True Story; We Cut Down More Than 100 Cashew Trees to Build a Church In My Village
Many years ago, when I was still living in the village, around the year 2000 precisely,
many churches were opening branches in different villages.
One of those churches was the Foursquare Gospel Church, FGC.
The headquarters of the church at Alapere, Lagos, decided to also open a branch in our village.
So the general overseer, I think Rev Badejo or so, sent a pastor to open a branch in our village"Ogugu"
They sent someone who understood our language and, most importantly, someone who was from our area.
When they arrived, they knew they had to do something to attract the villagers.
The first thing they organized was a crusade.
They called it “Operation Sweep.”
They also organized a film show.
And the movie they showed was that very popular 1998 Nigerian movie, Witches.
That movie attracted a lot of people.
And before long, the church started getting attention in the village.
Even I, was attracted.
I was already attending another church with my mother.
But somehow, I left that church and started attending Foursquare Gospel Church.
And I wasn't the only one.
The church attracted a lot of people, especially the youths.
The activities of the church were designed more around young people.
And then, of course, there was the pastor's wife.
Vibrant young woman, and she spoke beautiful Queen's English.
That alone was enough to fascinate many of the young people in my village.
So the youths started rushing there.
And I was one of them.
The church initially started in the parlour.
From the palour, it gradually moved into the compound.
And as the congregation grew, the church began making plans to build its own permanent place.
Then one day, we heard the announcement.
The church had bought a land!
Now, it was time to build.
And almost everyone in the church was ready to work.
We wanted to see our church standing.
So we all mobilized ourselves and went to the land.
But there was one problem.
The land was a cashew plantation.
Before we could begin the church foundation, we had to clear the land.
That meant cutting down the cashew trees.
So we started working.
We picked up our cutlasses, axes and diggers
And we began cutting.
From one cashew tree to another.
We kept going.
We spent about one whole week cutting down those cashew trees so that we could clear the land and build the church.
By the time we finished, we had cut down more than 100 cashew trees.
A whole cashew plantation gone.
After cutting down all those trees, we finally had a big, open field.
And then the church foundation started.
Eventually, the church building was completed.
Guess what?
The very next month, many of us were back in that same church praying for jobs.
Praying for breakthroughs.
We were casting down Satan.
binding demons.
blaming witches for our setbacks.
We were asking God for jobs.
We were asking God to change our situation.
At that time, none of us saw the irony.
But today, as an adult, I know better.
Recently, I came across an article saying that the global cashew nut market is worth about $10 billion.
And immediately, something struck me.
I suddenly realized how foolish we might have been.
We had cut down a huge cashew plantation.
A plantation that was producing something with enormous demand around the world.
Something that could have created jobs.
Something that could have provided a livelihood for people in our community.
Something that could have helped make our lives better.
And we cut it all down.
We destr0yed it.
Then we planted a church in its place.
And after doing that, we came back to the church and started praying for jobs.
Today, I realize that many of our problems is not caused by Satan.
Some of them are caused directly by us.
By the way we reason.
By the backward teachings we have received over the years.
These are some of the things that continue to hold us back as a people.
For many years, we were made to believe that heaven was the ultimate goal.
So earthly riches did not matter very much.
We were taught to focus on heaven.
Earthly wealth was temporary.
This world was temporary.
Heaven was permanent.
And because of that thinking, we always ignore the Earth.
And no wonder, decades later, many of us are still struggling with poverty.
Many people are dying from hunger and diseases
Many communities still struggle with bad roads, poor water supply.
Many still struggle with electricity.
By the way, my community, Ogugu this same community has still not gotten common electricity up til today.
We were so focused on building a place where we could pray for prosperity
that we failed to recognize the prosperity that was already growing on the land.
Sometimes, the answer to our prayer may already be growing right in front of us.
And if we are not careful, we may cut it down ourselves
Onucche
#truelifestory
#businesstycoon
