Olebogeng Temba - GOD | FAMILY| MUSIC

 

God is my refuge

"God's love is tender and pure, it's conveyed through the movement of His power and His Being, it's a love of complete devotion" 

The genesis of a new year has dawned upon us. A new year symbolises various elements, to some it's a new beginning, a new chapter and to some it's an opportunity to try again, to realign your goals and re-group.

In our first issue of the year 2023 we go on a journey with Olebogeng Liza Temba (30) a beautiful young black woman from the Platinum City - Rustenburg.

Olebogeng was born in Thabanchu and bread in Rustenburg, she is the second and last born child, with an elder brother. She attended Zinniaville Secondary School from Primary level untill she completed her Grade 12. She then furthered her studies at Mafikeng Hotel School where she embarked on a journey to pursue her career in Hotel Management. 

During her second year  her mother fell ill and thus resulting in her untimely exit from Hotel School. Her mother was unable to carry out her plans of funding her daughter's education due to her illness, Olebogeng was not covered by any Bursary which made it even more difficult to complete her education. 

This was indeed a painful and challenging season for her nonetheless she had to make other means of survival. She went into the job market with an unfinished qualification trusting in God for a breakthrough. Later in the year she managed to find employment at a reputable Hotel for the duration of  5 years.

Her zeal and tenacity to achieve beyond her circumstances, gave her exceptional results. She never gave up, she exercised the power in her which God instilled and as young God fearing Woman she stood in prayer and prevailed through, though the odds seemed to be against her.

 

Royalty 

GOD - My place of refuge

" I cannot begin to imagine my life without God" 

Growing up Olebogeng was raised in a Christian family, she describes herself as a  "Church girl" From a very young age she attended church religiously so from Sunday school to midweek prayer and Bible services on Wednesday's and as growth kicked in she graduated from Sunday School to Youth and eventually to the Praise and Worship team as singing was her first love.

She conveys her journey in her walk with Christ as a beautiful astonishing experience that grows gracefully with understanding who God is to in her personal journey. She remembers growing up, getting ready for the all night prayer service, on a chilly winters night till the early hours of the morning - the joy and peace she experienced knowing for sure that God's unwavering presence will be there. 

For many church might seem as a chore, an indoctrination of a foreign religion imposed on people specifically our black people but for her it's a place of refuge her hiding place a safe space to be creative innovative and excel in what she loves most, singing. She further explains her love for God and serving God as a complete devotion unto Him and His Kingdom a daily honour to serve God and His people.

"Christianity is my refuge an assurance that God is there" 

When Olebogeng lost her mother she was left in destitute, a dark cloud had seemingly invaded her world with death. This was quite a painful and tragic season of her life loosing her only surviving parent, leaving her as an orphan but she was reminded of the word of God when it says " I am a Father to the fatherless" she gained strength in knowing that God is her refuge especially in times of dire need. 

Sometimes when death invades your life and you lose a loved one, the pain becomes unbearable it feels like the darkness will never clear away, you're often left between the blurred lines of your reality. This is when God's unwavering love comes into place as means of  comfort and reassurance that everything will indeed fall into place.

This season of great loss erupted a powerful closeness to God, Olebogeng grew more closer to God and embraced His comfort, as a worshiper she worshipped her way throughout this season of loss. As a singer and worshiper in church her ministry of worship was fueled by pain.

I don't think that anyone can ever heal completely from the loss of a mother, many may find a way to manoeuvre around this tragedy but the pain cuts deep. 

God played an intricate role in her time of mourning, through his love she managed to find rest and comfort during this time. 

 She conveys her pain; 

"It was a difficult time for me but there's never a time where I doubted the love of God. I strongly believe that pain must bring me closer to the Lord, yes it was hard to even show up at church but I'd always show up and minister little did I know while God was healing His people  through my ministry, I was healing gradually too. What helped me was firmly believing in God's word period. That He promised to never leave me nor forsake me, He wiped my tears and placed me in a position of abundance"

FAMILY- My life is complete

Family means everything to Olebogeng, being raised by two parents who loved her dearly and instilled good family values she knew what kind of family setup she wanted.

