As the old pages of the school are about to be closed to give way to new chapters, the ESIS family looks back to an unforgettable year of carving memories. Probably, the year could only be described in its entireties with service, love and innovation.
There is this emergence of service as the school affirms its commitment for selfless offering to the community. The Pesta Rakyat with the ‘sembako’ giving to the less fortunate people was the attestation of this.
There is this emergence of love and service when the students poured forth their love in prayers and simple gifts as they visited and blessed SD- SMP Harapan Bagi Bangsa- YRPI.
There is this emergence of innovation as the school continuously seeks ways to progress in different aspects of the academe. Various projects are being undertaken and the TV program of Dr. Chitra is seen as a breakthrough giving way to the students to showcase their talents and bless others with service. It is indeed an unforgettable year to the ESIS family.
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.” -Psalm 107:1-
As Ecclesiastes 3 beautifully elucidates the time for everything, El Shaddai International School continuously embraces the different seasons of life with God’s graces.
Term 3 was enveloped with significant events which could only be an explication of God’s love and favors. First, this is the time for reaping seed of rectitude planted in the school’s alumni. Grace Sameve’s notable accomplishments being a recent graduate of Columbia University is an upholding of everything that ESlS stands for- molding an upright citizen worthy of emulation in a society.
This term is also a season of welcoming new students and teachers to the family. God continuously uses the school as instrument in honing not just the talents and abilities of the students but helping the society as well by ensuring that every graduate would live in accordance with God’s words and teachings.
It is also the season to share inspiration to the community by using the enthusing articles of the students. The stories of Tiara and Pruch hope to bridge the message of love, dreams and aspirations to the society.
Somehow, this term also stirs the season of feat when the futsal team was hailed victors. God’s avalanche of blessings is indeed amazing.
As Ecclesiastes 3 speaks of seasons of life, not every time is for exultation. This term is also the time to weep when one of the ever dedicated and committed teachers of ESIS bid her farewell. She served for seven years before finally deciding to settle with her family in the Philippines. But, Ms. Mary’s legacy of loyalty and obedience will live on.
Life’s intricacies would sometimes slow us, or exalt us, but so long as everything is consecrated unto His name, there is nothing that would be impossible to accomplish. Time has been the silent witness of this institution’s unfailing commitment to be the pillar of uprightness. Thus, God’s love whatever is the season of life will see us through.
The song 10, 000 Reasons by Matt Redman may aptly portray what’s in the heart of a very blessed ESIS family this term. First and foremost of course is the gift of the new students who just joined the school. The continuous coming of new members of the family affirmed the undeterred commitment of the school to be the pillar of quality education according to Christian principles.
Then, there’s this visit of course of the students from King’s College Australia together with Pastor James. The seminar they facilitated, the outbound memories, and the Blue Fire concert left an indelible mark to the hearts of the ESIS family especially that of the students. The flock of people who blessed the Blue Fire concert with their presence and other forms of support also embraced the ESIS family.
But, God’s blessings did not end with the visit of the Australians from King’s College Australia nor of other successful events. The triumphs of the two students in the Pre- IBO competition were nothing but God’s incessant cascade of miracles.
We therefore revel with all these feats knowing they are God’s avalanche of blessings. Yes, there are more than 10, 000 reasons to be thankful and the ESIS family traverse in gratefulness.
Battling the tremendous challenge of facing the changes happening around the world is surely a tough job. But, ESIS is one hard pillar to shake. With the shift in the paradigm of education, the school continues to make innovation with the curriculum and content education.
To remain leader in the industry, one must take the challenge and that is what currently the school is doing. The students are being involved with the challenge of creating changes in the city by giving them awareness of what is truly going on. Thus, the empowerment of their sense of responsibilities and strong character which may help the country in the future.
Coincidently, the school does not rest on its laurel as the pioneer of SOT by continuously seeking ways on how to address the growing demand of society. Thus, as the school year rolls on, ESIS welcomes not only the new students and staff but new challenges as well. The school looks forward to what the rest of this academic year will bring filled with hope and aspirations. Together with the involvement of the parents and God’s loving guidance, there is this great hope of bringing out the students’ best.
God’s promise is infinite. As elucidated in Romans 12:2: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will.
ESIS declares this year as the year of innovation steered by God’s infinite wisdom, unfathomable love, and inexplicable greatness.
There is a parody in the way love ignites different emotions. When it strikes the heart of anybody, there is no power to resist it and nothing but to accede to it. There is this beauty of the way it robs one’s will to see flaws and differences but just positive physiognomies of a person. There is this splendor of just simply yielding to what it offers irrespective of the surrounding circumstances or the bleakness of the future. There is this sweet taste of abandoning any rationality just humbly acquiescing to that incomprehensible feeling of LOVE. Falling in love after all, is like being mystified in dreams of something not within the grasp of what real life could offer.
Love is a beautiful feeling for a reason. It is beautiful because it is something deeply and inexplicably shared by two people. But, its beauty has no ability to fight off weariness when finally ugly reality is slowly unfolded unto thy eyes. What you thought of something so seamlessly tied in perfection is not what it seems to be. You wake up from a dream realizing that you were in trance of something that only you believed and was never reciprocated by the one you trusted. That is the time, love wounds.
The pain inflicted may be blinding at its intensity. Then, you realize that it becomes more excruciating knowing that the love wore off but not the pain of the wounds inflicted. There is this sense of betrayal upon knowing that you have been led into something that would never be. There is this taste of bitterness discovering that the kind of love given was never the one you have given. There is this anger knowing that time has been stolen from you and never in your entire life could it be taken back again. The wounds are aggravated knowing that you have no other way out but to wake up from what you thought was such a beautiful dream but all along, it was a nightmare. The scenes are in wide array but the good ones were nothing but facades.
Conversely, just as love wounds, love also heals. When you think that there is no hope anymore, that there is no more future to look forward to, that there is no way to live life with positivity, you are given the seed of hope. Just as how every seed starts infinitesimal then grows into something big, the hope glimmers at first then radiates at its magnitude. Just as love wounds, love heals.
Then, realization dawns on you that there is really that BEAUTY in love. The parody is driven away with its purity since you know it is finally given to the right person. Slowly, there is this important lesson being imparted that the pain, the bitterness, and the sense of betrayal perpetrated in you could be healed by love alone also.
As light is shed upon you of the real meaning of love, you realize that it is very important with whom you entrust that fragile heart upon falling in love. You realize that when love is true, it vanishes the cobwebs of pains and other negativities brought by the deceit of the past. You are propelled into emergence of understanding that love is more beautiful when it withers away the wounds of the past. Most importantly, you realize that love is more beautiful when there are no fears and only hopes.
Then you start hoping again. You know that everything is in good hands. When the seed of love is from the right person, there is not just love but it is wrap as well with hope, with fidelity, with trust, with unspoken feeling of conviction and commitment deeply implanted with honesty and rectitude.
Then you understand, yes, just as love wounds, love also heals. Just as love ruins every dream and hope, love builds again. There is no consternation but only faith. Just as the love of the past destroyed you, love of the present and the future will create a new you. After all, there are no wounds that can’t be healed by the right person giving you another chance of LOVE. The first doesn’t mean always the last. Sometimes, the first serves as the lesson so the next could give you a brighter future. And yes, the dream continues…
(To my husband, thank you for the healing. I owe you my life. Just as I trust you with my future, I trust you also my life. )
