A Life of Service: Part 2
Brother Andrey Silva: And there were times when in the middle of the night he would give me a call, you know, pick me up and, you know, his face would be bloodied.
Errol: There’s so many times during the journey that I thought I was going to quit.
Aliw Pablo: Quit life? Quit the band? Quit—
One of the things that I saw that would help him make a change in his life, was if he was in the Church.
Aliw: You know, all friendships go through highs and lows but what happens when a friend refuses to give up in saving someone’s life? Refuses to give up in helping a friend make changes in his life?
Brother Andrey Silva: Because God is the solution to all things,
Aliw: Welcome to part two of our conversation with long time friends and KAI bandmates, Brother Andrey Silva and Errol Viray. You’re listening to this special episode of the Making Changes Podcast, I’m your host, Aliw Garcia Pablo. Today’s episode is about friendships that run deep and friends who never give up.
Brother Andrey Silva: That was the only solution I can think of, to help my friend, my brother.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: Well, hello, Errol.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: Welcome to Making Changes podcast.
Errol Viray: Thank you for having me.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: Can’t help but notice the shirt, though, like we got to show off the shirt.
Errol Viray: We had to, right?
Brother Andrey Silva: I’m trying to find out when I’m gonna get mine.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: You don’t have one?
Errol Viray: I sent it to your brother.
Brother Andrey Silva: You gave it to my brother?
Brother Andrey Silva: You think that’s ever gonna touch my hands?
Aliw Garcia Pablo: I’ve been seeing these Kai shirts on social media. Is there, like, a ‘90s revival happening or what’s going on?
Errol Viray: Yeah, you know what? Very much so. So, it’s popping up everywhere right now and then with this, these shirts kind of came up because of demand, you know.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: But you know, when you guys look at that shirt, when you look back at those young boys at that time, and the dreams and things that you were looking forward to, who were Andrey and Errol in those shirts?
Brother Andrey Silva: We were starving artists. No, you know, when I look at that shirt, and during that time frame, we were some excited kids who were ready to embark on this amazing musical journey that our Lord God was allowing us to experience.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: Yeah, but you know, your friendship goes beyond Kai. You know, there are people who are, who are in bands together, and it’s clearly just a working, professional relationship, right? But what kind of brotherhood did you guys have and share?
Brother Andrey Silva: When it comes to the name Kai, right? Like, it stands for Kaibigan or friendship. We chose that name because we were all friends before the band, you know, because we considered ourselves brothers, actually in that group. And so for us to be able to have those extraordinary experiences as brothers, you know, it made it more enjoyable, honestly and meaningful.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: You’re the only son in your family, right? Because you have sisters.
Errol Viray: Yes, three sisters.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: Three sisters, yeah. And growing up, what kind of childhood did you have that, you know, having a friend like Andrey was, like, literally having a second brother?
Errol Viray: I had a hard upbringing, you know. So it was real, it was, it was a big difference. My mom and dad were very strict. I was also going through it during that time because my dad had left.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: You are now the man of the house.
Errol Viray: Correct, correct. I had to hold that mantle, and so being part of the group, being unified through that, I got a chance to see how life was outside of my family, right? So then we would hold rehearsals, for example, at, you know, Brother Andrey’s house. And I think sometimes we do it like on the, you know, going into the weekend, you know. So what turned into a rehearsal for me would go into a full weekend, staying at the Silva’s house, you know.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: You were the fourth son?
Errol Viray: Yeah, correct, yeah, correct. And they embraced me as such as Brother Andrey, you know, his mom, his dad, his brothers, obviously. And then, I just remember, you know, staying over that first time after rehearsing for, you know, for the week, for… on that Friday, going to the weekend and Sunday hit. And I think I was sleeping on your floor, man. I was on your floor sleeping, and then he wakes me up, “Hey, man, we’re going to church. I… Oh, I don’t have any clothes, man. So…
Aliw Garcia Pablo: Which is just just down the street. It’s just down the street from the chapel.
Errol Viray: It was just down the street, down the street from the chapel. I get in there, and, you know, it was so embracing. It was, it was refreshing. Everyone there was accepting. You know, you get in, you hear the words, you meet everybody, and you just feel part of it, right? They treat you like family. And just what I was going through at the time, it was, it was a breath of fresh air for me. Okay, I’m going through all this stuff. I want to be here every weekend, right? I want to be here every weekend. So whether Dre knew it or not, I had a plan, like, I’m staying over at his house just for this weekend, right? With the intention to also, I want to go back to all those folks that I’ve been introduced to. It’s fun being there. I love being there.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: You said you were going through it. What exactly were you going through?
Errol Viray: My dad wasn’t in the picture for like, you know, some years, heavy on substance abuse, and then I’m there to try to protect, right? So you got my three sisters, I got my mom. So as you know, feeling like I had that mantle now, as the man of the household, I felt the need to try to protect.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: You were how old at this time?
