She once could not afford to send her daughter to kindergarten. Now, mum and daughter run an international school impacting hundreds of lives

When her daughter was five years old, Teresa Chen had to pull the young girl out of kindergarten.

“At the time, we were Pastors and our salaries were so low. We could not afford the fees to keep Tabitha in school,” Teresa told Salt&Light.

“It was one of the lowest points of my life.”

She cried out to God: “I can’t even trust You for (my children’s) kindergarten, how can I trust You to provide for their college education, what more their lives? All we wanted was to serve You.”

Teresa’s eyes shone as she continued: “I believe God must have been laughing with kindness in His eyes and saying, ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet.’

“He knew what He was doing.”

A powerful encounter

Teresa was born into a wealthy family in the northern Malaysian town of Kulim, Kedah.

When she was 12, an uncle visited from Singapore and gave her a Gospel tract. It piqued her interest greatly, this God of love who sent His Son to die for her sins and who promised her an abundant life.

“I knelt on the floor of my room and followed the instructions in the tract, giving my life to Jesus. I still remember being so hungry to know more about Him,” she told Salt&Light.

A year later, her father sent her to a convent school in Singapore to continue her studies. She lived with over 100 other children and was brought up by nuns.

“Being young and new to the faith, I was eager to learn all I could. The nuns were cajoling me to consider becoming a postulant, my uncle was following up with me, and Seventh Day Adventists taught me the Bible. It was all very confusing for a teenager,” Teresa, now 66, remembered.

One night in the convent, the young girl prayed: “All I want to know is You. But everyone is telling me to join them. If You are real, help me decide where to go.”

Then, on a trip up to Kuala Lumpur (KL) when she was 15, she joined a Methodist youth fellowship. At the time, a revival had broken out amongst churches in KL.

“At the service, the Lord touched me. I could clearly see (a vision of) Jesus on the cross. I wept and wept. I could see how holy He is and how sinful I had become,” admitted Teresa.

After that powerful encounter, Teresa asked her father to let her finish her schooling in KL.

Counting the cost of obedience

On fire for Jesus, Teresa eventually fell in love with Tony, a young man with the same desire to live wholeheartedly for the Lord.

“We got married in 1981 when Tony was still a Bible school student. Honestly, life was very difficult. As young Pastors, we had very little,” Teresa shared.

It was especially hard for Teresa to adjust to this new life, as she had grown up without lack.

“Our hearts simply yearned to live for Jesus. That’s all we wanted to do, and still desire – to bring glory to His name,” she said.

Teresa and her husband, Dr Tony Lim. The couple tied the knot in 1981, when Tony was still in Bible college.

Then Tony was given the opportunity to pursue his Master’s at Regent College in Vancouver. Teresa jumped at the chance of starting afresh.

“I loved every bit of Canada, especially the magnificent mountain range that greeted me every morning. We had our son in 1986, and our daughter was born there in 1990,” Teresa said.

Teresa with her family in Canada, where she first discovered that learning could be creative and fun.

When Tony shared that he felt strongly to return to Malaysia and continue ministry there, Teresa struggled with the decision but eventually yielded. 

“I looked at the snow-capped mountains of Vancouver and said my goodbyes. We returned to Malaysia and back to a life of ministry,” she said.

When they had to pull their daughter Tabitha out of kindergarten because money had run dry, the mother’s heart in Teresa broke.

Little did she know that the Lord was guiding her into the field of transformative education, and that one day she – and her daughter – would be shaping young hearts and minds.

Seeds of education

In church, Teresa started a playgroup incorporating language, drama, storytelling and reading. Her time in Canada had shown her the power of creativity as a vehicle for learning.

The playgroup grew in popularity and, encouraged by her mentor, Dr James Houston of Regent College in Canada, Teresa started The Language Studio (TLS) in 1999.

“At the time, a Pastor’s wife ‘working’ was frowned upon, so I was concerned. But Dr Houston said, ‘Why not?’” she recalled with a smile.

Against the tide of popular opinion, Teresa launched TLS as a premium English-language centre, with a focus to help children and adults improve their command of English.

In contrast to the rigid structure of learning found in many educational institutions, TLS was a haven for learners to explore, grow and find true freedom of expression.

The model was an immediate success and soon expanded to three locations, each nestled in affluent neighbourhoods.

In 2015, Teresa felt a prompting to move from the fringes of education to truly journeying alongside children through their formative years. And so in 2021, the centre was registered as a Cambridge-accredited IGCSE international school.

God’s love sets us apart

TLS International School is now located in a state-of-the-art campus in Kota Damansara, Selangor, with 35 classrooms, 30 academic faculty members and around 300 students enrolled from Year 1 to Year 11.

“We believe every child is created with value and for a purpose. When I was 17, I attended a Scripture Union camp and the facilitator issued a poignant challenge: ‘Now is the time to decide what kind of person you want to be.’ I realised how important these years are,” the educator told Salt&Light.

Teresa (in bright pink jacket, second row) flanked by students at the school’s annual concert this year.

Once pulled out of kindergarten, her daughter – now Dr Tabitha Lim – is TLS’ principal and leads curriculum development. She holds an EdD from Johns Hopkins University in Mind, Brain and Teaching, an interdisciplinary area between neuroscience and education.

“Education has to move you towards what you want to be in the future, beyond your career. Our hope is to build a generation of well-rounded individuals who are kind, collaborative and can engage peacefully with others of different opinions,” Dr Tabitha shared.

The mother-daughter duo firmly believe in loving all children, regardless of race or religion, and rejecting discrimination of any sort.

“We must be examples of godliness, discipline and humility. The way we do business is different, too; we try to keep our fees affordable without compromising quality, and pay our staff as well as we can,” Teresa said.

As an educator, God’s love is what empowers Teresa to see the inherent worth in each child and bring out their true potential.

“Children are great judges of character; they know what you truly think of them. For my students to be comfortable enough to approach me and share their struggles in confidence is both humbling and assuring,” she continued.

It is a full-circle moment for the passionate educator whenever an alumnus returns to thank TLS International School for being part of their “best years”.

God’s love, she maintains, is what sets them apart. When educators believe that every child is loved by God, they treat every child with worth and dignity. Then, a child’s true potential shines forth.

God does not shortchange us

Teresa’s life is a far cry from the one she had imagined as she cried out to the Lord over her daughter’s kindergarten fees.

It has unfolded in ways she could not have imagined.

“I often go back to Psalm 1. The promises of God are true. In my life, I have seen them come to pass. In the end, the Lord provided for both my children to not only go to college, but become multiple-degree holders and top in their fields. He did not shortchange us,” Teresa told Salt&Light.

Whilst many her age are embracing retirement and a slower life, Teresa continues to serve faithfully where she believes God has placed her: To shape hearts and minds through education.

Together with her husband, she also continues to serve in the local church in leadership and ministry roles.

“Our lives have been a rags-to-riches story, but it is not because we sought it,” Teresa said in honesty.

“We have always only desired to love God, serve Him and bring Him glory in all we do. Everything that I have accomplished is because of His grace in my life.”

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