Being Salt And Light In My Family

*^{The author in yellow along with (from left to right) his brother Jovel, niece Celina, cousin Cess, and her parents, Erlinda and Ed.}*

by Maria Ninna Salta Versoza

My brother was the first in our family to encounter God, and in 2005, my mother and I began joining him at Christ’s Commission Fellowship (CCF) during the St. Francis Square days.

He would take our mom to the service, dropping my niece and me off at NxtGen. We were not a Christian family, so when my father learned about our Sunday routine, he disapproved. Out of respect for my father, my mother stopped attending CCF, and I followed suit.

Years later, in 2013, I stayed at my brother’s house on weekends for Dragon Boat training, which allowed me to attend Sunday services with him and his daughter.

My father, however, found out and again asked me to stop. I obeyed. Before graduating college in 2016, I felt something was missing. I was lost, and empty, so I made the personal decision to return to CCF.

Quietly, I began attending the 3pm services with my cousin, without my father’s knowledge. I remembered how my mother had longed to return, so I invited her to join me. She was hesitant, fearing my father’s reaction.

I proposed, “Ma, let’s attend the 3pm service, then leave by 5pm so we can still make the 6pm Mass with Papa.”

This became our Sunday routine—CCF, then Mass. In 2017, my mother and I took a leap of faith and joined an in-house True Life retreat at CCF.

That same year, my mother joined her first Discipleship Group (DGroup). My father opposed this decision, questioning why I felt the need to go.

Lovingly, I stood firm and explained the gospel to him. He allowed me to continue, though Christianity was never openly discussed at home. It was a difficult journey, but I trusted God to reach my father in His time.

Later in 2017, I saw dancers leading Praise & Worship on stage. I felt a deep desire to join, thinking, “This could be my way of inviting Papa to CCF—he wouldn’t say no to watching me perform.”

By God’s grace, I joined the Saints Dance Ministry in 2018 and invited my father to watch, though he didn’t follow through. Still, I pressed on in my faith, reminding myself, “Honor your father and mother” and “Be salt and light to your family.”

That same year, I began serving in the B1G (Be One with God) Singles Ministry. Immersing myself in His community, I sought to equip myself spiritually, always praying for my family’s salvation.

In 2019, God called me into full-time ministry at CCF. My parents gave their blessing, though my father didn’t fully understand what I was doing. He simply trusted that I knew.

During my third year working at CCF, I also pursued a master’s degree at De La Salle University and opened a coffee kiosk. My 22-year-old nephew worked for me as a barista, and during downtime, we often talked about faith.

I felt prompted to invite him to the B1G True Life Retreat 2022. We attended together—me as a facilitator, and him as a participant. In that retreat, he dedicated his life to Christ and was baptized. Today, he is active in his faith, serving as a facilitator in B1G Fridays and leading his own DGroup.

As for my father, I continued praying for his salvation and inviting him to join us for Sunday services. But after the pandemic in 2022, I grew discouraged, thinking, “I’ve planted the seed; my work is done.”

I had stopped dancing on stage, so I didn’t feel I had a reason to invite him anymore. However, in October 2023, my cousin was baptized at a Family Camp by Across Ministry, which reignited my desire to prioritize my family’s salvation, especially my father’s.

During January 2024 Prayer & Fasting, I cried out to God, asking for another opportunity to invite him to CCF. A week later, knowing my father enjoyed dining out, I boldly asked him, “Pa, let’s have dinner later, but that means you’ll come to CCF with us for Sunday service.” To my surprise, he said, “Yes.”

Sundays passed, and he continued attending services with us. Today, my father still joins us—not because of a performance on stage, but because he is slowly seeking to know the God I worship.

Though he sometimes complains about the late hours I spend at CCF events, our conversations now reflect his growing understanding. I recently heard him say, “Nagpapasalamat ako sa Diyos na yung anak ko ay naglilingkod sa Panginoon” (“I am thankful that my daughter is serving the Lord”).

My work is not finished. I have three brothers, three sisters-in-law, two nieces, and four nephews who still need to know Christ.

The mission continues. I will press on, striving to be the salt and light in my family, even as the youngest and only girl among the siblings.

I am far from perfect, but I take comfort in knowing that I am the daughter of a perfect God.

I was placed in this family for a reason, and I trust in His strength to carry me through—one life at a time.

NINNA VERSOZA is a Discipleship Ministry Coordinator of CCF Center and one of the full-time volunteers/leaders of B1G Singles Ministry at CCF.