Timothy Tan
I became addicted to heroin in 1975, when I was 14. My family sent me to the House of Grace (HOG), which was later renamed as The Hiding Place. I invited Jesus into my life the first night I was there. After completing the programme, I left HOG. I was able to stay clean for a period but eventually relapsed.
Around 1992, I was arrested for drug consumption and sentenced to the Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) for a year. After my release, I went back to Hiding Place to join the programme. While I was doing my quiet time one day, I felt a burning sensation all over my body as I read about Saul's conversion in Acts 9:1-10. I wondered if God was calling me to serve Him.
At my baptism on April 11, 1993, I heard again from God. He spoke to me in an audible voice, saying, "I give you 10 years". I didn't know where the voice came from but I knew it was from God. I didn't fully understand its meaning at the time. I left The Hiding Place not long after.
I met Virginia near my workplace and we began dating. My struggles with addiction created challenges for both of us. She was a believer involved in Christian outreach. However my addiction led her away from her faith and caused her to backslide. Despite the difficulties, we got married in 2001 and had our first son, Christian.
In 2003, I walked into a trap set by CNB. When I entered the house, the officer calmly said to me, "It has been very long, don't run anymore." This statement immediately reminded me of the message I had received at my baptism. "I give you ten years". It was exactly 10 years ago that God had spoken to me. I went to DRC for the second time, serving a sentence of nine months. Virginia and Christian were deported to the Philippines and barred from returning to Singapore, just before I went to prison.
After my release, I returned to the Hiding Place as a resident, just three days before Christmas. It was at this new location in Jalan Kayu that I fully surrendered and continued my journey of transformation and service. After completing my rehabilitation programme, I travelled to the Philippines to visit my wife and son, Christian, in 2004. It was during this visit that I felt a strong desire for our family to be whole.
I decided to appeal for my wife and son to come to Singapore. With an MP's help, my appeal was approved and on February 7, 2007, Virginia arrived in Singapore with Christian. There was a room available at the Hiding Place and were able to stay there. We were finally reunited. My wife was granted permanent residence on our first application and her citizenship application was approved after two attempts. It was a miracle that Virginia was able to obtain citizenship after being banned from entering Singapore previously. All things are indeed possible with God! And we were blessed with another son, Cedric.
I am now 64 years old and I continue to serve in Hiding Place, doing maintenance work and helping to run the kitchen.
Timothy's paraphrase of Ps 66:10-12 – "For you, God, tested me; you refined me like silver. You brought me into prison and laid burdens on my back. You let people ride over my head; I went through fire and water, but you brought me to a place of abundance."