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Asithandile Gqwaka
Dear Brother Eduardo V. Manalo,
Greetings to you po, I’m Sister Asithandile Gqwaka, my family in the Church calls me Sister Asi. I’m 22 years of age residing in South Africa, Local Congregation of King William’s Town.
I serve as a choir member and secretary in the Church. I have learned to be thankful to the Lord God that I have been called into the Church Of Christ. As there was a time I didn’t know God. I am grateful because of God’s love shown through you, that you continue to send ministers around the world like here in Africa for people like me to come to know the true faith.
I even had the great privilege of witnessing you personally come to King William’s Town in 2014 during pastoral visitations here in South Africa. You also led the dedication of the new houses of worship in Johannesburg and Cape Town. I remember Cape Town’s dedication very well because I did a solo performance and at that moment, it was one of the most blessed moments of my life to perform in front of you po. These experiences of your deep love and concern for us here throughout South Africa have until now continued to help us abound in our faith.
Especially for me, these reminders have helped during severe tests of my faith. Around the year 2021, still during the time of the pandemic, mental health was becoming a more common theme amongst young people. I was just starting college at that time, my first time away from my family. It’s where I began to observe in other students the stress of studying hard and how this caused some close to me to fall into depression.
Yet, it was my faith that was fueled by your messages in those worship services. Reminding us, time after time, that the people of God are never hopeless because we have God. God’s words truly comforted me and assured me that I was not alone in this situation.
Now as we celebrate 25 years of God’s blessings in my home congregation of King William’s Town, it was an amazing experience to perform for our anniversary. Seeing how the Church has grown in our congregation and even those coming from neighboring places throughout Africa made me realize how good God is through your love and concern we see.
And then, I traveled to the Philippines for an even greater blessing. Contained in this letter were the blessed moments I have witnessed with you, as the Executive Minister of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church Of Christ. I performed at the Philippine Arena as we celebrated the 16 years of your dynamic leadership to the Church. To think it had already been a great blessing to perform in front of you when you were here in Cape Town, it was another great blessing to sing to a larger crowd. It is not only my hope that you will watch me perform in trying to show my love for your great concern for us and the Church but also to give praise to the Lord God, for using you in spreading the true faith to our country.
There is no doubt that God is with you po. He is truly using you to lead us members of the Church Of Christ because we know you don’t want even one of us to be left behind.
Thank you so much, po, for always remembering us. Your words never fail to give us hope. They make us strong.
Your Sister in the Lord,
Sister Asithandile Gqwaka
