The Power of God

A REBORN

I have seven siblings and I was secco to the eldest. Back then, my family relied solely on the salary of my father, a Feati Uni-

versity professor, and his modest income was barely enough to provide our basic needs. When my father died in 1972, I had to stop studying. Later that year, to help support my family, I went to Hong Kong to work as a member of a dance troupe. We only

had a three-month contract. When martial law was declared on September 21 of that same year, I decided to stay in Hong Kong.

It was in Hong Kong where I met Doming, a drummer in a band, who later became my husband. We decided to live together in

1973. I loved my partner and I hoped to have a long-term relationship with him. One day, however, I learned that he was having an affair with another dancer. My world fell apart. I asked him to make a choice and when he could not come to a decision, I had no

Another option but to leave him. I was now on my own and had to look for a job. I ended up doing receptionist work in a club. A receptionist was a euphe- mism for a hospitality girl or "hostess." Being a hospitality girl in Hong Kong was legal; we had to pay our income tax. As a hostess, we entertained guests, ordered drinks for them and danced with them. Meanwhile, Doming and I were working towards a reconciliation. In 1974, we decided to get married. Number One Mama-San same After some time, I had to look for another club. I chanced upon a friend of my husband and I learned that there was a job opening for a receptionist in his club. My husband worked in the club as a band player. I was hired as a Public Relations Manager. Only later on did I discover that I'd be a mama-san instead of, in other words, a pimp. As a mama-san, I welcomed customers, asked them what kind of a girl they liked to be with and negotiated the price if the customer wanted to take out the girls. Being a mama-san is like being a hostess at home. When you have visitors at home, you make sure they feel comfortable and that their needs are good to learn Niponggo. I treated my customers well and I became so good at what I was doing that my good reputation as a mama-san spread.

In 1982, I transferred to a bigger club with 100 mama-mamas and 1000 hostesses. I was even given "lucky money", HK$280.000

(roughly two million pesos) just to sign a contract with them. The club was so big that the customers would have to be transported by car to their private karaoke rooms. The club was as big as 70,000 sq. ft. I had so many customers that a certain part of the club was

even renovated for me. I became the number one mama-san in the club and I was earning a lot of money. My husband also worked at

the club as a band leader, Life for us was just a routine. We would wake up at 2:00 PM because our work extended to the wee hours of the morning. My husband would always go to his friends' while I spent my time with my girls. We would go to the beauty parlor, have dinner, then drink. Since we had so much money we would also splurge on shopping. My girls also spoiled me. The club generously gave me gifts and tips. My life was filled with many good things that money could buy, but deep down inside, I was empty, I was very lonely and I could not deny that my marriage was falling apart. On the very day of our wedding anniversary in 1988, my husband wanted to go back to Manila and leave me all by myself in Hong Kong. I refused and followed him to Manila where we had a serious talk about our marriage. We recalled that even in the early years of our marriage, my husband wanted a family. But I was not ready yet to have children because I was so busy with my career. Back in 1982, I got pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl. I thought at the time that having a baby would bring life to our dying relationship. I was proven wrong. Both of us wanted to make our marriage work, but preoccupation with our respective jobs all the more kept us from each other. During our talk in Manila, I proposed a civil separation to my husband and, much to my surprise, he readily agreed to it. Little did I know that at that time he was already having an affair with another woman. So I went back to Hong Kong, and there I got involved with another man. Now my life is at its lowest ebb. I had that desperate longing to be loved. I entertained the thought that perhaps my husband did not really love me. All the wealth that I had at that time could not ease the agonizing pain of loneliness. I went from one relationship to another, but these affairs further compounded my frustrations. I also got involved with a rich Japanese friend and business partner. As I look at the lives of my girls, theirs were not in any way different from mine.

Faith and a Facial

A day in March 1991 would signal the turn of events. A Filipina by the name of Manang Cue came all the way from the Philippines-

pines to propose a business partnership with me. She owned a number of beauty clinics and she brought with her a line of beauty

products which she wanted to introduce to my girls and me. I agreed. Then she said, “I also would like to talk to you girls about true Christianity.” I could not believe what I heard her way. As I was still recovering from shock, I had to ask her, “Do you know exactly the kind of work we do here? That we go all the way and your way?" Calmly, she asked me if I had ever heard of Mary Magdalene. The next thing she said totally gripped my heart. She said, "The Lord Jesus Christ came for sinners like you and me." I knew that.

was the Spirit of the Lord who touched me while Manang was doing the facial treatment on me, also singing a Christian song and occasionally laid her hands on me as she prayed for me. She asked me to receive Christ as my Lord and Savior. I asked her how and she led me to pray until we came to the point of asking for God's forgiveness of my sins. It was at that point that I began to cry and cry. I was simply over-whelmed in knowing that a loving and forgiving God could completely wash away my sins. In my heart, I knew that God's gracious work in my life had already begun. The following day, several of my girls came over to my place

for a meeting. Manang led us in prayer and as she was praying, “Lord, you said in your Word that when two or three are gathered in your name ..." In a vision, I saw the Lord in our midst. The Lord was facing me with His arms wide open, welcoming me. We were so overwhelmed by such a wonderful experience. In that encounter with the Lord, all my girls present received the Lord in their hearts.

