A quick look at the background of Pastor Joseph Bonifacio and his lovely wife (and actress) Rica “Carla” Peralejo and one could easily say “they were worlds apart” as far as values and convictions are concerned–before.
Joe and Carla during their wedding on January 26, 2010. Photo courtesy of Joseph Bonifacio's Facebook account
But how they eventually were brought together in marriage was a deal that only God could seal–for life.
As I listen to Joe and Rica share how the Lord narrowed down their “worlds apart” background, students who listened to them during all three of our youth services at Victory U-Belt, were wide-eyed and amazed.
Their love story may seem unthinkable considering that Joe is a pastor and currently heads our Every Nation Campus Ministries, while Rica had had a reputation for appearing in leading sexy flicks in movies in the past.
Joe is the son of Pastor Joey Bonifacio, senior pastor of Victory Fort Bonifacio, while Rica, as she admits had no such family background to be proud of.
Joe grew up reading books and learning godly values from his father.
On the other hand, Rica, as she recounted, at the tender age of 13,
entered showbiz and was forced to quit school to become her family’s breadwinner.
The glitter of showbiz had its own way of spoiling an actress like her, and Rica acknowledged drifting into vices, alcoholism and multiple relationships.
But all these changed one day when she attended a weekend service one time at Victory Ortigas, where incidentally, Joe made an altar call back then, challenging newcomers to surrender their lives to Jesus completely.
Rica raised her hand up as a sign of surrender, yielding her life, yielding dark past and setting her up for what she couldn’t possibly dream or imagine.
Rica admitted her life transformation was no overnight thing, but involved a God-ordained process.
Spiritually mentored by people, including veteran actress Coney Reyes, eventually, Rica emphasized how God’s love and forgiveness made all the difference in her “new life”.
“It doesn’t matter if you have a past like what I had,” Rica told the thousands of students at U-Belt. “That won’t matter anymore if you give your life to Christ because He saved us and we are made new in Him.
“(Through His death on the cross) he has forgiven us and na-cancel na niya yung sins natin. Now, you can live your life to the fullest. He will do great things in your life more than you could even imagine,” she added.
Joe and Rica’s message in a nutshell can be summed up in this statement: There’s no past, no mistake and no sin that is far too great for God to overcome.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old is gone, the new has come.”