PERMISSION GRANTED!!! (My Visa denial story and what God did)

I had decided on an Emirates flight from Lagos to Houston even though it wasn’t the cheapest, but the idea of a long layover in Dubai was exactly what I needed both ways.

The plan was to truly explore DXB abeg.
Oh, and my yankee itinerary? It was so perfect.

Houston to NOLA, to NYC, to Charlotte then back to Houston and then home.

It was so jammed that I had no breathing space, cos in between airports, conferences and church services (Elevation and Lakewood). I had also planned Experiences thanks to AirBnB in NOLA, Charlotte and Houston – Walks, Photography, shopping, etx
And the finances for my trip? All sorted too. I had saved ALL YEAR for it. Like I was telling Eniola, I was living lean in Nigeria to live large in my 2weeks in Yankee.

The main aim of my trip was INSIDE ELEVATION, a leadership conference especially for those in Ministry and then PROPEL ACTIVATE events.

When you plan trips in a Country as big as the United States, phew, its crazy. Time zone differences within the US, and such a HUGE Nation. Kai. I learned all the airports, best airlines and routes, train options, best shopping experiences and more. I had the money for it all abeg. I had FUN planning the trip.

Today, Oct 2, at 6.10pm was supposed to be my departure from LOS to IAH.
Monday Oct 15 was my departure from Yankee back home…

But then, my visa was denied!!!

Second time ever applying for a Yankee visa, first was to have my first son, and both denied. The first time, I wasn’t even ready. But this time, the Chilllleeeeee was READY!!! Physically AND SPIRITUALLY even more. I had prayed ALL YEAR too.

It felt like a daze indeed, cos I didn’t plan to even be in Nigeria on these dates. Like, I had already moved to Yankee in my head. Plus haba, it would have rocked to join the league of those who have gone to Yankee before lol

I was SHOOK, but I heard the words come out of my mouth… THANK GOD FOR CLOSED DOORS AND UNANSWRED PRAYERS.

You see, I had been praying those prayers recently, so now, I had to live it. And I KNEW I had His permission to plan this trip so if He brought me this far to get an I’M SORRY, I gotta TRUST HIM.

As I sat in Abuja airport waiting for my flight back home, I heard the Holy Spirit tell me that He would sort me out right here in Nigeria. Whatever experience I was going to have in Yankee, He would let me have here.

Ah those two conferences pained me. I had planned all year for them. I was going to have lunch with my hero Christine Caine, as a Propel Leader in Nigeria.

Plus, I was also volunteering at Activate NOLA, with my tee shirt and all waiting for me.

And for Inside Elevation? What a dream to finally worship LIVE with my Elevation family, and then the 2-day Leadership training with Pastor Steven Furtick.

Yawl, it was UNREAL. So, it really pained me that day, but I didn’t cry. I woke the next day and it all came rushing again, so I went to my prayer place and got every WORD I needed from God and I promise you, my MOVE ON game was STRONG. I truly moved on.

Asked for refunds for all I paid AND FRANKLY LOST NOTHING COS I GOT 100percent), fixed all the liquid cash I had saved until next year so I don’t have access to it and plan a random Dubai trip lol, and moved on.

Then it started to come together.

One day, the Lord got me up and got me writing. He said,

“…like I told you, everything you were going to experience in America, I will give you RIGHT HERE and more… Plus you don’t even get to spend all that money. So, write all these down… You would not have even noticed these meetings if this hasn’t happened…

1. Daystar Leadership Academy (Advanced)
2. Global Leadership summit (This is the crux of this post)
3. Excellence in Leadership Conference
4. DDK’s Upstream in December (details not out yet)
5. HILLSONG live at Night of Worship
6. Pastors Wives and women in Ministry conference
7. Not sure yet

Hmmm!!!
By the time I was done writing, I realized that I was already in America…

But what did I even know until I attended GLS last week!!!

OH. MY. GOD!!!!

Let me tell you, it couldn’t have been better at INSIDE ELEVATION!!!

The speakers here?

At some point, I started crying, when Erwin McManus was talking about PAIN!!!
We had a crazy Number of world class speakers over 2 days pour into Leaders around the world.

As I was there, I kept hearing the HOLY SPIRIT say PERMISSION GRANTED EZIAHA!!!

I didn’t KNOW that what I really was going to America to do was get permission to be ALL that He has called me to be, which is REALLY DIFFERENT I tell you.

