Cry No More!

Someone has been waiting for you for a lifetime. You cannot afford to fail them. Failing them is failing God…

Prophet T.B Joshua wipes the tears of physically challenged students who go through pains daily to attend school.

Favour Adjara, a 22- year-old girl from Ughelli in Delta State has been physically challenged from birth. However, instead of being weighed down by her disability, she sees it as a challenge for her to achieve greatness in life. From childhood, Adjara made up her mind to study medicine to enable her to find out the medical problems that made her to be crippled on one of her legs and also fight the cause of physically challenged persons. She, therefore, struggled to go to school in crutches. In 2006, she secured admission to study medicine/surgery at the University of Abuja. Fate, however, dealt another bitter blow on her as she lost her father, Luke Adjara, a priest in the Anglican Church, shortly after she secured admission into the university. Determined to achieve her ambition in life, she resorted to begging to enable her raise funds to pay her school fees and for her upkeep on campus.

But on Sunday, October 19, Adjara and 19 other physically challenged undergraduates and post graduate students from various higher institutions in Nigeria became lucky beneficiaries of a scholarship scheme recently instituted by Prophet T. B. Joshua, general overseer of the Synagogue Church of Nations.

Like Adjara, Onyinyechi Ibeabuchi, a 30-year-old post graduate student of economics from the Abia State University, Uturu, is another physically challenged person who received the scholarship award. In addition to the scholarship award, Ibeabuchi was given a brand new wheel chair because of her very pathetic situation. Indeed, the man in the Synagogue was deeply touched when he saw pretty Ibeabuchi crawling into the church auditorium on all fours, hence the donation of the wheel chair.

Pastor TB Joshua - There is hope for the weak. His Name is Jesus!

Ibeabuchi told Newswatch that before the wheel chair was given to her, she used to crawl to school and on faeces and urine in the university lavatory whenever she needed to ease herself. She said that she felt relieved by the wheel chair gift because it will enhance her mobility.She recalled that although her parents know the value of education and had helped her to secure a first degree in economics, it had been difficult for her to get sponsorship for her master’s degree programme. Ibeabuchi said now that she has been awarded a scholarship by Joshua, she is now much more determined to go beyond a master’s degree in economics to secure a Ph.D in the same discipline. Ibeabuchi said she intends to either work in a bank or become a university lecturer on completion of her post-graduate programme. She advised other physically challenged persons not to be discouraged by their disability but to struggle to go to school. “Education is the key to survival for the disabled person and so I advise all my fellow physically challenged persons to strive to go to school because where there is a will, there is a way,” she said.Apart from Adjara and Ibeabuchi, other physically challenged persons who were awarded the scholarship include five blind students. They are Salami Lukeman, a 500 level law students of the University of Lagos, UNILAG; Anomo Rotimi, a law student of the University of Jos; Ayoade Sunday of the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo; Sunday Adejo, a guidance and counselling student of the University of Ibadan and Vivienne Ozurumba, studying government and public administration at the Imo State University, Owerri.

The total amount given out to the recipients of the awards was three million Naira. Joshua said the scholarship award was a demonstration of his love for the physically challenged persons. He explained that he has been worried that most physically challenged persons who took it as a challenge to further their studies often study with tears because they do not have people to sponsor them. “I have therefore decided to be their friend, their sponsor and we will continue to care for them to ensure they study without tears,” he said.

Providing for the physically challenged - a real privilege...

He promised to establish a university for the physically challenged persons in the society. He, however, said he would continue to award scholarships to this group of people, pending the establishment of the proposed university. He then challenged wealthy Nigerians to cultivate the habit of awarding scholarship to physically challenged persons so as to receive more blessings from God. Adebesin Abiodun, a post-graduate student of peace and conflict studies of the University of Ibadan, expressed gratitude to Joshua on behalf of the beneficiaries for his love for the physically challenged persons. He promised that after his studies, he would champion the cause of his colleagues and enlighten them on the need to always believe that “there is ability in disability.”

Written by Chris Ajaero – Monday, 27 October 2008

SOURCE: Newswatch

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Cry No More…

Chris Ajaero of Newswatch reports on some of the humanitarian services TB Joshua is rendering to the physically challenged…

Prophet T.B Joshua wipes the tears of physically challenged students who go through pains daily to attend school

Favour Adjara, a 22- year-old girl from Ughelli in Delta State has been physically challenged from birth. However, instead of being weighed down by her disability, she sees it as a challenge for her to achieve greatness in life.

Thousands of Physically Challenge at The SCOAN...

From childhood, Adjara made up her mind to study medicine to enable her to find out the medical problems that made her to be crippled on one of her legs and also fight the cause of physically challenged persons. She, therefore, struggled to go to school in crutches. In 2006, she secured admission to study medicine/surgery at the University of Abuja. Fate, however, dealt another bitter blow on her as she lost her father, Luke Adjara, a priest in the Anglican Church, shortly after she secured admission into the university. Determined to achieve her ambition in life, she resorted to begging to enable her raise funds to pay her school fees and for her upkeep on campus.

