Written by: Sophia Roman
Article source: JOY! Magazine

Candice (born Rukeiya) always felt like she didn’t fit the role she was expected to play, coming from a dysfunctional family. “I was disqualified and did not fit the description. My situation and background did not match up.” She was born into a Muslim family in Riverlea Extension, Johannesburg. Her parents, Yusuf and Gesinah, raised her along with her siblings: Moegamat, Noor, Ikaraam, and Faisa. Despite their love, their circumstances were difficult, and they grew up in poverty.

 

A double loss
At just eight years old, Rukeiya’s mother was tragically murdered, marking one of the family’s greatest traumas. Soon after, their father left, abandoning the family and compounding the sense of loss. The pain of losing both parents was indescribable. For months, her grandmother fought a legal battle to gain custody of her grandchildren. After much struggle, her grandma finally won.

Orphaned and surviving
Life in her grandmother’s house was tough, as it was filled with many children – her grandmother’s children and her siblings. There was little time or attention for Rukeiya, who felt like she just had to survive, doing whatever was necessary to get through each day. She and her siblings felt like orphans, treated as outsiders in the crowded household. Feeling neglected, Rukeiya began to rebel, making poor choices and falling in with the wrong crowd.

Rukeiya with her son, daughter, and grandchild.

The strange car
Her grandmother soon reached her limit with Rukeiya’s behaviour, threatening to send her to an orphanage. One day, when Rukeiya came home from school, she saw a car parked in front of their house. When she entered, she was told by her grandmother, “These people are here to take you to the orphanage.” She vividly recalls that moment, running to the bathroom in tears, crying, “When will I see my brothers and sister if you send me away?” She left that day with her few belongings. The journey to the orphanage felt long and distant from her family. Life there was lonely, and no one ever visited her. She felt abandoned, and her days were filled with deep sadness and many tears.

The Muslim girl who sang
At the orphanage, attending church every Sunday was compulsory. As the only Muslim girl, everything felt foreign to her. She would hear the children sing songs like “He’s able, He’s able, I know my God is able” and “The windows of heaven are open, the blessings are falling today”. Before long, she learnt the words and began singing along with the other children. She also started hearing about Jesus, which confused her. “How can a Man do this? How could He, Jesus, die for people? Is this real?” Coming from studying the Quran in her Muslim upbringing, this was her first exposure to the Bible.

 

Nothing happens by accident
It wasn’t long before Rukeiya realised that nothing happens by accident. God had allowed her to go to the orphanage, where the seed of His Word was planted in her heart. The Bible, a two-edged sword, began cutting through her confusion, and she felt the power of the Word becoming alive within her. Eventually, her aunt in Cape Town heard that she was in an orphanage and applied for custody. Her aunt made the three-day journey by train to bring her to Cape Town.

Rukeiya and her husband, Bishop Henry van der Zandt.

The blessing
While in high school, Rukeiya met Henry, who became the love of her life. Together, they accepted Jesus as their Saviour, and she changed her name to Candice. Today, Candice and Henry have been married for 42 years, serving God and their community. Henry is now the senior pastor of Grace International in Mitchells Plain, and Candice serves as a pastor alongside him.

They are blessed with two daughters and a son, all of whom serve the Lord with them. Reflecting on her journey, Candice says, “I thank God for the orphanage; it was a blessing because the seed of His Word was planted there.”

Click here to KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE weekly newsletter.

Date published: 18/10/2024
SOPHIA ROMAN – pioneer, visionary, and life transformation coach. Sophia and her husband, Theo, pastor the West Reach AOG Church in Mitchells Plain.
Feature image: Rukeiya

DISCLAIMER
JOY! News is a Christian news portal that shares pre-published articles by writers around the world. Each article is sourced and linked to the origin, and each article is credited with the author’s name. Although we do publish many articles that have been written in-house by JOY! journalists, we do not exclusively create our own content. Any views or opinions presented on this website are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company.