My name is Marissa Rossouw. I live in Port Elizabeth (now known as Gqeberha), and I teach children with special needs who are partially hearing and have speech delays. I was baptized on 9 January 1992.

I was born and raised in Cape Town, but moved to Port Elizabeth in 1990 and attended a traditional church where I taught Sunday school. In November 1991, I became aware of God’s incredible goodness and kindness towards me and prayed that He would lead me to an ICOC church or an organization where I could serve Him.

In December of that year, I visited my family in Cape Town. A friend who’d been working in London (UK), where she had become a Christian, invited me to a party. One sister asked me to study the Bible that night. I said yes and was baptized two weeks later. During that fortnight, I joined the group in sharing their faith and in other spiritual activities. I saw a group of people who were serious about the Bible and imitating Jesus, and knew that I wanted to be a part of them. I was also amazed at what I was learning from the Bible. Years later, I realized that this was God’s answer to my prayer the year before.

I returned to Port Elizabeth where the church was comprised of a group of seven members who listened to sermon tapes from Cape Town and Johannesburg at a sister’s home on Sundays. (This was because there was neither an evangelist nor any brothers who could preach in Port Elizabeth at the time.) Through God’s grace, the membership grew and the Port Elizabeth ICOC Church was established.

In 1999, the church became involved with a local children’s home. There, I met my beautiful, adopted daughter, Masindi, who was only two years old at that time. I had not intended on being a single mother, but I loved her at first sight and had a burning desire to be her mom. That was how I knew this desire was from God and was part of His divine plan. He even took care of the entire adoption process. She is now 23-years-old, baptized, and a part of the ICOC Singles ministry. More than that, she serves on the worship team and also teaches the toddler class on Sundays. I had a lot of help from God and disciples in raising her, and I’m so grateful for all the help I received.

At church, I’m very involved in the children’s ministry and am part of the Golden Girls Ministry. This group is composed of women who are either divorced, have husbands who are not part of the church, or are mature single sisters. My best friend and discipling partner, Mercia Larkin, leads this outstanding group of women.

I am grateful and privileged to be a disciple of Jesus, and I pray God will continue to use me in His Kingdom, and that I will remain faithful to Him until the day I die.

Church contact: https://www.pecoc.co.za/