TESTIMONY #5
CHAMA’S MEDICAL INTERVENTION – STILL IN THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS- JUST FOR GOODNESS SAKE
By Warrior Chinew Duru, Aba Chapter
THANK GOD FOR GIVING BIRTH TO CHAMA
Challenge AIDS and Malaria in Africa (CHAMA) is an international missionary movement, founded by Dr Olugu Ukpai and Pastor (Mrs) Esther Olugu Ukpai, after losing their 16-month-old daughter (Goodness) to malaria needlessly. They vowed to prevent other innocent children from dying of malaria, poverty disease and prevent parents from passing the trauma they passed through after losing their daughter.
In the words of Martin Luther King Jr, “the Christian gospel is a two-way road. On the one hand, it seeks to change the souls of men, and thereby unite them with God; on the other hand, it seeks to change the environmental conditions of men so the soul will have a chance after it is changed”. People of God, on this day I want to appreciate God and everyone whom God used on my behalf in the year 2018, to give me hope. I want to specifically thank God for using CHAMA International Mission Movement, not only to change and strengthen my weary soul but to also change my physical health condition, which was responsible for my weakened soul. Indeed, CHAMA has come to restore the total dignity of man – spiritually and physically. I am a living witness. That was exactly the mission of Jesus Christ on earth as written in Acts 10:38, saying “…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good[ness] and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”
IT SEEMED LIKE A MOVIE WATCHING PEOPLE BEING OPERATED FREE*
At first, I was scared because it was like a joke. How possible can it be for someone without connections to be operated upon free of charge? Like how will this ever be possible in this our country Nigeria? Where, without connections, you will not have a chance. But I was encouraged after all by my late Daddy and Bishop, Dr Sylvester Chidobe Alanwoko. So, my husband and I embarked on a journey to Isiukwuato, in Abia State of South-Eastern Nigeria. On getting there I was busy watching how everything was going, how people were actually being operated upon free of charge, blood were being donated donated all free of charge and I was like WOW! So, this is real. At some point, I became scared of the surgery because I had already been told that I had multiple fibroids.
I WAS SCARED ON THE DAY OF MY SURGERY
Prior to the last day of the CHAMA medical camp, popularly called “invasion”, when I woke up that fateful morning, I became very scared to the extent that my husband went and called the women ministers that lodged with us to pray for me and they did pray for me and casted fear out of me. So, when we got to the venue, the doctor had not arrived and a few minutes later we were told he was just driving in with his crew all the way from the University of Calabar and everyone became very happy. Those already scheduled and clerked for fibroid surgeries were driven to the venue by the CHAMA volunteers free of charge.
BLOOD DONATED FREE TO SAVE MY LIFE
After some time, I was taken to the theatre, and was also operated upon. During the surgery, there was a need for blood transfusion. A CHAMA volunteer, Warrior Pastor Moses, of Umuahia chapter donated blood by an unknown pastor free – who was not my relative or related in any way – a total stranger WOW! God !! after donating this blood, he left as if nothing happened, oh my God!! the main testimony is that when I finally woke up in the morning, I saw how everyone was rejoicing, feeling so happy that I made it, that I woke up ,they nurses saw to it that me and every other person that was operated upon was well taken care of, even after we had left ,weeks after they kept calling and calling checking up on me.
SILVER AND GOLD, I DON’T HAVE TO PAY BACK
For all these unmerited favors, the most humbling thing is that even when I don’t have anything to offer to appreciate these CHAMA angels and Surgeon sent from God to help the helpless, the needy and the downtrodden, they still showed more and unmerited love just for Goodness’ sake. Men and Brethren, I want to use this avenue to appreciate every one of you warrior volunteers, who have been instrumental to bringing smiles on the faces of the helpless, it is my pray that God look into your lives and your own homes and do that which only him can do for you all in Jesus’ name Amen. Sinc then, I have made a commitment to be a CHAMA volunteer to give back my time, talent and treasures as others gave to save my life.
CONLUSIONIndeed, I ca now say without much equivocation that Goodness died so that I will live. Simply put, if Goodness didn’t die, CHAMA couldn’t have been formed. If CHAMA wasn’t formed, perhaps, I wouldn’t have benefited and wouldn’t have been testifying today. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many.
