Lemme tell y’all this beautiful story… OK maybe not beautiful but story all the same.
Oh BTW I took this mgbeke looking picture this morning just before church. Walahi adonbilivit. Me? The certified queen of poses. Tz well ooo.
So now that you are done laughing, here is my story.
Like y’all know, I just celebrated my first wedding anniversary.
What most of you don’t know however is that as soon as that post went live, I called my Rev, as he prayed for me, I started crying. Or maybe rehearsing the tears. As he dropped the tears flowed like waterworks. By the time Pastor M returned my missed call, I was bawling my eyes out.
I just couldn’t believe one year later, we are still doing long distance marriage. Ah!!! I cried and cried and cried and cried.
Sha after she finished consoling, I chilled.
Then God shared something with me.
Now my hubby is in a place called BONNY ISLAND. It is an island about an hour by sea from portharcourt.
Eziaha is in The ‘Buj
From the ‘buj to bonny island is a real Israelite journey.
First to the airport in Abuja
Then fly to Portharcourt.
Then go from the airport to the seaport which is nothing less than 1hour and that is me being nice. It can be 3hours. PH is the most annoying city I know. Yes Ngozi Sam-Orji I said so. Lol
Then a boat ride to bonny anything from 1hour to 2hours depending on the sea.
Meaning that I have to always leave with the first flight so that I can get in earliest 4pm. Isn’t that like going by road? A full road trip.
Oh BTW, the boats are varied.
There are the local government boats which are covered but shabby still and well are timed. After noon, you don’t see them again (pictured above with a white cover)
There are open boats. They go all day. (The rest pictured)
Safety on the sea is God’s grace ooo. There are pirates sometimes who steal from passengers and rape ladies on the sea. Sometimes kidnap, sometimes throw bodies into the sea just because…
Then sometimes, the boats capsize too. Eish.
Yup the sea gets plenty rough at times.
Then there are company official boats. These ones are all tush, have pilot boats that go ahead and are more like planes. Very comfy, pretty and all. And of course, relatively safer.
I have pictures but there is something like pregnancy tiredness. I can’t start looking for them on my laptop.
But it is something like the pix above. The interior like this…
But as you imagine, though it is free and reserved for staff and official purposes, you gotta book in advance, and it is usually overbooked and sometimes, my trips are impromptu. So when I don’t get it, I use the local boats. And remind myself that the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.
Now a one way trip costs us between 20 and 30k. Sometimes more. And I have to do this trip at least once a month. Do the math. That’s minus all the other normal expenses as a family ooรด. Biko that is some money. Oh and the stress costs at least 1million dollars. I HATE STRESS.
Now this is where the story gets better.
At the same time I was moving to Abuja to work, there was an announcement by hubs company of a direct flight from Abuja to Bonny island. Say what?!?!? So all we need do is place a booking, go to NA airport, the private lounge please, present my identity card and wham, I get my boarding pass, then I chill in the lounge waiting for my private jet, bumping into governors and presidents while I wait, then board the flight and in under 2hours, most times with me sleeping, I land in bonny island.
Lemme take that again…
All that full day land to air to sea journey plus traffic plus delayed flights plus sea hazards etc costing sometimes 30k all compressed to a FREE two hour stress free journey.
It all came back to me that day to just let me Know that through it all, He stayed faithful. Imagine if that route didn’t open? Like someone joked that tz like it opened for just us. Just imagine how much I would have spent on the trips. Imagine how we would have had to be rationing visits and all.
Certainly something I don’t wanna imagine. Just maybe I had started taking it for granted. Maybe I had complained so much I had failed to see His hand there to make things easier. Not to accept the situation BUT to be thankful in it, as in ALL things.
So why my cool story? Good.
I just want us to look back at the year…
Tz easy to say oh I don’t have this or that but imagine if in addition, you were in and outta hospital?
Or your parents or sibs had medical challenges that would have put a dent on your finances?
Somethings would have absolutely sapped your finances but God found a way to ‘insure’ you.
Yup you didn’t get the promotion but hey boo, imagine if somehow, you lost your job?
Mehn, there are some people who would KILL to have the life you live now.
Some people actually don’t have food to eat ooo. Some have medical bills staring them in the face with death lurking.
Some people had their houses destroyed through no fault of theirs.
Some people are internally displaced in their own countries.
School? Forget it. A luxury some would never afford.
Some people have loved ones sick and dying somewhere but they can’t afford the trip down there.
Tz just incredible how little can make a difference in someone’s life. Or in the life of a family. Sometimes just as little as 2k.
Christmas is such an amazing period. But for some people, it is just another gloom jare, made infinitely worse by the plenty celebrations around them.
How would you like to help in your own little way? Very much?
Cool.
My darling Pastor M is championing the #Christmas1000timesbetter cause where we intend, as a church, to feed 1000 families this Christmas. Giving them hampers with stuff they could use this Christmas worth just 2000naira per hamper. You can sponsor one of these hampers.
You can get details on Pastor M’s blog post on GOD WILL DO IT here http://justusgirlsnaija.com/2014/12/10/god-will-do-it/
The account details are
Name: Just Us Girls Concept, GTBank
Number: 0120674522
Don’t even think about what is in it for you. Just see it as a way to show gratitude to God for the numerous smiles He has put on your face and all the tears He has averted.
But we know God now, whether you like it or not, He owes no man. Specifically even Proverbs 19:17 says that He who gives to the poor lends to the Lord and He will repay.
How cool to get a reward from God.
