THE STORY BEHIND THIS GLORY.
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Engr. Ufuoma Chima Apoki was born on 9/11/1988 in my hospital, Petra hospital, along Ukaegbu road Ogbor hill Aba.
Like all my children, I personally took the delivery because my wife, a nurse/midwife, always insists I take her deliveries, because she likes the way I pay attention to my patients in labour. She also believes I’m the best driver; it’s only when I’m driving she can take a nap. But I’m not sure if she likes my style of preaching. You can’t blame her; I’m not a normal person. She loves the preaching styles of Rev. Sam Adeyemi and Rev. Samson Bodjor.
Ufuoma was born with a birth defect that required surgery at the National Orthopedic Hospital, Enugu. He never sucked breast milk for once.
I was 29 years old then, and I had not seen any of my 3 elder brothers for 5 years then, when I got married. It was one of the most traumatic periods in my life. My car knocked engine; I repaired it, and it was leaking oil from the engine. My landlord said I should leave his house. My father was paralyzed from a spinal cord injury he sustained from a road traffic accident. My mother was also paralyzed with stroke at the same time.
Suddenly, my daughter, Ejiro Apoki, his elder sister, had bilateral genu valgus, and she needed surgery too at the National Orthopedic Hospital, Enugu. My two children were admitted in the same ward for surgery at the same time. I was 29 years old with nobody around from my family. I would drive to Enugu to see my family after seeing my patients and drive back to Aba.
One day, I was going at night and had an accident with my eldest son, now Dr. Miracle Apoki, a resident orthopedic surgeon based in Germany. The car flew into the air when I ran to a point where there was a break in the tarred road. We were airborne for some split seconds before we landed on the continuation of the tarred road. The windscreen of the Datsun laurel cracked. Thank God I just fastened the seat belt of my son a few minutes back before we flew into the air. Nothing happened to us or the car, and I just continued driving.
On our way back, I broke down in tears. The pressure was just too much for a 29-year-old young man, all alone. I asked God with tears in my eyes, “Why me?”, and I heard vividly “Why not you? Someone has to pass through it to encourage others”.
That defined my life and ministry.
I never ever thought I was under attack by the devil; I was just 3 years old in the Lord.
I bring you hope in this period of my celebration.
I don’t know what you are passing through, but God knows why.
Find the lesson; there lies the blessings.
I bring you hope as my spiritual father, Rev. John Okposio Marshall, did then; he led my wife and I to Christ at the Living Word Training Centre, 158 Aba-Owerri road.
He came and prophesied upon Ufuoma that he would be great in life. Mrs Theresa Uzochikwa of blessed memory came too and prophesied that she had seen a child with cleft lip and palate before and that the child grew to become a genius.
People made mockery of my wife and I and our little son, even church folks.
My wife and I have seen a lot of mockery in life.
I then named him Chima, meaning “God knows” in Ibo language.
I named him Ufuoma because I had peace and I needed more peace.
Ufuoma is a genius; he came 3rd in a mathematics competition in the whole eastern Nigerian states when he was in primary school. A certificate was sent to us through the Living Word Academy from Enugu. He and his mother started a publishing business while he was an undergraduate in the University of Benin. He is an accomplished author of several educational books used by several schools. He became a successful business person before going for NYSC at 23. He is a success story in all ramifications of life despite the several challenges he had. He is rounding up his PhD in Software Engineering. He had been to the United States of America twice to work. He is the one funding his marriage from his business.
Like his name, Ufuoma, he is a peaceful person and pleasant to live with. Like all my children, he is extremely brilliant and a blessing to humanity.
I pray for you reading this story, your trials will turn to triumph. Instead of disaster, you will become a superstar. Instead of catastrophe, you will win a trophy.
My God makes all things perfect . . . Chima.
God knows what he is doing.
God bless you.
I’m your friend Dr Charles Apokiiiiii.
