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Tivamile Dlamini
After I moved across the world to Taiwan, I discovered who God truly is to me. At the age of 21, I began to see miraculous signs and wonders in my life. These spiritual experiences have changed me.
There was that time – and I remember it very well – when I desperately needed an answer from God about my future. I had been praying with unwavering faith in the dining room and right after I said amen, an angel ornament fell off a shelf. Normally, this could only have happened due to an earthquake. Then, there was that time when I had a vivid dream that I would become the first Miss International at my school, Ming Chuan University. And how about the time when I heard an audible voice that said I would meet my husband in August, and three days later, on August 3rd, I met him.
“After I moved across the world to Taiwan, I discovered who God truly is to me.”
These are just a few of the profound encounters I have had with God while living in Taiwan. To put it plainly, God told me that Taiwan is my spiritual home and for more than two decades, I have been blessed to call this densely populated island country my home. I have matured in so many ways here: professionally, personally and most importantly, spiritually.
You may be curious to know how a Christian woman from the Kingdom of Eswatini could have supernatural experiences in Taiwan, a country with only 5.5 percent Christians.
Let me take you back and explore how my life has unfolded.
When I was five, I devoted my life to Jesus Christ on a Good Friday in my home country, known back then as Swaziland before King Mswati III officially renamed it the Kingdom of Eswatini in 2018 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our nation’s independence from Britain. I will never forget that significant Good Friday. It was springtime and all the mangos, guavas and avocados had ripened in the trees in our backyard garden. It was midday. My two older siblings and I were sitting in the living room watching on TV a Good Friday movie about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When the movie ended, my mother came over and gave us fresh mangos as a snack. She began asking what we learned about the movie and she patiently explained to us, who Jesus was and why “God loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” She continued to ask us if we wanted to accept Jesus as our savior, and one by one we replied “Yes we do.” She went on to lead us to the salvation prayer, and suddenly at that moment the presence of God fell upon me. It felt as if I was floating in the air and all I could hear was the sound of a harp. That day when I received Jesus Christ as my savior, was such a profound and peaceful moment.
“You may be curious to know how a Christian woman from the Kingdom of Eswatini could have supernatural experiences in Taiwan…”
Even at the age of five, I could recognize that something inside me had transformed – and it wasn't because of the delicious mango I was eating! Something supernatural had touched my heart and transformed my life. I just knew it.
Growing up in a family of eight people and being the youngest of five siblings, I would say I lived a pretty comfortable and protected life.
Me and my 5 older siblings with our grandmother, back in Eswatini. I’m at the top left corner with a side ponytail.
At times I would live vicariously through my older siblings and look up to them. When I was eight years old, my father was appointed as the ambassador to the United Nations in New York, so we all moved from our home country to America and resided there for seven years.
Standing with mom outside our diplomatic house in New York
“Something supernatural had touched my heart and transformed my life.”
Moving to America at the age of eight was life changing for me. I never thought the little girl who jokingly sang about moving to the States in joyous, make-believe songs would come true overnight. The way it occurred was one evening, my dad had turned on the radio and there was an announcement from the King’s office stating that my father had been appointed to represent then-Swaziland at the United Nations. We couldn’t believe our ears!
My father Moses Mathendele Dlamini (left), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Kingdom of Swaziland, signs the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the UN Headquarters in New York.
Yet, there was this confidence among us in knowing that God had been preparing my family all along to be a voice for the nations. When the day came for us to move to America, I’ll never forget how the little girl boarded straight to the airplane and never even thought this might be the last time she’d be coming back home for a very very long time.
“Moving to America at the age of eight was life changing for me.”
After that, my dad was appointed as Eswatini’s first ambassador to Taiwan and he opened an embassy office in Taipei City. So, I’ve been living in Taiwan for more than 26 years now and have never since even thought about moving back to my home country in southern Africa. I’ve been a third-culture kid for most of my life. I easily connect with people and quickly adapt to various social environments. What has helped me along the way was to hold on to my strong Christian values and remember my identity in Jesus Christ. When my dad was recalled back to Eswatini for a new post as the president of the national senate, I and my two older siblings remained in Taiwan to complete our university studies. Staying back here taught me to be independent and gave me more time to pick up the Mandarin language, which I now speak fluently.
As a child, I struggled with selective mutism. In certain settings, I could not say a word. It usually happened when I was around adults or social events. Basically if I wanted to freely express myself I would suddenly quiet down and just observe the crowd. I recognized it wasn't normal because at home, I was very active and enjoyed interacting with my siblings. I suffered a great deal from this complex childhood anxiety disorder.
Celebrating my tenth birthday with my family in New York
“I’ve been a third-culture kid for most of my life. I easily connect with people and quickly adapt to various social environments.”
God helped me to break through that in college by empowering me to be selected as the first ever Miss International of Ming Chuan University. As Miss International, my responsibility was to represent the university and help recruit international students from various parts of the world to study at Ming Chuan University. I joined the competition after experiencing a vivid dream. In the dream, I was instructed to write a song called, For A Reason. This song was about my life in America and Taiwan. I performed the song at the final competition and Ming Chuan University used it as their theme song to recruit international students. Today, Ming Chuan University is known as the first internationally accredited university in Taiwan and it’s an honor to have been part of that prestigious recognition! From this experience, my gift of connecting with people and my destiny to be a voice for the nations were revealed.