My assignments are different and hard, so I needed to see people… CHRISTIANS… hard on their faith grind and in the marketplace, ministry and even at home.

Sometimes, I don’t know how to navigate my life and just infuse my JESUS into everything I do while doing excellent work… I desperately needed permission and at GLS, as I listened to the speakers, especially the women like Angela Ahrendts from Apple, Sheila Heen who was just crazy hilarious, Dr Nthabiseng who broke down what failure means and what Leaders should do with it, Juliet Funt who schooled me on simplicity and effectiveness, and I think my personal fave, Carla Harris, who is GOALS on every level.
Now it wasn’t just that these women are top of their career, their CHRISTIAN game is STRONG too. And they weren’t ashamed of it. When I heard Angela say how she has to wake up an hour earlier daily so she can spend quality time with God before she faces the world cos sleep is a luxury, I was granted permission.

When Carla told me to always bring my authentic self to every table and conversation and how she brings the prayer warrior Carla, the Singing Carla, the Devil chasing Carla, the Wall Street badass Carla to every conversation and determines which one to put forth, I was further granted permission.

When ECONET CEO Strive Masiyiwa told me how he hangs on to the Word that says that whatever He loses for the kingdom sake will come back to him in 100folds, I was granted permission in truck loads.

When McManus told me to keep on striking until the LAST ARROW is gone, gosh the tears I shed was me receiving my PERMISSION

PERMISSION GRANTED EZIAHA.
PERMISSION GRANTED

My visa may have been DENIED but my PERMISSION was GRANTED!!!

All because I saw people top of their career EVERYWHERE still so true to their faith and find ways to create a beautiful marriage of both proudly.

This is why we should ALWAYS be our full authentic selves to our life’s assignment even when it all seems crazy. Cos in doing so, we grant people permission to ALSO OBEY GOD even when it all seems crazy.

So far, I have attended just 2 of the 7 and I feel like I have already arrived Yankee. GLS and DLA were EVERYTHING and I got them right here in Nigeria all thanks to the VISIONARY EXCEPTIONAL Leader that is SAM ADEYEMI!!!

God bless Him.

I am devouring my notes and we also made sure to get the DVD

I am super excited for PWWM conference.

I get a feeling that is my PROPEL ACTIVATE. It is next Saturday and I HOPE it is a FULL DAY event and that the Speakers are as AUTHENTIC as possible, cos really that is why I love Americans. They just bring authenticity and are their FULL SELVES and in doing so, grant the rest of us PERMISSION to be authentic and our full selves too…

Actually, I am excited about every pending event God would have me attend cos I cannot even imagine the experiences He has for me there. He is SO GOOD!!!

And hey, HILLSONG IN NIGERIA!!!! Phew. I was going to experience both Bethel and Elevation worship LIVE in Yankee then God decides to bring me HILLSONG all the way to Nigeria.

COME THROUGH JESUS!!!
YOU.JUST.COME.THROUGH!!!

Today Oct 2 2018, I’m celebrating the trip that wasn’t. Cos instead of going all the way to Yankee, He brought MORE right here to me. The beautiful part is now how HE will get me into Yankee. Gosh, that miracle will be crazy CRAZY!!!! I’m PATIENT.

Hey, I have gotten quite a few emails and messages recently from a number of you who read my blog. I am so thankful that I inspire you to be all that. I also hope that this blog gives you PERMISSION to DO all that He has called you to do…

The HOUR IS URGENT baby…
All Christian hands are need on deck so

PERMISSION GRANTED!!!!
PERMISSION GRANTED!!!
PERMISSION GRANTED!!!

Love,
E’

PS

Hey please help me promote my STAY AT HOME mom event this December.

If you follow me on any Social media platform, a simple retweet, Regran or share is appreciated. I understand God too much to call anything little, so please don’t discount what your ‘little’ can do and who it can reach. Don’t do it for me. Do it for the Stay at Home mom who will have her own PERMISSION GRANTED from this God-encounter…

I am on IG as @stayhomemoms.ng
FB as Eziaha Bolaji-Olojo
Twitter as @eziahaa

Thank you thank you thank you!!!

PPS

Have you been tracking with my weightloss story. I’m on an #10kgin6weeks weightloss challenge and week 1 was a scale disaster

catch all the deets on www.coachesquad.com

PPPS

ELC conference is in November. Here’s our personal invite.

Be sure to register via Daystar website