WHERE IS YOUR GOD?
PASTOR H. AL, SIMS, JR. SENIOR PASTOR BETHESDA CHURCH OF GOD, SUMTER, SC
That question has probably been asked or thought about by most people at some point in their lives. Some ask the question from a negative position when bad things happen, “Where is your God now?” In times of despair or confusion, others may ask, “Where is God?” The question needs to be answered no matter when it is asked and for what reason.
In Psalms 115:2, the question is asked, “Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?” The question remains, even today, in the middle of a chaotic world: Where is God?
When everything is going great, it is really easy to celebrate God in heaven and on His throne, ruling in majesty. You just got a big promotion. You just got approved for the dream house you always wanted. That shiny new sports car you thought you could never afford is now in your driveway. Your family is healthy and prospering. Life could not be better. God is on the throne, pouring out blessings.
But where is God when the doctor has just diagnosed you with bad health? When the business you felt so secure in just went belly up. Your spouse comes in and says, “I don’t want to be married to you anymore.” Your family is in turmoil; your children are rebellious.
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Where is God during those times? Those times when you feel your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling and, spiritually, you feel as dry as the Sahara Desert. Where is God?
May I suggest that God is still on the throne, but He is also present wherever you are? The disciples were terrified when the storm and winds rocked the boat, but Jesus was on board and said to the storm, “Peace be still,” and it immediately calmed. When the three Hebrew boys were thrown into the fiery furnace, right there in the middle of the fire with them was the Son of God. Understand that Jesus said, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Jesus also stated that He would be a friend who sticks closer than a brother. You may not see Him, feel Him, think He is even listening, but remember God challenged us to “call unto me and I will show you great and mighty things which you know not” (Jeremiah 33:3).
There is a wonderful song that I heard many years ago that goes like this.
He’s God On The Platform, He’s God Back At The Door, He’s God In The Amen Corner, He’s God All Over The Floor.
I Know God Is God, And God Don’t Ever Change, I Know God Is God And He Always Will Be God.
He’s God When The Lightning Flashes, He’s God When The Thunder Roll, He’s God Way Up In Heaven, He’s God Way Down In My Soul.
He’s God On The Ocean, He’s God On The Sea, He’s God All Over Creation, He’s God All Over Me.
He’s God In The Father, He’s God In The Son, He’s God In The Holy Ghost, And All These Three Are One.
He Was God At The River Of Jordan, He Was God When Adam Fell, He’s God Way Up In Heaven, He’s God That Saves From Hell.
I know God is God and God will never change, I know God is God and He always will be God.
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INTERVIEW WITH PASTOR and EVANGELIST STEPHEN BARTHOLOMEW
An interview with Pastor and Evangelist Stephen Bartholomew, a man of God who lives in Chaguanas, Trinidad and Tobago, and has been a disciple of Jesus Christ for 42 years.
On behalf of Transformational4Real Magazine, thank you for allowing me to interview you so that our readers could get a glimpse of who Stephen Bartholomew is and what you are doing in your community and beyond.
Our main objective in doing this interview is to consistently present our readers with articles that encourage heart transformation and mind renewal. With that said, would you please tell our readers how you, yourself, have been transformed by God and His Word ?
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T4RM: When did you realize that God had a plan for your life?
PSB: I am the sole product of a failed marriage; my parents divorced when I was young, and I have never seen my father. My mother left me with her parents, where I stayed from childhood to age 18. I then got the opportunity to live with my mother for a short time in Chaguanas, but I had to leave and stay with a friend, and with that, I became the drug pusher on the block. From ages 19 to 22, I was also involved in promoting the biggest Rastafari parties in Central Trinidad. I was smoking marijuana as a ritual to meditate on Jah, and it was then that I started reading the Bible.
Reading the Bible, I started to change my lifestyle. I did not want to commit fornication. I wanted to stop selling drugs, and I began to hate drinking. I was still promoting parties and using scriptures from the Bible on the fliers. After handing out the fliers on the street, I gave it to a pastor, and he responded, “You are the one that is using God’s words to serve the devil.” I was totally convicted of sin, and as I read the Bible daily, I wanted to get saved.
On New Year’s Eve, I resolved to go to a Bible believing church rather than the usual fete to kick off the new year right. Right in my street was a midnight open air church service, which I joined myself, not knowing anybody. After the service, as a weed smoker, I smoked and meditated on Jah’s message. When I returned, one of the church members’ cars broke down where the service was just to save a wrench like me. I began attending church and hearing God’s words, but it was not until the next year, when I asked where we were going to preach that night, that the pastor told me that it was not a normal thing that the church did. I knew in my heart it was God’s plan to save me. I was water baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost in 1980.
