BEING BLESSED WITH A BROTHER FOR 28 YEARS AND COUNTING

Today we celebrate the 28 years we have been blessed with my younger brother, Kgosana Monchusi. He is one of the most highly motivated,determined and focussed young people I know who sees obstacles as stepping stones. A brother to two older sister and a late brother who was stolen from US 13 years ago at age 27 by thugs who shot him the year before.

We are confident that no weapon formed against this handsome brother of ours shall ever prosper because he knows his Redeemer and Protector. This is an uncle to 4 nephews who are blessed to have a role model in an uncle. He is a brother-in-law and a friend to my husband.

Our Sister's 3 sons and I

Uncle Kgosana and my son Olerato

Who knew when I used to teach him how to write, read, draw and sing I would end up learning so much from him as he is also my inspiration. I remember the conversations I had with him before he went to high schol and before he decided on what to learn post-matric as well as about girls. I also remember our conversations about God, worship and prayer. I am humbled that he is easy to take advice and has always listened to good advice.

Kgosana is the small boy and well the girl is...

I am proud of this young man whom I can no longer call a little brother. He is my brother and I am his "younger" sister. We share a lot in common especially health and fitness and entrepreneurship. I took the first step of self-employment but I now look up to him and his business partner Juvais Dunn who co-own Weldun Media (www.weldun.co.za.) and The Vent (http://thevent.tv/). I thank God for their friendship.

 

My prayer for my brother is for him to remain rooted and become much deepe-rooted in Christ, continue to put God first, never forget who gives him the power to create wealth, who protects him, who gives him favour and who keeps him grounded. And I thank God in advance for his prayerful, ambitious, health&fitness fanatical, intelligent and beautiful woman he will spend the rest of his life with.

Kgosana, if you never hear anyone cheering for you ever always know I am cheering for you somewhere. I love you! Love you! Love you! Olerato, Reatlehile, Kamohelo and Lehlohonolo are blessed young lads to have you as an uncle.

Kgosana and his best friend and business partner Juvais Dunn

Kgosana and his business partners Juvais Dunn and Brian Mushongera

A BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE FROM A FRIEND...WORTH BLOGGING

This post was written and posted on my Facebook wall by my beloved friend Tumie Mapena wishing me a happy birthday on the 24th of September 2014. She even took time to create a beautiful picture art with my pictures. What a beautiful gift that I felt should be on my blog. I am highly honoured. Thank you Tumie. The post reads:

As you can see; she is a wealth of love, creativity & blessings. She is tswana & had a suiwer afrikaans speaking grandmother, has married a sotho man but is all in all Sowetan; so anything goes. Le as le - China she passes... hahaha.
She was born on heritage day and I personally believe she could not have been born on a better day... well there's also Christmas; she would have been honoured to share a day with her Saviour (thinking out loud) .

She is a woman of many, blessed, encouraging, enriching & love - filled words... so, what better way to honour her on her birthday than by using as many words as possible...
I know you had a blessed time my friend. "Your husband takes pride and will be praised for our beautiful heart & deeds, and your children will call you blessed." I know you know where these words come from and that you will receive with the conviction with which they are uttered.

A very blessed birthday to you my darling friend. May you see many more healthy, happy, & prosperous returns

WHAT LOVE LOOKS LIKE...LUNGILE MOLEFE

There is no definite way, place or time to meet new people, connect and become friends. I've made friends at school, at a hangout, at a church and on Facebook. There is one special lady I met through a stranger who was also yet to become a friend. Her name is Lungile Molefe. As I have been appreciating amazing women I know I am appreciating Lungile today.Firstly, let me tell you how I met her.

Someone I met one day in 2012 invited me to come hangout with a couple of friends. I remember that day was the first after a long time of not hanging out with anyone else who is not from my circle of church friends. I even prayed about it asking for God to be exalted and nothing or no one else.

To fast-forward the story I got to Lungile's house and found her with the love of her life who was still her boyfriend then, Selebogo Molefe. This was the coolest couple I've ever met. Cool because they were so full of love and warmth. I felt so welcomed in their company that I forgot I just met them. I was moved by the love between Lungile and Lebo (Selebogo). They naturally worked as a team preparing meals, doing the dishes and even how they communicated with each other. Lungile spoke with humility and respect with Lebo and Lebo spoke with love. A practical sermon from 1 Peter 3:1- My prayer for them since from that day was for them to get married and enjoy God's full blessing. Funny enough that evening turned out to be sharing of God's word after their other friends arrived till very late at night.

