| "A farewell to the
nunnery" |
Erlinda Mirafuentes Dela
Cruz |
Philippines |
Catholic
(Nun) |
Former Religion:
I sought
God’s kingdom for 14 years as a nun but I felt there was a
vacuum deep in my soul. I started to doubt my religious vocation
as a nun. I got tired of reciting and chanting long prayers. I
felt a complete dryness in all spiritual exercises. I kept on
hoping that someday I may be able to overcome this inner
torment.
Iglesia ni Cristo:
I curiously observed the Iglesia Ni Cristo worship service at Putatan Chapel, Muntinlupa City.
To my great surprise,
I was deeply touched by the hymn sung by the
choir. I couldn’t help but join the brethren in crying throughout
the hymn-singing. More so, I was overwhelmed by the impact of the
preaching of the minister about the relationship of parents and
children. . . .
I observed that the more I attended the worship services, the
clearer my faith and conviction became that the Iglesia Ni Cristo is
the answer to my spiritual dryness when I was inside the convent. .
. . I would experience the power of God and His
mighty blessings whenever the ministers and deacons lead the
prayer. I had never felt these extraordinary graces
when I attended Masses or any liturgical services when I was a
nun.
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"The
day I entered the fold"
|
Ernesto Santiago |
Philippines - Athens,
Greece |
Catholic |
Former Religion:
I WAS BORN ON
February 26, 1967.
I grew up a Catholic and was once an altar boy. I attended school at
San Sebastian
College,
a Catholic school in
Manila,
Philippines.
In 1986, at the age of 18, I moved to
Russia
where I continued my studies as a scholar at the
Kiev
State
University
in
Ukraine.
. . I
lived and studied in that country for seven straight years. , , , ,
I went back to the
Philippines
in 1993. I found a job, but I was not contented with my life. So, I
traveled to Europe to seek a better future and ended up here in
Greece.
I traveled a lot and met many people of different races,
nationalities, and social statuses. I was exposed to different kinds
of beliefs and religious denominations. At my young age, I lived and
enjoyed my life to its fullest.
Iglesia ni Cristo:
I received an invitation to
attend an evangelical mission from Sister Juanita Ganir whom I met
when I was on off day. First, I hesitated and asked myself:
Spirituality, do I need to know what is inside me that really
influences my life as a whole or that which should influence my
life? She insisted, and because of her persuasiveness, I
reconsidered my decision and accepted the invitation. .
. .
A few weeks later, I began attending
Bible studies on my own volition. . . .
I was enlightened in knowing the true
Church and the commissioning of the messenger in these last days—the
late Brother Felix Y. Manalo. I also learned that salvation cannot
be attained without joining the
Church of
Christ,
for it is this Church that has special relationship with Christ. It
came to my knowledge that a person cannot be forgiven of his sin
unless he is redeemed by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. I was
certainly surprised by the teachings as they were purely biblical
and without any personal interpretation from the minister. These
gave me motivation to continue my biblical studies and to attend
worship services more often. . . . .
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