But on Sunday, October 19, Adjara and 19 other physically challenged undergraduates and post graduate students from various higher institutions in Nigeria became lucky beneficiaries of a scholarship scheme recently instituted by Prophet T. B. Joshua, general overseer of the Synagogue Church of Nations.

Every single attendee receives a bag of rice and cash support...

Like Adjara, Onyinyechi Ibeabuchi, a 30-year-old post graduate student of economics from the Abia State University, Uturu, is another physically challenged person who received the scholarship award. In addition to the scholarship award, Ibeabuchi was given a brand new wheel chair because of her very pathetic situation. Indeed, the man in the Synagogue was deeply touched when he saw pretty Ibeabuchi crawling into the church auditorium on all fours, hence the donation of the wheel chair.

Ibeabuchi told Newswatch that before the wheel chair was given to her, she used to crawl to school and on faeces and urine in the university lavatory whenever she needed to ease herself. She said that she felt relieved by the wheel chair gift because it will enhance her mobility.She recalled that although her parents know the value of education and had helped her to secure a first degree in economics, it had been difficult for her to get sponsorship for her master’s degree programme. Ibeabuchi said now that she has been awarded a scholarship by Joshua, she is now much more determined to go beyond a master’s degree in economics to secure a Ph.D in the same discipline. Ibeabuchi said she intends to either work in a bank or become a university lecturer on completion of her post-graduate programme. She advised other physically challenged persons not to be discouraged by their disability but to struggle to go to school. “Education is the key to survival for the disabled person and so I advise all my fellow physically challenged persons to strive to go to school because where there is a will, there is a way,” she said.Apart from Adjara and Ibeabuchi, other physically challenged persons who were awarded the scholarship include five blind students. They are Salami Lukeman, a 500 level law students of the University of Lagos, UNILAG; Anomo Rotimi, a law student of the University of Jos; Ayoade Sunday of the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo; Sunday Adejo, a guidance and counselling student of the University of Ibadan and Vivienne Ozurumba, studying government and public administration at the Imo State University, Owerri.

The arrival...

The total amount given out to the recipients of the awards was three million Naira. Joshua said the scholarship award was a demonstration of his love for the physically challenged persons. He explained that he has been worried that most physically challenged persons who took it as a challenge to further their studies often study with tears because they do not have people to sponsor them. “I have therefore decided to be their friend, their sponsor and we will continue to care for them to ensure they study without tears,” he said.

He promised to establish a university for the physically challenged persons in the society. He, however, said he would continue to award scholarships to this group of people, pending the establishment of the proposed university.

He then challenged wealthy Nigerians to cultivate the habit of awarding scholarship to physically challenged persons so as to receive more blessings from God.

Adebesin Abiodun, a post-graduate student of peace and conflict studies of the University of Ibadan, expressed gratitude to Joshua on behalf of the beneficiaries for his love for the physically challenged persons.

He promised that after his studies, he would champion the cause of his colleagues and enlighten them on the need to always believe that “there is ability in disability.”

TB Joshua with one of the physically challenged, who received N100,000 and a new wheelchair...

SOURCE: Newswatch Magazine, Nigeria

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In From The Cold…

Prophet T.B. Joshua re-unites a young girl abandoned in 1996 at the age of nine over witchcraft allegations with her mother

Oghenefejiro Iworo, a female Urhobo cultural music dancer from Ugheli, Delta was only nine years old in 1996 when she was abandoned by Esther, her mother. Her reason for taking such drastic action against her child was because the little girl was alleged to have belonged to the evil world of witches and wizards.

Wild accusations of witchcraft...

Esther claimed that she consulted a witch doctor in Ughelli who confirmed that her daughter was a witch and was responsible for the hardship and misfortunes she had encountered in life, including separation from her husband.

The witch doctor had taken the little girl to her shrine in Eku, tortured her by using a sharp knife to inflict deep cuts on her cheeks. The blood extracted from the deep cuts was then given to the girl to drink before she allegedly confessed that she was a witch.

The witch doctor then warned her mother that unless she disowned her daughter, she would use her power as a witch to kill her. She therefore advised her to take the girl to Badare Wegereva, her mother-in-law whom she alleged to have initiated Oghenefejiro into witchcraft.

Esther who believed what the witch doctor told her about her daughter was angry with her. She, therefore, did not hesitate to take her to her mother-in-law at the Ugheli market where she was trading, called her a witch and left the girl with her. Badare was dumbfounded as she could not understand why her daughter-in-law could publicly call her a witch and even accuse her of initiating Oghenefejiro into the witchcraft world.

