My Testimony

 

My Chinese Name formed from three chinese characters

That is my chinese name, Lin BaoZhu, it means a precious pearl in the forest.  My Christian name is Theresa.  Theresa is my name given during Baptism.  I chose to be named Theresa again during my confirmation although I can change.  I thought it would not be so messy with so many different names.  The name Theresa means harvester and it may means a mystic also.  There are various forms of 

Theresa.  Some Teresa and Teresia, without the h.

My parents went to church, and this led me to ask what was my religion.  I was told by my aunt that I am a Roman Catholic.  Though I went to church, I had no idea who is God.  I went to church, but I don't understand what was the significant of it.  As we grew up, our parents don't really go church anymore.  

In 1996, Richard and I had RCIA at Church of St Mary of the Angels.  I was the sponsor for Yvonne and Richard had his sponser as well.  We were asked the questions of how or why we wanted to join RCIA.  Most of the people said it was their calling.  I have no idea what was that.  I think at that time I was not a good sponsor, did not answer most of the questions.  Soon Richard was baptized and received his confirmation as well.  In the same year, we had our Church Wedding too.  

Life was full of ups and down.  Our marriage was not all smooth sailing.  We had our separation, reunion and now divorce.  However, I am still holding on to my faith, my one and only holy catholic church.  This is because I had encounter Christ, the Lord who came to my rescue when I had commited a mortal sin in my life.  

Jesus came to rescue me.  I went Church and came home to take a bath and miraculously, I was led by the Holy Spirit to be immersed in water, removing all the 'demons' in me.  Thereafter, my sins were cleansed and I was born again in water and spirit, feeling very refreshed and good.  

28 August 2008 A dinosaur appeared in the sky

Our God is a jovial one, making jokes to us.  I was shown a flying pig too.  In the chinese horoscope, I am a pig.  So in the morning, I saw a flying pig in the sky.  Pigs can fly was the message.  Now, I am also a dinosaur!  

I am still learning my faith, and trusting in God despite all the trials and tribulations now.  

Buy Me Tea

Roman Catholic

My ex-student and me standing beside the altar of my mum's house

Raised up in the Catholic family, with the altar as shown above, I was curious about my religion.  I asked my parents and my aunt many questions.  My aunt was the one who told me that my religion is Roman Catholic.  I also learned the word "Saint" from her.  My aunt, Teresia Lee, passed away on 18 October 2016.  I also learned the name of our church from her.  

I am proud to be a Catholic after I know more about my faith, especially after Jesus came to save me -- my conversion.  I declared myself to be a real Christian, a real Catholic.  In the past, I did not dare to admit that I am a Christian.  

In the year 2000, Richard left the family.  I was devastated.  Everything came crashing down. I was so stressed that there was not even enough milk to provide for my then newborn baby, Clara.  My mind was not able to think properly too.  I needed help.  I needed people to talk to, to help me.  I managed to got some help from the neigbourhood church and also the lawyer.  The lawyer was coincidentally a Christian.  He asked me "Have you heard of trials and tribulations?"  Then he invited me to his church.  He acted like a friend, but later on when he discovered that Richard came back home, he charged me a four figure sum for lawyer's fee.  I went to his church, and I was left alone to explore.  I did not feel 'homely'.  It was so uncomfortable there.  They wanted me to join their congregation, but I did not join them.  

I went to the neighbourhood church near my house.  Their church was not ready then.  It was at Causeway Point then.  I was invited to attend their service.  I did not feel 'homely' again.  Their receiving holy communion was so different from the Catholic.  They just passed it around and there was no priest, but Pastor.  Still further on, my neighbour came to know that I was alone.  She also invited me to her church at Yishun.  I did not like the environment too.  Finally, auntie Mary came knocking at the door.  She is a Jehovah Witness.  She shared the bible with me.  She told me that she withdrew herself from the Catholic church and she was baptized as Jehovah Witness.  She invited me to her church in Malaysia.  I went with her and I did not join her also, for the same reason as above.  Then She gave up on me.  She stopped coming to my house.  

I was left alone with Richard, together we raised our children.  I thought of teaching the children the right thing.  I sent them to catechism class. We slowly went back to church at Church of St Anthony of Padua.  It was more a comfortable place there, a more 'homely' feeling, a feeling of coming back to somewhere where you belong.  

It was at the church where I got to see Father Terence and Father Vincent the first time.  Going back to the church, I listened to hymns and songs of the church.  It was so nice and peaceful.  Eventually, things started to change and eventually I encountered Jesus...

The old Church of St Anthony of Padua in the year 2008

Buy Me Tea

Taco Comes Home

 

Taco and his mum at Singapore Cartons

That was the first time I met Taco, on 26 February 2022.  On that day, we tried to find the kittens but was unsuccessful.  After a prayer, the mother cat came to call me.  She led me to the kittens!  And that was how the children and me saw the mother cat and the kittens.  

