(Read the preceding part of this story on our website.)

(Part 2/2) In university, we used to have what we call the ‘Spiritual Week of Emphasis’ and prior to that I had listened to a tape from motivational speaker, Fela Durotoye where he talked about the ‘Spirit of excellence’. He talked about the seven Spirits of God in Isaiah 11. I started to desire the things I heard. Fela Durotoye was so descriptive about the role of the Holy Spirit in turning your life around. I was a year into my Christian walk at the time and said, ‘Lord, I want this.’

So I decided to go on a dry fast during the ‘Spiritual Week of Emphasis’, it was a three-day event. Each day we would have three sessions, and in-between the sessions I would go to the library to read. On the second day, because I was giving myself over to the fast, I wasn’t just fasting and chilling; I was fasting and exerting energy. By the second evening, I was extremely tired. I remember going for the evening session and I had to tell God to give me strength during praise and worship. It was then I heard God say, 'I have answered you' and that I should go and take a drink. I went downstairs to get a Ribena before the programme.

During the praise and worship, I knew something happened to me and from that moment everybody knew something had changed. This was before my first semester exams. During the exams, an exam that should last for 2 hours would be done for me in 45 minutes. The lecturers would tell me that, “If you don’t know what to write, sit down.” I graduated with a first class degree.

I believed in the power of the Holy Spirit - spiritual wisdom, understanding and counsel. I think counsel is key. It’s like divine direction. I literally know what I need to do and see clearly what I am to do.

(Part 1/2) I come from a Christian family, but I did not really understand Christianity. I did not enjoy church. When I left secondary school, I had a gap year before I went to university. It was during that period that I met a man called Brother Newton. He was the head of the youth church at the Redeemed Church my parents attended. It was a new church that I was settling into.

I had attended churches previously where you were judged on how you dressed. The hypocrisy would push me away. However, in this new church, there was love, there was an attraction; and I gave myself to it. It was the love of Christ in these people that brought me close. I found a family in this youth church. I joined the choir, started baptism school, started studying the Word, started reading purposeful books and started hearing God clearly.

From that moment, I was being led and I began discovering more of myself. It became much greater because of the type of university I went to (Covenant University). I was in a Christian environment and I learnt from the best of the best as it were. I got to experience a lot and my Christian life took a new turn. But one remarkable thing happened. Right now my colleagues, friends and classmates see me as a smart, passionate, driven and focused guy, and I think I can attribute everything to what happened in my first year of university.

(Read the concluding part of this story on our website.)

THE EXPERIENCE 2016

We don't have too many worship concerts like this in Nigeria. There's a scripture in the bible that says we should not forsake the gathering of the brethren. So, besides church, we see this as an opportunity to worship God with other Christians from different denominations. 

When we saw the theme for this years’ Experience 'Revealing Jesus', our expectations became more specific. We're here to meet with Jesus, to get to know Him more through worship. There's really nothing like that personal experience with Jesus, nobody can take it away from you. It's yours, it's yours! 

I’m an instrumentalist at my church. I have a deep love for music. This is actually my first time at the Experience. I've heard so much about it. I'm here to enjoy God's presence through different ministrations. 

There's more to being a Christian other than practicing religion, and not just doing things the way every regular Christian does. I was at the Experience last year and it was life changing for me. My eyes were opened to a lot of things; I can’t even explain. But I’m really excited.

I am always amazed at everything that happens here; the sound, the artists, the ministrations. I always experience God here. And I've been blessed by God through this medium. There's always an experience at The Experience.

This is my first time of attending the Experience, but my friend is a regular here. I've heard so many testimonies from here like the sick being healed. Not that I'm sick or anything but we're here to meet God in a different way. To experience Him and feel His presence. Personally, I've had a lot of encounters and I enjoy His fullness. Truth be told I like praise and worship more than prayer. Yes, prayer is important, but praise is too. I realise I receive faster when I praise God. 

(Read the preceding part of this story on our website.)

(Part 2/2) I needed to see a Life Coach to handle my insecurities. She said to me, "Your life is stuck in looking behind you, listening to and believing the voices behind you. You have to start looking forward." So she made me do different exercises.

We had a session where I just talked and told her everything I’d experienced and those deep feelings I had never actually told anybody. She told me my feelings were valid which I needed to hear because for the longest time I didn't think they were. I remember her saying, "Now that you’ve finally said everything, how do you feel?" I felt free. I felt like I’d been keeping all this baggage in me: anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, lack of loving words growing up. Even when my daughter passed away, I couldn’t deal with the pain of losing her because I was focused on my past insecurities. I felt, “Oh people will laugh at me. This means I’m a failure.” The fear of failure plagued me. I felt like I’d failed as a mum. So many people had babies and they survived so why didn’t mine?

When I started talking to the Life Coach, I got to talk honestly and deal with all the emotions. The more I talked, the more I could think clearer about who I was and who God had created me to be. That period birthed, “My Light House”, a platform for ladies that have dealt with pain of some sort, including loss. I had never felt that free before and I just wanted to do the same for someone else. The more I gave, the more I was healed from all the things that plagued me.