T4RM: Were your parents active in church?
PSB: My grandmother, who I grew up with as a child, was a devoted Anglican, and I had to attend Mass every Sunday morning. This early experience caused me to have a fear of God, but I still did not know God. I could party and go to a carnival, but I had to attend church.
T4RM: : Because of the many hats you wear, I have to ask you this question.
PSB: Presently, I am pastoring the following churches in Central Trinidad:
1) Holy Ghost Deliverance Centre, where I received my salvation 42 years ago.
2) Church of God Deliverance in Christ Jesus, about 7 years ago, by the will of God, after the death of the pastor in charge.
3) Endeavour Church of Prayer, about 3 years ago, by the will of God, after the death of the pastor in charge.
T4RM: As an Evangelist, please summarize what that entails for our readers to understand how that works.
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PSB: God has called me to be an evangelist to the Church (Body of Christ) Jeremiah 7:2. The Holy Spirit has placed me in the Apostolic ministry in three churches to date to make disciples of Jesus Christ and to raise up elders in the churches for ministry. However, my main calling is doing the work of an evangelist to win the lost and to be a watchman for the churches to amend their ways so that God’s house will be a house of prayer and not a den of thieves. All media, including social media, namely Facebook and WhatsApp, are used to share God’s Word.
T4RM: When did you receive the call to preach the gospel?
PSB: During my first opportunity to preach in an open air service many years ago, my pastor gave me confirmation that God had called me to preach the gospel. That night, after preaching, the scriptures began to speak to my mind, and I could not sleep. It was strange, but I knew God was downloading His Word into my spirit that night.
T4RM: : Did you embrace the call right away, or did you wrestle with the call to preach the gospel?
PSB: Before I got saved, I began studying the Bible to show myself approved. The Word was hidden in my heart, and the call to preach was embraced immediately and also encouraged by my pastor, who ordained me to be a minister
T4RM: I am passionate and I am a stickler for the Word of God. God, through His Precious Holy Spirit, told me that He had called me to be a mouthpiece to the nations. What are you passionate about?
PSB: My main calling by the Holy Spirit is in the Word of God in Jeremiah 7:2 3, “Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house, and proclaim there this word, and say Hear the word of the Lord, all ye of Judah that enter at these gates to worship the Lord. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your goings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.”
T4RM: Jesus knew what He was sent to planet earth to accomplish. One good example is when He went into the temple, took a whip, and threw the money changers out of the temple (Matthew 21:12 17). Does your passion cause you to get in trouble with others who do not see or understand your passion?
PSB: That is my calling. My Father’s house is a house of prayer and not a den of thieves. I am already in trouble with the modern day scribes and Pharisees calling themselves names.
T4RM: Is there a specific project you are currently working on that you would want our readers to know about?
PSB: Right now, I’m planning three (3) nights of Gospel Crusades in Felicity, Endeavour, and Couva/Mc Bean. The theme is “Restoration and Deliverance in Jesus’ Name.”
T4RM: God’s Word tells us that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. What challenged you the most in transitioning from your worldly aspects of living to God’s direction for your life?
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PSB: As an early believer, my challenge then was to stay away from my worldly friends and to spend more time with God in weekly prayer and fasting. This caused me to overcome serious temptations like fornication and smoking. I was always glad to be in the house of God.
T4RM: Evangelist Stephen, you have a prominent presence on Facebook. Do you see or hear about the impact that God is making through your message and ministry on Facebook?
PSB: Though promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ on Facebook and my daily scripture and voice message on WhatsApp, I am now providing Godly counsel to many believers not only in Trinidad and the Caribbean but in the USA. Many spiritual breakthroughs and deliverance from evil spirits, many marriage counseling, and many believers receiving the Holy Ghost. I normally reply daily to over 50 messages at night, as well as receive calls for Godly advice.
T4RM: : Growing up as a young adult, was it your desire to become a (title), or was working in the secular world something you strongly desired to do ?
PSB: Wisdom comes from God, and, like the ants, I am considering and holding onto a secular job. I am not full time in the ministry, but I am doing God’s work more than my assignments. In the workplace, I am the Man of God who has led many to Christ, even through water baptism.
T4RM: : When did you know for sure that a (title) had called and ordained you to be a title?