As a teenager, I enjoyed performing arts. It was one of the best ways I was able to creatively express myself. When I moved to Taiwan at the age of 16, I entered the 10th grade in a British high school and in acknowledgment of my love of performing arts, the school allowed me to study three art subjects, which was a special privilege for me. Usually, students had to choose just one art course between music, art and drama. With that unexpected favor from God, I started writing songs and singing more in my church worship team.
“When my dad was recalled back to Eswatini for a new post as the president of the national senate, I and my two older siblings remained in Taiwan…”
When I sang, people would say my voice brings healing and opens the heavens. I’ve had many significant spiritual occurrences of God sending people to tell me to write and sing music from God’s word. One significant moment was a time I had put writing aside to focus on my teaching job. God reminded me to return to songwriting a year before the COVID-19 pandemic happened. I was at the gym walking on the treadmill and I heard a voice asking me, “Are you ready?”
I ignored the voice. It came again and by the time I finished my workout, I had answered, “Yes, I’m ready.” When I returned to my apartment, the same voice led me to find the notebook in which I had written different songs during my late teenage years. When I discovered where it was, I knew it was God, because I’d checked multiple times for that book at the same place and never saw it. The next instructions were to write music and to wait to do a concert. I completed 10 songs in three months and waited to have a concert in August. The songs were about the Origin. I thought I completed my instructions, but God led me to hold an even bigger concert hosted by a place of worship called Jesus Way Church. It was a miracle. I kept hearing the voice of the Lord telling me to visit the church and share the songs that He had put in my heart. After sharing them with the music director, she said, our church has been praying about who to collaborate with to do a concert about the same message Back to the Origin. Her words confirmed why I was led to visit Jesus Way church. During this time, it had already been four years since God had spoken to me about singing songs that represent His word, but I realized I had to go through deliverance before starting this mission.
“I suffered a great deal from this complex childhood anxiety disorder.”
Early in 2018, I attended an Asia For Jesus Conference and Crusade in Taiwan. It was my first time and I didn’t know what to expect. At that same time, I was supposed to fly back home for vacation, but the Holy Spirit prompted me to attend this conference instead. When I joined the conference, I’d never seen such a room full of people all hungry to experience God’s presence. I didn’t know about the guest speakers that year except for Pastor Bill Johnson. The first night, Heidi Baker was speaking and towards the end of the sermon, she encouraged us to specifically ask God what He wanted to tell us. Immediately, I got on my knees. It was as if some supernatural power had pushed me down. As soon as I opened my mouth, I let out the loudest and longest scream from the core of my belly. What I experienced felt like a wall just plummeting down all around me and whatever I had been carrying for the past few years was destroyed and again I was able to allow my heavenly father to dwell in me.
That week God dealt with my heart. I couldn’t wait to come back the next day of the conference for God to continue to restore, heal and build me up again and again.
That week, I was baptized in tongues. During a night service where the pastor was preaching in Spanish to a Chinese translation, I fell to the floor and was in God’s presence for hours. It was all new to me and I didn’t want it to stop. Towards the end of the conference, one night I had a dream of a voice that whispered in Spanish the Bible verse in 2 Corinthians 5:1-5. As soon as I heard that voice I woke up and wrote what I heard in Spanish. I still didn’t understand the context of the verse and I asked God over and over to show me what it meant. Suddenly, one word from my Bible changed color to a darker text. The word was now. It was later on that God revealed to me that He was referring to His presence dwelling in us. For this calling to be fulfilled, I needed to be first cleansed and delivered from whatever was taking room in me and allow the presence of God to dwell in me. The whole year of 2018, God spoke to me about worship and the purpose of worship. He sent close friends and strangers to tell me, “now is the time.”
“As soon as I opened my mouth, I let out the loudest and longest scream from the core of my belly.”
In 2021, I witnessed the prophetic words that God spoke to me through other believers. Two were, “Your husband is around the corner and will be involved with your worship ministry.”
Performing at the Heritage of Love concert in the Taipei Grand Hotel
One young man said, “God will give you a ring. I hear music instruments in God’s timing.” In 2021, that’s what I experienced. I married my husband, Esjae, whom God had already told me about in July of 2020.
He came to Taiwan and had decided to get married here. We’ve been working on a few projects together and of course, one of them is centered on music.
So, have you ever wondered about the existence of God? Well, I have and am thankful for His existence. Can you recognize the voice of God? Through the help of the Holy Spirit, and knowing His word from the Bible, I have heard and recognized the voice of God, which continues to confirm everyday that Taiwan is my spiritual home.
Tivamile Dlamini who currently lives in Taipei City is pursuing a career as a music artist, podcast host and YouTube content creator with her husband. Follow them on https://www.youtube.com/@omdstudios and https://www.onemoredaystudios.com/
Thank you for your testimony.