the Lord covered us.

We praise God also for the smooth transactions and finalization of the paper works involved. There were tiny bumps here and there due to our inexperience in working with HDB, but the Lord graciously guided us through each process. We were eager to collect our house keys, but the Lord has divinely spoken to our hearts that the keys will come in December! True enough, we finally collected our keys on 1 Dec 2007, having completed our marriage preparation classes. Despite our anxieties on timings and finances, the Lord assured us and provided for us at every step of the way. In our weakness and knowing that we are not savvy when it comes to housing, renovations and stuff like these, the Lord sent His aid through friends and His divine grace covered us at every moment and through every decision that had to be made. We give God praise and thanks for the resources He provided through our parents, friends, and his divine acts.

Truly as we reflect upon this journey of building a new home, we can’t help but give Him thanks and all the glory for He is the true builder of our house and our home. There were just so many factors that could have come into play and not within our control that we know it is God who was never changing and holds all things in His hands. Our trust and most confident reliance had to be upon Him alone. We pray that just as He has graciously provided this dwelling place to be our home, that we will remain faithful stewards of this grace and build unto him a household of faith and a sanctuary for His glory.

Refreshed by God!

Testimony – Workplace Alpha Day Away on 26 April 2008

(By Carol Yip)

In March this year, at the encouragement of my cousin Yvonne, I enrolled myself in the Workplace Alpha program over lunchtime at Telok Ayer Methodist Church. As I am already a believer, I went with the aim of grounding myself once again in the foundation – which is the Word of God. I also hope that through the Alpha, I’ll be refreshed by God as the past year (2007) has been a traumatic one for me.

25 October was my dad’s birthday. Unfortunately, it was also the day which he passed on after a sudden heart attack. I was devastated and no amount of words could describe how I felt. I could not express myself and only managed bouts of tears occasionally. My dad was not a believer and thus the buddhist rites at the wake did not make me feel any better. More often than not, my heart was filled with fear and flashbacks of how my dad grasped for his breath during the attack. I remembered telling God that I did not want my dad to suffer on my way to the hospital and I would like to believe that God answered my prayer as my dad look peaceful at his death and the time of pain was relatively short.

When all the rites and wake was over, when friends and relatives resumed their routines, I was still in a state of shock and fear. I could not sleep well during the night as I was constantly haunted by flashbacks. Eventually, I broke down and had to confront the pain of losing my dad. On many occasions, prayer was difficult and I doubted the goodness of God in my life.

Despite the fact that I was faithless, God remains faithful. He has surrounded me with many friends and a loving community of believers who was there to catch hold of me when I was down. My leaders and cell members at AMKMC also took time to keep me company at almost every time interval during my dad’s wake. My colleagues and friends also showered me with their love and concern.

More importantly, God also spoke to me during the Alpha Day Away on 26 April 08. God reminded me through the word of knowledge that I needed to spend more time with my mum and I believed God also wants me to share Christ with her. I was also moved by the presence of God during the time of worship and ministering during the Day Away.

I thank God also for my cousin Yvonne, without which I would not be attending alpha and sharing my testimony with you. I also thank God for Peggy, my group leader for praying with me and for her faithful service every week.

Moving forward, I pray that the joy and presence of God will continue to be my strength. Amen.

In His Grace,

Carol

Journey to know Christ...

Recently, Forerunners Families finished a series titled "Connecting with God's Family". In the last session, we were encouraged to reflect and record down significant moments in our lives that act as spiritual markers/memorial stones of God's faithfulness.

Below is a testimony from Jessica on how the the family of her Alma Meta has contributed their stone of grace into her river of life through her salvation experience. May you be blessed as you read it, and may you too begin to give God praise for the things He has done in your life.

My Journey to Jesus Christ – How the Lord pursued and saved me.
(From: Jessica)

As of today, 20 May 2008, I’ve been a Christian for almost 14 years. Looking back, there has never been a day where the grace of Christ had not sheltered me or the presence of God too far from me.