PSB: Just before COVID 19, the Holy Ghost directed me to Jeremiah 7:2 3 and gave me the mandate to do exactly as Jeremiah did, and He is calling me to be a watchman for the body of Christ… “amend your ways and your doings.” I am now called by God to do the work of an evangelist for the churches. I am still waiting for His direction. This calling will cause me to be hated, for Jesus’ sake. I already counted the cost
T4RM: Do you see the need for ministries to impact the world for the Kingdom of God with each other to impact the world for the Kingdom of God without beginning in competition?
PSB: Competition is the work of the flesh, i.e., church membership and compromise. I see the work of God as God’s harvest, and we, unprofitable servants, should be praying that God sends laborers into His harvest. For the ministries to impact the world for the Kingdom of God, they have to have love for one another and stand on God’s Word.
T4RM: What would you say to others, especially men, who are called to ministry but may not be willing to wholeheartedly leave all, like the twelve disciples did, to follow God?
PSB: Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.” Put away fear; it brings torment.
T4RM: With that said, do you believe that the internet is the new church?
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PSB: No. It is a tool to spread the gospel, but when it comes to repentance and baptism, visiting the fatherless and motherless, feeding the poor, and visiting the sick, the church will still need to be there in person.
T4RM: What are your young long term goals for your ministry as you continue to transform lives through the Father’s directives?
PSB: Occupy till Jesus comes and be led by the Holy Spirit.
T4RM: What are some of the plans you know that God has for you and your ministry?
PSB: I know God has a plan, and where He leads me, I will follow. I am called to preach the gospel and to make disciples.
T4RM: “I remember, as a child, kneeling down before my mother, who was getting ready to give me a beating, and telling her I was going to pray for her. At that time, I didn’t know or even realize then that God was calling me to be an intercessor.” Was there anything in particular, or a single incident, that made you realize God was indeed revealing your calling to you?
PSB: I’m not sure. I said that my grandmother, who did not spare the rod, did. During my childhood days, we recited prayers from a prayer book. It was never from the heart.
T4RM: What would you say to anyone who wants to do and be all that God called them to do?
PSB: I will pray with them that the Lord will clearly show them what he wants them to do, and I will continue to pray for them and call them to encourage them to make full proof of their ministry.
T4RM: If and how has the pandemic affected your ministry?
PSB: It caused me to watch and pray more and put the ministry online as the church doors were closed for a while. It also hindered personal evangelism, which took me and others to preach in the malls and give out tracts.
T4RM: How would you say you are transforming the lives of those in your community?
PSB: I am a living epistle in my community, and aside from preaching the gospel, I am involved in community work, primarily youth football, with many girls and boys earning football scholarships to the United States.
T4RM: Do you plan to help develop the transformation for women and those who want to work but don’t have the skills to work in corporate (name of city)and its surrounding neighborhoods?
PSB: Currently, the church does not have the tools to retrain women, particularly single mothers, aside from government social programs?
T4RM: What are some of the things (where you reside) that grab your attention the most for help?
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PSB: Youths without proper education and no sense of direction are given crime and drugs.
T4RM: Are you involved with local government or church personnel to make your city a better place to show forth God’s glory on the earth?
PSB: No, but the community is dependent on local government services. The church has no influence there.
T4RM: Do you see many churches getting involved when it comes to the mental health and well being of your city?
PSB: No. Many churches talk about it but do not have the resources or personnel to get directly involved.
T4RM: When do you make time for yourself and your family, both mentally and physically?
PSB: My family comprises my wife and four children, three of whom are no longer at home. However, we continue to spend time together each night when we are at home to have our family prayer meeting and to discuss and resolve any family issues in fear of God.
T4RM: What is the vision for your group as God continues to expand your ministry?
PSB: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5 declared to be an Epistle of God.
T4RM: Where are you now in your ministerial walk?
PSB: Still humbling myself before God and seeking His directions.
T4RM: What do you see yourself doing for the remainder of the year?
PSB: It’s probably the same thing with more people. There are no other plans except for a Crusade in the Endeavour, Chaguana.
T4RM: Pastor Bartholomew I thank you so much for allowing myself and our readers into your life and walk with our Father. May God continue to richly bless you for taking the time out of your schedule to answer our questions and share your heart with our readers
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IT’S IN THE WORD!!
By Sharon Weekes-Alleyne
THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT.
The God we serve loves the sinner but hates us sinning. I’m saying this to say to us, we love to dwell on the SIN instead of the SINNER. And that’s where, most times than not...We miss the mark.
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Yes, THE BIBLE contains numerous scriptures condemning prostitution and the consequences of doing so. As with anything else, as with any other sin, wrongdoing has consequences.