In 2014 she got married to her highschool sweetheart Orapeleng Stanley Temba a loving husband and they were blessed with a handsome boy Oretlametse Temba and a beautiful bubbly baby girl Olerato Temba. We don't get to see many  young people choosing to get married and pursuing a family unit but these two lovebirds made it work for them despite the challenges that come with marriage. 

Olebogeng describes herself as being family orientated mainly because her parents laid that foundation for her and so it came naturally to her. Being a young mother and wife has afforded her the the opportunity to create a well nurtured family structure. 

She was blessed with supportive in-laws, which made her marriage even more beautiful. Her husband being a "Preachers kid" as many may call it was a blessing to her. Mr and Mrs Temba Snr have always been a firm supportive structure to Olebogeng as their daughter in-law. She describes her relationship with them as easy going, they have played an intricate role in her upbringing especially because they are not only her in-laws but her spiritual parents. 

Olebogeng is a member of Home of Prayer Ministries which is led by her Father and Mother in-law. She has served under their ministry for over a decade and her experience has been an auspicious one.

She relates how they have always pushed her to be the best she can be especially in her ministry of worship, now that is a blessing to have your in-laws supporting you and your craft is simply amazing.

Family means supporting each other, availing yourself to one another's needs and creating a love filled environment. 

MUSIC  - My gift 

" Music has afforded me the opportunity to be in spaces I have never imagined myself in" 

From a very young age Ole loved singing, she began singing at school which then moved to the church. She joined the Praise and Worship Team as a way of not only serving God through psalms but also a platform to polish her skills. Being a good singer didn't afford her the opportunity to lead the Praise Team as one would think but it gave her a well balanced experience in music. 

Ole has always served in church through music, that is where her passion and calling derives from, pursuing her music career also gave her a sense of belonging. When she formally began her music journey she didn't have a clear picture of how far it'll get, she was just doing what she loves and most passionate about. She has always been a creative apart from singing she loves broadcasting and presenting which is something she wants to pursue sometime in her life. 

In her journey and growth it dawned on her that she needs to pay more attention to her gift and actually utilise it beyond just signing in church. She was now ready to take her musical journey to the next level, this is when she met Tumisang Seleke a renowned singer of note, she took Ole under her wings and she became her back up singer. She guided her throughout her professional music journey which afforded her the opportunity to sing on a professional scale with prominent musicians in and beyond South Africa. She has travelled to Uganda and Botswana where she was performing and that has been one of her highlights since her music career took off.

There are many challenges within the music industry especially the business side of things. From registering your songs for publishing, taking consideration the financial impact of recording and getting your music out there, to marketing and being tax compliant. All these challenges require thorough research and proper guidance. 

She mentioned how grateful she is to Tumisang Seleke for mentoring her into this new season of her life through music. 

This is when she decided to come out of her comfort zone and break out of the shell she was in. She is hosting her first of many live shows which will be held at her local church Home of Prayer Ministries.  

Moments of Worship with Ole is a movement that is here to disrupt the norm, it's a space where worship is the order of the day. She has promised us a spirit filled show as she serenades us with her heart piercing voice, she'll be taking us on a journey through song in worship. In this project she is working closely with her husband who is also her music director, how awesome is that ? Seeing a young couple working together, supporting each other is a beautiful sight to see. This is definitely Olebogeng's season to shine and embrace her new beginning. This show is also supported by her Father and Mother in-law Mr and Mrs Temba Snr, what a blessing it is to be under their covering.

Moments of Worship with Ole 

We can definitely look forward to seeing more of Olebogeng Temba on our radios, even on our screens. She is definitely making her way to the top and she is not planning to slow down. 

 For more on her new endeavours please follow her on all social media platforms, on Facebook and Instagram: Olebogeng Liza Temba 

God is indeed doing a new thing in our generation and it's a beautiful experience seeing young people pursuing their dreams with such zeal and enthusiasm.

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