Lungi and Lebo (first husband I name and add his pic)

Why I love and Appreciate Lungile
She is so full of love that she made me feel welcomed the first day she met me. She is so humble and not a bit judgemental because that is most women's disability. Her love is so much that it has made her man's friends to just love her like a sister. You can also see her love by the people who follow and comment on her posts. Another thing that shows her love is that she likes to say I am a loving person. We tend to see in others what is in us whether good or bad. Her love is so effective that even her husband wrote a blog about her before he married her. You can check it here http://selebogomolefe.blogspot.com/2012/02/work-is-love-made-visible-5-months-and.html

At The Hook Up Dinner

Lungile and Lebo got married last year which now makes her a wife, a mother to a seven years old intelligent, prayerful and church-loving daughter. They were blessed with another daughter just 5 days ago. . Lungi is such a loving mom and I thank God for blessing her with another child who will be so loved and brought up well by His principles. She is also a daughter, a sister and an aunt She and hubby make a perfect combination as they love entrepreneurship and are entrepreneurs. They also love hosting events which bring people together to network, socialize and discuss serious stuff.

During Their Wedding Celebration

Lungi seems shy at first impression but she is actually an introverted extrovert. We continued our friendship as chat buddies on WhatsApp and we have shared quite a lot from the word, prayer requests, advice and pregnancy/mummy advice. She even invited me to do a puppet show for her daughter's birthday party. In the short period she knew me she also ordered a dress from me saying she must have something by ForeverFaith Couture.

Lungi and her first daughter

I appreciate and love Lungi because people like her make others smile, feel good about themselves and feel appreciated. To me Lungile is a physical manifestation of love. There's only a positive aura about her. I cannot imagine her as a mean, jealous, backbiting gossipper. She is indeed a blessing and her hubby found favour when he married her. Lungile is also an excellent cook. Oh I forgot to mention, it happens that Lungile and Lebo attend the same church as I do, Grace Bible Church Soweto and their daughter is in our Children's Church (A family that churches together stays together).

This Pair takes Beautiful Pictures

The lesson I learned through knowing Lungile and of course her husband: Never rush to assume people you meet are meant to be for your own personal justification. Never be quick to dismiss people you meet in life because every person you meet is for God's love to be expressed. I also thank her and her hubby for suggesting to me to write a blog because I love writing. I had started this blog 2 years before I met them but only wrote one poem and instead settled for writing notes on Facebook.

How Gorgeous Are They Together

WHEN A WISE WOMAN SPEAKS, THE EARTH LISTENS....KARABO NGOETJANE

I am trully blessed to have young women who love God and live by prayer as my friends and sisters. Karabo Ngoetjane adds to that blessing to my life. I call her Miss Kay just to ho mo reneketsa (sorry I don't know the translation to that.)

Karabo is a young woman who originally comes from Soshanguvhe but is currently staying in Soweto now. Like most of my other friends I met Karabo in church. We both serve in Children's Church Ministry where we teach children the Word of God. Karabo does not only teach the Word on Sundays but she has also dedicated some of her week days to go around schools in Soweto doing the same thing with a group of friends through the church's school ministry. Karabo is a single woman, a daughter, a sister and an aunt.

Karabo and I during Heritage Month at Church

Trying on her ForeverFaith Couture Dress

I met Karabo in 2009 at Children's Church. I remember how active she was going up and down the classes. During Heritage month which is September she was with other teachers going class to class to demonstrate different cultural dances and wearing the relevant cultural attires.



Karabo and I happened to warm up to each other. I do not know when and how but maybe it was at Children's Church Winter camp. She then started coming to visit me at my house-cum-workplace as I worked from home. She even placed an order for a dress with me for her friend's wedding which we designed together and went shopping for the fabric together. I must say she was an interesting client as she had funny requests. But it was quite fun making her dress as it felt like I was making a dress for my younger sister. She gave me an experience of what would it have been like to have a younger sister. This was not the only and last dress she bought from me.