We go to the Red Light Districts with our plaques of condemnation and no love for the one for whom Christ died, oblivious of what got that woman, man, boy or girl into the position they’re in, and we feel we’re doing God a service. We are in the business of condemning those who try to win them through love.
I read of a Christian non profit that other Christians were condemning for having a “Night Care” for children of prostitutes because the mothers were taking the children with them as they prostituted, and so the children were seeing what was happening, and some were being taken advantage of. They felt the Lord’s calling to be there for the children, and they saw both children and mothers transformed, but “the religious,” like the Pharisees and Sadducees, were blinded to the end results. They didn’t look at the man being healed and his sight restored; they looked at the day it was done. I also saw a testimony being told by a man who got saved through a woman who, before becoming a Christian, sewed clothing for male and female strippers, and she said God told her to continue sewing for them but reinforce the pocket where they place the condom with pieces of anointed prayer cloth. Some said it was not of God, but she felt God was speaking to her, so she did it anyway. At the time he was giving his testimony of how he came to Christ, he said only one person from the group was not saved, and he had taken up the mantel to pray for him into the kingdom as the seamstress had transitioned. I say this to let us know that whatever box we try to put God in, HE CANNOT and WILL NOT FIT. He’s in control and would allow us to use methods that may seem foolish to some but will confound even the wise. He loves each and every one of them and would like to see them all come to repentance.
We see that even before Christ came to earth to die for our sins, God entered the Red Light District through a wall. I’m sure the two spies could have been led to other homes on that wall because being at a prostitute’s home didn’t look good at all for those spies.
I’m sure everyone had already conjured up what they were doing there, BUT GOD... was showing each and everyone that He cared for the most condemned, and HE saved Rahab and her entire family and allowed her to be grafted into Our Lord and Savior’s lineage (Joshua 2).
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah! And her Red Light was that SCARLET CORD that was let down from her window. It was her salvation, her way out of that lifestyle, so who are we to judge, condemn, or say how God should work to transform the life of a prostitute?
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Then we see Jesus dismissing His disciples as He felt a strong pull to go through Samaria and wait for the woman at Jacob’s Well in the hot midday sun. He didn’t want the distraction of His disciples standing around, perhaps talking into each other’s ears about the type of woman she was, so all were asked to take a hike! He sent them to get what the flesh desires: FOOD.
I could also imagine her neighbor’s thought: “Hmm... another prospective husband!!” BUT little did they all know her SCARLET CORD stood in front of her, and she was transformed to the point where what she received was too good to keep to herself; she ran and told the said people she was avoiding (John 4).
YES, soon HIS SCARLET BLOOD will atone for the sins of all.
As humans, and especially Christians, we need to not just quote scripture but live the Word. If we read and study how God works, we’ll be less judgmental of others. We may not prostitute or work in strip joints, but that little white lie, as we call it, is condemning you alongside the prostitute. IT’S IN THE WORD. All liars will have their part in the lake of fire alongside the whoremongers (Revelations 21:8).
IT’S IN THE WORD the seven things the Lord hates. Some of which is if you’re haughty or stir up conflict, you’re walking alongside all those prostitutes (Proverbs 6:16 19).
So let’s renew our minds and thoughts, see the bigger picture God has, and be a part of souls being saved and restored for the kingdom and for God’s glory.
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By Allison A.
In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord! (Isaiah 6:1).
What is the reigning king in your life? What is it in the way you see, communicate, and spend time with the Lord?
Many times we condemn idol worshippers, but little do we know we have idols in our lives that keep us from having God first in our lives.
When we come to know God as our Lord and Savior, we are in His Presence. We’re praying for that great job, a husband, children, a house, a car, etc., and then we get a great job, we have to work overtime because we need to get the car, so we can’t go to Bible studies, and then we get the car, and we need a house, so Bible studies and prayer meetings are out. Then, since we have so much to do on the weekend, we’ll go to church every other Sunday until we just don’t go anymore. You see, even though we may not think it or say it, we’re actually saying, “I DO NOT NEED GOD; I HAVE ACHIEVED ALL I HAVE!” We need to get back to God’s Word and see what happens when we get puffed up. Remember Luke 22:18 21, the farmer who was an “I Specialist” who said, “I will build my barns, etc.” His case was the reverse of Isaiah’s; his idols didn’t die; he did and left all he worshipped behind (Luke 12: 18 21).