Errol Viray: How old am I? Like, how old was it? How old were we then, like, 16, 15,16, and so it was tough. You know, the verbal would be physical. Sometimes it would get physical. And so it was just a tough upbringing. And so that’s all I knew. You know, I thought, “Okay, this is normal. So I don’t know if…”
Aliw Garcia Pablo: You thought everyone’s families went through this?
Errol Viray: I thought this is what it was, you know, it’s just it was, like, the norm. It was a norm for me. And so it’s funny, because I had that kind of attitude, you know? So, when I would meet people like, Oh, you’re not what, what’s so different about what I’m going through? You know, you don’t go through that. That’s not a normal thing for you. And so when I got the chance to see his family, his family, and how they operated and the way they treated each other, especially his mom, his dad, more so I saw first and foremost, how that dynamic was supposed to be.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: Between a father and a son.
Errol Viray: Correct, correct. I mean, my dad had his moments right? So when he was right, he was right, but when he wasn’t in the right mind state, it was just it was torture. I dreaded, you know, being around him during that time.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: And so what do you remember during that time, Brother Andrey?
Brother Andrey Silva: Yeah, I remember him. I remember Brother Errol having a difficult time, because he would express to me that, you know, sometimes he would say, you know, “Nah, I don’t want to go home yet. Can I just hang out here?” “Well, yeah, stay here as long as you want, you know.” And there were times when he would be home, where, in the middle of the night, he would give me a call, you know, “Pick me up. I’m over here on this corner,” you know, like, “Okay, what’s up?” He said, “Just pick me up.” Okay, I’d go to pick him up. And, you know, his face would be bloodied, you know. And then he would tell me that, you know, he got into it with his dad or whatnot. So I said, okay, just, just come stay with us for a bit. He would stay at the house for a bit until he would get to reset a little bit, you know, or until he found out his dad left, then he could go back.
Because I think, you know, with Errol feeling that he needed to protect his family, you know, having that role, the dad is always gone. So him being the firstborn and the only male, you know, he felt that that responsibility was on him. But then when his father would come back, you know, there would be that conflict, because that’s his dad’s role, and now there’s somebody who’s trying to take his role and and so maybe underlying, you know, subconsciously, there would be that, that struggle there. And so, you know, Errol would get the worse end of it. You know, many times we’d have to go there to try to calm the situation.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: You say, we. Who was with you?
Brother Andrey Silva: You know, there were times when other band mates would come, Larry, right? Our manager would come with me. There were times when my dad would come, you know, and to try to talk to his dad. And those were always pretty effective whenever my dad would talk to his dad, because, for some reason, Errol’s dad had this big respect for my dad, and so he would sit and listen to whatever my dad would say to him, yeah.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: How did that feel for you? You know, you’ve got this friend, right? You’ve got your friend’s dad. You’re not related by blood. How does it feel knowing that they went that extra mile?
Errol Viray: It’s a level of gratitude that you can’t explain, right? It was, I felt safe, you know, them being around and, you know, like Brother Andrey mentioned just having those late calls. “Hey, man, I’m going through it again. Can you come by and get me?” Like it was almost like that safe, safe zone for me. And so when they would come, it was like I said, I was able to reset. And then when they would leave, it was back to it again, you know. So it was kind of tough. But every time they would come in to play or be there, not only myself reset, but even my dad would reset.
Errol Viray: Yeah, he would reset. So, you know, maybe a week has passed, everything is good. Following week, back to it again, back to it again. So same, same thing.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: Brother Andrey, you mentioned earlier that you wanted to help Errol because you knew that only God could help him. You wanted to help introduce him to the Church because you knew that only God could help him.
Brother Andrey Silva: I know my personality is, if I care about someone, I’m going to help them, and nothing’s going to stop me to help them. And I knew that the only one who could truly help his situation was God. But I also understood that I can’t just throw it at him and say, hey, you know, there’s a process that we gotta go through. So the introduction, you know, first I’m gonna splash some cold water and Brother Errol, get ready for church. We’re going to church. Surprise, you know. But then I know that when he gets there, God’s gonna take care of him. Then, you know, the seed of faith will get planted. God will nurture it, you know, and he’ll use the brethren in that local to also nurture it, until you know that faith grows in him, and that was really my goal for him to have that kind of faith. For him to realize and to know and to come to understand that you know, God is the solution. Trust in Him. Rely on Him, you know. Trust in what He can do for you in your life. And you know, that was the blessing that I was hoping he would receive from God during that time. And so that was, you know, one of my main goals for him to stay at the house was to bring to church.
Errol Viray: Of course, after hearing the lessons, you understand how undeniable it could be once God’s speaking to you know that He’s speaking to you, right? So, I finished the lessons, went through a period of attending, and I don’t know how busy we were yet with travel. It was not, it didn’t get chaotic yet. Yeah, it was about to, it was about to be, yeah, we were on the verge with Kai at that time. And so, you know, finish the lessons. However, the devil works, right? The devil’s constantly working. And with everything that was going on again in my life, I strayed away. So I never finished, didn’t get baptized, and then Kai happened.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: So now you’re on tour?