Afraid that the little girl could actually be a witch as her mother claimed, Badare equally rejected her and took her to her maternal great grand mother who was in her 80s. Although the aged woman accepted her great grand daughter, she could not take care of her.

The little girl had no option than to become a street urchin. She roamed the streets begging for alms and later joined street kids who taught her how to smoke cigarette and having illicit affairs with men. No matter how Oghenefejiro tried to struggle for survival in life, the stigmatisation and abandonment by her mother continued to haunt her.

However, she later joined an Urhobo cultural dancing group but still lived a wayward lifestyle. It was in the process that she was impregnated by Dafe Iworo, a butcher from Ekakpame, Delta State who married her. Already, Oghenefejiro has given birth to a baby boy.

Unknown to Oghenefejiro’s mother, her decision to disown her own daughter 12 years ago had become a curse to her. Despite the fact that she left Ughelli for Lagos in search of greener pastures, Esther who is a caterer continued to have nightmares as she could not even fend for herself.

She, therefore, decided to seek divine intervention by going to the Synagogue Church of All Nations where T.B Joshua told her that she was suffering from a generational curse because she accused her daughter falsely of being a witch.

He told her that the curse would continue to haunt her until she is reunited with her daughter and begged her for forgiveness over the stigmatisation she was subjected to because of the accusation.

He also told her that the generational curse started from Micheal Akatakpo, her 60 year-old father who was an idol worshipper. Esther admitted that her father had similarly called her a wicth when she was nine years old. She, therefore, had to travel to Ughelli with pastors from the Synagogue Church of All Nations where they searched for her daughter until she was found. She also brought her father to the church where Joshua delivered them from the generational curse.

Joshua said it has become common for some parents to abandon their children in the streets over the allegation that they are witches. He wondered why a mother should subject her own child to such a traumatic experience. “It is rather unfortunate that a mother who carried a child in her womb for nine months or more, laboured to bring her forth, would later stigmatise the child as a witch and throw her away from her home into the street,” he said.

Worried by the trend, Stepping Stones, a UK registered charitable organisation is working in conjunction with the Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network, CRARN, to transform the lives of children who have been stigmatised as witches and wizards.

Gary Foxcroft, programme director, Stepping Stones Nigeria, said their aims are to tackle the problems of ignorance and superstitious belief in child-witchcraft as well as eradicate the torture of children stigmatised as witches.

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“I Know What It Means To Be Poor…”

TB Joshua was interviewed earlier this year by the prestigious Newswatch Magazine of Nigeria. He explained the reason for his passion for the poor and the basis of his relationship with world leaders…

T.B. Joshua, general overseer of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, spoke to Chris Ajaero, assistant general editor, Kazeem Akintunde, senior associate editor and Danusa Ocholi, associate editor on his relationship with President John Evans Atta-Mills of Ghana and other African leaders, his prophecies and works of charity. Excerpts:

The Synagogue Church of All Nations is fast becoming a Mecca of sorts for many African leaders. Recently, John Evans Atta-Mills, the new president of Ghana visited the church for thanksgiving a few days after his inauguration. Could you tell us your relationship with Mills and other African leaders who have visited the church?
No matter how highly placed you are, there is always another level to reach. People who are rich in every sense of the word understand that life is a learning experience. Learning never stops. When you constantly strive to improve, you build character. So, these African leaders who have visited The Synagogue at one time or the other came in search of God’s guidance, wisdom and knowledge of how to lead their countries. My relationship with these leaders is for what I stand for which is redemption.

What exactly attracted them to your ministry?
The attraction is knowledge. It is not just knowledge of the outside but internal renovation.

How did your relationship with Atta-Mills start?
He has been a member of this ministry in the past 10 years. Our relationship started during my first crusade in Ghana and he came to the crusade to experience the ministration. That was 10 years ago when he was the vice-president of Ghana.

When Atta-Mills was giving testimony at the recent thanksgiving service, he said you had predicted that he would secure victory at the polls after three different pollings and that the result would be announced in January 2009 and that your prophesy came to pass. Could you throw more light on this?
What happened from God’s throne is beyond human comprehension. It is not something you can begin to explain how it was said before it manifested. When God speaks, He never goes back on his word. So, it is a mystery. My relationship with Atta-Mills is all about internal renovation. He is a professor of law, so what would he learn from me in terms of human natural gift. Human natural gift is on the outside while the supernatural gift of God is mysterious. So, it is the supernatural gift of God that made the prophecy to come to pass.

How did you convey the message about the prophecy to the new Ghanaian president. Was it through phone call or you met him personally?
He comes to church here nearly every Sunday. So, on one occasion, he told me that the Ghanaian presidential election would be held on December 7, 2008, and that there was a possibility that the result would be announced a few days later. And I told him that I don’t see it that way. Rather, I saw three different elections ahead of him then. I also told him that the result would be announced in January 2009. By the grace of God, he believed in the prophecy, we prayed over it and we glorify God that it came to pass.