"God is Really Alive"

In July 1991, I went to Hawaii. While I was there, I heard news that my nephew, who had been suffering from leukemia for over a year, was dying. As I watched in my hotel room a Christian program, I called them up for prayers for my dying nephew. From Hawaii I went straight to Manila and went to the hospital where my nephew was being treated. I contacted Manang to ask for prayers and she told me to go and see another godly woman named Cita whom the Lord had used to heal a baby. Cita came over and as she

Standing beside my nephew in the hospital, she sensed a spirit of infirmity and immediately she rebuked it. After that, she proceeded to say a simple prayer of healing for my nephew. The following Saturday, I received the news from my mother that my nephew was completely healed. Upon hearing that, I could not help but shout, "God is really alive!" I learned that right after we had prayed for

the child and left, something strange happened. When the dextrose was fully consumed, the needle was automatically removed.

from my nephew's hand. The nurse tried to inject it again but his body kept on rejecting it. The boy's father had to sign a waiver.

The following day, the boy still had a fever. As he was again prayed over, the fever left him and, once and for all, he was completely

healed.Out of the Grasp of Immorality As I was going home that Saturday night, my heart was over- flowing with awe and thanksgiving for the miracle God performed on my nephew. I was so immersed in His presence that I asked Him, "Lord, Who are you? You know me, but I still have to know you more." The Lord impressed on my heart to invite Cita to go to and clean manifestations Kong and teach us more about the Word of God. She came and conducted a Bible seminar from October 28-31, 1991. The seminar culminated with our water baptism on November 2. The next day, we experienced the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit. One of the girls had a spiritual attack. Cita knew exactly what was happening and immediately cast out the evil spirit in her. While she was ministering to this girl, one girl after another experienced the same deliverance. When she was casting out the evil spirit from me, I suddenly felt a lump in my stomach. I felt like throwing up but for a while nothing came out until finally it did. The evil spirit left me. I believe this spirit took hold of me for such a long time and kept me in the b*****e of immorality. I totally surrendered my life to the Lord. The implication of that decision was to sever my relationship with my Japanese boyfriend. I had to leave him for good. Our group was growing; now we were about forty, so we had to extend our seminar to mid-December. While Cita was teaching together with another Singaporean pastor, God was doing a mighty work of deliverance from spiritual b*****e among many people. God's presence has become real to us, and as a result, husbands

of my girls eventually joined us. The year after, Cita was back with us again and she started another Bible study. In due time, from our group, a church was born. Our church met regularly at my karaoke club, which I had put up in the past with the help of my former Japanese boyfriend.

In the midst of the persecutions, our life was still very good, and I had that genuine peace and joy that God alone can give. However,

The enemy would not give up on me that easily. At around 9:30 p.M. on November 20, 1992, a regular customer of the club wanted me for the services of one of my girls. He was very insistent and would not take no for an answer. Reluctantly, I gave in to him to arrange a request. I felt so much heaviness in my heart. I felt so convicted that I was throwing up. I told another mama-san that I couldn't take it anymore, so I had to leave immediately. As I was going out of the club I was almost crawling. I was having an extremely hard time, literally inching my way out. But as soon as I stepped out of the premises of the club, I was almost instantaneously back on my feet again. Everything bad that I felt was gone in a flash. It was then that I decided to stop pimping my girls. I asked God to contact the management of the club to release me from my contract. If I resigned, I would have to pay a penalty of one million Hong Kong dollars (roughly seven million pesos). Three days later, another customer called me asking me to send him a girl. I told him that I had already stopped doing that and that it was now against my faith. He pleaded with me to do it for the last time. I conceded, thinking that it would help the girl. I called up the club but the girl I was looking for already had an escort. As soon as I dropped the phone, I saw in my spiritual eyes the devil slapping my face. I felt I had betrayed God. I asked God for forgiveness and told Him I wouldn't betray Him anymore. I sat on the sofa and pleaded with Him, “If you are not going to take this one away from me, I will keep on sinning. Please deliver me from evil.” I heard a voice inside me saying that I should give up pimping. I realized that pimping had become a b*****e for me and it had to go. I prayed again and then I placed my hand on my stomach and I commanded the b*****e of pimping to leave me. An evil spirit put up a fight and pushed me to the floor. My mouth, in the spirit, began to grow as the evil spirit was leaving me. It was black and as big as a dragon. I asked the Lord to take away everything that had to do with my dark past, including the pain, the hurt. It was a good thing that the Singaporean pastor, Tina Tan, was there to pray for me. The b*****e of pimping had such a very strong hold on me, having enslaved me from 1976-1992. After the prayer of deliverance, the Enemy had no choice but to immediately leave me. The experience was like giving birth to twins. I felt so exhausted, but at the same time, I felt so light and clean. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, I knew I was finally free! I had to quit work now, so I talked with my boss. The impossible thing happened. They released me immediately! The next thing to do was to talk with my husband about our divorce, which was already being filed in court. I told him of my plan to withdraw the case. He gladly agreed, saying that, in the first place, it was just me who. On July 5, 1993, I returned home to the Philippines. We had several apartments for lease in Manila, so I thought we wouldn't be financially dislocated when we went back home. I have already graduated from elementary school. Then my karaoke club in Hong Kong was subsequently sold and the church there found another place of worship. Everything was in its rightful place. When we came to Manila, we attended the Lord of Glory Church, where I was equipped and prepared to be a member of the inter- cessory group. My husband came to know the Lord there, after which he served as a drummer in the music ministry. Our marriage was also prayed for. Everything seemed to be going well.

