faithtricia's steps of faith

Friday, September 12, 2008

Ang Mo Kio - The place where I grew up

Have I shared with you before that Ang Mo Kio has a very special connection to me? I shifted to Ang Mo Kio when I was about 4 yrs old. That was when I was about to step into my PAP Kindergarten education. I stayed at Blk 245 (a 2-room flat block) for 13 years of my life. Basically, majority of my growing up years, I spent it all there.

Somehow, my neighbors and my siblings (including me of cos) had the craziest childhood at Blk 245. We would often ask every kid from every unit to come out and play after our school in the morning. We will play from 3pm till about 5-6pm in the evening? What do we play? Hmm, catching, 7-up, Pepsi-Cola, Hide & Seek, Zero-point, five-stones, marbles, soccer.. anything and everything. We will often explore around the neighborhood area and play with the animals that we can find.. whether is it cats or birds etc...

I remember once that a little new-born bird dropped down from the nest on a tree near the block. A few of us were panicky and don't know what to do. We did what we can to feed the bird with water and we wanted to try all means to put the bird back to the nest, but we couldn't. The tree was too tall. Thus, we helplessly watch the little newbie die. I was really sad... We buried it under the tree. Yes, we buried it.

These were memories that bring me back to my childhood, reminiscing and having that desire to become a kid again. We were kids that really had childhood. We had so much fun back then. But sad to say, all the 15-18 of the kids, that stayed at the same level 2 did not keep in contact with one another. We lost touch as each family shifted house as the days go by. It is really a pity that we did not managed to find one another after we grew up.

But one thing is that I can always remember how a particular Christian family always attempt to invite all of us to the nearby Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church during Christmas season. That was when I was exposed to Christianity and the gospel of Christ. There were Sundays that i will sneak to the Sunday School at the church and have loads of fun with the kids there. Back then, I only remembered that the kids were all very well-dressed and me and my friend were quite shabbily dressed. But they loved us all and accepted us as who we were.

I am really thankful for that neighbour who invited us to the church, the lady who knocked at the door of my house and shared the gospel with my mum and my family, the Youth-For-Christ girls who persistently shared the gospel with me and my friend at Changi Airport when I was Sec 2, my primary school teacher Mrs Mary Lim who brought me and my friend to her church when I was Sec 1. So many things have happened when i stayed at Ang Mo Kio. The place where I gradually get to know Christ. The place where I grew as I came to know the Lord. The small 2-room flat that I grew and learn to pray to Jesus when I knew Him in my Sec 3 days. It was just so wonderful to think back about the days at Ang Mo Kio.

I wonder if I will ever be able to find my childhood friends again. I hope to find them again... :P

Labels: childhood days

by Tricia at 2:52 PM |