By Jennifer Kwok, Warrant Officer of 1st Kuala Lumpur Coy
Ahh…. The minds of our modern children. We recently posed a few questions to our young members in the Boys' Brigade from 5 to 8 years of age, and the twist in some of their answers really blew our minds away. Tune in to some of the more interesting excerpts as we welcome you into the minds of our next generation…
(Please note that these are the unedited versions, copied directly from the handwritten crumpled notes of the Pre-Junior Boys)
Q: Why do you come to Boys' Brigade every week? |
Selvind, age 7 - “To study the Bible.” Teo Kai Zhe, age 6 - “I like Offiicer” Adam Chew, age 6 - “Very nice.” (This guy definitely has a future in politics; he's so diplomatic in his answers!) Lee Wing Shum, age 8 - “I go to BB can learn English.” Yip Ken Too, age 7 - “It is Saturday.” (Nicely put) Sean Ooi, age 5 - “I Like Offsir.” (How sweet!) Caleb Andrews, age 6 - “Because to learn Good Things.” Ivan Teh, age 6 - “Fun. Do you come to BB each week?” Bryan Khong, age 7 - “I come to bb cause I have to learn.” (Learn what??) Justin Poh, age 8 - “Because we come to learn restpac.” Jonathan, age 6 - “To pray to learn.” |
Q: Which Pre-Junior Programme do you like the most? |
Selvind, age 7 - “Cartoon, Jesus.” (When did we ever have cartoons in BB, I wonder?) Teo Kai Zhe, age 6 - “Cooking” Adam Chew, age 6 - “Coking.” (I hope he meant ‘cooking' and not ‘choking'!) Wong Hao Yang, age 8 - “Football.” Ryan Ting, age 7 - “Gmas.” (Oh… games. At first, I thought he meant Christmas or Xmas) Melvyn, age 8 - “Recess.” S. Thayala, age 7 - “Bible Study.” Ivan Teh, age 6 - “Eat Pre-junior” (Err... I think he meant recess time...) Bryan Khong, age 7 - “I like drill because it teaches me like a armie.” |
Q: Why do you think officers ask you to do push-ups? |
Isaac Chow, age 7 - “Because do not listen.” Lee Lap Sang, age 8 - “Because we are wrong” Lee Wing Shum, age 8 - “I naugty.” Wong Hao Yang, age 8 - “Because we do wrong things.” Ryan Ting, age 7 - “Because We are Naught.” Henry, age 7 - “Because your naughty boy.” (Who, me?) Chan Win Yew, age 8 - “Beacause we play in the playground.” Bryan Khong, age 7 - “Because I m wrong in drill or talking.” Alfred Lee, age 8 - “Beacause we are nauthy fallays.” Timothy Tan, age 6 - “Bikorst we ar noti.” Tong Cheng Hin, age 8 - “Because you do a wrong thing.” Justin Poh, age 8 - “Because is to disiplin students.” |
Q: What do you want to learn in Bible Study? |
Isaac Chow, age 7 - “I want to lean stor” Teo Kai Zhe, age 6 - “Goliath” S. T., age 8 - “Pam Pink.” (What?! Who?!) Lee Wing Shum, age 8 - “BB can learn English.” Wong Hao Yang, age 8 - “We learn for God.” (He's wise for his age, isn't he?) Ryan Ting, age 7 - “Learn in the Bible.” Melvyn, age 8 - “Work.” Caleb Andrews, age 6 - “Learn Words.” (I think he meant God's word...) Chan Win Yew, age 8 - “I want to learn disiplin in Bible Study.” Bryan Khong, age 7 - “I want to learn to be a good boy.” Alfred Lee, age 8 - “Not be nauthy.” Timothy Tan, age 6 - “Kipquarret.” (Keep quiet) Pang Ding Kang, age 8 - “We learn God words.” |
Q: Write a prayer to God to ask Him to protect your family. |
Isaac Chow, age 7 - “Prayer for my mum for good health.” Teo Kai Zhe, age 6 - “I prayer for my father.” Lee Lap Sang, age 8 - “God, I love you.” Lee Wing Shum, age 8 - “I nougty to family, God can protect my family.” Wong Hao Yang, age 8 - “Dear God, please help my family, please protect my family.” Ryan Ting, age 7 - “YES!” Henry, age 6 - “Our father and believe in God and pray.” Melvyn, age 8 - “I like to pray to God.” Caleb Andrews, age 6 - “Because I love God.” Bryan Khong, age 7 - “I have to pray to ask God to protect my family.” Alfred Lee, age 8 - “To pray for God.” Nooel, age 8 - “Our Father.” Jonathan Kau, age 8 - “I which (wish) God to make my family happy.” Timothy Tan, age 6 - “I love God.” Shamalan, age 6 - “Dier God our Father protect our family. Amen.” Justin Poh, age 8 - “Dear Father Lord, we want to pray all my family that they safe and does not have axidents with the car and we pray Lord that my family are safe. Amen.” Jonathan, age 6 - “I love god, thank you God. That's all.” |
