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Testimonies >                                                     >  Gan Poh Beng

Leaders & Staff Testimonies
Mr. Gan Poh Beng
Staff

After I quit school in primary 6 I started sniffing glue, taking sleeping pills and playing mahjong with neighbouring kampong kids. My two younger brothers and I, as well as our uncle (mom’s younger brother) who is 10 years our senior, were all drug abusers. Almost all my earnings were spent on drugs besides the living allowance for mom. Whenever I was short of money, I would extort from my uncle who supplied us with drugs so that we would keep our drug abuse secret.    

I continued taking drugs even during my national service. My drug abuse activities were discovered a few times and I was sent to prison. There, I attended Christian worship services and listened to sermons from pastors and Breakthrough Missions staff, but I did not accept Jesus as my saviour. My younger brother who had stayed at Breakthrough Missions before encouraged me to go there after my release from prison so that I could listen to Christian messages, believe in Jesus and have my life transformed. It would be a refuge too. I would not have to keep running away from the police. My parents had been praying to their gods and idols when they saw how their 3 sons had become drug addicts, but to no avail. In their disappointment they told me, “If your God can change you, go and believe in Him. We will also follow you in doing so.”     

I made an important decision in 1996 at age 23 – I moved into Breakthrough Missions. In the 20 years that followed I experienced failures and took sleeping pills. I also left Breakthrough to work in society and led a depraved life. I did not read the Bible, pray or go to church. When Breakthrough brothers learnt of my situation they kept encouraging me to return to the centre. Finally, I came back to this spiritual home in 2014 and found my sense of belonging. Life in Jesus gave it meaning, and I had goals in my living and service. 

I was initially assigned to the music ministry. I had never travelled outside Singapore then, but now I find myself singing and testifying for the Lord in foreign countries as part of brother Simon’s mission team. I am now serving in the Landscaping Department which I find meaningful and rewarding, a sharp contrast to my past depraved and wayward drug-abusing life. While I serve the people, I am serving my Lord too. 

It is far better to spend a day in God’s home than a thousand days elsewhere. If I were not at God’s home I would not know where I would be now! “You will know the truth and the truth will make you free.” I thank God that both my younger brothers have also committed their lives to the Lord; so have my parents. We thank the Lord and treasure His precious salvation and grace our whole life through.