Many of us will say a house or car won’t keep us away from God, but you’ve been praying for years for a baby, and God gave you a baby, and all you can see, dream, and do is the
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baby. It’s all about the baby no time to pray for your husband or your home. Not even dad can hold the baby. Every waking moment is about that baby. We forget all the promises we made and all the things we told God we’d do if we were able to conceive and have a child.
And then some will say, “Not me. I’ll never be that type of Christian. I’m in church, I’m at prayer meetings, choir practice, board meetings, Sunday School, women’s or men ’ s groups, etc.,” but you do not have a personal prayer life and sometimes no family life. Showing how hard we can “WORK FOR THE LORD” HAS BECOME LORD. We can’t even enjoy God’s presence because we’re thinking about all we’ve done to bring everything together in the house of the Lord, but our family house and our temple are not put together. We need to be honest and get our houses in order. In 2 Kings 20, Hezekiah was told to get his house in order(God would not have told him that if his house was in order); as he was going to die, he cried out to God, and God granted him an extension, and what did he do? Instead of speaking of God’s goodness, he praised his idols, all he had in his house, and all his wealth. He did that to his detriment. We need to be in tune with God to see Him high and lifted up in our lives. If you don’t have a prayer life (I’m not talking about a bathroom break prayer, a going to bed or waking up prayer, or driving in the car prayer), all those should be added to your set aside time between you and God.) If you don’t have a Word life (not opening the Bible to a random verse or reading a chapter, no, we’re talking about studying to show yourself approved Word), you have to be like the Berean Jews, who listened eagerly to the Word but didn’t stop there. They re read, meditated, and regurgitated it to ensure what was said lined up with God’s Word (Acts 17:11).
We have families growing up in church, but their parents have never had a devotion, a Bible study, or a prayer with them at home. The only Word or prayer they get is at church (thank God for church and God’s Word accomplishing what it was sent forth to do). Many are in both services because that’s where they get their high. That’s all THE GOD they’ll get. We see it as them BEING FAITHFUL, and God is seeing it as a form; we worship the praise we get for being faithful, so we live in the church and neglect our relationship with God, we neglect our family relationship, and then our idols begins to die; our marriages, our children, our jobs, the houses; and it’s then and only then we get on our knees, raise our hands, look up, and see THE LORD HIGH AND LIFTED UP. It shouldn’t take our idols’ dying for us to see Him. Let’s examine ourselves, bare it all before God, empty ourselves of everything that’s not of Him, and come to the place where we worship HIM in SPIRIT and in TRUTH. Then and only then will we see Him as that’s what HE’S SEEKING.
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Shaping Guyana’s Future Through Education – Stalwart Educator,
Minister Norma Singh, Tells her Story
Nurturing a nation’s children is no small task, but for Minister Norma Singh, seeing children grow and develop their capacity and learn over time, is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences as an educator.
Minister Norma Singh has amassed more than 50 years of experience in molding the minds of children in Guyana, having served in the public and private schools systems as well as in the church. She continues to make indelible imprints on the teaching profession, as she currently supervises the elementary department of the Green Acres School and leads the Sunday School Department at First Assembly of God Wortmanville (FAOGW) as Sunday School Superintendent.
Min. Norma Singh, Sunday School Superintendent at First Assembly of God Wortmanville
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Over the years she has taught grades one to six, before attaining the office of Headmistress at the South Ruimveldt Primary in 1984. Minister Singh believes her success as an educator was orchestrated by God.
Beginning of the Journey
The teaching profession was not a planned venture or a chosen career path for Min. Singh but a pathway chartered through the wisdom of her godfather. Min. Norma Singh was born in the Wortmanville/Werk en rust community in Guyana but later resided with her godfather from the age of nine (9) in the Queenstown community. Upon completion of high school education, her godfather thought teaching was the safest and most appropriate profession for her at the time. Thus, she subsequently attained a teaching job at one of the schools attached to the Presbyterian church. This birthed her lifelong journey of teaching.
Given that her journey commenced at the age of seventeen (17), Min. Norma Sigh’s first assignment on the job was to a class with students just about five or six years her junior. This experience, she said, was something that she enjoyed and was very successful at, even though she did not choose the career path herself. She added, “One of my areas of strength from the initial stage was that I had very good class control. So applying myself to whatever task I was assigned became manageable and was not difficult.”