Errol Viray: Now we’re on tour.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: And now you’re on tour and worship services are happening, and Brother Andrey makes sure that he’s going to the worship services. And what would happen now that you’re on tour? But he stopped. How did that, did it create tension?
Brother Andrey Silva: Absolutely, you know, from what I was, you know, just looking at the whole picture, you know, I wanted to tell Brother Errol, I’m already helping you. I’m already bringing you to what the solution is. Yeah, you know, why are you letting it slip away? You know? And so there was a level of frustration in that. And, you know, us still being young, you know, I was acting on my emotion. You know, we’d be on the road together for a month, and I’d be like, if I saw him, I’d be like, you know, not, not talking to him.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: But how were you guys on stage when you would…
Brother Andrey Silva: But on stage it’s business, you know, doing that thing, and then, and then off the stage, it’s like this again. There’d be that tension, you know, there’d be so much tension. But I would, you know, I would always go to the worship service, and I would always test him and be like, hey, tomorrow morning, yeah, the worship service.” Yeah, that once you come with me, yeah, if I wake up. And so the next morning, I’d wake up and I’m like, he’s not gonna come, yeah? So it was a constant like that.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: But you’d still invite him every time?
Brother Andrey Silva: I would invite him every time.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: And sometimes he’d go?
Brother Andrey Silva: There were times when he would come. And that would make me happy, that would, that would bridge the gap a little bit, you know. But, you know, I was, I was always praying for him during those times I’d go and he wouldn’t come. God, please help him.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: But despite it all, he never gave up on you, and he still took the time to invite you. What was that like for you?
Errol Viray: I mean, it was just I didn’t understand why. Why is he so content? Like, at one point I was like, Man, why does he keep inviting me? I already stopped. And then at that certain point I was like, okay, he really cares, like he cares for me, but it was just amazing to me to know that, and this guy’s still trying to invite me. I think the love that we had, we’re so close. We came into the group and we hit it off, right off the bat, we’re close. So I think, I don’t think that ever changes. The relationship doesn’t change. It’s just the perspective, right of what we disagree on, yeah?
Brother Andrey Silva: Just like any brother and sister.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: Siblings, yeah.
Brother Andrey Silva: You know, just because we get into these little rifts, doesn’t mean that we don’t love each other. The reason why I was so persistent was because even when he stopped, the problems continued in his life.
Errol Viray: They got worse.
Brother Andrey Silva: They even got worse. So, I was like, “Oh my gosh, come on.”
Errol Viray: And I would have those moments when he would invite me, when I’d see how persistent he was. You know, having worship service as the forefront of our contract, making sure, hey, he was making it him checking in the night before to find out where the worship service was at, whether it’s driving two or three hours away to check that the night before going, you know, maybe two or three hours after going, that goes back to worship service, and then it comes back and we do a show. Yeah, right. So it was just amazing to me, how persistent. But also it’s like, it always made me think like, so then I’d start thinking like, man, God, are you calling me now? Are you using him as a, you know, a tool to get to me? What is it? So, in the back of my mind, for all those years we were doing this thing, it always stuck right? And not to mention you, you go through those lessons, and you know what it is, you know, you kind of trick yourself into, like, thinking that that’s not, it’s not the truth. But in actuality, it’s like it’s overwhelmingly the truth. You know, there’s no, there’s no, there’s nothing behind it where you can deny it.
Errol Viray: So fast forward, I had gotten back with my high school sweetheart, Sister Leslie, and the second go around …
Aliw Garcia Pablo: Of Bible studies?
Errol Viray: Of Bible studies, we went together. That was actually a tough one too, because …
Brother Andrey Silva: Errol’s already, Brother Errol’s already decided, this is it, I’m going to join the Church. You know, when he first told me, you know, I was like, okay, okay, I’m going to help you. You know, I was just, I didn’t want to show him that. I was too excited. But inside, I was like, Yes, right? But, but, you know, so he got started, and then we were trying to convince Sister Leslie, yeah. I was like, you know, let’s, can you talk to her? Okay, let’s go talk to her. And she was adamant about, no, no, I’m not gonna join your church. I’m not joining that church. And then I was like, I’m not, I’m not saying join the Church. I’m saying come and just listen. See what your husband is trying to get into, you know, see what he’s and she said, Okay, fine, I’ll go, but I’m not going to join the Church, because her family is deeply involved in their church in Hawaii. You know, me and Brother Errol were talking later. We’re like, okay, at least, at least, we’re going to get her in the door. Please. Dear God, do the rest.
Errol Viray: We had a game plan.
Brother Andrey Silva: We had a game plan, yeah.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: So now it’s both of you.