The Enemy Strikes Again

However, in August 1997, our marriage came under another round of attack. My husband got involved again with another woman.

I forgave him. Though this was not something new to me, I was deeply hurt and grieving. Not for me, but because of what this meant to the Lord, because my husband was already a believer. In January 1998, I learned that the affair was still going on. That

My husband already wanted a separation. He moved out of the house and stayed in one of our apartments. My mind was in torment. The losses incurred in a failed business transaction added to my sorrows. Everything seemed to be in chaos. One day, my husband came to visit our daughter. I told him we should save our marriage and for this to happen, we need to see a marriage counselor. He flatly rejected my suggestion. The next thing he said hit me hard. "I would rather be elsewhere than be home because you are, through and through, a person." Having heard such a remark, I thought our marriage was already beyond repair. But there was still a flicker of hope. I heard about a marriage seminar to be held in March 1998 in Singapore. I told my husband about it but he still refused to go. I became very persistent, which provoked my husband to shout back at me, "You always have your way! Through the years, I have lost my individuality!" It was such a sobering truth that I was taken aback at that moment. The Lord unveiled my eyes to the "bully" I had become, in the cycles of my husband. I affirmed my love for him and explained that we were both victims of the situation. Sadly,

My words did not stop him from leaving my husband. Severely shaken and confused, I went to my room and prayed.

I pleaded with God to bring my husband back to me. I told God that my husband and no one else were all that I needed. Immediately, he exposed to me something that was laid hidden in the deepest recesses of my heart. He asked me, "What about the other men?"

True enough, I realized that I would fall for others. My husband leaves for good. But I told the Lord, "I don't want any of them." To prove to the Lord that that was my heart's desire, I grabbed my telephone book and tore it to pieces. Then I heard the reassuring voice of the Lord: "Cora, is it not true that those whom I have joined together in marriage cannot be separated? Soon, there was a battle raging in my mind. The wasted "Leave him!" But God said, "own your husband's learn. I can change it!" Without any doubt lingering in my heart. God in His Word. God proved Himself faithful to what we have me. In a day or two, my husband had a change of heart. He promised us. He agreed to attend the marriage seminar. During the first day of the seminar, the Lord had already restored

marriage. The next day, the Lord spoke to Pastor Tina to minister to us. My husband said he truly wanted our marriage to be restored, but he needed more time to personally settle things with God because he himself started the problem. I was more than ready to fire a rebuttal. Having sensed that, Pastor Tina immediately restrained me. I was oblivious to the very thing the Lord wanted me to do at that moment: ask forgiveness from my husband. After an initial struggle, I obeyed God. Finally, I asked for forgiveness. After that, I praised God and thanked Him for everything. I knew it was God working in my heart and I knew that he had totally delivered me. I thank God that the same pastor who helped me in my deliverance from the b*****e of a pimp was the same pastor who was present at the restoration of my marriage. I have made my firm resolve that nevermore will I be hysterical and "historical” about our sordid past. I further promised my husband that I would do something about my domineering and manipulative attitude towards him. Though we both agreed to work on our marriage. He was still bargaining for some more time, before he returned to our house. An elder couple offered a rebuke to him: "What do you think would happen to your garden if you water it only once a week?” With that remark, whatever remaining reservation there was still in my husband's heart melted away. He returned to our home—where he truly belonged. The Lord has revealed Himself to me as my Healer, Restorer, Deliverer and Provider. It is true that Jesus came for sinners like me. I, once a mama-san, have been reborn.