Testimony from Annaelle Mafuku & David Kasilembo
David and I first connected in 2018 through Facebook. We didn’t have any mutual friends and had never heard of each other before, but he reached out, and from that moment, we became really close online friends. We would text and call almost every day, talking about our lives, sharing random facts about ourselves, opening up about our struggles, and discussing our hopes for the future. Over time, we built a strong and meaningful friendship.
As the years went by, we continued living our individual lives while staying in touch. Then, in 2022, David confessed his feelings and asked if I wanted to take our relationship more seriously. At first, I was hesitant because I truly cherished the bond we had built over the years, and I was afraid of losing it if things didn’t work out. I asked him to give me some time to think and pray about it. After taking that time, I decided to give it a chance.
From there, we began our journey together and shared our decision with our parents. They were incredibly supportive and confident in the choice we made. As part of our process, we planned to meet in person to finalize our decision. During that time, we often talked about our concerns, wondering how things would feel in person, since meeting someone face-to-face can be very different from talking online.
When I traveled to Dubai around 2024, everything felt fine at first. But as soon as I arrived at the airport, I became very nervous, and my stomach started hurting. However, the moment I saw David, all of that anxiety disappeared. We instantly clicked. I’m naturally introverted and usually only become talkative once I feel comfortable, but there are rare moments when I can open up right away. I had always hoped my future partner would bring out that side of me naturally, and David did exactly that.
David later shared that he also wanted to be with someone he could truly be himself with—someone he could be silly and genuine around. After spending a month together, he realized that in the past, he hadn’t been fully himself and had been putting up a persona. Through our time together, he came to understand that what he once thought was love wasn’t truly love. We had many deep and heartfelt conversations, and by the first week of being together, we knew we were meant for each other and decided to make our relationship official and get matched.
We shared our decision with our parents, received their blessing, and began preparing for our commitment ceremony, which took place in May 2025. Now, we are preparing to receive the Blessing.
I was born and raised in Korea, and I remember attending Blessing ceremonies from a very young age. I used to think about how excited I would be to one day receive the Blessing with the love of my life, and now that moment is here. I feel so grateful and excited to begin this new chapter.
We are truly thankful for this gift we are about to receive from God and True Parents, and thankful for the support and guidance we received from our parents, both spiritually and physically. We hope that our journey as a couple and the love we have for each other can inspire others to seek the Blessing and find their own lifelong partner.