We wanted to bring home the two kittens.  There was an opportune time when I was able to capture them.  They were in the palette.  I caught hold of Taco, the ginger cat.  Then Taco meowed so loudly and fiercely that I released him.  If I did not release him at that moment, I would have brought him home on that day.  

Taco in the carrier bag

The children were sad that we went home on 26 Feb empty handed.  But fortunately on the next day we managed to bring home Taco.  It was so hard to capture the kittens.  They were able to run and hide very well.  Then the company got so many palette and they hide too deep into the palette that's why no one can catch them.  The children had to lure the cats out using food.  

We put Taco in the yellow carrier bag with roller.  But during transportation, the children put the bag on their lab and watched him while in the car.  I was sitting in the front of the car and I was not able to look at how Taco was doing.  

The car owner's sister happens to be a Catholic too.  The reason why we were taking his car was because there was no Grab or Gojek vehicles that were willing to come Gul Crescent on that day.  I kept calling for them but to no avail.  Then my mum and I walked to this colleague of her, she told him that we would pay him and he was so kind to accept the offer.  

I was sitting at the front seat of the car, and that was what I saw. 

I thought we must thank St Anthony and Mother Mary for what we had got for the day.  

Buy Me Tea

Peace Bella

Many years back, I did not know what I want in life. Giving birth to two children and trying to earn a living by working. Life was stressful when you have to balance working and raising the children and then managing the house/maid at the same time.

I worked as tuition teacher, teacher, property agent and life insurance agent.  I do not like these kind of life.  I quit everything and become a housewife for a while.  It was trying to raise my children as Catholic, bringing them to church for catechism that I became 'Christian' again.  

Bringing the children to the church, brought back memories of the church time when I was a kid.  The hymns were so nice.  I love the feeling of it. 

One day, it dawned on me that I want Peace.  I even created a blog on wordpress titled "I Want Peace".

Hence I started to have my pen name as Peace Bella --  To have Peace and I am a flower/dancer, Bella. 

With that I created Peace Bella at YouTube.  My first YouTube channel -- (4) Peace Bella - YouTube .

It's good to claim back something we had lost.  I am glad to have  Peace Bella back again.  

 

 A Peace Bella production many years back showing my photographs. Enjoy!

Buy Me Tea

Follow Me

 It's 13 years since Jesus came to me, and he said "Follow Me". 

I was dead and was then given a new life till now.  What does it means to follow him?  

I was lost but found by Christ.  I wanted to acknowledge that I am a Catholic, a christian and a follower of Christ.  

In the past, an interviewer asked me, "Are you a Christian?"  I told him, "No, I am not a Christian." 

I even shifted all the Catholic statues out of the house, put them in the corridor cupboard and then brought them to my mother's house.  I stopped praying to Jesus.  I stopped going to church also.  

But because of something which I had done many years back, I was saved.

What did I do?  I thought that since my sister can do it, I will do it too.  Can you guess what I did?

It's not a glamourous thing to do.  It is my own flesh and blood.  I killed it.  But I did not know that I actually killed it.  I was blinded.  Doing things without knowing it.  I was dead.  Even at the clinic, I told them I wanted abortion, they did not stop me.  They just let me sign papers.  They were supposed to tell me the consequences of abortion, which until now I don't know.  I asked the nurse, but she never told me the answers -- what effect does it have?  She just told me some 'unrelated stuff' about her husband.  "You know lah, man ....." things like that.  And at that time, I happened to know the nurse.  It was someone I knew at the workplace.  She had changed her workplace.  

So I never know that I had sinned, greatly sinned.  

What's more, after that then I realized that my father had taught me that, "If you have a mortal sin, you cannot receive holy communion."  Oh, how greatly I had sinned.  Not only do I have mortal sins but also venial sins.  

Before my husband came back, we committed adulteries too.  He had new girlfriend and I had my boyfriend.  So wretched, so badly sinned.  

Then I wanted my children to raise up as good Catholics.  I started to go church.  Little did I know that I had done the wrong things.  I never went for confession (reconciliation) and I just went forward to receive Holy Communion.  It really never come to my mind what my father had taught me.  

So the miraculous things happened on 8 March 2008.  I had a dream of Jesus, telling me about 'Singapore'.  I woke up and I heard him saying, "Follow Me".  I was so broken.  I cried for all my sins.  Next, I walked to the window and I saw the 'map of Singapore' in the clouds.  And Jesus was saying I am the bread of life.  Back then I have no idea at all Jesus was the bread of life!  I learned from my dreams!  During my bath, I was 'cleansed' and washed again with new spirit...  Jesus helped me to wash away all the evil spirits.  

Now, Jesus said, "Take up your cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34 and Luke 9:23)  

If I want to follow him I have to take up my cross.  I am still learning now how to take up my cross.  

Photographs showing the map of Singapore.  Picture taken from my window.

  A closer view of the map of Singapore.  

 

 Buy Me Tea