The seed begins to grow…
The journey of my faith truly began to take form in my 7th year, when I was in primary school. Despite the fact that my parents were pre-believers, I was enrolled into a mission school – Paya Lebar Methodist Girls School. For this I truly praise God for His grace paved the way for me on this journey. It is here that I would spend the next 10 years of my student life, and eventually discover Jesus and forming my understanding of how a Christian should be.

Through the school songs, morning devotions, prayer times, chapel worship services, the Lord was showing Himself to me and teaching me who He is. Even though my young mind could hardly understand the sermons or appreciate the words of the songs we sang, my heart was slowly being drawn by the Holy Spirit to this Jesus in ways I would only later understand. While I was like any typical student going through the set schedules of lessons, assemblies and devotions (and occasional complains about the principle, vice-principle, teachers and their “blabbering” at the pulpit.), the Lord was beginning His good work in me. He brought a Christian friend into my life and through the years in Primary, I spent much time at her place after our weekly swimming classes. In those moments, I learnt how Christian love in a family looked like and was deeply blessed by the love that she and her parents showed me as well. At some point, I started following them to church and I did enjoy church service. I stopped going after a while because it was quite difficult to make my way there on my own if they did not bring me. I did however, develop a hunger for more of God and a desire to be in fellowship with God’s people in the church grew in me. I visited a few churches through my years in primary school and settled for 2 years in Paya Lebar Methodist Church’s Sunday school where one of my good friends worships.

Looking through my collection of treasures from the past, I realized that it was also during these years that I developed a habit of journaling and soon, instead of “dear diary”, I was beginning my journal entries with “dear Jesus”. I give God all praise indeed for it was He was had begun a good work in me and it was He that taught my heart to fear and acknowledge Him.

As I graduated to secondary school, my friend went on to another church and so I followed her for a while. Soon I was enjoying myself and even took part in the Christmas performance to sing in the Sunday school choir. However, my parents were increasing getting worried about my involvement with church. They were concerned that I may be getting influenced by these “church teachings” and may get too involved for my own good. They started to plan “visits to grandma’s place” on Sunday mornings instead of the usual Sunday afternoons. So my opportunities to worship in church on Sunday morning came to a halt.

Encountering Christ…
While all these were happening, the Lord was preparing my heart to have a personal encounter with Him in school. In my lower secondary years, I had a group of friends which I usually “hang out” with and do things together with. Through those times, I was mislead to think that they were not studying at home (mugging their books, as a student would put it), apart from completing our given assignments. Hence I took to that believe and did not put in too much extra time on revisions. The truth was revealed after our final examinations in the first year. All of them topped the class and went on to the best class the following year (the “A” class). I, on the other hand, suffered the consequences of my faulty assumptions and plummeted to the “C” class. Obviously I was not going to be in the same class with my friends for the 2nd year and perhaps the rest of the years. I felt betrayed and left behind, because through the months before when I asked them about work or if they had studied and prepared for certain tests or exams, they would tell me not to worry, and that they have not started studying or preparing at all. They would assure me that even if I did not study for it, I would pass certain tests.

In my despair, I vowed that I would never again trust anyone and that I would study for myself and get to the top. I began to make for myself rules that I would abide by; rules like “I will not harm or sabotage anyone, but I would not share my notes or help them either.” I became a self-centered and selfish person. I began to strife to be the top of my class and each time when test papers were returned, scores and rankings was all I was concerned about. I made sure I was doing better than my partner, and whoever did better than me became my next opponent to beat.

On Ash Wednesday of 1994, I attended chapel services as usual. The school had invited an outside speaker. I could not remember what exactly was shared that day. What I do remember was that as he spoke, I felt my heart was tugged by a sense of warmth and assurance. The weight of the burden I was carrying became so apparent but I did not know why. When he finally finished his sermon and gave the call for those who would like to receive Jesus and trust in Him to raise their hands, I knew he was calling out to me. In that moment of grace, against my pride and fear that others may be looking and what they would say, I raised my hand and went up to the altar. There, I began to tear as the minister prayed for me. As he ministered, I felt the Lord say to my heart “You can trust me.” And I felt the weight upon my shoulders lifted. I wept, for my soul was tired, stressed out from having to protect myself and placing such rigorous rules to live by. I returned to my class after the short follow up session. I felt that I was given a new life, and for a while, I enjoyed life. I laughed more, I shared more and I began to accept the title of “Christian” in my life. That year, I too achieved my goal of getting out of the “C” class and was promoted to Secondary 3”B”.

