NOTE: Please read the previous blog "Very Humbled" to understand the context of this entry.
My last entry was about the gift that I received from the African Pastor in Nigeria. The day that I entered that blog I tried to contact, through e-mail, the pastor and thank him for the beautiful garment. I wanted to get some more books to him as well. If you recall, a couple in my church had given their son a copy of "Noblesse Oblige" as he was graduating from college. I had met the Durhams and their son Ben on August 16th. That is the day they gave me the gift from Africa. We did not have much time that day to talk. It was more of a quick version of the story of how and why the book traveled to Nigeria. In short up until today I thought the highlight of the story was what had transpired through the Nigerian Pastor Timothy, reading "Noblesse Oblige." In comes the rest of the story.
It was my understanding that Ben was gong back to Nigeria, so I tried to contact him to get him some books to take with him. Ben returned my phone call today and informed me that he was not going to Nigeria, but back to Texas to do graduate work. Thankfully, I got to hear Ben's whole story. You see, this whole story is not really about me, the book, the Nigerian pastor, but about Ben and his relationship with Jesus.
Ben told me that the reason he went to Nigeria was to study an indigenous religion called "Ifa" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ifa ). Ben had been raised in the Christian faith, but lost his faith at age 16 when his mother died of cancer. Like so many people, Ben wondered: "how could a good and all powerful God allow such suffering"? Without going into great detail, the Ifa religion offered some possible answers to a lot of unanswered questions for Ben. Thus Ben journeyed to Nigeria in search of peace and hope.
On the flight over Ben said he read my book. He said that it primed the pump spiritually for what God was about to do in his life. This is where the story takes off.
Ben's host family for his study time would be at the home of Reverend Timothy Oyebisi, a local Christian pastor. Over the years the Reverend has hosted many students like Ben, showing them grace and hospitality.
The Reverend asked Ben why he was in Nigeria. Ben told him about his desire to find some answers and some solace in the Ifa religion concerning his mom. Reverend Timothy in turn shared the truth about Jesus Christ with Ben. He told him that he would not find peace in Ifa but in Christ alone. He told him that Jesus could and would heal his heart and give him back his life if Ben would give him his. Ben did just that. He was re-introduced to Jesus through Timothy Oyebisi. God, in his sovereignty, placed Ben in Timothy's path to bring him to faith in Jesus.
Ben shared with me that he would wake up in the morning during his time with Timothy to the sound of Timothy praying prayers of destiny and hope. He prayed that Ben would find a wife that would help fill the hole that was created by losing his mom. Ben was mentored by this wonderful African pastor in a very impacting way in his brief time in Nigeria. Ben is going back to school to learn how he can be used of God to make life better for others in Africa. I guess you could say he found his "Noblesse Oblige". Obviously, Reverend Oyebisi is living his "Noblesse Oblige" as well.