Brother Andrey Silva: So it just so happened that the lesson was pertaining to the Day of Judgment. I said, Ooh, this is a good one for her. Halfway through the lesson, you know, I’m, you know, throughout the whole thing, I’m like glancing at Sister Les. Just see her reaction. At one point, she started crying. And I was in shock. I was like, oh, what does this mean? Like, Is she mad or she … Is she, you know, is she Yeah, understanding? Is God touching her heart? Yeah. And so after, after that Bible study, she told us she decided that she needed to join the Church too.
Brother Andrey Silva: I was like, Wow, this … that’s a miracle of God that he performed right in front of us. And so, you know, when you get that feeling of inviting somebody and the teachings that we uphold touch that person that much, like you almost get …
Aliw Garcia Pablo: The first time.
Brother Andrey Silva: The first time you almost get, I don’t want to say addicted, because, you know, but for the lack of a better word, you want to feel that again. So I’m gonna start inviting everyone. And that was what drove me to always invite people to listen to the doctrines of the church, to see what our Lord God did to Sister Leslie. To see what the Lord God did to Brother Errol. That was one of the things that was just so amazing to me, which is one of the reasons why I also started thinking about the ministry. I want to do it full time. Fulfilling. It’s fulfilling.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: So fast forward. So now you and Leslie both joined the Church together. You’re baptized together?
Errol Viray: On our one year anniversary as a married couple.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: When were you baptized?
Errol Viray: San Francisco.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: And who else were you able to bring into the church Brother Errol?
Errol Viray: Ironically, ironically, I actually invited my whole family, yeah. So I felt a responsibility at that point because of what I’ve heard, and just getting baptized, that I need to get my family in.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: Was there one particular doctrine that you’re like, that this is it? There’s no I mean, you said, you know, everything.
Errol Viray: I mean, I think it’s just everything, right? You know, like, I said, like, you’re hearing all those lessons, and it’s, it’s undeniable. You go to worship service, you’re listening to it all. But I always go back to, not a particular one, but the book of Job. I remember Brother Andrey like, at certain points, he would always point to that book, and so I’d always refer back to that book and just what he went through, and I go back to what I went through. And so when I got baptized, I felt it my responsibility to invite my family. And so I invited the whole …
Brother Andrey Silva: Clan.
Errol Viray: The whole clan, and so we’re doing the Bible study, they all signed up. Two of my sisters joined. Two of my sisters became members. And then not too far along after that, my dad. He also got baptized.
Errol Viray: So he somehow found his way.
Errol Viray: Yeah and so …
Brother Andrey Silva: I told you, God was there.
Errol Viray: You did. You did.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: Did you ever think, I mean, even with you Brother Andrey having seen what his dad has gone through his whole family. Did you ever think in a million years that his dad would be called as well?
Brother Andrey Silva: You know, when it comes to the wondrous works of our Lord God, you can’t put a limit to it. And so when that happened, I said, God really is and was the solution for this family. And so, you know, and we see that over and over again in different aspects of the brethren’s lives. And so did I ever think he would be baptized in the Church? Probably not, if I based it on my own human standard. But with God, you know, He always does the unexpected. He’s the one who has a plan and, you know, and we can just marvel at all the miraculous works that He does inside the Church.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: You mentioned that seeing Errol, what happened to Errol and Leslie and his family, was really kind of the catalyst of inspiration for you to really join, join in the ministry. Being in Africa, you’ve seen not just, I mean, I think to simply say growth is such an understatement, right? The explosive growth of the Church there and seeing lives changed completely, just like his family’s life,
Brother Andrey Silva: Absolutely.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: Does it ever get old for you? As far as being a minister of the gospel, you know, seeing just the spark in their eyes and just seeing lives changed every day?
Brother Andrey Silva: Never gets old. You know, as a minister, as one who has been entrusted a great responsibility in assisting the Church Administration, in taking care of the spiritual welfare of the brethren. You know, as well as you know, being an instrument to call people to the Church. When it comes to the work of God, the work of the Lord inside the Church, that never gets old, especially when you see that God is the One fulfilling that promise. God is fulfilling promises in the lives of people, fulfilling His promise to this work that was started by the Messenger of God in These Last Days. How he upholds the Church and wills it to progress. You know, how can you get tired of that, to and for you to be a part of it, to have some kind of contribution to it? That’s what we ministers live for. That’s what we ministers set our goals to be, you know, to make sure that the Church is strong, the brethren are strong, that the Church continues to grow and to progress and to contribute to the success and victory of the church for the glory of our Lord God.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: How do you think being assigned in Africa for 10 years, how has that changed you as a person and as a minister?