After his inauguration, he came for a thanksgiving service. Before he became president he regularly attended this church. But since he became president, I decided to be visiting him myself. I will not allow him to continue to be coming here regularly. I believe it is now my turn to be visiting him. Since he is now the president of a nation, it will not augur well for me now to say he should be coming here every Sunday to worship.

At what stage in your life did your gift of prophecy manifest?
As a child I read the Bible voraciously. This was how I gradually drew close to God and received the calling and divine gift of prophecy. In 2 Peter 1: 20 – 22, the Bible says: “Above all, you must understand that no prophesy of the scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” God often uses men as instruments of His wisdom, revelation and divine purpose. Just as God appointed Prophet Jeremiah to be His mouthpiece to the nations, so also today, God still speaks through His Servants who are willing to hear and ready to deliver His message to the world. In every situation, God knows what the future holds. The book of Amos 3:7 tells us that God does nothing without first revealing it to His servants, the prophets. Therefore, a prophet of God is a communicator between the visible and invisible worlds.

It was the prophetic message from the ministry that actually guided our brother, Professor Atta-Mills. He had contested for the presidential election in Ghana twice before the recent one where he emerged victorious. I had prophesied to him that he would not make it during the first and second pollings but the third time, he would make it. And he believed in the prophecy and worked towards it. He was strengthened by the prophetic message and that was why he came out triumphant. You know that when there is a prophetic message to you about what is going to happen to you in the nearest future, it will give you the strength to endure whatever tribulation. That was exactly what happened to Professor Atta-Mills.

Were you born with the gift of prophecy, or you developed it when you were growing up?
I think that the power of prophecy is a mighty gift God gave to me. It is greater than any other gift God gave to me. Many people associate me more with miraculous healings and deliverances, but the gift of prophecy is greater. When you want to categorise the gifts of God in my life, they are: healing, prophecy, teaching and preaching the word which leads to salvation.

To know exactly when the gift of prophecy started manifesting in my life, you need to find time so that we show you our documentary which recorded the transformation that I have undergone since I was born. The recording started right from when I was five years old till date.

When I was in the primary school, it was recorded. When I built the first church which I started with a few little children, it was recorded. When I proclaimed that the ministry will be called the Synagogue Church of All Nations, it was recorded. Since then, I have built four churches. The place where we are now is the fifth church.

When I went to the mountain prayed and fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, it was recorded. During my first crusade at Arigidi, my home town, where I said that this church is presently made up of eight members but it will soon become a church for virtually all nations in the world, it was recorded.

Can you recollect some of the African leaders who had visited The Synagogue Church of All Nations at one time or the other?
If I begin to tell you the African leaders that have visited me I will be laying emphasis on personalities. But it is the soul that God is after, not whether you are a president or not. The church is about the number of those who are being saved, not the number of personalities that visited the church.

Are you not disturbed that while many African leaders visit you to seek spiritual guidance on how to lead their various countries, Nigerian leaders are not. Is it the case of the saying that a prophet is without honour in his own country?
God’s time is the best. Nigerian leaders are coming gradually. At least, the recent national award of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic, OFR, conferred on me by the federal government is a good beginning. So, gradually we will build upon the new relationship.

Since you are very close to many of these African leaders, do you advise them on the need to develop their countries and salvage the African continent from poverty, starvation and underdevelopment?
My life speaks for them. They watch Emmanuel TV and see how I care for the needy. I am worried by the high level of poverty among our people and I often advise them to rule well so that people can be rescued from the pangs of poverty.

Over the years, you have been quietly touching the lives of the aged, destitutes widows, physically challenged persons and dwarfs through your philanthropic disposition. Why are you so passionate about the welfare of the needy?
I will tell you that I know the pains they are going through because I have equally had difficult times in the past. I also derive joy in giving because if you are a cheerful giver, you will never lack

We must understand that life is all about giving and sharing. It all began with the way God saved us. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son to die on the cross to save us from our sins. So, there can be no loving without giving and there can be no giving without receiving. It is whatsoever you sow that you reap.

Again, if you know what it means to be poor, you will not close your eyes when you see poor people around you. You would want to be their benefactor.

About how much have you committed to your outreach programme for the needy and award of scholarship to physically challenged persons in the universities?
I cannot tell you how much I have committed to the programme because if I begin to do so, it means that I am boasting about what I am doing for God.

But how do you raise the funds to care for these people?
If God has given you the grace to care, He will supply. Sometimes, I will just sit down and somebody will phone and say he has seen the works of charity that I am doing and would like to donate to support what we are doing. That is how God supplies the money we use to care for the needy.

SOURCE: Newswatch Magazine, Nigeria

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