Inspiring Convert Story-23

"I came to know the living God"

Ronaldo T. Teles
Doha, Qatar

I WAS BORN in Belgaum, India on February 25,1956 and I am of Indian and Portuguese decent. I hold a degree in Business Administration and currently work as executive housekeeper for the Minister of State in Qatar, at His Excellency Sheik Hamad Bin Suhaim Al Thani's Palace.

Never in my mind did it occur that one day I would be thrown into an  arena of trials that would strengthen my conviction that the God known and worshiped by the Iglesia ni Cristo is indeed the living God.

Born a Catholic, I became an altar boy at the age of eight and continued performing as such until 1977.   I was in a boarding school then of the Guardian Angel High School in Goa, India. Because the boarding school was administered by priests, I was I forced to be an altar boy when, in fact, I had no desire of becoming one and I just had to fulfill my duties as I was told to by the priest.

I was taught the catechism, the teaching about the Trinity, and the Ten Commandments; but the way these teachings were presented to me did not have any imprint on my mind. What I heard entered into my right ear and immediately went out my left ear. I was told to believe in the statues, pray to them, and recite the novena or the chain prayer, as it is called. But I noticed that some people believed in these rituals and some didn't.

My duty as an altar boy ended when I went abroad, to Abu Dhabi, to work as a supervisor for Ramada Hotel. I was 20 years old then and already a graduate of Business Administration. After five years, the hotel's director for the Housekeeping Department had to move to Doha, Qatar. Finding me competent in work, the director asked me if I would like to move to Doha as well and work in the same hospital that she was transferring to. I accepted her offer and this brought me to the Hamad Medical Corporation on Augusts, 1982.

In my new environment, I had no Catholic friends. I did not have a chance to mingle with them because we had no church there then.  I had Muslim and Born-Again members for friends but they never attempted to convert me into their religion and so I was no longer able to go to a church of any religion, for that matter.

In 1987, some members of the Iglesia ni Cristo were employed at the hospital. They befriended me and gave me some information about their Church. In that same year, another member of the Iglesia ni Cristo, Sister Edith Castillo, was employed as a supervisor in the department I head. Since she just arrived, she immediately asked me if I knew of any Iglesia ni Cristo place of worship nearby. So, I directed her to the place of worship of my Iglesia ni Cristo friends. And that is how she came to know them.

Then one day, they invited me to attend their worship service. I said "yes? right away and went with them as I had missed attending religious services for some time. What I experienced then surprised me. This worship service was different from the Catholic Mass. The teachings were clear, unlike those of the Catholic Church. In the Catholic Church, the priests are the only one who partake of the wine and thie bread during the Mass. Its members believe in the statues of so-called saints and  made to worship three gods. The Bible teaches of only one God and this is what  the Iglesia ni Cristo upholds. In this religion, too, the doctrine of salvation is clearly explained.

I was not able to attend another worship service in Doha because I went on a holiday to the Philippines for five days. I knew that Sister Edith was also on a holiday in the Philippines so I called her up. She then invited me to attend the English worship service in Quiapo Locale. During the worship service, I really felt that God was there.  Again, the teachings were clear and. the hymns of praises were very meaningful. Right after the worship service, I told Sister Edith that I would like to be a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo.

Since my vacation was up, I had to go back to Doha. But in December 1988, I returned to the Philippines for another vacation and this was the opportunity I grabbed to go to the Iglesia ni Cristo Central Office in Quezon City to arrange a date for my Bible study doctrines. Sister Consuelo Castillo, Sister Edith's mother, accompanied me. I started my doctrinal lessons on January 25,1989 at the Central Office under Brother Rico Elloso and I was baptized, also by him, that same year. After going through all the screenings and finally having been baptized, I truly knew that I was called to be a member of the true Church.

I really thank our dear Almighty God for His great help and support. He made me stronger in faith I pray to God to help me and my wife pass all trials. I truly believe in Him and in my heart I know that He will always help me.  I know that God can change everything in this world for the better.

In closing, I would like to thank brothers Billy Varona and Juanito Quiambao, the visiting ministers in Qatar, who supported me through prayers; and all the brethren in Doha.

Most of all, to our dear Almighty God belongs all the glory and honor for everything He has done for me.  My hope is that He would also call into fold my relatives who are in Canada and in India so that they, too, may share the real great blessings of the Lord God and receive the salvation found in the Iglesia ni Cristo.

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Source: November 1998, PASUGO, p.20, 30