Brother Andrey Silva: Well, it’s opened my eyes to a lot of things. Experience is what will open your eyes and mold you, especially when you’re doing the work of the Lord. You know, you find ways to be creative when it comes to strengthening the faith of the brethren. Just like our beloved Executive Minister taught recently–we have to find ways to strengthen the faith of the brethren, to make sure that they don’t stray off the right path. You want to do more. You want to do more.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: Brother Errol, I’m sure you’ve seen all the musical, the music projects that he’s done in Africa, right? Yeah, the music videos, the songs that he’s composed, and you’ve been with him since the beginning, as you’re seeing all of this full circle moment happening, right? Music, music gifts being used in Africa, in a whole different culture.
Errol Viray: I’m not surprised, because we would spend endless hours in Brother Andrey’s room, slash the studio, and I saw the adjustment he made from the music that he was making. And that’s how I kind of knew, like, Okay, this brother. He’s about to be a minister, right? Because…
Aliw Garcia Pablo: You felt it already?
Errol Viray: I felt it already. He’s, he’s making music, and it slowly shifted into, you know, Christian, Christian music.
Brother Andrey Silva: Songs about God.
Errol Viray: Songs about God, you know, and that’s how I kind of knew, so I’m not surprised, because just the passion that he has for music and just the passion that he has to create it. But it’s amazing to see, as you mentioned, to what degree God has used him as that instrument you know, or one of those instruments in using music to get you know, to you know, get to people.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: You know, as you guys are sitting here, you know what? 30 years later, something like that. Is my math right? Yeah, decades it is.
Brother Andrey Silva: Unfortunately, you’re on spot.
Errol Viray: It has been.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: So we’re sitting here 30 plus years later, like I mentioned, Brother Andrey is a District Minister. Brother Errol is a deacon, the family of your own. You both have families now. Your wife is also a strong officer in the Church. What does it say about God’s plans in our lives?
Errol Viray: He never, I mean, you said it, there’s always a plan. Yeah, right, the plan is always going to be fulfilled. And so looking back at all this, I’m just like, I just never thought I’d be where I’m at. God used Brother Andrey as an instrument. What did you say, 30 years ago?
Aliw Garcia Pablo: I think so. I think that’s the math.
Errol Viray: 30 years ago. Yeah. I went through two indoctrinations. I quit after the first one. I came back with the person I love the most. You know, where you’re coming from, a point of like, man, where’s my life going? Yeah, that’s where I started, right? That’s where I was. I was in a dark place, where’s my life going? And then to have Brother Andrey as that instrument to constantly push me, constantly remind me, Hey, man, you heard the words like, what are you waiting for? And then finally getting embraced by God as one of His children. It’s unspeakable. You can’t even explain it. Why? Why did I, why did You bless me and my family and why? Right? So you can’t even explain. It’s tough to explain, but you just feel so blessed at the fact that He embraced you with that and surrounded you with people that would help you get there.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: Brother Andrey, what advice would you have for people who may be in the midst of a friendship like yours, right? Someone who’s trying to help another friend, trying to help show them that God is the only solution. The Church is the only solution. What advice would you have for people?
Brother Andrey Silva: Going through the same situation that I and Brother Errol went through? Don’t quit. It’s going to be hard. Expect it. Don’t be surprised if there are difficulties, if there are hindrances. But don’t quit no matter what. Because if you quit, that means you’re lacking faith. You’re lacking trust in God. If you want God to help you, you have to give Him a reason to and so you need to trust in, rely on, believe in what our Lord God can do for you in your life. Just like what Brother Eduardo V. Manalo always teaches us– hold on to the words that you’re being taught by the Church Administration, the guidance that is freely given to you by our Lord God through the Administration, that love that you receive, that love that you’re blessed with. You know the Church Administration is the proof that God loves us in these last days. You know that He placed someone there to watch over our spiritual effort, to guide us. And so when you’re going through those hard times, don’t give up, don’t let go, continue to trust in God, continue to push through. Remember you’re running a race. If you want to win you can’t stop, continue on and uphold your membership in the Church Of Christ.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: You’re both now living a life of service. What is it like to both be on that same path like, you know, I mean, you’re not in the ministry, but you’re an officer, you’re a deacon, right? What kind of life, what kind of fulfillment does a life of service bring?
Errol Viray: It’s funny because we’re, I was just having a family hour with my family. We do it every Sunday, and we always reflect back on kind of how our week is gone and stuff like that. And you know, it’s … we’re at our best when we’re at Church, right, fulfilling our duties, and when we’re not fulfilling the duties, we notice there’s a little bit, you know, it’s if we’re not as active as we should be. Because when you’re not as active, when you’re not as engaged, like you just see that God kind of will, He’ll put you through a little bit of turbulence. And you’re like, okay, okay, I gotta get back on track.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: Reminder.
Errol Viray: Reminder, yeah.
Brother Andrey Silva: Wake up calls.
