Rossie Manka is a Christian author, speaker, coach, and ministry leader whose life and work are rooted in the transforming power of Jesus Christ. Through her testimony, teaching, and outreach, Rossie helps women, young adults, and people facing life’s hardest circumstances discover that pain does not have the final word—and that faith in Christ can make a life unshakable.

Rossie is the author of Unshakable: A Woman in Christ, a powerful memoir of redemption, healing, and renewed identity. Drawing from her own journey through trauma, abuse, addiction, brokenness, and spiritual darkness, she shares the story of how God met her in the places where hope seemed impossible and led her toward freedom, restoration, and purpose. Her message speaks honestly to those who carry shame, rejection, fear, or the weight of their past, reminding them that no life is beyond the reach of God’s grace.

As the leader of Unshakable Faith Ministries, Rossie brings that message beyond the page through women’s groups, teen and young-adult mentorship, prison outreach, homeless and community outreach, evangelism, faith-based teaching, and the distribution of encouragement resources to communities in need. She is passionate about helping people use their pain for purpose, grow stronger through the storms they face, and become living evidence of what God can restore.

Rossie also serves as a speaker and faith coach, equipping people with biblical encouragement, practical growth tools, and the courage to walk fully in their God-given calling. Known for her warmth, honesty, resilience, and life-giving voice, Rossie’s heart is to see people healed, strengthened, and set free to live boldly for Christ. She believes that when one person chooses faith over fear and purpose over the past, that decision can bring hope to families, communities, and generations.

Website: www.rossiemanka.com

Social handles:

· LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossie-manka-bb4207212/

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Welcome to 12 Minute Convos with Jesus Believers.

God chose first to have a conversation with us, His creation.

Our prayer is that this listening space brings growth and transforms your life forever.

Praise God for you, Russ.

It's a great pleasure to connect with you.

What part of the world are you in today?

I'm from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and for those that don't know where that's at, that's about an hour and a half away from Chicago.

How did you come to meet Jesus?

I met Jesus when I was a young girl.

I was so on fire for the Lord.

I grew up in church, and I remember loving God, loving people, and I had this big smile on my face that I always wanted people to know that Jesus loved them.

I would literally get in front of people and say, Jesus loves you.

Are you saved?

I chuckle because I was just this happy little girl.

Then I grew up, and I was about 13, 14, and I decided to go a different path.

Was it as sudden as that, or did you see signs now that you look back that were clear?

The decision you would have made eventually is exactly a result of the influences.

I believe so.

I lived in an environment that was not the greatest.

Yes, I had family members that went to church, but there was always war tugging inside for the worldly ways and then for the ways walking with the Lord.

Because I was young and I didn't have that relationship with Father God, the Lord, and the Spirit, I knew about God, and I decided to walk away.

I didn't have that personal relationship.

Looking back, it made sense because of the environment.

In one of my books, The Power of Yes, I talk about environments and growing up and how it's so important for parents to establish a healthy environment for their children.

It's vital.

Are there other books that you've written?

I have written three.

One of them is Unshakable, A Woman in Christ, A Father's Redemption, and then The Power of Yes.

It's a co-authored book, so I have a chapter in that one.

Is writing something that came easily before that girl, that young girl who was extremely happy?

When I was younger, I actually had a journal and I loved to write.

Then I gave that up, kind of went into my worldly ways.

I was definitely a rebel teen into drugs and alcohol.

I ran the streets with gangs, but there was always a piece of me that loved education.

It didn't matter where I went.

I always wanted to learn.

When I got a little bit older, I went back to school.

I went to college at MATC.

I did okay.

I remember having to take a pre-English course.

I wrote my very first paper.

I was so happy.

I was so excited for the teacher to grade that paper.

The day came where she was handing all the papers back.

I was sitting there at my desk.

I got my paper.

I looked at it with excitement.

There was a big F on it.

She wrote a small comment and said, I don't think you're college material.

I couldn't believe it.

I was like, what?

My heart sank.

For a teacher to say something like that really brought me down.

I had to make a decision.

Do I take her advice and quit college or do I continue moving forward knowing that we got some work to do in English and in writing and comprehension?

I didn't let it stop me.

I let it ignite the fire and I kept going.

I finished MATC with my associate's degree in civil engineering.

Then later I went back to school in my late 20s, went to Cacordia University, got a bachelor's degree, and I graduated sum cum laude.

I had more than a 4.0 GPA.

Then I wrote books after that.

Imagine if I would have quit.

I would have never seen the glory of God or the purpose fulfilled in my life when it came to writing.

When I look at your picture and the smile that I see, there's no way I think of someone who ran the streets.

I'm just saying, right?

Not that I'm a judgmental guy, right?

But it just does not fit the persona, right?

Did you have tattoos?

I do.

Yes, yes.

I had even a gang-affiliated one that I had to cover up.

I even had one on my eye before I had to get that removed.

Oh, so maybe that's why.

Maybe that's why.

Wow.

Was it painful to remove that?

Oh, absolutely.

I said, well, that's what I get.

No.

But yes, yes.

That one was painful.

The other one is a covering of a flower.

For the people that are listening, that are hearing the genuine tune in your voice of someone that's kind and caring, who may think that where they are, it's impossible to get to where you are, what would you suggest?