Karabo and I at our Church's Gala Dinner

Why I Appreciate Karabo

Karabo's primary goal in her life is to spread the gospel of God. She reads and studies like her life depends on it of which it is. She never let's an opportunity to pray pass her by. When she shares the word you don't hear her but hear the Word Himself. Karabo does not just speak to make nonsensical conversations. She speaks wisdom from above. She is full of love for everyone and wears a constant genuine smile. She always goes out of her way to help where she is needed. I also love how she is always preoared to postpone social appointments to babysit her niece when her sister needs to go to work. Sometimes she even takes her adorable and intelligent niece along with her.

Karabo and her Niece

Karabo is also one of my friends who agreed to walk with me in prayer for my wedding and marriage. She was hands-on with the ironing of the guys shirts and pants I made for the groomsmen. I know I did not mentione why I choose all my other friends individually but I will mention why Karabo was one of them. She is one of those people who spoke into my life without realizing it. I could also depend on her just like all my other friends to cover me in prayer. She too understands that weddings are not just the glits and glam but a more spiritual event leading to lifetime commitment of two people together with God as one. With friends like her and all my sisters in the Lord I know many people are saved, safe and loved. I thank God for this woman.

Karabo(second left)

FRIENDSHIP FOUND IN FAITH FOR FAVOUR....KUTLWANO NDLOVU

It is still August month of appreciating women. I could not write the past three days but thanks to God I found time to write about another woman I appreciate and love.

 
She has been my friend since before we were even thinking of boys or future husbands. All we thought of was clothes for our dolls and how many school library books to read in one week. Then we were not even thinking that life has painful challenges, heartbreaks, facing death and surviving it as well as being devoted to Christ.

Kutlwano Ndlovu is my longest time friend who is still alive and alive through Jesus Christ. We were still in primary school when we first met. And then I knew her as Kutlwano Malope. She was like the friend I always hoped for since my childhood friend, who is now departed (may her soul rest in peace) had moved away to live with her grandparents in the rural areas. Kutlwano was as intelligent as I was and we enjoyed the same things. We both loved to read and to draw. We loved drawing little girls in ponytails and swimsuits eating ice cream at the beach. Kutlwano gave me my first recipe: "How to make chocolate paste/cream and eat it."

Being a child you never think you will no longer see your friend when you go to high school. Especially if you live around the same area and your grannies are also in the same neighbourhood. But that's what happened to us. I only had memories, Kutlwano's two pictures and remembered her birthday was on the 17th of October which is why I am writing this on the 17th of August.

Fast-Forward To The Present
I get a call from Kutlwano in 2003. She tells me she's been trying to find me and she got my numbers from Sowetan after I have been featured in their paper as a fashion designer. Somehow we never get to meet and we loose contact again.

Almost ten years again, that is on 2011, Kutlwano contacts me. This time she found me through google on the iFashion network through my profile. She came to my house and she tells me the journey of her finding me.

Why I Appreciate Kutlwano
She did what I could not have done. She looked for me and never gave up. During her Google search she found a different Faith. I was still in the world with what I used to write (a story for another day). She told me she could not believe it was me. However she could not get my contacts. Her sister told her to create a Facebook or Twitter account and look for me there. As she started searching me again online, she discovered a new Faith again. A Christ-reformed Faith Monchusi. That is when she found my profile on iFashion.co.za.

I was found by my friend again. When we reunited she was now married. Thanks God I was still single which made easy for her to find me. Kutlwano is a woman of great faith, a survivor through her faith. She is a mother of adorable and intelligent three years old twin girls. She is happily married to a great man and father, her pillar of strength. Kutlwano is a sister, a sister-in-law and an aunty. She is a woman of prayer and the wise woman Proverbs14:1 describes.

When we met again we did not think we would become prayer partners. We both met at a time God has set for us to be spiritual parents to each other's children. This is a woman I know when my son grows up he might want to live in her house because of the love that is in her family. Kutlwano, her sisters and sisters-in-law are very close. If you would see her Facebook profile pictures you will see more family than friends and partying.

I love this woman. She is the first friend my husband and I have prayed with over the phone. God has reunited us for such a time as this. And I know it is for even a much greater purpose that is still to unfold. I thank her for all the efforts she made to find me. She even drives all the way from Pretoria with her toddler girls to visit me and to see my son.  I can never ask for a better friend.


May the Lord see her through in achieving her God-given purpose.

