I’m Sister Angelica Joaquin, 24 years old, born and raised as a PMCC (4th Watch) – Main member and currently a member of PMCC (4th Watch) – Antipolo. I serve as a youth officer and a photographer in the church’s media ministry.
The life of someone who was born in the church, or what we call ‘laking Iglesia, comes with both privilege and pressure. I grew up in a 4th Watch household, trained in apostolic teachings through children’s worship and cadets camp, and most importantly, experienced the privilege of worshipping the Lord with my entire family. On the other hand, people would expect me to be the best version of myself, which puts me under a lot of pressure.
I remember how our family barely survived with the help of some of our relatives. We never lived a life filled with luxury or comfort; we only lived by the grace of God, surviving day to day. Our close relatives kept us on track by lending us money for food and shelter. We’ve never gotten our own house; we’ve moved from one place to another.
My parents had a business in photography and printing, primarily serving private schools. However, the profit from that business wasn’t enough to support a family of five. We were fortunate that one of the private schools allowed me and my siblings to enroll in exchange for our services, from making IDs to printing yearbooks. Photography is a seasonal business, so we had to adjust our budget during off-peak seasons. Due to our limited resources, I started working early, taking on wedding or birthday projects to earn extra income and support the family. I always accompanied my father to gain knowledge in photography.
Our photography business thrived a bit when I was in senior high school. I became part of a group that organized school events. By God’s grace, one of the professors noticed my performance and appointed me as the head organizer for all senior high school events at Our Lady of Fatima University, where I studied. Another professor in the administrative office selected me as a print model for handbooks, flyers, and tarpaulins. We were able to offer some of our services at the university, such as class pictures and graduation photos. Thanks to the support of some professors, we became known as D’Angels Photography. The students trusted me when I offered them packages because funnily enough, they thought I was the daughter of the university owner. During this time, I managed to pay my tuition fees, and I considered it as God’s faithfulness to our family. It showed me that as His servant, He ensures you’re never at the end of the line, you’re always at the forefront.
Our business was off to a strong start, but soon we encountered some hurdles. First, a management change at school almost meant losing a large chunk of our clientele. Then, right as we were nearing our dream of building our own studio, the pandemic struck. The funds we saved had to be redirected to meet our daily needs during that challenging time. Also, financial constraints forced me to put college on hold after my second year in college.
In December 2019, I scrolled through Facebook and stumbled upon an ad for a work-from-home opportunity. With the lockdown looming, it felt like a lifeline. I enrolled in a digital course and learned the ropes of being a virtual assistant (VA). My excitement skyrocketed when I got my enrollment fee back from a client just two weeks in! Fueled by this early win, I devoured everything I could about being a VA. Months passed, and I started landing projects. In fact, I became one of the few students to reach $100,000 within six months, even getting interviewed by my coach on Facebook Live!
Despite the success of my first few months as a VA, a niggling doubt crept in. Many VAs faced seasonal slumps, and I worried it would happen to me too. True enough, December arrived again, and things were bleak. This time, it was financially. My father handed me our last 2,500 pesos for food a stark reminder of the struggle. On the same day, a final lead remained. Despite a shaky internet connection (data was all I had!), by God’s grace, the only lead that I had became my first client on a monthly retainer! This experience left me deeply grateful. It showed me that even in the darkest moments, God can lift us, answer our prayers, and shower us with blessings beyond our expectations. Sometimes, we even question if we deserve such abundance.
” But this story proves His unfailing love and the power of faith, even when doubt creeps in”.
In February 2021, a lead reached out, mentioning her coach had referred her. But, I checked her and her coach’s profiles and saw they were not following me on my social media accounts. Regardless, I took the opportunity to make business arrangements and landed her as my second client. Through her referrals to other coaches, my client base grew to seven! As of today, I have a thriving business with five clients on a yearly retainer and two on project-based terms.
The success of our businesses has allowed our family to live comfortably but what I consider success is that we can serve God more abundantly. We’ve been blessed with the ability to support church work, and giving back has become a true privilege. My faith and hard work have truly paid off. In 2021, I gave thanks with a 100k offering. That amount grew to 500k in 2022, and last year 2023, I reached a milestone of giving 1 million! It’s humbling to see how much I’ve been able to express my thanksgiving to the Lord. Our head pastor’s guidance in Antipolo has instilled a deep understanding in us that giving for the work of God and serving in the church are not burdens but expressions of love for the church, the ministry, the apostle, and most of all, the Lord. Without His grace, none of these would be possible. To God be all the glory!