Tuesday, September 16, 2014

It's all for good


Some years back, precisely 1999, I joined a non-denominational women’s fellowship. Being raised in church, I enjoy whatever has to do with the gospel and I put in my best to make it work. I joined the Ajao Estate, Lagos chapter of the fellowship but before then, I was going to Ejigbo every Tuesday from Ajao. When Ajao a Estate chapter was inaugurated, I was made the treasurer from where I was appointed the Vice President. I was also a group leader and all through my stay in that chapter, my group maintained the first position even though I didn’t have those rich women like the others, mine was more of the widows (this actually led me into starting my NGO, Dorcas Generation Initiative). I would go from Ajao to visit these women in their “face-me-I-face-you”houses. I would sometimes cook and bring them into my house to eat with me. I showed them love amidst rejection by those who felt they were women of class. Put hey became so fond of me that whenever I traveled, they stayed away from fellowship waiting for me to return.
Little did I know that

as I served God by sowing seeds of love, people were the hating me. I was in the UK to have my last baby when the Ajao Estate chapter gave birth to two zones-Mafoluku and Ogudu GRA. When I got back, I visited the zones whenever it was my turn. The first visit, I led in praise/worship and on the second visit, I gave the sermon. This was the beginning of my pain in this ministry. Ogudu GRA women, as usual, fell in love with me and pleaded that I come 10am every Friday to evangelize with them. I sacrificed my Fridays for the gospel without knowing that many were not happy with it.
Then it was time to inaugurate the zones into chapters, as usual, I sacrificed so much to make it work, wasn’t expecting to be given any position there, but trust humans; they said I did it all just to be made the president. They conspired and when the ATC wanted me to be the president of Ogudu GRA, they said Mafoluku was better for me. Then they said, they are sending me to Mafoluku to see me fail. But it was all the plan of God.
I was later made the president of Mafoluku where, according to them, I would suffer because there was no money to run the chapter. The day I was made their president, the roof almost came down as the poor widows shouted for joy. I was loved by them even when the big madams hated me and thatwas enough for me. We started with about 30 members but just three months into it, we were about 150 because they went out to spread the good news. Being a poor chapter, we were initially rated C but we eventually joined the A class. Was the devil happy? Let’s find out.
I was busy enjoying myself in a God without knowing that I was marked for destruction. But was God asleep? He is never asleep and so I don’t bother about the devices of the wicked. I used my personal money to run the chapter, never asked how much they had, I paid for everything from my pocket believing they would use their money for end of year party. Then came the meeting of excos where they were to give account of stewardship. It happened that my first VP was collecting money from them without my knowledge. I then gave an order that no one should be given money without an approval, duly signed by the financial secretary and president. This was the beginning of the next phase of my pain.
The VP1 then went behind to Ajao estate chapter and conspired with the president, a woman I loved so much that I had to sleep on a chair in the hospital for five days just to take care of her after childbirth. They came up with a lie (till today, I don’t know what lie they told). They made the international president, a woman I have never spoken against till date and will never speak against because she is truly w woman of God, they lied against me and she mistakenly believed them.
Publicly, before the presence of more than 200 chapters in Lagos, I was disgraced by the founder. That was when my VP2, Dorothy Enyi (RIP), turned and said to me, “Presido, expect more attacks”. Then she asked me to go to my mother chapter and apologize. I didn’t know what to apologize for for on that very day, I drove the president of my mother chapter to this meeting though she didn’t join my vehicle as we went back. But I accepted, for the sake of Jesus, to go and apologize over nothing. They didn’t want me to go, I don’t fall sick but on the very day I was ordered to go, I became ill that I couldn’t even stand up, a condition which lasted for three weeks, no sickness but I felt ill. The founder them concluded that I was disobedient. I didn’t even know what was happening. One day, it was a group day in my Mafoluku chapter, we had 25 new converts and the hall was filled to the brim. They walked in, took the microphone, read out the story of Saul’s rejection as king and publicly announced me demoted. When they asked me to stand up, I couldn’t utter a word, I only lifted my eyes and said to God, “You are just and I know a You will vindicate me”. Them one of them, Mrs. Chidinma Ofoeze (RIP), called me to the side and said, “Ama baby (that’s what she fondly called me), be strong”. But before they came, the president of Censors Shitta Chapter, Mrs. Letty Mbachu, looked at me and said, “whatever you see today, be strong”. I didn’t understand where she was coming from. Then I looked at Mrs. Ofoeze and said, “I am not shedding tears now because I am being lied against, I am shedding tears for the 25 souls that joined us today and gave their lives to Christ, we’ve lost them because they vowed never to come back. Is heaven happy? It should have been done differently.”
Did they stop at this? No; they said among themselves, “once she’s demoted, she will leave the fellowship”. But to their utmost bewilderment, I was the first person to be in fellowship the next week, I cleaned the chairs, swept the floor, and when the fellowship started, I gladly took my new seat as a floor member. I did this because some husbands called threatening to withdraw their wives from the fellowship and I promised to be there for them. Sometimes, the tried to fight my enemies, but I told them never to fight for me because God loves me more than them all and He was just taking me through fire just for me to shine as gold. Many advised me to leave the fellowship, but again, I refused. I told them I would see the end of it. They tried pushing me to go and defend myself before the founder, but I told them it wasn’t necessary because like a lamb they took Jesus to the slaughter, He never opened His mouth in defense.
My enemies rejoiced over me, but God wasn’t asleep. A day came that I attended a meeting of all the chapters in Lagos, I wore a very bright red dress and they mocked me saying, “look at someone under suspension still acting big”. I had to drive back to Ajao Estate all the way from Shomolu just to go and change, I then wore a dark color dress because according to them, I should be mourning. I didn’t even know that was the day God decided to speak for me. Without going to the founder to defend myself, I was called up and all I heard was, “I use my veto power as the founder of this ministry to restore Amara back as the president of Mafoluku chapter and I don’t care what anyone feels”. After about six months of shame and is grace, I was restored right before my enemies.
What then happened to my enemies? The president of Ajao was transferred to Ogudu GRA chapter, an almost dead chapter. My VP1 was transferred to one remote area, another dead chapter where she was so hated. Then I took over Mafoluku again, but seeing what was happening, I resigned after three months as president.
Sometime in 2012, I saw my former VP1 trying to fight with Okada man for pay, I stopped and paid the Okada man and gave her some money to keep. The next day, all the way from the island, I visited her and showed love and forgiveness. Terrible things started happening to all of them, house caught fire and all was lost, business lost, but the most important thing is that I have forgiven and I love them. One of them called me asking for money for JAMB for her daughter and I paid.
Just yesterday, someone told me how they are now being tortured, all that fought me. She told me how one of those less privileged women met her on the road and started pouring blessings on me wherever I am. It’s a very long story, but this is just to encourage you to hold on. Don’t be too quick to defend yourself. Watch and see God fight them. Just love, love, and keep loving. Sometimes, I am pushed to hate, but I have chosen the most excellent way, the way of love.
Watch out for the story in full someday. God is not through with me yet. Did something good come out of this experience? Yes, I started ministering in churches and my widows organization came to be.

