“I want to start a hospital for the poor”.
What!! I wondered aloud. How is that going to work? Dad had just told us his plans to retire from his job in government service where he served as the Director of Primary Health Care and we were all still coming to terms with that. He said many cannot afford basic medical care and die needless deaths, he believed everyone should not be denied that opportunity and more importantly, with more time on his plate, he saw an opportunity to share his faith in Jesus. As his chief critic, I asked him how he planned to sustain it, the poor will definitely owe you, I said to him. “It’s going to be free”, he declared with confidence. “Do you have funding? How will you raise support, you can’t do this alone”, I retorted. Then in my mind I thought, who does that? Leave a well-paying job that allows you to support your family and the cause of the gospel, for this “free project”? To me it was insane but now I know better. It was God, the ‘Oranmonishe faya tii’ (the God who sends you and backs you) that called him after all. He never leaves nor forsakes His own.

He had it all figured out, a family property in the heart of Ibadan was marked for the project and he had barely started implementing it when he received God’s call to return to the church of his birth, the Anglican Church as Priest in the year 2001. He saw in that a perfect opportunity to fulfil his mission and vision to take health care and the gospel to the poor in what was called mobile clinics. Leading up to his demise, he led a team of Christian health practitioners in Mission outreaches to the interior areas of Ibadan; Kobomoje, Jegede, Ogun, Abidi Elege, Ita Ege, Oje, Itu Taba, Oke Are, Agbede Adodo, Lamini and Akinemi. Traveling sometimes in really bad conditions, with very poor roads that got worse when it rained, nothing could stop him and once he was seen on the back sit of an okada (motor bike), when the roads were flooded and he had to leave behind his car to be on time for service in one of the villages. Even while he was bedridden and recovering from the accident that incapacitated him and led to his demise, he was still committing of his resources to those communities. Amazingly, God always met His needs and I can’t stress enough, the moral support he had in my mum. Oh dear mother, God bless you and thank you for giving dad the wings with which he fulfilled his calling.

This time, six years ago, we just concluded a series of events over 5 days, including his funeral. I remember a Baale (local Chief) in one of the villages speaking at the Service of Songs, wondering what will become of the medical initiatives and development programs by the Church which dad spearheaded and were ongoing at the time. He pleaded with the Body of Christ not to neglect them or the good work that had begun in his community.

Here is my plea to the Church of God this morning. Before you embark on another million dollar building project in the City, remember the communities the government has failed, where there is a lack of quality education and decent health care, where water is a death trap if it means to drink only from the same river washing is done and where shelter is still a dream. Do you hear the cries from the men and women of the neglected communities? Beyond their basic needs, it’s a cry that yearns for God and Salvation but who will go, if we don’t. If you don’t know how to start, you can partner with a Missions Organization.

Here is my plea to you reading this. When you set out with other Christians to worship and pray this morning, remember the men and women who have left their all behind, their families and comfort, to take the gospel to the unreached people groups. Ask the Lord to show you how you fit in His plan and how you can play a part. Remember, the harvest is plenteous but there are few labourers. God needs your resources, He needs you!!

#WantedByGod: A wo(man) with a willing and upright heart.