ELECTED TO CARE
By Christopher Quah
To be the principal of a school is not an easy task and even more so over a school of children with special needs. For this position, it is incumbent that one has to shoulder great responsibilities. This was what Zoey Chin was called to be. She has been appointed as principal of Beacon Life Training Centre, succeeding Aly Cheah, who chose to pass the baton to her mentee and successor. This was done in a lavish ceremony last year at Mega Star Arena@Jalan Kuchai Lama in conjunction with the centre 10th Anniversary Celebration Dinner on 28th October 2018.
“I started to serve families with special needs children through a special family gospel camp way back in 2015. I have always had a burden to help these families after joining this camp. Looking back now, I am sure that this is the mission and destiny that God has entrusted to me,” Zoey explained.
Zoey shared a bit about herself and how she came to be involved in this special ministry in the first place. It was not by chance.
“I am also a mother to a special need child. My child is 20 years old this year. He is a William’s syndrome child. For my search for answers to why my child has to suffer this condition had brought me to know Jesus. After knowing Jesus, the life of our family has been greatly changed. I have learnt that it is more important for me to bring the love of Jesus into the life of my child. I always feel that even if I can give him a huge sum of money in the future as inheritance, he may not feel our love for him, as he doesn’t know how to use the money. What is important to a child’s life is the love of Christ. The love of Jesus is eternal love, and the child can feel it. My son now knows that Jesus is the Saviour of his life. When he is not feeling well, he will pray to Jesus for healing.”
She also mentioned that she has a special burden for families with special need children especially in the age group of 13 and above. This group of special needs children needs to participate in different activities and to connect with more people than the younger age group of special needs children. She also hopes that through this special needs’ family gathering, in a church, such families will feel that they are respected and accepted, opening the door for them to receive the salvation message.
“It was at a gathering in 2016, that a mother told me that the center needed a teacher. I still remember during the interview Mdm Aly Cheah told me that this job is to teach children with the love of Jesus. I very much agree that only the love of Jesus can help our children. After prayer and much consideration, I decided to come to the BLTC as a teacher. I started my career as a teacher in 2016. It is not easy to teach special children. We have multiple roles to play at different times – teacher, mother, nurse and soldier. We need the guidance and equipment of the Holy Spirit every day. It is because of this job that I know better that the teachers of children with special needs are so great,” Zoey added.
She also explained that in 2017 after joining a special need’s family camp, she was moved by The Lord Jesus to take up a special education course for children with special needs.
“That was also my wish to take such a course when I had a child with special needs. At that time, my son was still small and I needed to take care of him, so I gave up the idea of studying but I did not give up my dream. Years later, when my son was big enough, I decided to upgrade myself to bless the children in the centre. So, I enrolled in the special education course in 2017,” she said.
Looking back, Zoey believes that this is what God had arranged and prepared her for since the beginning.
“Twenty years ago, I really wouldn’t think that I would become the Principal of a special needs training centre. The journey has not been easy. In my difficult times, I experienced God’s grace and companionship. God led my family step by step. I am not doing it alone. I really want to take other families with special needs children together in this path because I believe this is a blessed path. I believe that God has a great plan for these families,” Zoey concluded.
