Wadooo Eku !! …. …. With the coming of Eku’s 2nd doctor, Dr. William ( Bill ) Gaventa & my Mother, in Full Swing – Great numbers of People Were Coming from miles around for Medical help !!! — By now, with the help of my Dad, (Rev. Dr. Milford Howell), Making the ‘Blue Prints’ & Supervising, AND with the great numbers of precious Eku strong workers – Many buildings were being completed – BUT, it was Now time for the Surgical Theater to be built, so my Dad, asked the Mission Convention to send an experienced Builder, to come & finish the Medical details of Lab, Pharmacy, & Surgical Theater. They sent Missionary- Mr. Buford Cockrum, who was an experienced Builder from Ogbomosho, to come help. This was so wonderful for my Dad, whose heart was an Evangelist, even though he was still training Pastors & also supervised the building of more Churches & Schools in Urhobo Land & throughout the Delta State – His Deepest Love was to see People Ask Jesus Christ INTO their hearts, as Saviour !!!! – He also loved training Pastors, to Discipled the new Creatures IN Christ Jesus, so that they would Really come to Know God’s Word, personally for themselves !! —- Dad and a local artist, in Eku, made a Very Beautiful Art Sign, that could be rolled up, to carry on a Bike. He used it at each Preaching Station & Evangelism Campaign. – When people saw it, they came running to see the “Oyebo’s, ( peeled skinned ones) – Also if my Mother, (Mrs. Eleanore Katharing Howell – who started the Hospital from a clinic), with her Medicine Bag was seen, OR the Only Oyebo Child in the whole area, CAME !! – In those days, Many had Never Seen Any White people before, much less a white girl with yellow hair, So, Everyone wanted to touch & feel her hair !! — When I wasn’t helping Mother with the sick, or Dad with things as he preached, I would take off, & even as a small child, would do my own telling of Jesus Love for them !!! — With Rev. Jejovi E. Aganbi, as Chaplin at the Hospital, Dad Started training a Very precious, Godly, young man, Named Palmer Ofuoku, & also introduced him to my “Nanny” Rebecca. – They fell in love & Dad married them – What an Amazing TEAM in the Kingdom of God, & Eku was Truly Blessed by God’s ministry through them !!!!! —- A local Carpenter, saw what a Joy I had when helping some of the women in the Eku Market & also pretending that I was selling my wares like the Big Ladies on the side of the roads – So he made me a small Table & 4 chairs, as a gift to me – Wow, I Really had Fun then !!! ( I still have All 5 of them here at our house, in Texas, Today — Plus, many other things & articles of my Nigerian clothes, from back then) – I would Never, for anything in the whole wide world — I will NEVER EVER trade my growing up time, as a Nigerian Urhobo !! (age Birth to 16 years old) — Many More stories to come – I Love una oooo !! – na Chief Omoteko (Wo ru ru ma mo) – Uriri dia k’Oghene !!!!!!
