At the age of 17 I was already working as a secretary in a multinational company and at 21 I was an Executive Secretary for the Board of Directors with a high paying salary.

That was when I opened my first shop – surf and nautical products, followed by the second one of ornamental fish. There was also a small workshop for fibre glass repairs on surf boards and other nautical products.

All the shops were under the management of my fiancé, while I kept my position working at the multinational company. It seemed to go all right when there was a serious financial resection in my country and we did not have raw material to work with.

As a result sales dropped considerably and slowly I could not meet ends with the expenses of the shops. On top of all that, my fiancé was hanging around with other ladies. I filed for bankruptcy and my name was black listed in most of the Notaries in my town. I had two bank accounts closed, owing six credit card providers, lost two cars and all family jewellery. I borrowed so much money to try and cover some debts that I ended up owing a considerable amount for nine cash loans besides another court case demanding that I would be judged “financially impaired” and all my employment rights, pension fund would be reversed to settle this case. I still had my job and I held on to it the best I could but I would not see any cent of my salary because the cash loans would sweep it out on payday. My fiancé locked himself in his room and denied to take any course of action for months. My emotions were so stretched that I developed an allergy as a result of a nervous breakdown. My relationship was in shambles. My then-fiancé would have breakdowns and abuse me verbally and physically.

I was invited to the UCKG but my excuse was that I was already a Christian, up until my suffering was beyond reach and I accepted the invitation. I had started a successful career with a brighter future but before I was 23 I had already lost everything. Was it a coincidence that the same had happened to my mother?

Though my salary was very good, I had no money even for the transportation. I was doing piece jobs of typewriting or giving private classes, at night, two hours distance from my house so that I could have some petty money for basics. Then I started attending the church on a regular basis and doing a chain of prayers for my financial situation. My desperation was so large that I didn’t notice the first miracle happening in my life: suddenly I was healed of all allergy lesions.

My first tithe was life risking because I had to stand firm and inform one of the cash loans that I would not pay him that month and as a result of my call, my life was threatened. In the following week, I received calls from debtors and cash loans accepting payment arrangements.

Being a faithful tither, I participated on numerous challenges and chain of prayers up until I saw the end of my nightmare and I turned debt-free. During this long period of struggle, I also had to break my seven year relationship with my fiancé that had long turned to the worst. I was target of physical violence and threats.

Professionally speaking, I was promoted and assigned to a new division where I turned out to be the first female to hold that position within the company group in my country. I was sent for training in Europe and later offered work at the headquarters in Switzerland. Sorry to disappoint you but I did not go!

After all that God had done in my life, my encounter with Him, the replenishing of my emotions, I found the love of my life: God blessed me with a man of God and despite of all achievements I quit everything I had, to serve Him on the altar and I am doing so for the past 16 years

Marcia Pires