Now I don’t need my husband to tell me, “You’re beautiful.” I realised I needed to find my validation from God, so I can believe it when my husband tells me I’m beautiful. I can be amazing and a great success and do the things I want to do because I now know who I am in Christ. I think that’s where the power is.

I'm still on a journey, but every day I feel more confident. I want others to know, "You are good enough." Christ makes you good enough.

(Part 1/2) I grew up in a polygamous home. I never lived with both parents. I lived with my mum till I was 7 years old and then moved into my dad’s home with a step mum and new siblings. Between my parents, I’m the only child and that made me feel like I didn’t really belong anywhere because other siblings had somebody else that was from the same mum and dad, and so I often felt alone.

Though my step mums didn’t treat me badly (they were actually quite lovely), I was always insecure, trying to be heard, trying to be loved, because I just didn’t feel like I had it. For a long time, I didn’t even know if I deserved any kind of love. I was just the most insecure person. I went through life like that and became quite careless.

In university, I would party and have boyfriends. I made so many bad decisions. In the midst of all my partying and stuff, I started feeling tired. I became miserable. I’d snap at everybody. I wouldn’t talk to anyone. I just didn’t want people around because I was so lost and frustrated. I started losing friends. My dad’s Muslim and my mum’s a white garment Christian, so my idea of God and having a relationship with him was so convoluted.

One day, I decided to go to church. I went the first time, and the next and then every time they asked people to come forward if we wanted to be prayed for, I’d always go forward. This happened every Sunday and people wondered what was wrong with me, but I felt like I had lived such a life that I had to keep going forward to ask God for forgiveness.

On one particular Sunday, I felt the burden lift and experienced God's love. I began reaching out to my friends. I started becoming a bit more secure but I still had work to do. When I started dating the man who is now my husband, I felt I wasn’t good looking enough, and no matter how much he told me he loved me even in my most natural state, I just had a problem believing it, because nobody had ever really told me before. I couldn’t see myself as God saw me – beautiful and the apple of his eye.

When I got married and lost my daughter, my insecurities really came back.

(Read the concluding part of this story on our website.)

When I was young, people used to tell me I was fat, even when I wasn't. At the end of secondary school, although I wasn't like every other person, I was quite beautifully developed and I would constantly get, "You are too fat! You are too fat!" That messed up my psyche and spoilt my self-esteem.

Getting into university, I would dress tomboyish and would overcompensate because I felt I was fat and for a long time I thought I was ugly. I did start to pile on the weight. I remember someone once told me I needed to quickly find someone to marry and then have a child, and continue to get fat. (She said this in Yoruba.)

Sometime during my university, I was hanging out with my friend, Abounce. I had been so sad all day and he kept asking what was wrong with me. He was a very good friend who was like a big brother to me. He would tell me not to care about what anybody said to me and that it’s what's on the inside that counts.

Whenever I tried to exercise and I got on the road to do a brisk walk, people would yell at me, okada men scream, people stare, laugh and jeer. I would lose it and get discouraged. When eating, people would also say things like, "Are you meant to be eating?" and I would retort, “No, I'm supposed to starve and die!" People can really be very nasty.

In the end, it took God’s grace and that conversation I had with my friend, Abounce, to help me realise that I am who I am. I should love myself in spite of whatever anybody has to say.

I am a dream chaser, I am living my dream, I am loving my life and I am beautiful. I do not dress like a reject. In my speech, in the way that I walk and talk, I am proud of who I am and I know I can be a better person.

Perhaps tomorrow I will be able to win this battle called weight loss, not for anybody but for God and myself. Being plus size doesn't make me less of who I am. It just makes me extra special, extra goodie, extra loving, extra teddy bearish, extra blessed and extra loved.

Somebody needs to hear this. Remember to find love with God and remember to love yourself.

(Read the preceding parts of this story on our website.)

(Part 3/3) I've heard of trailers killing people on the road and driving into cars but a trailer crashed into my house, where I was sleeping in my bedroom. I don't usually park my car at that particular side of the house, but I just did the night it happened. I was supposed to go for a bachelor’s eve party. I was at home waiting to get the location but slept off till the next morning when I woke up to a loud bang. In fact, I fell down from my bed, and when I looked outside the window I saw a trailer. It drove into the fence, and rammed straight into my car crushing it all the way to my room. The car actually stopped the trailer from coming into my apartment to end me once and for all.

I just started crying and I said, 'Lord, use me as you want to use me. I am your living sacrifice. I am done.' I began to understand the meaning of the love of God and the fear of God and that broke all the addictions; everything that I once used to do. I went through a lot.

When you become a Christian, it doesn't guarantee that you won't go through tribulations and suffering. So in my process, I went through many things that I'm not sure a lot of people would have been able to. Because my addictions were a lot and I had gone really deep, God did a great work on me to get me right.

I'm now free from all my addictions and I use my life to help people who are willing to be the best version of themselves. I'm walking by faith, trying to do things as the Lord leads me. I am now a certified life coach and a relationship expert. I was called by God to do what I'm doing right now and I found my purpose at the end of the day. I realised that God works for our own good, in good times and bad times, according to his purpose.

(Read the concluding part of this story on our website.)