XCVI INC

Happy Anniversary all!

96 years and stronger and more faithful than ever. I'm talking about the Iglesia Ni Cristo-- the church to which we are all a member of.

I'm not 96 years old, and I didn't grow up in the Philippines so I don't know how it felt for those brothers and sisters of ours who went through the hard stuff to make sure they saw the Church through the darkest days. Thank You, God for never leaving their side.

So for someone who wasn't there at the beginning, what does 96 years of God's blessings mean for me, you ask? It means that the Church was able to reach Australia-- to Queensland.. then to Brisbane-- a small city with a small population. It means that God saw me and found me, a million miles away from where the Church was re-established and blessed me with this calling.

96 Years means we have a house of worship here, plenty of officers to take care of my faith and most especially a minister to administer to my spiritual needs.

96 years means the Church is changing the way our youth think and feel about the world-- and more importantly, what we think & feel towards God in this part of the world. It means our Binhi and Kadiwa here in our locale are taking the right path, and staying away from things like drugs, alcohol, vices-- instead, spending more and more time with God and the Church.

96 years means my parents and my grandparents were called before I was, which in turns strengthens my faith and resolve in the Lord God and in my calling.

96 years means me being called to sing for God & Jesus in the Choir, then again to play and lead the Choir in hymn singing through my playing. This means I use the gift God gave me for Him only. This means my every note of music, and my every lip of praise is a constant prayer. And this means on the day of judgement, I never stop performing my duty as a choir member there in heaven.

96 years means the Church reached me here, and all the other brethren across the world. 96 years is a testament to God's unfailing love. The church never faltered, it never wearied, it never faded in its service to the Lord. How wonderful is God's grace, and power-- so beautiful and magnificent is his glory. And how blessed are we to bask in his goodness every day of our lives.

If there is one thing we all experienced in this years 96th anniversary, it would be the miracles that God did in every single GEM around the world-- jam-packed halls full of guests, full of love & full of the holy spirit. The spirit filled us all as we worked tirelessly for the Church's mission. And as we near the 100th year anniversary, we can't even fathom the unimaginable success God has in store for the Church in that year.

Onward, ever onward, we shall all go to meet the Lord :)

SO-- To all the brethren and locales around the world-- be it large or small--

Happy Anniversary & Praise be to God for we are all members of the true Church of Christ :)

With love & prayers--

Sister Michelle fr. Brisbane, Australia!