FROM L-R: Iam and Seppie Echavez telling their love story while band plays songs related to it, Knoel Gutierrez – Male Vocalist, Lourde Romero on Percussions, Rainier Muyot on Bass, Miguel Panagsagan on Keyboard and Elyzza Cugal – lead Female Vocalist
It was definitely a heartfelt, honest, and swoon-worthy night as Youth for Christ Advocacies launched 100% Free, an advocacy about love, purity, and chastity last September 17, 2016 at Craft Coffee Revolution Katipunan.
Defined in three different ways, 100% Free is Living Life in the Fullness – instilling in the heart of young people the value of self-mastery and the virtue of chastity, which will be their guide as they pursue their youthful self-discovery, Breaking from Bondage – a reminder to the young that they are blessed with the strength to say yes to God’s truth and no to everything else that is not in line with it, and Advocating Life – a lifestyle and an advocacy that 100% Free envisions to highlight, that the youths are free, but they are to use this freedom as a conviction to further love and serve God and His people.
100% Free joins the young with their growing interest for music through an acoustic night while enjoying their favorite cup of coffee.
The acoustic night featured the story of a young couple named Seppi and Iam Echavez who first met as bandmates way back in 2007. Back then, Iam was still a student and Seppi worked as a Fulltime Pastoral Worker for Youth for Christ. He was then known to Iam as “Kuya Seppi” and didn’t even have a hint that Seppi had intentions to court her. With respect to Iam as a lady and with the learnings He got from the community, Seppi decided to ask first the permission of Iam’s parents before finally telling her intentions to Iam. By the time Seppi got her parent’s approval, Iam was not yet ready and wanted to focus more with her studies. But since Seppi was persistent and was sure about his prayers for Iam, he decided to let Iam finish college first then try to pursue her again after. Seppi got “basted” twice before Iam finally decided she was ready to go through the process of courtship with Seppi. “Ayoko naman pumasok sa isang bagay na hindi ako ready at buo kaya hindi ko muna siya pinayagan nung mga una at pangalawa.” Iam shared to the crowd when asked why she didn’t want to go through the process of courtship the first and second time Seppi asked her. Finally, in 2008, Iam appreciated that being courted is a privilege she is to enjoy as a woman and she even reminded all the girls in the crowd never to allow themselves to be the one to court men. Iam and Seppi became official in September 2008, “yun kasi yung maganda sa love pag hindi minamadali, parang tinapay, mas masarap pag lutong luto at hindi hilaw,” Seppi shares when he finally got the YES of Iam. Their relationship journey went through a lot even to the point of surviving long distance relationship when Seppi got assigned to a province in Visayas for his mission work. But because it was a journey of fighting for the love that they both said yes to, no struggle was too difficult for them to overcome. Today, Seppi and Iam are already married for four years and had been blessed with a son named Matteo while still continuing the love story that they were both blessed with since the first day they met.
From L-R: Iam Echavez, Seppi Echavez, Lourde Romero on Percussions, Rainier Muyot on Bass, Miguel Panagsagan on Keyboard, Elyzza Cugal – Lead Female Vocalist, Louise Manuel – Female Vocalist, Kyakki Alava on Acoustic Guitar, Christian Sibug – Lead Acoustic Guitar
To add fire to the “kilig” flame that was already burning, a homegrown band played covers of the latest love songs as the crowd sang along and journeyed with everyone to discovering what love really is.
UP From L-R: Gerald Manapsal – 100% Free Advocacy Head, Seppi Echavez, Iam Echavez, Abi Halal – 100% Free Advocacy Head, Rainier Muyot, Louise Manuel, Knoel Gutierrez, Kyakky Alava, Lourde Romero, Miguel Panagsagan
DOWN: Elyzza Cugal, Christian Sibug
There is so much to discover about living and loving freely. 100% free has so much more to share with you. Our story has just begun. Stay tuned for the next sessions of “A Love Like This” series.
For more information about 100% Free visit facebook.com/100-Free-256358377893155/ and @100percent_free for twitter.