Recognizing her passion for educating children, Min. Singh pursued training in 1968 at the then Guyana’s Teacher’s Training College and graduated as a trained teacher at the age of twenty (20). Her years in training, however, were not without their challenges. She explained, “I encountered a senior person in the profession at the first school I went to practice, who knew me since childhood days. But after observing my performance in the classroom, she concluded that I was pretensive because, according to her, I moved around very quietly. So she was surprised to know that I was able to have that kind of class control, and this hurt me a whole lot since I would have expected that a senior person in the profession would encourage me.” Min. Singh was not dissuaded by this put down but continued to excel at teaching and served over the years, laying a strong foundation in literacy at the elementary level.
Rewarding and Difficult Moments
As a teacher there are numerous rewarding experiences, Min Singh noted, but the most fulfilling for her is observing the development of children. She shared the example of a child with an apparent learning disability with challenges writing across the page in the normal format. The child she said would instead write around the page as though he was
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drawing a picture frame. At that time Min. Singh's colleagues encouraged her not to waste time with the child, but she believed that no child should be given up on and kept on working with the child. Eventually, the child became the best writer in the entire class at the end of the school term. But there were also difficult moments in teaching, as she recalled her encounter with an autistic child, for which she had no prior training at the time. She explained that the child wanted to sit on the floor and not in the chair. “... I took a carpet from my home to school, and I allowed him to use the carpet and eventually, he began using the chair. He too had writing challenges, but I worked with him until he was able to write properly. However, when he wrote the grade four (4)exams, I observed that he wasn’t treated the way he should have been, so before he wrote the grade six (6) exams, I penned a letter to the Ministry of Education, with permission from my superiors, explaining his condition and pleading with them to accommodate his needs during the sitting of the upcoming exam”. She has always been an advocate for children who learn differently and for whom the education system does not necessarily cater.
Min. Singh’s determination to empower the lives of children continued to be evident even as she ventured into teaching Christian Education shortly after accepting the Lord Jesus Christ in 1972.
Min. Norma Singh on a school visit with one of her many school class Her Work in Christian Education
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Since then, she has contributed tremendous work to the Sunday School Ministry (SSM) and Vacation Bible School (VBS) at First Assembly of God Wortmanville church, where she currently serves as Sunday School Superintendent. Before coming to FAOGW, Min. Singh was actively involved in both SSM and VBS in other churches and communities.
In 1977, she worked together with her husband in spearheading a Sunday School in the Charlestown Community, which grew to over five hundred (500) students. Children came from neighboring communities such as Albouystown, East and West Ruimveldt among others. In years prior, she also held VBS at St. Stephen’s Church, St Thomas Presbyterian church in the Tiger Bay community, as well as other churches in the Cane Grove community. She recalled holding her first VBS with only one pew of children in attendance. Today, she is amazed at how God has moved her from impacting the lives of one pew of children to thousands.
“Numbers never influence how I teach whether in the secular or religious field of work. I always love working with children and regardless of numbers, I have learned to be comfortable, and I never concentrated on position or title. I just worked. I always consider myself work oriented and not position oriented.”
Her Belief
Reflecting on the unfolding of events in her professional and spiritual journey as an educator, Min. Singh expressed a firm belief that God’s hands were upon her life from the initial stage.
“When I look back at my life, I believe that God was challenging me and guiding me from the inception even though I didn’t understand it then,” she remarked. She equates her life’s journey to that of Moses in the book of Exodus, who God caused to be educated in someone else’s home in preparation for the leadership role he would later undertake. Min. Singh believes that God was preparing her for the work she is involved in, causing her to leave her parents’ home to reside with her godfather, who provided the education she needed, equipping her for her current work.
Advice to Aspiring and Current Teachers
Min. Norma Singh’s encouragement to aspiring and current educators is to first acknowledge that the help of God is a priority and that one’s attitude and morality are both extremely important. She cautioned young people entering the profession to ensure that they seek to understand children and explore the pros and cons since children today are sensitive and curious and should not be shut up but allowed to speak. She further
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advised that studying, staying relevant, doing research, and being connected to the family of the students are healthy practices to adopt, but warned that if one does not have a love for the profession and the children/students, their career could be short lived.
Other Interests
Apart from teaching Min. Singh loves sports and formerly participated in the track and field 100 yard sprint, the hurdles, and the relay in her high school days. She now advocates for these sports in schools. She is also a mother of four (4) a grandmother of thirteen (13) and a great grandmother of one (1). In addition, she holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education Administration from the University of Guyana, a Bachelor’s Degree in Ministry and a Certificate of Biblical Studies from the International School of Ministry (ISOM). She also loves spending time with family and friends and describes God as an amazing Helper who guided her journey
Min. Norma Singh Teaching Sunday School
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