The flesh is weak… but the Spirit is willing…
Having seen the fruit of my “labor”, I continued to work hard to maintain the “top” position within my class. I was no longer as “selfish” and became more willing to help others but I was just as driven. I still wanted to do my best and ranking the best way to gauge where I stand. But at the same time, I learnt what healthy competition is and soon, I was working hard together with the rest of my classmates. I wanted not to defeat them, but to win together with them, so that we would spur one another on.

Through friends and experiences in these final years of my secondary school, the Lord began to open my eyes to Christian living – what’s right and what’s not. I had not yet learnt to read the Word, but the Holy Spirit was a faithful teacher who began to work in my heart and soften it so that I can experience more of God’s presence in my life. He led me on one occasion to join a small prayer group in my class, led by my form teacher and I learnt how to pray for others. He stirred compassion and faith in my heart through a video screening of a man who lived victoriously and died gloriously in the midst of nose cancer. He taught me about Jesus’ faithfulness and love through the songs we sang at chapel worship services. As I grew intellectually, I also grew in understanding and appreciation of the lyrics that we sang in our school anthem, school creed and school hymn.

.

School Anthem
O Let our youthful voices ring

with all their joyfulness

In praise and gladness let us sing

Of Paya Lebar MGS (2x)

.

Here may we seek all wisdom, truth

And ways of kindness

Through all the years of golden youth

At Paya Lebar MGS (2x)

.

So when we leave its sheltering walls

We go with fearlessness

Enriched to face life's greatest call

By Paya Lebar MGS (2x)

.

Now let us pray and learn and trust and obey

To serve Him in every way

Glory to God we give and pray

For Paya Lebar MGS (2x)

.

The first 3 verses of the School Anthem were written by Miss Nancy Coggan who taught in the school from 1955-1957. The 4th verse was written by Mrs Winnie Tan and added in to incorporate the school's statement of faith.

.

School Hymn
I hear the bells of PL ring

The notes of golden youth;

I hear His voice in every peal

Calling me to seek the Truth

I hear, and seek to make my life

A mirror of His shining light,

Do the chimes stir within your heart

His awesome peace and might?

.

Chorus

Let your light so shine before men

That all may see His face;

Let our school be a torch aflame

Teaching love and His saving grace.

.

I hear the pipes of PL sound

The Majesty of God.

I hear the songs we sing in praise,

Lifting His name with one accord,

O PL girls make Him as our King;

Let us enthrone Him as our King.

Our God has promised those who trust

His loving care and blessing.

.

It is amidst these sounds of PL that I began my journey in Jesus Christ, and looking back now, I understand that the seed of the Master’s call upon my life was sowed in these precious years that have gone by. Even when I did not know Him, He knew me, and loved me. His mighty hand protected me and He himself led me to salvation and faith in Him. Through those years and in the years that follow, the Lord brought me closer to Himself. Today, by His grace and the faithful stewardship of the teachers, principle, vice-principle, chaplain and other staff, I give praise to God that just as the school has adopted the following hymn of Howard Walter as her creed, so have I adopted it as my mission and aim that I may gain Christ and be found in Him.

I would be true for there are those who trust me

I would be pure for there are those who care
I would be strong for there is much to suffer
I would be brave for there is much to dare (2x)

I would be friend of all - the foe, the friendless
I would be giving and forget the gift
I would be humble, for I know my weakness;
I would look up and love and laugh and lift. (2x)

I would be prayerful through each busy moment
I would be constantly in touch with God
I would be tuned to hear his slightest whisper
I would have faith to tread the path Christ trod. (2x)

And as a well-learned PL-lite would end off saying…
To God be the Glory!