25 comments:

  1. U have given me a reason to watch and let God fight my battles

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  2. speechless, shedding tears.

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  3. To God be the glory, great things He has done

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  4. Whom God has blessed no man can curse

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  5. I believe he can. Do all. Things

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  6. Amara Nwanyi oma...jide ka iji

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    1. Daalu Nwannem, but this your Alibaba name eh...lol

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  7. you are my role model.

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  8. Nwaogwugwu Helen AkunnaMay 17, 2015 at 1:47 AM

    From this day, I'll stand and watch God see me through

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  9. Tears rolling down my eyes. May God continue to keep you.

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  10. Great Story.
    Hold your peace I will fight your battles!

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  11. Wow. I am so glad. I go through your posts but hardly make comments but i have learnt alot and still is. I am proud of how far you have come. My mother is an ardent member of the fellowship you talked about. May God continually keep you and fight your battles. Please keep up the good work.

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  12. Mine shall end in praise soon. I will be vindicated. It's well.

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  13. Almost in tears, God bless you Deborah, sorry but this is just what you are, chukwu gozie gi na okpukpu iri.

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  14. Aunty amara, ,God wil continue to uphold n uplift u spiritually,,

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  15. Only GOD'S Grace can see us through trying periods.

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  16. I feel very much Encouraged by your story. ... When God Fights Its Always Best than When We Fight For Ourselves. God Is So Good.

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