SHE SHALL BE QUEEN PRESIDENT… ROYAL HIGHNESS NOMBUSO MADELA

As the August month for women continues my list of women I appreciate still continues. If I get time daily to appreciate one woman per day I know they are more than 30 and I pray that I do not miss out others.

Nombuso Madela is the youngest of all the women I love and appreciate. She is young enough to be my daughter if I had had a child at the same age as Mary when she had Jesus. I taught her in grade 9 at our children’s church in 2009 that is when I first knew her, she was in our cabin and same team at camp, she was in my team at our church youth and now she is also a teacher at our children’s church.

Being the youngest woman in my “Faith’s List of Appreciation” Nombuso is not that young when it comes to her spiritual maturity. I admire this young woman. She reminds me of me when I was her age but she is more knowledgeable, more powerful and more wise because she knows who she is in Christ. When I was her age I just knew God, going to church and praying. I knew Christ was God’s son but I did not know what salvation was.  

I first heard Nombuso share the word during Kids’ Session (when the children teach each other what they learned) at children’s church. That’s when a light was shined upon her for me to notice her and pay attention to her. Nombuso is strong-willed, intelligent, hard-worker and determined. I loved how she stood by her faith being a born-again Christian in a Catholic school. She never tried to defy her Religious instruction teacher. She never criticized anyone all that she believed in was prayer and doing her work as expected.

I call her my president because she has the leadership potential of a president. She can lead people twice her age without feeling small or overwhelmed. I always let her take care of our team when me and Vuyo (our other team leader) were not available. Nombuso can address a nation. I truly see a leader in her. I admire her work ethics and principle. Above all that she is respectful and humble towards everybody. She is kind and full of love. She does not blow her own horn with whatever she achieves but gives all the glory to God. She is also a talented musician. She once sent me a piano piece she composed.

Nombuso and Her Mom

I also love the fact that she is so grounded. She is not the kind of girl who is after what is in and what is out. She is comfortable in her own skin. I doubt that she even knows the lines to the most popular song and she is not bothered about it. Her concern is knowing the scriptures that she will confess in the time she needs to.  To her peers she might be considered as boring but in the spiritual realm she is popular. I pray that her peers learn from her. There is nothing wrong with loving trendy things and knowing songs but they need to know who they are. They need to know their creator and their savior. They need to know who they are because all these things they pay most attention to tend to turn against them and make them feel unworthy. So, if you are a young person reading this, learn from Nombuso, seek ye first God’s kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. I give a hand to her mother and her grandmother for raising her in Christ.

By the grace of God I know twenty years from now Nombuso will read this blogpost with tears in her eyes and say: “Teacher Faith said it.” I write this personally to you Nombuso: “I love you with all of my heart. I care about you. I don’t know why out of all the other equally God-loving, respectful, intelligent children even the special ones did you make such a mark on my heart. I love all the children I teach. I love my nephews and nieces. I love all of my friends. But you occupy a special part in my heart. And I pray that God carries you until you finish this race in Jesus name.”

BEAUTIFUL, BLESSED AND FULL OF LOVE ARE YOU...GUGU MATHEBULA

In this August month for women, I am appreciating women who have had a positive inflence on my life, of others and within their families. And today I am appreciating another such woman who is worth being celebrated by me and those close to her.

In life there are those people who never talk too much and appear to be meek and shy. Such people are said to be wise in the book of Proverbs and Jesus said; “Blessed are the meek.” I know such a woman. This is the kind of woman who will ask you about yourself (who does not like the topic to be about them?) Such a woman I am writing about is Gugulethu Mathebula.  

Young, ambitious, God-loving daughter, sister, aunty, wife and friend she is. Originally from Middleburg and now Gugu lives in Johannesburg. I met Gugu in 2011 at our church. She was in my team at our church youth. One day we just happened to stay for a while after one of the youth meetings and that is when we got to know more about each other.

Gugu is a woman who is in love with being in love. I say this because of the question she asked me then. She asked me if I was in a relationship and I was very comfortable to tell her my story. We opened up to each other and she happened to tell me about her own relationship, the kind I have been praying and envisioning having, a relationship that is founded in Christ. Not knowing that within that month or so I would actually know my husband.  She was the first person to know that I was in a 40 Day Prayer with this guy who seemed like a great man. At that time my now-husband and I were not talking anything about a relationship together let alone thinking we were going to be married to each other.

