You teach my hands to war and my fingers to fight…
Even I am amazed!
Thank God for the few training experiences He has given me.
Before I travelled back home, the Holy Spirit told me I was going to speak in the bus! This was strange because I had never done it and didn’t want to. I boarded the bus and sat at the front seat with the driver. At first it was just both of us talking, but then the bus got filled up and I continued talking. I didn’t feel intimidated by the people and just kept going, loudly. That was amazing to me.
In the bus I boarded to my state of residence few days later, I wanted to preach but kept struggling for a long part of the journey to open my mouth. Finally after a while, almost half way into the journey, I opened my mouth and began to preach. When I was done, I felt this burden to pray for a girl in the bus travelling with us. I made my way to where the girl was and I prayed for her and led her to Christ when we got to the park! I was so excited at the boldness God had given me.
The Campus Outreach
He brought beauty from my pain, and I am not ashamed to say it…
Two of my brethren visited my campus and entered into one of the lecture halls and began to speak to the students there. Oh, my! I was challenged. It wasn’t anything I had planned; the Holy Spirit just told me to go into the next hall without a lecturer and speak to the students there. I was afraid and reluctant at first but then I met one of the brethren who had come to preach and told him I would start but he would continue from where I stopped. I entered the hall and began to preach expecting the brother to help me, but he didn’t even come by! I started with my life’s testimony and they listened at first but then when I started talking about the scriptures, they got distracted. Along the way, I said some things I didn’t plan to about my life – the abortion I had done earlier.
Some students met me later and told me that I had spoken too deeply about my life, as some things were meant to be kept secret and personal. I tried to explain that God has saved me from that life but they didn’t agree with me. I also didn’t want to argue too much with them so I just let things be, but I felt in my heart that even though these ones didn’t appreciate it, it would be for someone else!
Surprisingly, when I went back into the class, I saw the brother who was supposed to come and continue preaching talking to a girl. The girl walked up to me and told me everything I said earlier was just for her, and talked about her situation. That was so encouraging to me; God had spoken to her through my words! Every time we speak, we need to believe that someone will get blessed.
When I got to the campus at Ediene Abak first, I met a girl who said I should preach to her. I wasn’t prepared but I prayed and got words for her about fear and worries. I told her the words but didn’t preach to her that day. A few days later, she met me in school and looked so sad. She told me of how she was duped; a victim of people that claim to be foreigners lost in Nigeria, in a tricycle. I comforted her but didn’t preach still. When I spoke to my shepherd about the case, she asked if I had preached to her but I said no. She told me that was the opportunity I had and I saw that I had missed it again. So, when I got back to the campus, I met with her and immediately talked to her about the things of God and she was receptive to me.
One particular Tuesday, a solemn assembly was held in the University campus. During the meeting, one of the girls who had complained about my detailed testimony earlier kept disturbing and interrupting the meeting, even though her friends kept warning her. I got irritated by her noise but also noticed she had other things disturbing her. Her whole attitude came back to me and I got fed up because of her resistance so I complained to my shepherd who told me not to give up on her (I confess that I actually did decide to let her be as I felt I was forcing myself on her.)
During the meeting the pastor preached on repentance and the whole place was filed with sober people. I was surprised when I saw these same stubborn people come out to give their lives to Christ! I was so excited and began to pray loudly in tongues, no longer ashamed of anything but so happy that these people had taken a step for God.
Because of my family training, having a strict mum, I was able to gather experience to help other students with me who had similar tough experiences with their parents at home. They wondered how I survived and were encouraged by my story.
I really thank God for the training He put me through.
– Sis F.