Jolene Tan and Ted Teo started an online bookstore in 2021, undeterred by the pall cast on new businesses by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Their twin loves for books and children gave them enough reason for such a leap of faith and, besides, they had too good a collection of worthy titles to keep to themselves.

But Toby’s Trove, named after Tobias, their three-year-old son, is just one expression of the couple’s way of “doing family, doing life”, said Jolene.

Avid readers themselves, Ted and Jolene are growing in Toby a love for books as well.

In another bold move of faith, earlier this month they became foster parents to a three-month-old baby girl.

Not knowing how long she will be with them does not equate to “risk” in their assessment. They recognise that their call is to simply love this child while she is in their care.

“We know that the goal of fostering is reintegration. We will not be keeping the child forever,” Jolene shared. “But I believe she is worth every sacrifice. 

“Her life is precious. If I don’t feel grief when she leaves us then I have not done a good job of loving her.”

Going back to rigour of bottle feeding and diaper changing with no future expectation has not fazed them. Neither has it sparked resentment in Toby, who has readily taken to the baby.

Ted observed: “Fostering is not just being obedient to God’s call to love the broken, the fatherless and the lost, but it is also an opportunity for us to model it out for Tobias and involve him in the process of caring for the foster child or children that come through our doors.”

Nudged by a book

It was a book that provided the couple with the impetus to actively consider opening up their home to a needy child.

Adopted for Life by Russell Moore, which Jolene read last September while recuperating from an accident, was an acute reminder that “all of us are adopted into God’s family”. 

It stirred a compelling desire in her heart to live out the Gospel in like manner and explore the possibility of either adopting or foster parenting.

“We want to expand our family and it doesn’t matter to us whether the child is biologically related to us or not.

“Both of us share a passion for caring for children in need, whether they are babies or teenagers.”

Neither was prepared, however, for the startling number of babies currently in hospitals awaiting foster homes.

“My heart broke,” Jolene said.

“Research has shown that children thrive in a family setting rather than in an institutionalised setting, so we just signed up to be foster parents.

“It’s worth it, to risk your love on a life. They are all created in God’s image. There’s no convenient time to do it.”

Family first

Once a special needs teacher, Jolene, 29, left her vocation because of a back condition that limited how much she could exert herself physically. She went on to a desk-bound job but quit to become a stay-home mum when Toby came along.

Sourcing for books for him from online reviews and via the word-of-mouth route sparked the thought: “Why don’t I just start my own bookstore?”

The idea was fast-tracked into reality by the pandemic, during which bookstores were among the first brick-and-mortar businesses to close down.

“I saw this gap that we could fill,” she said.

What’s more, “it was something fun for us to do together”.

Just like that, Toby’s Trove was formed: “It’s an outpouring of our love for God and children and books.”

Included on its booklist are such children’s classics as the Dr Seuss series, Eric Carle’s The Hungry Little Caterpillar, and similar favourites, along with well-loved Bible stories and other books that portray scriptural values.

Ted and Jolene also make available carefully curated niche titles in the categories of “gender, sex and sexuality”, “diversity, disability and inclusion” and “fostering and adoption”.

Intriguing, hard-to-find children’s titles are always on the table wherever Toby’s Trove sets up.

Books providing perspective for parents, like “What Every Child Should Know About Prayer”, are available as well.

It’s a selection that is unashamedly candid about real-world challenges, while exuding the faith that there is a God-solution for every difficult situation any family could face.

“We see the bookstore as a ministry, and it’s been really humbling to see how God has opened doors,” Jolene said.

Toby’s Trove was invited to present a book table for Children’s Day at Cairnhill Methodist Church last year and was also a physical presence at the D6 family ministry conference last month at Wesley Methodist Church.

“I think there will always be a demand for children’s books,” she noted.

Those six years old and under will continue to use print rather than onscreen versions of reading material, and even for the slightly older children, “many parents still try to limit screen time and prefer physical to e-books”.

Routine joys

The joy of meeting such a need keeps Jolene at the work of curating titles, maintaining contact with publishers and book distributors, as well as filling orders. She also manages the household chores as the couple has chosen to do without domestic help.

While she crams her long to-do list into her available time, which is limited to the two hours on weekday mornings – when Toby goes to school, the afternoon nap period, and the nights when both kids are asleep – Ted, 32, an IT professional, spends much of his weekends on the bookstore’s website, accounts and other administrative tasks.

“He does everything I’m not good at!” quipped Jolene.

The couple had met as students at the University of Warwick in the UK, where they attended the same local church and served together at Globe Café, an outreach ministry to international students who were non-Christians.

They married in 2018 in Singapore, and have made Bukit Arang Church their faith community.

In time to come, the Teos hope to be able to have a warehouse space to stack their store of books, instead of scrounging around for miscellaneous corners in their four-room flat and their parents’ homes.

They also envision hosting events like book-reading and parenting talks.

“The bookstore, our son and our foster child belong to the Lord and we are but stewards of whatever He has entrusted into our care,” Ted said.

“We don’t hold on too tightly to anything and just follow where He may lead us.”

A Toby’s Trove book table will be at Go Forth x Arise Singapore 2023 on Saturday, August 26, from 2pm to 4pm at Bethel Assembly of God. Meanwhile, find out more by visiting their website, tobystrove.com, or click here to find them on Facebook and Instagram.

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