Oya start sending darlings. Please feel free to sponsor more than one hamper.
And just in case I don’t appear before Christmas, Merry Christmas complete with blessings to you and yours…
Love…
E’
PS
The trip to bonny is not as bad as you are thinking especially the sea. Lol. People do it everyday. I did it a lot while dating my hubby back then. I am still alive
Thankfully.
PPS
So I met this lovely blog reader of mine in Bonny island on Saturday. Was such a surprise when she walked up to me and introduced herself. We were in church, the finale of Shiloh. She had such a lovely daughter and when I tried to carry her, I knew why they say we shouldn’t lift heavy stuff. That baby was not even so heavy but this pregnancy something is not a small something ooo. Lol. It was nice meeting you hun. In this island where I always thought I would never meet anyone.
PPPS
Started writing this post on Sunday morning.
Couldn’t complete it till Monday evening, imagine.
Well managed to take a better picture I think…
Time flies sha. Very soon, we go enter February and E’ will be a mom, my goodness!!!
Heavenly excited yo!!! Omugwo persons start applying please…
Awww! Was nice meeting you too. Hopefully we’ll see in church more often. Takia dear
Hopefully I won’t be in bonny that much longer lol
Tho it sure would be nice to see more often but hun, I’m packed and psyched to leave.
Shiloh numero uno prayer point.
Kisses to ur Zara
If there’s anything called sea-river whatever -phobia,I have it.kwa?mere looking at the water lasan.I have tried how to swim,but I usually freeze and refuse to move or comply to instructions when m in the water.
However the Lord is my refuge and fortress so I can travel by sea and ocean etc without ishh! m definitely renewing my mind o. I shall not be afraid of large expanse of water by the noon day,nor tidal waves by the night
Merry Xmas to fab E ,her presidential baby n le boo in advance.
Lol
Swimming is actually cool sport but that Atlantic reach to fear oooo. Dat water is not for kids. Swim ke?
Lol
Muah girl
All things has been working together for E’ because she loves God.
The earth is the Lord’s my dear……
Water apart from the one in bucket I can’t deal.
I ‘m always scared of the flood, ordinary flood after rain……Chai ! God deliver me ooo
By now Love you should be counting down lol. (…. Days remaining). Even Bible says we should learn to number our days. God is E’s strength.
Eehe, looking for where to buy 2 baby things and get 5000 free, contact me ASAP….hehehe
Merry Christmas in Bonny Island.
The one in a bucket??? Kai!!! These my blog readers have no chill ooo. Ordinary water? Creation of God kwa? Loooool.
And nope, Christmas aint in bonny jor. Hoping so…
Only the one in bucket don’t don’t scare me.
Any water above my knee ‘I don run be that’
The reason is long story @ age 9, I have seen flowing flood carry kid to unknown destination, na that day I respect water, just like yesterday.
God help me to overcome this fear …….lol
Looool. Amen.
I can imagine that incident mehn!!!
Thankfully you don’t have to do this water trip…
E’, E’, E’… how may times did i call u?
dis our burriful ph city… d verry garden city..lol? coming from some1 dat used to stay in lag, u shldnt be complaining. infact if u complain again, ur ooffice go transfer u come ph….lol. yeah… btw for d records, u dnt look like no mgbeke in dis ur pics n easy on d wedges…. u need flats in ur life now… by feb, u’ll b free to rock ya heels…. Alleluia! do u knw v never gone via those open boats to bonny before usually use d lng boats…. thank God for ur express flight nw sha, i can imagine hw stressful d journey used to be… shld be over a million dollars stress. cant wait for feb so i can come visit our prince…. hope u’ll b @ bonny then… well even if u r @ ‘Buj i’ll still visit. kip shining n God’s grace darl
I know gidi has traffic
Ph own is sooooo annoying. Plus the road network itself is so disorganized. Tz not just the number of cars abeg.
And NOPE I won’t be in bonny, I’ll be in the ‘Buj mehn so feel free to visit. Hehehehe
Bless you hun
God is always faithfull,whenever we takeout time to appreciate God for miracles he has done in the past,it gives an assurance that current challenges would pass. Aunty Mgbeke you actually look nice for an Mgbeke lol
Lol. Will keep the compliment. Thanks hun.
Hope you have sown ooo
Mama have started applying oooo and my place no man shall take.
Yes darling
Do you know i served in bonny island, just passed out in feburary. Babe i use local boat more than 20times lol so i know what you mean. i attended winners as well oh. Dunno why i never met you ๐ ๐ Thank God you can now fly abeg. its not advisable to go through that much stress especially now.
Btw ph isnt that bad naw. i prefer it to lagos. Prolly cos i was born and bred there lol
That’s why ooo my love
Awww u did
Bonny memories indeed.
Well we didn’t meet cos I served in Lagos and I passed out same time as u hehehe
Had gratitude ringing in and through me as I read, thanks E…
And God will answer you and hubby’s prayers..He sure will and we will all have a blog parry at the testimony that day…
He is just taking His time you know.
A pastor said, it’s not just the testimony that matters, it’s what God did in the testimony.. what attributes He built in you.. what moves He made even in the situation..
I have no doubt that this testimony of you and Hubs in the Buj will be live here soon and I can’t wait! ๐
Merry Christmas in advance to you too
And oh, see as belle dey change person. Flats and no make up and no poses? Hehe.
You look great still, look tired a bit but great.
cc the bum bum.lol
Exactly hun. Your pastor z so right!!!
And yes boo the testimony will be here SOON amen!!!