Errol Viray: Wake up calls. And so we get that constantly, and then so, when I, when I do that with my family, it’s okay, Dad, I’m gonna go there. I’m gonna go to Bible study.It’s okay, good. Well, there’s three this week. So, you go to three. But yeah, I mean, it’s, it’s just amazing how God works, man, He’s like, constantly reminding you, and when you’re doing good, He blesses you.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: Before we go to the last part of our interview, what would you say about change? You know, a lot of people are afraid of change? Brother Andrey obviously you made the biggest change in your life joining the ministry. Brother Errol, you made the biggest change in your life in joining the Church. What would you say about change, when God is part of that change?
Brother Andrey Silva: Embrace it. Embrace it. If God is part of that change, embrace it, because, again, He has a plan, and realize that the only thing that will never change is change. It’s gonna happen. It’s going to happen in your life, whether you like it or not. Just make sure that God is part of every change, that He’s behind that change by being close to Him. And every change will be a next step up closer to Him. And so, you know, when you look at it that way, you will welcome it, embrace it, and want it. When is God going to change it for me again? And you know, you’ll end up looking forward to it.
Errol Viray: See the difference right? We have friends that aren’t part of the Church, who have families themselves, and you see what they go through, and then … they don’t have any foundation. You know, you could tell God’s not with them, right? Because either they like, for example, mother and father end up separating, and you see that firsthand, and you’re like, you know, with God, you know, being in the Church, you always have that foundation. And so even the worst things, the most impossible things, you could always get past, right? Because you always have that foundation. And so you know me and my family, me and sisters, we always talk about are like, man. Can you imagine what it would be like without God, our family,? Especially the way you are. She only pointed out.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: She said that to you?
Errol Viray: Especially how stubborn you are, right? And I said, No, I mean, I just can’t see my life without God. And then you see all these, you know, the friends and you know, they don’t believe, they don’t have that same amount of faith. And just things fall apart very fast, you know. And so it’s just a blessing to, you know, to have that, you know. And so I always find it my duty to like, share like I gotta share like, every way I gotta share.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: The same way he did with you.
Errol Viray: Yeah, exactly, exactly, and persistent with that. I got like friends who just get annoyed with me. So, bro, thanks for this link. You send this. You sent the same link to me, like, three weeks ago, the same one you sent me. I was like, Oh no, I forgot.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: How come you don’t give up?
Errol Viray: Because I know the gift that I have or that I’ve been given, that I’ve been granted, that my family’s been granted. So why? Why would I not share that? Especially just like Brother Andrey, when you taught me how to love, bro. So like, you know, especially when you love people that much, you have that amount of love, like Brother Andrey mentioned earlier, so you just can’t stop. You have to keep sending it to him.
Brother Andrey Silva: Yeah, because, like, for instance, you know, when I see the change that God did in his life …
Brother Andrey Silva: That’s why you keep sharing. Because you can, you always want to see that change in other people, making changes. That’s what we want to see.
Errol Viray: I mean, I’m the testimony. I’m that testimony. Like I just, I just can’t believe I ended up where I’m at. I just can’t believe it happened. How did this happen?
Brother Andrey Silva: It’s all God.
Errol Viray: It’s all God, right? So then you gotta…
Brother Andrey Silva: I told you God will.
Errol Viray: You did, man! Thank you! You did!
Aliw Garcia Pablo: Well, now we’re, you know, you mentioned that Leslie says sometimes, what if, you know? What if God was never a part of your lives, right? And what if Brother Andrey and his dad, Brother Rey, never took the time to…
Errol Viray: You’re not gonna do this. You’re not gonna do this.
Aliw Garcia Pablo: We have Brother Rey on here with us in our studio. So if we can have Brother Rey on, Brother Andrey’s dad, and we’ll close out this conversation. Alright.
Aliw Pablo: Thank you for joining the Making Changes podcast.
Bro. Rey: Thank you for having me.
Aliw Pablo: So, Brother Rey, we wanted to have you on at this last part of our conversation with Errol and Brother Andrey, because you mentioned, Errol, that Leslie had said, “What if we had never found God,” right? Sometimes you think about, like, what if Brother Rey and Brother Andrey never took the time from those middle of the night phone calls?
Errol Viray: I just can’t thank them enough. Brother Andrey was one instrument, right? But God used his whole family. And when I was going through my toughest of times… See, I told you you wouldn’t do this to me. It’s happening now. I’m a big softy. Anyhow, I’m just forever grateful. Brother Andrey didn’t have to pick me up at the corner of my street when I was going through what I was going through, but he did. When my dad was doing what he was doing, you know, and I don’t know where to turn, I got his brothers and sisters not even willing to lend a hand to help their brother.
Aliw Pablo: Your own uncles.
Errol: My own uncles. And then I would call Brother Andrey, Brother Rey, within seconds, they would answer, and then they would be there. “Hey, let’s go.” And I remember one time they went to even to that extent to find my dad, where he’s at.
