BY 1957, the Eku Baptist Hospital was Really growing !! Patients were coming by lorry (truck), on cycle, or on foot from may miles around – some even coming many miles, with yams, or fruit, or animals on their heads for payments, all this on their heads plus a small “pickin” (child) on their back. By 1958 they had treated more that 10,000 Out-patients & far more patients than beds. My parents had no idea how God was going to cause His Glory to be revealed. It grew from that small clinic, there in the small jungle village, to the “Jewel of the Delta” that it later become, for God’s Glory !! Why did so many start coming to Eku and not the bigger cities of Benin City, or Sapele, Warri ? — The sick people knew that in Eku, they would receive personal attention, but many did not really know the reason – but God was drawing them. The main reason my parents started the Hospital there was to give them the opportunity to Know the precious Love of our Living God, the Lord Jesus Christ. In l972, the Mid-West Baptist Convention started. Rev. Palmer Ofuoku, started working on formalizing and upgrading the Pastor’s School, that my Dad had started in 1945. This way students can enter the Ogbomosho Seminary directly. After Rev. J. E. Aganbi, then Rev. Ofuoku also started training some to be Chaplains, to help him with all the patients coming in. —- MY SPIRITUAL HEROES, In The Early Days, were the Chaplains at Eku’s Hospital !!! The exhaustive hours that they spent with each patient, day and night, were Amazing!! As the Hospital grew through the years, I remember as a child that there would even be as many as 3 to 4 Chaplains, working round the clock. They would take turns, every morning, with a Chapel Service at 7 a.m. in the chapel-waiting room, for the patients and Hospital workers. Because some patience could now walk there, some preaching was also done in the wards, especially each Sunday. One of my favorites, was Pastor Ujo, who was a mighty soul winner. It was common to hear that the Holy Spirit would lead over 100 to the Jesus, in one week, through these precious Chaplains and many of the area church members were Brought to a Strong Relationship of love with Jesus and not just a member of a Church !!! Many were Idol worshipers before coming into the Hospital. Oooh such Love and Compassion flowed to the patients, in those days !!! (Please, Keep praying for a Miracle today ooo !) The Chaplains ministered in Urhobo, English, Igbo, Pidgin, and as the Hospital grew, even more languages were spoken at the bedside. You would always hear the Name of Jesus lifted up somewhere, and God’s Powerful Living Word to groups everywhere. You would also hear their Joyous praises all around the area each day. – Oh, what a Glorious way to start the day !!! Music was a Great part of life on the compound there. Dr. Jedi Agbowu, the Medical Director there for many years, and Also had a very Anointed Gift from God to start and train the Nurses into one of the Greatest Choirs that I ever heard at the Nursing School, there on the Hospital compound!! They and the Chaplains would go around and have Revival meetings all around and saw many born again there. The Chaplains were also involved with the social work, as each patient saw the doctors and were admitted into the different wards, each patient and their families were ministered to about their needs, and were prayed over. Many miracles happened. Each person that received Jesus as their Saviour, No Matter where they came from, was asked if there was a good Bible teaching Church in their village, because they needed to be discipled in God’s Word, and how to Grow in Relationship with their new Heavenly Father, after asking Jesus into their hearts. If they did not have one, after being healed, we heard stories of the Chaplains taking turns, and going with them back to their villages, and starting a Church there !! – As the Hospital grew, word got out throughout the land that this Hospital was a very Special place of Loving care and Miracles. Even people came from all around Nigeria, Ghana, Niger, Congo, etc. — When my husband and I come back to Eku, in 2005, we did a video asking people to tell us their story of coming to Eku’s Hospital. — Wow, we would hear one tell that as a doctor in Yoruba Land told them that their mother would have to have her leg cut off to save her life, and the son said, “No, I will take her to Eku, God Will save her life there” !! Another person from Igbo Land, said that her Dad, would have to have a very dangerous surgery to be able to save his life, and she said, “No, I will take him to Eku, God Will save his life there” !! On and on we heard soo Many stories of a Living God, Who loved each one brought to the Hospital so dearly that He would pour out His Mighty Anointed Power right there among the sick!!! In those days, many healed patients, would even travel great distances Back to Eku – even walk many days, just to come back and tell they had later received Jesus, because of the Love. Others came back to share how God had miraculously healed or restored their bodies, even after arriving back to their homes. We serve a Mighty Loving Lord God of All flesh !!! He just wants someone …. Even YOU, To Believe You receive, When You prayed !!! Oooh, How Jesus Loves YOU, and wants you to Believe in His Power for YOU!!! JESUS IS THE TRUTH and The ONLY WAY To Heaven – PLEASE ooo, Ask Him Into your Life today !!! Oghene Nyerhovwe – Avwerosu Oghene — na Omoteko
