“Our God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think” — Ephesians 3:20.
Minister Saiku Andrews, a son of the soil, is a known Gospel artiste, family man, businessman, and activist. He is a strong believer in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
Minister Andrews, an inspiration to many, engaged in an interview to share about his triumphs, challenges and the goodness of God.
Reflections on Childhood and Dreams
Minister Andrews, or Saiku, as he is fondly known, grew up in West Ruimveldt, Georgetown. At the tender age of three (3) years his father passed, resulting in his mother becoming a single parent. As the youngest boy of ten children, his mother was very protective of him and often instructed his siblings to be mindful of his needs, habits and pace. The love, example, and sacrifices of his mother have caused him to esteem her as one of the greatest individuals with whom God blessed his life. Minister Andrews shared fondly of his mother’s kind spirit and sense of community. “Hospitality is her thing and as a result, our home always had additional people and in like manner, our food and beds were always shared with visitors. My mother is a phenomenal woman. I believe because of her grace, favour always follows us. Mom acknowledges God in her own way. She is generous in spirit and also a disciplinarian, very firm on us walking a straight line.”
St. Pius was the school at which Minister Saiku received his primary education. At that time, he was quite fond of sports. He had particular interests in boxing, cricket, and football. Family and friends would usually refer to him as ‘Sir or Doctor Saiku’ to steer his interests along different professional paths, but that did not catch on, and he remained primarily interested in sports.
In addition to sports, learning to share with others, being disciplined and navigating as the youngest boy child in a single-parent home, Minister Saiku learned the power of dreams and visions. He remembers this vividly. “I utilised my pastime to dream; taking hold of moments to dream. It was my peaceful place, regardless of all that was happening with family, business, and education. Notably, there was always a whole lot going on, but taking hold of those moments to dream was a good place for me to escape.”
An International Gospel Artiste
Minister Saiku began writing his own songs at approximately nine (9) years old. He told himself that he could do it: write songs and create melodies; and that he did. He continues to glorify God with his gifting and remembers the days of audio cassettes and how he used his spare time. During the holidays, particularly on the night of Mashramani, he went into Albouystown and Disc Jockeyed (“DJ-ed), unknown to his mother.
Winning second place at the Youth Convention in Linden with his debut song, “If God be for us” was a great blessing and inspiration to then very young Minister Saiku.
Today, however, and in retrospect, he is most inspired by the songs “Mess to a Messenger” and ‘You”. Also, it is significant to note that “Pillow could Speak”, was birthed out of vulnerability.
To date, Minister Saiku Andrews has two (2) Albums and countless songs; albeit, not all of his songs are published. There are times where he would record a song and place it on YouTube, knowing it would reach the intended audience, all for the glory of God.
The power of worship is instrumental even in his personal walk with God. “I would go to God, whether in my bathroom or another room and talk to Him. I pour my heart out to Him with tears and I worship Him. I prefer to talk to God rather than to burden people because everyone has something they might be going through.”
Blessed to be an Entrepreneur
The successful artiste and businessman owns a sole proprietorship: ‘Andrews Supermarket‘, located on Aubrey Barker Road, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown.
He expressed the view that being a black businessman with a lack of access to finance is challenging and sometimes would move you to tears because of unfair treatment on a business level. He further articulated that if one does not know oneself, one could become discouraged, as one’s ideas are often not evaluated based on merit.
The businessman notes that another concern to be mindful of is the fact that “there are those who come just to take from you and so I use the ‘Wiggle Room Tactic’ to make decisions regarding the business. Importantly, however, these decisions are based on my relationship with God and my total dependency on Him. I always seek God’s guidance before closing deals. If the resources and knowledge seem favourable, I still pray and ask God to find a way to stop the deal if it is not of Him.”
Regardless of highs and lows, Minister Saiku Andrews would admonish young artistes and businessmen to believe in their dreams and work hard to succeed. The further admonition and personal resolve provided by the artiste and businessman is that he will never turn his back on Jesus; no one should.
Family Life
Minister Saiku joyously gave an account of his family life. “I met my wife Mrs. Toisha Andrews at East-West Christian Centre in West Ruimveldt after an assignment had taken me away from church for a few days. She immediately captured my heart and we became best friends. Three years later we were married.’ Mr. and Mrs. Saiku Andrews have been happily married for twenty years and have four beautiful children (two girls and two boys).
Minister Saiku is currently teaching his eldest daughter how to manage the business and is committed to family. He enjoys spending time with his wife as they work together at the business. At the end of each workday they look forward to spending family time with the children. The Andrews family usually have breakfast or dinner together and they enjoy a movie from time to time.
The artiste and businessman fondly reflected on the high points of being a family man. He posited that “knowing my family is happy and secure, not necessarily with things, but by recognising who God is, and what He has done for us, that is a high point of true success for me. This, coupled with the fact that my wife is humble and God-fearing, blesses my heart.”
In life there will be challenges. This is so true of family life. Minister Saiku shared that his greatest challenge is checking on his teenage children to understand whatever they might be going through in an effort to assist in alleviating their problems. One of his fears as a parent is knowing that his eldest, who is eighteen (18) years old, will one day have a boyfriend.
His advice to young couples: “Friendship is key. You must have a clear understanding of your roles in the relationship, understanding that you are the help that person needs. You must build a relationship and understand your purpose in that relationship and your purpose. You must ensure that you are compatible.”
A Christ-Centered Life
At the age of twenty, Minister Saiku Andrews accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour. This occurred at the same church where he met his beautiful wife. Despite, possessing a Canadian visa at the time, he knew the calling of God was upon his life to serve at the East-West Christian Centre. He submitted to that calling and encourages young Christians to understand that God is no man’s debtor. He emphasises that he and his wife did not make an error in serving God. One just has to hold on, and when God is ready to release you He will over-compensate; God is faithful.
Romans 8:28 is a favourite Scripture for the happy couple:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
Minister Saiku noted that a mature Christian must be bold and move with God, find a way to get to know God on a personal level and do not live in the past. Press forward.
Activism – A Passion for the Fatherless
There is a strong sense of community service and helping others that is a part of Minister Saiku’s belief system. The fatherless, the vulnerable and the voiceless must not be ignored and each of us must do our part to advocate on behalf of those who might need us to do so. In encouraging others, we must show them that God is able to do more than we can ask or think and that there is no need for limiting beliefs. Trust God.
We bless Minister Saiku and will continue to follow him with interviews in his journey of life.