Errol Viray: I don’t remember, I don’t know if, you know, Brother Rey remembers, but…
Brother Rey: Well, it’s been a long time. Let me try to remember what happened that time. Well, of course, I knew you first, before your dad, and I know what kind of relationship you have with your dad. And I thought about the way to fix the problem, is to fix the cause, the main root of the problem, which is your dad. And that’s why, I tried to get involved, and think of— how am I going to help to solve this problem? And I did try to make friends with his dad. That’s the first step, I think, the best way to go. And then, I tried to find out what interests him. And, I learned that he’s into music and I play guitar a little bit. So that’s where we, you know, that comes together. And from there, I started helping him, guiding him to the right path.
Aliw Pablo: So, Brother Rey, even though you knew what his dad was doing to him, to his family, you didn’t get mad at him, but instead, you showed compassion.
Aliw Pablo: And you became—you tried friendship first.
Brother Rey: Exactly, because what’s the use of, you know, getting mad at him? It’s going to make a (bigger) gap (between us). So I (became his friend).
Aliw Pablo: Were you not scared, though, po, Brother Rey? Like, you know, you’ve mentioned that your dad would get violent. You weren’t scared?
Brother Rey: No, because I’m bigger than his dad, for one thing. I can just… [gestures with fist]. So, that’s not a problem.
Aliw Pablo: Okay. But, you know, what you did, Brother Rey, what you did, not a lot of people would do. You’re not related to him. He’s just your son’s friend. I don’t know if a lot of people, a lot of deacons, would do that. But why? You didn’t just do it one time, Brother Rey. You kept… this was an ongoing problem. You answered the call. You picked up the phone every time.
Brother Rey: Yeah. Well, I want to help him, for one, because I know his relationship with Andrey, they are close friends. And that’s my goal, to have his dad and him, Brother Errol, to have a good relationship (with) each other.
Aliw Pablo: Yes. When you would see their relationship, did you ever think, “One day I want that with my dad.”
Errol Viray: You know, well, not even lucky, I was blessed—blessed by God that I had a chance to see what that kind of relationship was supposed to be like. So when I would communicate with my dad, I knew how to guide the conversations, right? And then he would think. So, you know, Brother Rey would be around, just like he said, try to build that friendship, you know. He would circle back to the good dad, you know, when I would see those moments or when Brother Andrey would even have those conversations.
Errol Viray: And so we’re not… we don’t have the perfect father-son relationship, but we have our moments, you know? But I always bring it back to Church with him.
Aliw Pablo: Errol’s dad is currently in the Philippines. One thing that Errol is thankful for is that his dad continues to be a strong member in the Church and on the right path to salvation.
Aliw Pablo: But in all seriousness though, we’re talking about change, right, making changes. Did you ever think that your dad was capable of that change of actually joining the Church?
Errol Viray: No, no. You know, he’s at his best when he’s dialed in with Church. I said it earlier, when he’s dialed in, he’s at his very best. This guy put me through this, and God still showed compassion for him, right, still showed mercy. Like, you know what, I’m going to bring you in. And so it’s just unfathomable, like, how? How did that happen? But, you know, I feel so blessed and I just hope, I hope, and I always pray that nothing will throw him off those tracks. Right? Because, like, we’re far away from each other, right now.
Aliw Pablo: Right, right.
Errol Viray: I’m always praying for him.
Brother Andrey Silva: God is merciful. No matter how deep red your sins were in the past, no matter what you did, if you show a repentant heart and you show to God that you want to return to Him, and that you want to change, you want to make that change, God will tell you, you know, ‘Okay, let’s talk about it.’ You know, ‘Let’s sort this out,’ just like it says in the Holy Scriptures. And so, that is, something that is also, I would say in the life of Brother Errol’s father, you know, it’s another miraculous work. Because, even myself, you know, during that time, I don’t know, he’s going down this path. He’s going to go all the way.
Brother Andrey Silva: But that’s something that all of us should learn. That mercy that God has, for those who are on that path, who, like for instance, his father, you know, he went down that path, but now he’s in the Church, now he’s, you know, things are looking better, there was a change that was made in him. The way that God is merciful, to people like that, we too have to be merciful. We, too, are His instruments to help those people to make that change. Because if you hold a grudge, how are you going to be an instrument of God? And so, we also have to learn from that mercy that God has. We have to imitate it, and we have to have that compassion just the way that God has compassion for all.
Aliw Pablo: How come you never gave up on your friend?
Brother Andrey Silva: I just didn’t want to see him go down the same path. You know, we had this strong relationship with one another. We shared these extraordinary experiences with one another in music. He has this amazing talent, and if I were to give up on him, he would be wasting that talent. He wouldn’t be able to share that with all people. I don’t know if you’ve heard Brother Errol Viray sing.
Aliw Pablo: I think we need a sample.
Brother Andrey Silva: But, you know, during those times, even me and my manager, Larry, we would talk, like, “Man, I hope Errol makes it through, because that talent—everyone needs to hear what he’s doing with his voice. And if he falls off, he’s not going to be able to share it.”
