Written by Rev Zheng translated by Wu Simin on 20 November 2022
Thank God for the support of many brothers and sisters at the open house of our church preschool centre – Little Olive Tree (Woodlands) yesterday. The renovation will commence shortly, and we are racing against time to put in place all the facilities and operations before the new year begins. O help us, Lord!
God blessed us with this centre as a call to provide a pious environment for the children of Christians residing in the Woodlands neighborhood to grow up. Every child is like an olive seedling planted in God’s house, we will nourish them with manna, embrace them with God’s love, and surround them with prayers. It is our goal that their childhood will be free from bullying, fear, and apathy, but is full of warmth, happiness, and righteousness. Every child will grow to love learning, has a lively spirit and bloom in resilience.
I am thankful that several parents have come forward to express their earnest support for the church’s decision to advance into the preschool ministry. A mother told me that her five-year-old daughter came home from school one day and said that she was told not to say grace for her meal because she was eating too slow. Another mother discovered by chance that for a long time her child had been punished to stand at a corner because he could not sleep during naptime. Another mother was caught by surprise that the school taught her three-year-old daughter to sing to “The god of fortune”! There was also a couple whose daughter grew up in a church preschool in the first four years but continued her K2 education in a non-Christian preschool nearby when they relocated. A dramatic change occurred thereafter. Their six-year-old started to yell, throw tantrums, and even use foul language. Only then did they realize how great the difference a preschool could make!
The Israelites responded in joyful obedience when God called them to build the tabernacle, “all the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the Lord freewill offerings for all the work the Lord through Moses had commanded them to do.”
Exodus 35:29
Dear brothers and sisters, the Little Olive Tree preschool is not a church building, it is more than that – it is a church, the next generation of God’s people! Let everyone strive to grab hold of the blessing to be part of this Kingdom’s ministry. Uphold this new and challenging work in prayer, and encourage your Christian friends to seek a pious environment for their children to grow up in. If you are a student, you could volunteer your time during school holidays to help at the centre; If you are a working adult, your help is needed and appreciated anytime at the centre.
Finally, we are raising funds for the renovation of the centre, which is estimated to cost $150,000. Let each of us make an offering according to the moving of the Holy Spirit and within your own means. A 93-year-old elderly lady who is not yet a child of God heard of the work and immediately pledged to donate all subsequent proceeds from the sale of her handsewn patchwork blankets to this centre! Let children of God bring forth not just money, but also gifts, time, and energy that God has given us to build the “Little Olive Tree” in Woodlands together, so that in this crooked and depraved era, it may flourish into an evergreen olive grove!
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