Q: How do you know God? |
Selvind, age 7 - “Come to BB” Lee Lap Sang, age 8 - “Pray” Lee Wing Shum, age 8 - “From the Bible Story” Wong Hao Yang, age 8 - “I come to BB then I know God.” Ryan Ting, age 7 - “Because We go to church” Melvyn, age 8 - “I like to listen story.” Caleb Andrews, age 6 - “Because He created this world that why I know God.” Chan Wing Yew, age 8 - “I go to BB to know God.” Nooel, age 8 - “Believe in God and pray.” Jonathan Kau, age 8 - “Officer tell the story about God.” Timothy Tan, age 6 - “Love God.” Pang Ding Kang, age 8 - “My friend tell me.” Calwyn Chin Ka Weng, age 7 - “My mother tell me about God.” Jeremy Poh, age 6 - “From praying.” Shamalan, age 6 - “By taking to God” Justin Poh, age 8 - “God has the power to teach me a lesson.” |
Ah… children are so free with their choice of words. It is only as we grow up that we are so mindful of the things we say for fear of showing our true selves that sometimes we forget how to be transparent to others.
Discount the grammatical errors of the writings and take note of the sincerity of all the messages... How many of us can truly compose something as beautiful as the messages from the heart of children? Is it any wonder, then, why God intended for us to be like little children to come forth and love him unashamedly?
As Officers and parents of all these children, it should be our dream to work together to nurture the seeking hearts of these growing young minds. While the Kingdom of God cannot grow without the love of God, we should be mindful that our world will eventually belong to this group of future leaders. Therefore, we need to persevere and strive together to raise up a generation who truly love and fear God, and indeed, be able to share all the blessings of God's good news to everyone.
Children are God's gift to us, yet how many times have we actually looked at them that way? Have we ever imagined how God actually looked at us and shook His head in amazement at how ‘naughty' or imperfect we truly are? Yet He still loves us so much and thinks we are His best creation ever! Now that's what I call true grace.
The Pre-Junior Section in the 1st Kuala Lumpur Boys' Brigade specifically caters to children aged 5 to 8 years old. These Boys come from all walks of life, both Christian and non-Christian alike. Here, children experience the core emphases of discipline and religion through a variety of programmes and activities, including: worship, bible classes, art, crafts, drill and games.
The work of the Boys' Brigade is both to instill strong, steadfast character values like discipline, self-respect, obedience and reverence for Boys to be responsible members of society, while reaching out to touch the lives of our Boys with God's love. Officers and instructors alike work as volunteers. Although, it is sometimes unclear who is the teacher and who is the student; since the children often surprise the adults with so much wit, insight and generosity!
It is the Boys' Brigade vision to reach out to many more Boys within our community and to bring them closer to Jesus heart. In this, we implore all parents and guardians alike to continue to nurture and pray for this group of individuals as we endeavor to support them in their walk of life to become Jesus' little disciples.
Matthew 9:14 – “ Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. ”
Let us leave our children with the best inheritance of all, God's never-ending love for them.