Aliw Pablo: Did you know that?
Errol Viray: Yeah, yeah. There’s so many times during the journey that I thought I was going to quit
Aliw Pablo: Quit life? Quit the band? Quit…
Errol Viray: Yeah. All of it.
Brother Andrey Silva: We had many talks where I told him, “You can’t. You can’t do it. You can’t quit. Keep going, keep going.”
Aliw Pablo: I see you getting emotional, Errol. What’s behind the tears?
Errol Viray: I’m just—I’m just thankful. It was a long road. And so…
Brother Andrey Silva: It could have easily (gone) bad for him.
Brother Andrey Silva: It’s like, it was so unstable during that time. And everyone who cared about him, me and my family, my dad, you know, the guys that I used to sing with, we were struggling to try to keep Errol balanced so that he wouldn’t fall. There were times that, you know, we would talk to one another not knowing what to do.
Brother Andrey Silva: Errol doesn’t know that, because we didn’t always share that information with him, that we would all meet just to talk about Errol. But Errol was, you know, just like any family unit, Errol is our brother. We can’t leave him by the wayside, you know, not just because he’s this amazing singer or whatnot, but because he’s our family.
Brother Andrey Silva: And that translates into how we are inside the Church—love of the brotherhood. We don’t leave each other on the wayside. You see your brother in need, you help them. You see your sister in need, you do what you can. Why? Because that’s the doctrine. That’s what we’re taught by the Church Administration—by God. And so, even at an early time in our band, and seeing how Errol’s life was going, you know, that was always something that I knew we practiced in the Church—the love of the brotherhood—at all cost, you protect it.
Aliw Pablo: Even though he wasn’t your brother in the faith then.
Brother Andrey Silva: He wasn’t even, yeah. Not yet. Not yet. But, you know, God is the one who looked out for him, and we were just instruments to do that.
Aliw Pablo: When you see each other now and where you all are in your lives, Brother Rey, did you ever think that that kid that you used to pick up in the corner of Alvarado Boulevard, would one day become a deacon?
Brother Rey: Every time I saw Brother Errol, I was so glad, so happy. The rough time you went through, now look at you. You raised a good family, good kids, a deacon. Yeah.
Brother Andrey Silva: Yeah. I mean, I’m proud of him, you know? I’m proud that he was able to rise above all of it.
Errol: I didn’t think I’d make it there, but I’m glad I did.
Brother Andrey Silva: Me too, man. Make sure you stay there, okay. [laughs]
Errol: I already told you, if you come …
Brother Andrey Silva: Alright. We’re going to be in the tribuna one day together, brother.
Aliw Pablo: Won’t that be something.
Aliw Pablo: I’m gonna go (to) Brother Andrey. See, he’s wiping his tears. What are the tears for, Brother Andrey?
Brother Andrey Silva: Tears of joy! You know, tears of joy. Like I mentioned earlier, as a minister, you know, we want to see this happen in the lives of the brethren. What more to someone who I’m so close to, you know, and to actually be a part of that project that God did to change him. I mean, my goodness, you know. I’ve got to go find more people with problems and do it all over again!
Aliw Pablo: You’ve got to bring your dad.
Brother Andrey Silva: Dad, we’ve got a mission.
Errol: Yeah. I mean, I just can’t… there’s not much more gratitude that I could have for, first and foremost, God using every instrument that He did, you know, meeting Brother Andrey and Brother Rey, and then just ending up where I’m at at this point in my life. And now, just guiding my family and my children into the next stages of their life. And so, thank you. Thank you.
Brother Andrey Silva: Always here for you.
Brother Rey: I can see you as a future head deacon.
Brother Andrey Silva: You know what that’s called, Brother Errol? God’s call.
Aliw Pablo: Well, we just want to thank you first, both of you. Brother Andrey, thank you for flying all the way out here.
Brother Andrey Silva: Thank you for having me.
Aliw Pablo: We’re so thankful to the Church Administration for allowing you to be on the podcast and to share your story.
And to Brother Errol, for sharing a story that I don’t think a lot of people know about you. I mean, we’re in the same local congregation and up until researching for this podcast, I had no idea what you had gone through.
And, thank you, Brother Rey, for being the father-figure that you are and that you were for Brother Errol and still is to this day.
And we really hope that this podcast will not only be an inspiration, but something that will get all of us, everyone who watches, to say, “Let’s take that extra step to show mercy,” like you said, “to show care for someone who’s quietly struggling.” Because you just never know, right? You just never know what God has in store and the plans that He has for them.
Aliw Pablo: We hope this story of this lifelong friendship inspires you to reach out to a friend, to a friend looking for a change in their life, and looking to God to be the solution for their challenges in life. If you found value in what you heard today, share this with a friend, and anyone you know who could use this story.
For more Making Changes podcasts, log on to incmedia.org or find it anywhere you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening, and may your change uplift you.
