Short introduction:
Mrs Evelyn was born to Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Akabude, a family of 7 kids from Okala Okpuno in Oshimili North Local Government of Delta state.Her primary education was in Ezi town in Delta, St. Emecheta Primary School. She arrived Lagos in 1977 and completed her primary education at Orile Primary School Oshodi and secondary education was in Oshodi too.
Beside that she told us she took a couple of management courses in Ghana at the bidding of her husband. She met him in 1990 when she was barely 17 and since 1990, today the union is now 24 years old.
It is not everyday that a young woman meets a T. B. Joshua in her life’s sojourn, how did you meet him?
Evelyn: I had gone to see my sister somewhere in the Ikotun area of Lagos, and he was being discussed. It was a kind of gathering really, and I was about the only person that had not seen him. Nice things were being said about him and at that point in my life I needed a guide, so I asked my sister who already had met him once if she knew him and could I see him.
A guide, like spiritual help or…?
Evelyn: Not like you are putting it, I was not going to see him out of curiosity and I wasn’t confused, just needed a guide.
People write, say and believe terrible things about your husband, how do you feel?
Evelyn: I am blank, I feel no bitterness, he’s my husband, I know the man I married and the God he serves.
He’s not God, he gets tempted, some of the things said, are they not true, how do you help him?
Evelyn: (smiling) Really I do not know your line of question but in life there are few alternatives, infact I can tell you here are no alternatives in life. Anything that is contrary to what we stand for or what God sent us for, is what we are going to fight against. God has been faithful, He has been merciful enough guiding and protecting us in that angle.
Which church were you attending before then?
Evelyn: Assemblies of God
But really ma’ am what particularly was it that was being said that attracted you?
Evelyn: Many things were being said, how he prayed for a man and things became better, another her life was bent and it straightened on meeting him, so we went there with my sister, we did not even meet him at home, looking back thank God we went.
Any reason why you are saying thank God?
Evelyn: Yes, because at least it wasn’t like my sister went and told her something about me, that would have ruined it. So when I eventually saw him, he gave me a photocopy of my life, I had never met him before that day, I had never been to his place apart from he first time with my sister and we did not meet him.That day was a public holiday, I went alone, it was difficult locating the place. I had a novel to read as I waited in the waiting room, some old folks, two of them later I believe were angels, came in, picked one or two things and left.And finally I got into the room, I recall very well, he picked a piece of paper and wrote ‘Ejire’ meaning twin, and guess what’.I am a twin…and before then, I had not told him anything about myself, we were just looking at each other, until he brought out the piece of paper and wrote my name. He told me a lot of things about myself, things I knew and things I never knew, about my family, past, present and future. And all these while he spoke in Yoruba, till the point he apologised and told me not to think this was his style.He said he had no concubine or girlfriend , but will I marry him
And you were not shocked or surprised especially as a young gullible girl?
Evelyn: It wasn’t funny, it was strange but you know the spirit testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Months later I would ask him, if it was right to just propose to a girl you were meeting for the first time. He then told me he had seen me four days earlier.
You were captivated, swept off your feet?
Evelyn: (laughing) I would not know, he wrote my name on that paper that shocked me though, and proposing without even dating. What nailed the relationship, what was the special thing? Evelyn: Look he is a very honest man, a humble man and God-fearing too. I saw a kind-hearted , a zealous, and man of purpose, his sole aim was just to please God, any other thing was just additional. I knew he was the man, something in me clicked, it was strange.
So you said yes…where was the wedding or what type?
Evelyn: Hmmmmmmmm, laughing, have I really said yes…’ We courted just for few months, got married same year and off course the marriage was in my place, both traditional and church wedding.
What do you contribute to his ministry, you are not the usually vocal prophet’s wife?
Evelyn: Ministry of reconciliation, in marriage and ministry they go hand-in-hand, they cannot be separated. In my ministry, you need a lot of time to listen to people, to hear them, they want to bare their mind, a prophet doesn’t have that time, especially after talking for hours, so I do that.
How do you cope not seeing him all the time, and how about all the things we hear about him, you combine all these, how?
Evelyn: Let me correct you, my family is intact, I know my husband and have no doubt, I know the good work the Lord started in him, He will accomplish and complete in Jesus name. Whatever my husband does I support him, trials and problems are just challenges.
No comments :
Post a Comment