You know, God can clean you up no matter what.

He is so good.

There's a verse that says, even if you make your bed in hell, I'll be with you.

So he will be with you, but we have to choose him, right?

We have to choose the narrow path.

So many of us are on the wide road, but God says, choose the narrow path and come to me, you know, bring all your burdens, cast your cares on me, and I will give you rest.

He'll clean you up.

And he truly does.

I mean, he died on the cross.

I picture the cross.

Every time I go through something, I picture him on the cross.

I see his face.

I see his body that was bruised for our iniquities that was just on there and suffering.

God suffered, but through his suffering, he was perfected.

And now he sits at the right hand of God interceding for us.

And because he lives in us and us in him, we get to sit right there with him.

And I love that because you're never too dirty.

You're never too shameful.

You're never too guilty for God to clean up the mess.

And he did that for me countless times.

He cleaned me up and he said, come on, let's go.

And when I fell again, he cleaned me up yet again and say, honey, you got this and you'll get this right one day.

And I kept giving him my yes.

And every time I gave him my yes, he delivered me from my past life.

And that is the power and the power of yes.

That's the power in a father's redemption.

That's the power and being unshakable in Christ.

Just give him your yes and he'll do the rest.

So we're walking through your life and we see you as a young girl excited for Christ, going through the influences of the world, joining the gang, running the streets, doing drugs, getting clean, falling again, getting clean.

Is there a partner in the midst of this?

Do you become married?

Yes, absolutely.

So in my story, I actually meet my husband and my husband was sort of going through a dark place, too.

So we were kind of like sidekicks, you know, and we were out there.

And one time I remember we got evicted from where we were living at the time.

And we just thought life was a party and we found the next place to live.

And we kind of continued on.

And until one day I realized, like, no, I have to I have to change.

I have to get my life back on track.

And that's when I decided to work to get a real job and grow up.

So and my husband did, too, along along those lines.

But we we really had a tumultuous relationship.

And it wasn't until we both gave our lives wholly to Christ that, you know, things were on the up and up.

And we still had challenges and we still have challenges today.

But, you know, God is in the midst of it.

And now we are 13 years later, we have five beautiful kids.

And we look back and we learned a lot.

And I wouldn't change it because I have a wonderful family.

Is there a part of your life when you saw where you would be today?

Not in the past, when I was still living for the world, I would say.

But I would say about five years ago, I could now see what God was beginning to do.

So as soon as I started when I gave God my yes again.

So when I came back to Jesus, it's almost like I could see a vision of like, if you say yes to me, if you get to work and tell people the testimonies of what I brought you out of, I knew that he was going to shine a light on that.

But it's work, you know, it's easier to go back to your old patterns than to challenge yourself and push yourself to move forward.

But it's not impossible, right?

Because, you know, with man, it is impossible.

But with God, all things are possible.

So when I gave God my yes, yes, I could see the vision.

I struggled with addiction when I was younger.

And I'm pretty good at willing things.

Yeah, like I can will myself into working hard to get past that breaking point.

Yeah, I think I'm good at that.

And today, I look back years after and I see it as a miracle.

The fact that I got past that, not on my own will, but that God intervened, yeah, His intervention provided that.

Do you see your life as a miracle?

Yeah, absolutely.

Absolutely.

I believe that there were so many times where I really could have died.

And especially, especially when you're on street drugs, you never know what's in it, especially nowadays.

You know, there's a verse that comes to mind and it says resist the devil and he will flee and be of sober mind.

Your adversary, the devil is like a prowling lion looking for anyone he can devour.

And so if we really understand that and understand that, you know, the devil wants to destroy you.

He hates you.

You're a child of God, right?

So if we don't resist and if we keep falling into that temptation, we do risk losing our lives.

We do risk dying and going to hell.

And it's a sad, sad reality, but we don't have to live that way because God already paid the price.

And so again, I'll still say, give them your yes.

Even if that addiction seems so strong or you feel like you can't overcome that, you can.

Call on the name of the Lord, especially when you have those urges.

Count to 10 and say, I'm a child of God.

Do whatever you have to do.

And again, if you mess up, it's okay.

God will clean you up and he'll get you out.

But I truly, truly believe that if you're serious about it and you want the change, Jesus will help you.

He really will.

Five years from today, you're listening to this conversation.

What's the message you'd leave for future you?

I would say, keep going.

Keep letting God use your voice.

Just allow him to do his will and surrender it all to him and to keep loving on people.

Keep being a joy.

No matter what we go through, God is with us.

God is for us.

And if God got us through this hard and long season with the twins and with all the surgeries and with my surgeries, God will get us through again.

And he turned that season into a hospital ministry.

And so whatever hardship we're facing, just let God work and see what you can do despite whatever you're going through.

Rosy, it's been an honor.

In closing, is there anything else you'd like to share?

I just want to thank you, Angle and Amanda and your son.

You guys are amazing.

I got the book and I love the butterfly analogy.

And sometimes we're itching to get out of the book.

But God's saying, rest with me a little while until it's your time, until it's your season, because you will get there.

So I love that book.

I love the poems that Amanda writes.

They're beautiful.

So if you have not checked out their books, please do so.

They're great.

Rosy, a pleasure, a treasure.

Thank you for being on What Is Inspired by 12 Minute Chronicles.