Juju: I grew up in a very religious family and considered myself a Christian even though I was not living like one; I was so sure that I was a good person and a good Christian. In 1994, I left Angola to avoid conscription into the army, and because I was looking for a better life–I wanted to be rich. So, Johannesburg (South Africa) was the country of choice. I did not know that it was God pulling me out of Angola because He had a plan and a purpose for life. In 1995, a very persistent friend kept inviting me to church. I went to visit, and I’ve not seen anything like it: the diversity of people, race and colour, and most of all, the love I felt from people. I didn’t think twice, but studied the Bible and was baptised in the Lord.

Judia: I was baptised at 16. This was around August 2002. Three different people invited me to church four times, at different times and places, before I accepted an invitation to visit the church. I will forever be grateful, because I see God arrived at the right time. Although I grew up very religious, I was at a stage in my life where I was slipping into the world. My first contact with the church was “wow!” So much attention, warmth, that made me consider going back to visit, I studied the Bible in two weeks. It was an enormous challenge for me to admit I wasn’t a Christian and was in the darkness, because I’d been baptised before. I considered myself a weak Christian, but still a Christian. The studies that won my heart were the sin and cross study. Beside my pride and defensiveness, those studies made me realise I needed God. I wanted to go back to him better. With him is where I belonged, and by God’s grace, his word, and this great family, I am still persevering 19 years later. My aim is to win the prize that is waiting for me in heaven. Each day, I am filled with gratitude for what God has done in my life and for arriving at just the right time.

Juju: I love Ephesians 4:2 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

Judia: I have a few, but love Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” and Lamentations 3:37 that says, “Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?”

Juju: The apostle Paul: He understood how the Christian life should be lived; he knew about what he had become, and the purpose that God had for his life.

Judia: Moses, because I admire his encounter with God, his capability of leading so many people in the wilderness, and to still be known as a humble man.

Judia: Fun, hospitable and noisy! We love spending time together, get on each other's nerves often, and we love receiving people at home.  

Juju: Manna.