I do not know Gugu that much closely but I love her for her strive for purity, keeping God’s word and staying close to Him in prayer. I also love how she and her friends maintain their friendship through prayer. My husband and I actually got the idea of having virtual prayer meetings in which we send each other the word and recorded prayers and songs via Blackberry messenger. This was and still is the most powerful way of staying connected with your loved ones. This is what actually started a foundation of our marriage thanks to Gugu.

When she got engaged I was very excited knowing a journey she and her husband began prayerfully was about to begin. When she got married I was over the moon because I knew the blessings she was going to receive in her marriage. Sadly we could not go to her wedding as I was in my last trimester of my pregnancy and my gynecologist told me not to travel anywhere further away from the hospital.  I was excited to see their wedding pictures because I saw the beauty beyond how they looked. I saw the love, joy, peace and mutual understanding they have bred in prayer. I saw the fun they are going to have in marriage with God.

Why I appreciate Gugu

Gugu is patient, Gugu is kind. She does not envy, she does not boast, she is not proud. She does not dishonor others, she is not self-seeking, she is not easily angered, she keeps no record of wrongs. Gugu does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. She always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Gugu is all of this because she is in Christ and Christ is in her. This is why she has so many friends who love her and I am honored to know her.

 

FLAWLESS, FINE-LOOKING AND FRIENDLY....FLORINA MOERANE

My list still contiues on the women I love and appreciate. Women of God, women of power. Here is another woman who deserves to be appreciated and acknowledged by many as we celebrate women's month.

It seems like I attract or I am drawn to shy, soft-spoken, sweet and reserved ladies as friends. To my list of the likes of Tumie, Masego, Lebo and Ruth I have another friend whom I appreciate. Her name is Florina Moerane better known as Flo. I named her Flawless Flo (became her Facebook name) because of her nature and spirit more than just her very light, spotless, blemish-free skin. Well truly-speaking, I am drawn to different kinds of people who all have one thing in common. That is the love for God and their pursuit to constantly be in His will.

Flo and I (2011)

Florina is her mother’s only child and comes from Bloemfontein. Hmm…seems like most of my friends are not from Johannesburg. Haha! I am joking. I met Flo at our church, Grace Bible Church in our Saturday evening’s services in 2010. We both used to attend those services by ourselves without any friends. I happened to always sit next to some very introverted young guy called Mogwera. He was Flo’s friend and he happened to introduce us.

Flo Fitting her ForeverFaith Couture outfit

I was fascinated by Flo’s commitment to seeking the Lord and the things she spoke. She didn’t speak what girls her age would speak about. She spoke the word of God, His love and as well as marriage. I was also wowed by her spirit of giving. She gave to those she knew are in need. We became very close in that year as I saw her daily after work. Flo is a self-employed young woman.

Flo and her friend Lilly. Lilly wearing ForeverFaith Couture

Flo and a Furry Friend (me in a mascot)

Flo makes friends easily so she has quite a number of friends. She is one of the most loyal and supportive people I know. She can wake up early to be at a friend’s place at 6am to come and assist with anything. She can stop doing whatever she is doing or finish with her last client just to get to a friend who needs her presence or help. Flo does not even mind travelling long distances to be there for her friends. All her friends are her friends and not treated differently or have any special rights. By that I mean she is a friend indeed who is there when her any of her friends are in need.

 Flo is quite an introvert, does not like texting or chatting much on social networks so she would rather make a call which some people can take advantage of. I have gotten clients through her as well and she is another loyal client of ForeverFaith Couture. Whenever she thinks of a new dress she calls me and I am happy to serve her as she is the easiest person to dress.

Flo's friend Tumisho with me and Flo

I really appreciate having this young lady who is as young as my youngest brother as a friend. She is one of the ladies who stayed up the whole night with me before my wedding while I was still finishing the groomsmen garments. She is the one who did my hair together with Ruth Mofokeng the night before my big day. She did my make up within 5 minutes and did my nails on my way out to the matrimonial service. I can never ask for more or less of a friend like her and my prayer for her is for the Lord to protect her heart because she is such a giving person. She gives so much of herself without expectation and I pray God rewards her for that. I thank God for Florina.

Flo in her ForeverFaith Couture dress