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

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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.  

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Qyou4 Nan1 (Saving Lives)

 

 One day while walking on the way to 888 Plaza, a pigeon dropped down from its urban home, the modern nest that they build.  I was saying that it's so hard to find a nest in Singapore.  And I saw one nest that come to build in my corridor garden, a natural nest build by the sunbird itself.  How spectacular was that!

My father also brought home a pigeon one day.  I was so amazed with it.  That was the first time I saw a pigeon in my old house with my parents.  My father loved nature too.  He loved to watch animals documentaries too.  He loved to fish.  He was a good fisherman and he specially went hunting for frogs to cook for me to eat so that my legs would be strong when I was young.  My parents were farmers too.  

My father often talked about saving lives.  He would say in Teochew, 'Qyou4 Nan1' (Teochew) which means saving lives, 救人。He was also a kind hearted soul who loves to help people.  So he always mentioned that if wanted to save lives, people must not charge any money.  This is because he encountered many 'medium' who charged my mother thousands of dollars...

Today my father is gone.  By faith, we know that he is in better place now.  I am sure he would be saving lives.  

To think that I was a Catholic since birth, I am a Christian and yet I did not know that being Christian means that we will be saved by God!  I must thank Jesus and God for coming to me to show me, to let me experience and to save my soul. This was assurance of salvation.  If I had sinned and I was saved, so can you. 

Jesus said, "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24

You can depend upon this promise.  It means what it says. Eternal life is what you receive when you receive Jesus Christ by faith as your personal Saviour.  The God 'who cannot lie' (Titus 1:2) says, "He who hears My word and believes...has eternal life."  We can base our assurance of salvation on the words of Jesus with total confidence.  

One glorious day Jesus Christ will return as a Conqueror to take His children to be with Him.  "And thus we shall always be with the Lord". (1 Thess 4:17).  We do not know the day nor the hour when this great event will take place. "For the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will."  (Matthew 24:44)  Until that day we must live and work for the Lord.    

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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!

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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.  

 

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