This is the story of how God's timing is always the best timing and a story of how He always has a "hope and a future" for us. As you know, I've finally been accepted to MOE. It has been a long wait though, 10 months in total!
However, throughout this 10 months, many miracles happened and as I look back, I can really see the hand of God in my life.
Let me take you on a journey to when left my first job. I spent a total of 8 months there and though I made some very good friends (my colleagues) , I was often muddleheaded and with no experience, I made mistake after mistake after mistake. I started to question God on why I couldn't get things as fast as others and why despite checking through many times, I still managed to make some glaring errors at work.
This made both my superior as well as the volunteers under my committee frustrated. As the months past, it got worst. I started to question myself and since I was a fresh graduate, I thought that maybe this was not my calling. Hence, thoughts of quitting came many times. I even brought this up to my superiors many times.
Soon enough, I really left the job. This disappointed my parents a lot but I assured them that I will find another job asap. I did think about teaching and tried applying for MOE. However, I messed up the interview and hence the chance was gone.
Finally, I managed to get an interview to teach English in China. I jumped at the chance! By God's grace, I managed to do well for the interview and mock class session. I was delighted!
However, they needed candidates to have TESOL diploma qualification which I didn't have. Thank God, however, that my parents were willing to 'loan' me the money first and let me pay them back later. I thank God for such wonderful parents!
Soonafter, the company wanted me to lead an English camp for the China students who were coming to Singapore as a pre-empt before I go to teach in China. This, was a disastrous experience. Not only was I unable to communicate with the agent and vice-principal in Chinese, the kids often got the better of me.
Then, my worst fears came true. When I was about to make my visa to go to China, I was called back and told by the HR that they felt I wasn't ready. I was devastated. They then told me that I could first teach in their school in Singapore to gain some experience. As I was quite desperate at the time, I agreed, in hope that things will turn out for the better.
However, things didn't turn out well! my classroom management was not up to mark and hence, the students didn't show signs of improving. However, I did have some hardworking students who were willing to study with me and one even commented "teacher, please tell me where you will teach next and I will apply to that school!" Another one , on hearing news that I was going to teach another class, was quite sad and became moody soon after...
Generally, however, it was tough as most of these students were from overseas, here on guardianship. It was difficult and again, I questioned myself if this was what I was meant to do at all. Here I was, 26 years old at that time and still clueless about what I wanted to do.
Then I thought, WHY NOT I STOP THIS CYCLE. Why not I first go to SOT and rediscover myself, my gifts, and my talents. Why not I take a step back and first commit myself to God and let Him lead me to where I am suppose to go. I did apply to SOT for 2 years straight but somehow wasn't accepted due to various reasons.
Finally, I got accepted! It was going to be a sacrifice for me but nonetheless I was so clueless about my life that I thought this was the BEST option. Even though I was broke and wondering how was I going to pay the school fees and living expenses, I just went forward with it.
And here I was, 27 years old at that time. Some of my University peers have already been working for 2 years and have become quite capable and financially independent. Me however, was still not stable and struggling financially, and still finding my calling....
And so I was in SOT. This was a decision I never regretted at all! I got to experience God in many ways and He did many many MANY miracles for me! the biggest of which, was financially. By His grace, I was able to get many tuition assignments even though I had no experience in teaching tuition. Still, at this point I was a person who didn't like struggles and stopped some assignments the moment it became difficult. HOWEVER, the replacement assignments just kept coming! eventually I gained alot of experience handling students and was able to sustain myself throughout SOT! (with some help from my wonderful parents of course)
And so, during one of the SOT prophecy sessions, my best friend, Winson , prophesied to me that he saw me graduating in a course related to education. I was bewildered and excited at the same time and questioned him. In return, he said he just felt it.
This prophecy stuck with me. Was I meant to teach? I did think about it before but when I reflected on my past experience teaching, I thought, how could I???
Then came the preaching test sessions when teaching as a career became clearer to me. We had about 4 sessions in total. The first session, I tried too hard to be funny and different but ended up performing badly. It was one of the worst feelings. I decided to change it up abit and go for the safe route on the 2nd round. This time it was ok but not outstanding. Then, Winson said something to me during lunch which changed me. He told me that he really appreciated my creativity and told me it was a gift from God that I should cherish. Even though I did badly on my first round, I preached as who I am. This, is your unique personality that you shouldn't put aside just to be 'safe'. Instead of holding back who you are 'to be safe', why not learn from the comments and adapt your style to be both creative and outstanding?
And so, came my 3rd round of preaching which I decided to be myself and at the same time, adapt with the comments I received. To my surprise, it was outstanding!!!! The ZS who evaluated us even tweeted my points! mid-way through the test, I even got applause from my team! It was a moment I'll never forget and it inspired me that maybe, maybe I was cut out for this, to teach, to present, to educate! maybe, I could actually do it! despite all the past failures that tells me I cant.
With this new found confidence in my abilities, I went on a mission trip to India and preached in one of the cell groups. Again, by God's grace, it was an awesome experience and I truly enjoyed it! As I was preaching too long, I looked at the CGL who signaled me to go on! All of them , in fact, looked really interested in what I was saying. More than that, my message was about serving God and when I told them to write the ways they can serve God based on what I preached, I got the most cutest answers, even from the children!
Maybe, this was the call of God to be a teacher. Hmmm but I'm soft spoken, could I really be a teacher?
I graduated from SOT and eventually applied for MOE. I got the interview in October but as I had reservist, I couldn't go and hence asked to postpone it.
Little did I know that it was going to be postponed all the way to december! Maybe this was a test from God to test my perseverance if I really wanted to be a teacher, as it was going to be no easy task.
And I did feel like going for other jobs. However, somewhere inside of me, I knew this was for me and yes, all other doors were closed for me in the form of failed interviews (haha)
While I was waiting for the interview, I needed provision and miraculously , God opened the door for me to go back to my first company to join as a temp staff. Even though I was just a temp, I learnt alot about how schools operated as this division did planning for social studies programmes in schools!
As I looked back, this was surely all planned by God as during the MOE interview, I looked excited to tell them about my current temp work and how we were planning things for schools! I do think this somehow impressed them. Also, my boss was a professor in History (how coincidental is that) and he did teach me things on having the right working attitude which I used in the teaching presentation for the interview! Also, my TESOL certification and referral letters that I got while teaching was very useful as well!
The interview was rather successful and I was excited! LITTLE DID I KNOW, however, that their reply was going to take some time.....
Hope you've enjoyed this part of my MOE story : God's goodness personified! I hope you've been blessed and do check back soon for part 2 !
Thanks and regards,
Daniel Foo
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