Evangelist Marvellous Chimezirim Isreal is the Coordinator, Children Evangelism Ministry Int’l Delta State.
Since assuming office Evang. Marvellous has embarked on major projects, aimed at bettering and enhancing teenagers. Love, affection, and kindness to others are key things that help us live meaningfully.
Discovering early in life that in real love you want the other person’s good, he is poised to create an absolutely better life for children across the state.
That we are living in a stress filled world is no longer news, with the poor economic position of the country, many parents are going through financial stress, anxiety and depression. Sadly most children do not know how to cope with these pressures thereby leading some to make wrong choices.
He shares with this reporter, Omamuzo Efidhere his passion and love to reach every child with the gospel of Jesus Christ and the
The holidays are here again, what is the plan for children holiday camp this time?
The children holiday camp is ongoing right now in Heroes of Faith Church Ughelli, it was held across the entire Delta State this month of April, at NYSC orientation camp in Isele-Uku, for Asaba axis at Total Child School Agbor, for Agbor axis. Ukwuani, Abraka, in three different locations in Warri, Ozoro etc. the camp is geared towards reaching out to children. Our aim is to ensure that we preach the gospel of Christ. This year’s theme is titled Making Wise Choices. Our children are confronted everyday with making choices. It is ether they choose to do good or evil and we are trying to equip them with the necessary skills with which they will be able to choose to do what is right despite being raised in a society where evil is prevalent all the time.
So the camp will help our children grow in grace and wisdom and we appeal that our parents trust the organization Children Evangelism Ministry INT’L, we are non-denominational, non-sectarian our aim is to ensure we reach every child with the gospel of Christ, members of different churches make up Children Evangelism Ministry INT’L, Delta State. Children Evangelism Ministry is registered with CAC and incorporated since 1983. We are not just situated only in Delta; we are in all the states in Nigeria.
Three days is the camp, what will three days do for a child that is already having challenges?
In three days, destinies can be changed. It doesn’t take God up to a day to change the story of an individual. So, whether that child is healthy, stubborn or possessed with demons, an encounter with Christ can change the story of that child forever. So, our parents should be encouraged to release their children and send them, they have our word that their children’s welfare will be very well taken care of.
What are you doing about security because we live in a country where insecurity is on the rise daily?
The Bible says if the Lord does not watch over his people the watchmen watcheth in vain. If we look at the issue of insecurity in the land, we will not do anything and that is one of the thing the enemy is targeting, to discourage us from teaching our children and equipping them with the right tools with which they will use to stand for Jesus.
We should also take note that the bombing and abduction of passengers of the Kaduna/Abuja train incident also affected security personnel, so if the Lord actually doesn’t watch over us the watchmen watcheth but in vain. But across the state where there is need we have contacted law enforcement agencies, they are aware of our programme and they are sending us personnel to ensure that day and night here is adequate security. They will be adding the camp venue as part of their oversight functions within those days that we will be there.
So, what is a child expected to gain from the children holiday camp?
The child will know Jesus, the Child is expected to learn to relate with people, he will not just learn scriptures, and he will also learn to mingle with people. He or she will also learn independence. One of the things that affect children is the fact that they are always shielded by their parents but in the camp where father and mother’s help will be unavailable, they will learn to, though with supervision from teachers and other people God will be using throughout the period, they will learn to be independent of themselves, they will learn how to survive on their own i.e. wake up, bathe, dress up, choose what to wear in the morning and evening, eat whatever they are served, account for their belongings etc. They will learn social skills, they will learn bible skills, they will learn more of Christ and it will also help them to make decisions to serve God as they grow.
For funding, how are you funding these camps?
Thank God for that question because if we go by one thousand naira per child, (children holiday camp fee in Ughelli) presently in Nigeria, one thousand naira cannot feed a child in one day not to talk of three days, but God has actually blessed us with good people. There are people God uses to support and fund this programme, there are churches that also work with us, that always send fund to sponsor the programme. Also some parents who appreciate what we do, after registering their children, they will support the programme with money. At least, I remember one of the camps in Asaba, a parent registered with three thousand naira for the child, paid transport for the child and still gave us ten thousand naira to support the programme because he knows that the three thousand naira will not be enough to adequately take care of all that the child will require.
What is government, political office holders, appointees and corporate bodies doing to support this programme?
We have been doing this for long and it is quite sad that we have been trying to get the attention of the Delta State Government to no avail, in fact presently, one of the aides, a media assistant to the Governor’s wife, somebody gave me her contact, I have sent several messages to her on whatsapp. She didn’t respond, I called severally, she didn’t pick her calls. So what we just do is as the lord helps us, we plan the programme with what we have.
Recently we did a medical outreach that cost us so much money, in fact doctors within Delta/Edo did not accept to attend without financial packages. We had to get doctors from Kano, Kaduna to come and treat people in Ughelli free of charge and then we had to spend so much to make sure that these doctors get here, transport and logistics.
We do not get any form of funding from government and if these children get better the society gets better, and the work of government gets lighter.
We are covering the entire state right now; we have visible presence in the three senatorial districts. I also tried to reach out to more junior political appointees, but they will keep us waiting in their office for hours then go out through the back door, so we decided not to go and seek financial assistance from anyone, as the lord is providing for us. We just plan whatever we need to do with what we have.
What will be your advice to Government, political appointees, cooperate bodies, political office holders?
We appeal to them to realize that the reason why God is blessing them and had put them in that position or place of authority is for them to be a blessing to their people. Nobody will die and leave this world with the wealth he or she acquires, the only things we will be remembered for, is what we have done with what we had while we were still alive and this is an opportunity for every one of us to team up together to do what God has asked us to do so as to make the society a better place.
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