Looking from the sky above as if with the omnipresent eyes of God I see a child on a railway line way down on earth. How did I get up here? Right now the answer is not important for I hear the sound of a train is in full speed. In a few minute the train will run over her and crush her into pulp. Someone has to save the child hurry! I groan as I see the train accelerating towards the tiny form of flesh and bone, no one can hear me because my mouth will not open and speak the word. In desperation I dive swiftly and speedily pick up the child in the nick of time.
Suddenly as if in a new dimension I hear the cry of a baby in distress. Where is it coming from? I look around, and to my amazement my eyes can see through the baby boy. Again I hear the scream and my heart begin to pound in great anxiety. I wish I could run like the swiftest of horses and save the child. In the twinkle of an eye I find myself right in the front of the child.
This is an unusual phenomenon. Who am I? What am I doing? As I ponder over this, the wail of a young boy rends the atmosphere, in panic I run around in circle trying to locate the source. Round and round and round and round and round, I get more and more desperate with each circle, round and round and round….. Suddenly from the stupor of troubled slumber, my eyes fly open and I realize with a mixture of sadness and joy that it is just a dream. Reluctantly I closed my eyes again waiting for the morning light.
Most night for over five years during my childhood, such dreams permeated my sleep. Dreams of children in distress. Dreams of me make frantic effort to save them. I lacked the understanding that I was the fore shadow of the awesome task that lay ahead in adulthood. The call came in the year 1990 when God said:
“I want you to care for my orphans. My children are dying. Care for them and make me the proud father of generations of forsaken, forgotten but forthright children who will call upon my name”
Why was it such a personal thing with God I asked? I discovered from the Holy Scripture that he is the father of the fatherless and the defender of the poor.
I answered the call with the encouragement and support from my wonderful husband, capt Jide George. Ho where we to know the greatness of the burden? Nigeria is a fostering society, on one will leave an orphan without succor. Surely, there will be an aunt or a uncle left in the family who will take up the responsibility. So we thought how naive we were. However, our private properties in Akowonjo, were refurbished, and prepared awaiting the arrival of orphans. Today the property belongs to them permanently.
An abandoned and abused pair of female twins rescued became our first residents at the orphanage. We then dedicated the twins and the orphanage on the 4th of June 1994.
Two months went by and no orphan came knocking on our door for help. Where are the orphans? We must have gotten it all wrong. It was all a mistake.
However, I decided to pay a visit to the Alakara Juvenile Centre to see DSP Akpan.
“Good morning madam”
“Morning” she replied.
“My name is Mrs. Dele George, we have just opened an orphanage and I just came to inform you that we are willing to care for any orphaned child bereaved as a result of road accidents or any misfortune”
“We don’t have such orphan but wait until raining season and you will get a lot of babies,” said Mrs. Akpan.
“Abandon babies? From where”? I asked
“Who can do such things to tiny babies:
She looked at me as if to say “are you ignorant”
“Okay madam we will wait. Bye bye” no response.
I left in a daze and I recalled for the first time, flashes of my childhood dreams. I felt the power of love of God for my children.i perceived his desperation to reach out to us all. He is anxious to save, deliver and bless his creation. I then groan in my spirit for the tender plan of human form whom was dying as the result of the wickedness of those who incubated them for nine months with deep resentment and birth them in animosity to reject them.
True to her word, on the cloudy day, DSP Akpan walked into Little Saints orphanage care unit in Palm groove with a bulky carrier bag.
“Mrs. George I brought you a baby”, she said.
We all rushed towards her and stared into the bag. In the mixture of slime and blood was a baby. Something must be wrong with her I thought. I still could not believe that some women will throw away normal baby. We took her out of the bag of flit, undressed the child. It was a beautiful baby girl. Behold, after giving her a bath we found her to be in perfect condition. We named her Mary. The name of the most favored woman ever known in history, the mother of Jesus
That memorable day, the journey had just started for the untiring, unwavering, unconquerable team of strong tower mission, who together with me commence in full force the rehabilitation, reformation and re-integration of numerous babies in this generation.
The beginning of the journey was smell and humble. The journey is far, and the terrain unfamiliar. The exploit are difficult but fulfilling.
The end of the journey will surely be better than the beginning. it will be glorious and complete according to the author and the finisher of the vision-God the father of the fatherless.
There is room for more travelers on this journey. There is room for more participants in this vision. There is more to do and much to accomplish. H/Q Strong Tower House, 6 D’alberto Road Palm groove Estate, Palm groove, Lagos.
#SOURCE OF ARTICLE & PICTURES: LITTLE SAINTS ORPHANAGE
