I'm in the Lord's Army, a kids action song. A song we sang and acted out during Sunday School to get the little super active kids to have fun in God's presence.
I started teaching in Sunday School in my church (Church of Singapore at Marine Parade) in the early 1980s. After being inspired by my beloved cousin, the late Michael Lam. At that time, I didn't know where to start, that is, which age group should I start to be. My sister in Christ, Miss Cindy Goh, affectionately known by all of us as Aunty Cindy suggested that I should start from the nursery kids. Their ages are from 3 to 5 years old. Young, innocent and awfully sweet, they have the innocence of all children.
She would hand me a child who was new in Sunday School and my 'on-the-job' training starts soon enough. Often, this kid will be crying non stop, looking for his/her mommy and nothing can be said or done to console or comfort the kid that mommy is coming back soon. I was to learn and figure it out by myself how to handle this kid.
And my fondest memory was of one boy named Victor. He came with his sister, Vicky. He was a year younger, his sister was handled by Cindy. But Vicky was a regular back then so she could mingled with the rest better. Victor, being new to Sunday School, was fearful, tearful and cried unconsolably.
Every Sunday, Victor would come and I would be his "Aunty" for the 2 hours and he would do nothing but screamed and cried in my ears. I was almost deaf by end of the day. There were moments I wondered if this is what I should be doing..I could have spent my time sleeping at home and waking just in time to catch the adult worship service at 10am rather than to spend my 8am to 10am being screamed at.
Then one Sunday came and I had to work, so I rang up Cindy to say I couldn't come. I couldn't even attend the service too. The following Sunday, it was routine again in Sunday School. I didn't go to Sunday School with a big heart. And there was Victor again. Big deal, he would be crying again.
Yes, he did. As usual. But this time it was different. He was crying for me! His hands were out-stretched and he run to me instead of his mommy. And he cried and cried and hugged me tightly. Victor was a little boy with little words. He hasn't figured out long sentences or big words. And after all, I never did hear him speak..all I hear each week was "wah...mah..."
For once, after 3 months or 12 weeks of hearing him going "Wah....Mah....", he finally said to me :
"Aunty Gina, I love you. Where you go? You don't want Victor?"
Just one Sunday...I didn't come. And he noticed that I was not around. Of course he was still crying last Sunday but he was crying because he didn't see me.
It was then Aunty Cindy told me..
"Gina, this is the Joy and the rewards we get for loving our little ones. They return it back to us. So simple. As innocent as it is.This is what makes it worth every moment to come and teach in Sunday School every week"
And that started my side 'career' in the Children's Ministry. And I took up courses run by The Singapore Bible College to minister to little ones. How to speak to them at their level and how to bring the Gospel to them. It was the most enduring time in my life as a Christian. So many times the kids taught me simple Biblical values in life we often overlooked and forget.
Along the way, Cindy became my mentor and she guided me in this path I took. I started with the nursery kids in 1980 to 1982. Then in 1982 till 1985, I went on to teach the juniors who are kids who just started out in Primary school.
But God had great plans for me..I was to teach a group of kids that couldn't fit anywhere in the age groups we had. These kids are either with special needs or came from single parent homes. My years in teaching them gave me a new perspective in life. And taught me that Love is Kind...Always..!
I will share more about my Special Kids in separate posts in my blog.
But this Chilli in my Rojak is Aunty Cindy Goh..the person who mentored me and guided me in my path to minister to children. To bring them to Christ. In their tender age..to love and to care for everyone, and everything.
For years we became the best of friends and would confide to each other on everything. When I got married to Benny, Cindy decorated the church hall with flowers for me. When our girls were born, I return to Children's Ministry and minister to the babies.
When my girls were growing up in Church, Aunty Cindy ministered to them and taught them Biblical Values the way we use to teach other kids.
Almost a decade ago, Cindy quit her full time job to work in our church and to run the CM department. She did a wonderful job because she loves children. Each and everyone of them. Every year, she would lead a team to go to Cambodia and to Thailand, to visit orphanages run by our church.
Here is a photo of her with kids from an orphanage in Cambodia.
Aunty Cindy is the lady on the left of this photo.
A Tribute to Aunty Cindy Goh...a selfless person who gives so much more and expected nothing back. God Bless you, Aunty Cindy, my friend, mentor and confidante!
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