Congrats ZhiYuan!

I think some of you all know that yesterday was the release of the GCE 'O' Levels results. I am glad to share this testimony of my cousin, Zhiyuan.

It just started with a slip of the tongue last year from the picture above at my Popo's 72nd Birthday. He was taking his 'O' Levels last year and he was in bad shape. He had lost motivation to study and he gave his mother a really hard time. With tear strewn eyes, his mother, my auntie had told me about him falling drastically in his academic results. I just casually agreed to help him even though I am not very good in Sec school maths and science let alone Chinese.

It was such a huge promise that I immediately stressed myself out, buying assessment books to read, Chinese compos and made it point that he speaks only Chinese to me during my tuition. It took a lot of effort out of me cos I am not that good in Chinese. Little did I know that an initial 2-month commitment would stretch to the end of the year! I was juggling between graduating from NIE and my then workload as a Beginning Teacher. It was crazy all the weekends burnt and all the late hours spent giving him pep talks and encouraging him to study. I could still remember the faithful day when I started my tuition with him. I did not do much teaching at all, just plain pep talk and finding out about his interests and hobbies....

What he went through was what normal teenagers would go through, the ups and downs of BGR. He was so badly affected by his relationship with this particular girl, that I had no choice but to enforce stricter rules on him. Thank GOd after much prayers, he was able to see my point of putting the relationship aside and concentrate on his studies. I thank God that he does not hang around too much during the weekends but only hung up on golf...:P His grades then were devastating. I really did not know how I could turn things around. Needed God's help.

I prayed like I never before, putting all his exam dates on my diary. His English was a D7, Chinese D7, Humanities E8. He's never gonna make it I have told myself.

"What did I get myself into?"

I was so stressed, I started with drilling into Chinese and Chinese compo before going into the English summary question. God led me to show me how to answer all the analytical and commentary questions in the History paper, by printing for him interesting political cartoons from the Net for him to try on. The Holy Spirit must have led me to help him to summary for all the chapters that he was studying in History. That was the least I could do. But i firmly believe that the Lord's hand was certainly in this to help him and to protect him. I told him, "I have been praying for you and I thank GOd that you did not give up on yourself." Even took the courage to share to my uncle and auntie how hard I prayed and the significance of a Divine Help. :)

His 'O' Level grades are English :A2, Chinese:B4, E and A Maths : A1s, Physics: A2, Chemistry:B3, Combined Humanities:A2

Aggregate: 11

WOW! It is really God's mercy upon this boy, from a potential dropout to such amazing grades...It can only be You Lord! I thank God for anointing me to teach the Sec 4 syllabus even though I know nuts about teaching Humanities nor Languages at Sec 4 level. Thank God for allowing me a chance to motivate and encourage him. He is a living testimony of how You pulled him from the pits of life!

:)