Unique stories of lives transformed

ANOTHER story is that of Rowena Rebadonia, 38 years old, and a native of San Carlos City. She has been married for 15 years now to a military enlisted man and they have three children.

Rowena was already in small retail store business when CCT came to their community. When she was approached to join the Fellowship in their community, she readily responded positively.

“When I was told that one of the activities of the Fellowship is weekly Bible study, I did not hesitate to join because I have always been longing to make God part of our family life,” Rowena said.

Rowena admitted that, at the time she joined CCT Fellowship, her husband who is assigned in far- away places is having extra-marital affairs and is into dreaded vices.

“When I set up this store, my husband invested some P15,000 and sent us some big amount every month, enough for our sustenance and other needs. But since he started his womanizing and vices, he sends us only P3,000 a month and sometimes nothing at all because I assume he spends so much for his other women,” she lamented.

She added that her store used to earn an average net income of Ph 800 a day. “It was more than enough for our daily and weekly needs. But this has changed completely when my husband changed for the worse.”

“It was the CCT that came to my rescue. I got a loan of P4,000 in July 2010 which I used to sustain my store as my only source of living. After I paid the 1st cycle, I got another P4,000 in the 2nd cycle. But more than the financial assistance, it was the Fellowship activities that sustained my spirit and kept the family intact, despite the drifting of my husband,” Rowena added.

Early this year, the successive illnesses that struck her kids and the increasing demands of their school needs have slowly dried up her savings and capital.

“In February I already incurred past dues; I started not to attend Fellowship meetings because I was ashamed that I couldn’t pay and I was too problematic with my family life. Later, I found out that others did the same. In March or April, our Fellowship was practically disbanded,” she said.

Since then, Rowena focused on various survival odd-jobs, turning away from the Bible, while maintaining her store that was already on small capital and earning barely P150 a day.

She confessed though that there were times when she felt guilty, as if the Spirit is questioning her what she did to the group and to herself.

In a visit to her house by CCT national and area team recently, Rowena admitted her own shortcomings and reaffirmed her commitment to continue with the Fellowship, if CCT takes the initiative to regroup them.

In fact on that day, she helped CCT team to reach to other Fellowship members and help organize a regrouping session in the evening of that same day.

“I want to recommit myself to the Lord through CCT; I believe He is the only person who can restore my life and family,” was the statement Rowena has given after the regrouping session last November 16 evening.

Rowena and Weng are just among the thousands of lives already transformed by CCT in its various ministry areas in the country.

In Negros alone, CCT has some 10,000 members. They have availed of small and medium loans which they have used for their various entrepreneurial projects. Other assistance they have received was on capacity enhancement, family life development and community development.

But more important than economic assistance, a significant percentage of them are now experiencing not only economic alleviation but transformation process in their lives.

As its founder and president Ruth Callanta said, “Through our ministry, we want to make people see the Jesus in us, with the high hopes that they will follow us, and live and work like Jesus.”

Callanta believed that, when the people take up their own crosses as Jesus did, they are surely witnessing for the building of the Kingdom of God.