by Wemby Torquator Catetista
I grew up being labeled as the black sheep of my family. I was disobedient and disrespectful to my parents.
Whenever my parents refused to give me what I wanted, I often responded rebelliously, even banging my head against the wall so they would comfort me.
It felt like nobody at home understood me, and my heart hardened towards my family.
This led me to find my worth and sense of belonging in an ungodly metal band, where I was recruited as their vocalist during high school.
This band became my world and exposed me to many worldly activities, such as drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, and engaging in a sexually immoral relationship with my bandmate for six years.
We were planning to get married after graduation and start our own family. So, I began to accept his religious beliefs and attended his church for six months.
While attending with him, I became curious about growing in my faith. However, the more I attended his church, the more confused I became about the truth.
Towards the end of the pandemic, I discovered Christ Commission Fellowship (CCF) when I unintentionally clicked on the YouTube app on my phone, where a CCF service replay was at the top of the suggested videos.
After watching the video, my hunger and thirst to learn more about the truth grew, leading me to watch at least three CCF videos every week. I told myself that when CCF main re-opened for onsite services, I would definitely go there.
And so it happened! I attended my first CCF service on July 9, 2022.
That day, I met a very welcoming woman at the Cup of Faith who made me feel so loved. After buying food from the cafe, she approached me and, upon discovering that I was new to CCF, immediately invited me to have a conversation.
Despite having only 10 minutes before the service started, she took the time to share the goodness of God and the salvation I have in Jesus.
Little did I know, this woman was Sister Deonna Tan-chi, the wife of our Senior Pastor Peter Tan-chi.
After this encounter, God placed a huge desire in me to be part of this community.
Before coming to CCF, I had been seeking God’s wisdom on how to break up with my boyfriend because I wanted to follow God, please Him alone, and leave everything for Him.
However, I didn’t know what to do because I was too attached to him and our sinful behavior. One day, I was led to the welcome center, where I met a campus missionary from Elevate Main.
For some reason, she made me feel so loved that I opened up to her about my deepest, darkest secrets, especially my sexually immoral relationship.
During our conversation, I felt powerfully led by God to break off my relationship with my boyfriend that very same day, and so I did! What I thought was too difficult to do was made possible by God’s grace. Praise the Lord!
After that, the missionary helped me get connected to a Discipleship Group (DGroup) where I experienced more of God’s love in action from my DGroup mates. I found a safe space I had never known before.
After a while, God implanted a desire in my heart to intentionally reach out and share the gospel with my family members and with anyone I came across, such as beggars, Angkas drivers, storekeepers, and many more.
Last year, during a time in my life when I had no work and limited finances, God led me to disciple in submission to His great commission.
Realizing God’s immense love for me, I said yes in faith. Fast forward to today, by God’s grace, I am now discipling six wonderful girls, and it is such a blessing to see how they are growing in their relationship with the Lord.
At first, I thought discipleship was a burden, but as I personally surrendered and obeyed, I saw it truly as a blessing.
As I grow in my relationship with God and pass it on to the girls He entrusted to me, God also allows me to learn from them. I am truly honored to serve Jesus by leading His wonderful children.
We support each other through ups and downs, sharing the comfort and love that I receive from God with them. I started seeing them not as a task but as a spiritual family.
I praise the work of the Holy Spirit in my life, teaching and guiding me to go where God wants me to go. God told me in John 15:16:
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain.”
I cannot imagine my life without the Lord. I am so undeserving, but God loves me unconditionally.
Looking back, even before I knew Him, I now see that I am loved by the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
Because of Jesus, I am made clean, made whole, an heiress, and a child of God!
“I am (Wemby Torquator Catetista) crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.”
To God be all the glory and praises!
WEMBY TORQUATOR CATETISTA works currently as a Communications Representative at Life Academy International.
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