NO FRIDGE

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NO FRIDGE

I needed to move from where I was to another city for a training yesterday. Now, I had some vegetable soup in my fridge which I thought to take along with some garri for ẹ̀bà. But while I was packing, I changed my mind about going with the soup. I read some article of late which made me skeptical of using plastics or foils to warm food in the microwave oven; and since the hotel room I would be lodged in was not expected to have a kitchenette, so there would not be any ceramic plate available to warm the soup in. As such, I dropped the soup which I had already packed.

When I arrived at the town that hosts the hotel, it took me a while to locate the hotel as it is not on the main road. I opened the door to my room, relieved I made it at last to the place, turned on the lights and unpacked, while taking in the simple beauty of the room. I looked around and could not find a fridge. It must be my eyes. But no, my eyes saw well, no fridge indeed. This is quite abnormal for a hotel room! No fridge, no tea/coffee corner, no electric kettle to boil water for my ẹ̀bà. What if I had brought the vegetable?! It would have spoilt and wasted for no means of preservation. It was then I understood clearly that the Lord was leading me, though it seemed like I was the one making my own plans, when I decided to drop the soup.

It would never cease to amaze me how God leads and guides His children even when they are not conscious of it, in little things and big issues alike.https://www.facebook.com/pages/Clips-from-MY-LIFE/330907330306751

...A STRONG TOWER...
Little wonder the memory kept tugging at my heart, it makes it a month today, that He rescued me from the jaws of the destroyer. As it is said of me in Isaiah 54:

16“See, it is I who created the blacksmith
who fans the coals into flame
and forges a weapon fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc;
17no weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
and this is their vindication from me,”
declares the Lord.

I have shared this in my church, but I feel the urge to do so again on this platform.

I needed to be in Owerri last Christmas to see a dear big sister and her family. I have not seen them for over a year. I had three pieces of baggage with me, which were not quite heavy though. I did not want to stress myself by trekking down from the main road, where I alighted from the bus, with my luggage to my destination which is about fifteen minutes away on foot. So, I stopped a bike. The bike crossed the highway to pick me. A convoy of vehicles were coming, so he had to hold on for them before crossing the road again with me. There was another car, coming not too far from the convoy. I did not know what came over the okada man, he dashed impatiently across the road while I heard sharp honks from the oncoming car and shouts of panic from within the car.My life flashed before me in a twinkle, and I thought to myself if I was really going to be involved in this collision. The car's driver tried his best to pull at his brake, but too late, he ran into us. I was scared stiff, my heart in my mouth. The only thing in my mouth was a shout of His name:
'Jesus of Nazareth! Jesus, my Lord!'
The bikeman fell with his bike and with me and my baggage. I felt a pang in my back as I landed on my bottom. I was literally bounced off the bike. Shocked, I gathered my luggage, none of them was altered. I had a bruise on my elbow, and the pain in my back, plus the shock. By now, few passersby had gathered plus the people in the car, asking if I was okay. I explained I was fine, and that I would have to do what I was avoiding-trek. My legs and my suede flats were dirty, still shocked. I left the motorcyclist there, minding his leg. Maybe, he broke it, cause he was massaging it and wincing with great pain.

Several thoughts swam through my head as I dragged my feet along the red dusty road linking from the highway to my sister's place. What if I had been seriously injured or killed? They would have ransacked my bag and call the last person I made a call to on my phone, my hostess,and then my family. God forbid! On Christmas day! But there went the Lord, He proved to me that His name is a strong tower that the righteous run into and get safe, secure from all harm and alarm. I called on His name, and He rescued me. None of my bones were broken, not a single one, only a bruise, and a pang in my back. I must see a doctor for a check-up, but I knew I was fine. I was sure the deliverance was thorough.

I arrived at my destination. They were glad to see me. We exchanged pleasantries, it was over a year since I saw them last. If only they knew what happened few minutes ago. I blurted and told them, they aah-ed and oohed and we blessed the
Lord together. My sister told me she felt a nudge to pray for me that morning, against accident. She didn't know why the Lord would bring that prod, for it wasn't my first time of visiting and the journey had always been smooth. I also got some thoughts of accident- crossing the road and jamming a car- hurled at me in the bus, but I rebuked and rejected them immediately. Thank you Jesus.

I didn't tell this to my dad, I didn't want him bothered. I changed my mind about going to see a doctor, I would be X-rayed, I just had one last October, three months ago. But I knew I was perfectly fine, else I would have gone in spite of the exposure to radioactive rays.

I have personalised Psalm 124 below.This is my story, this is my song.

1If the Lord had not been on my side—
let Ayobami say—
2if the Lord had not been on my side
when people attacked me,
3they would have swallowed me alive
when their anger flared against me;
4the flood would have engulfed me,
the torrent would have swept over me,
5the raging waters
would have swept me away.
6Praise be to the Lord,
who has not let me be torn by their teeth.
7I have escaped like a bird
from the fowler’s snare;
the snare has been broken,
and I have escaped.
8My help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

SEAT MIRACLE

Yesterday morning when going to work, the train I boarded was filled to the brim and a lot of us stood up all through the thirty minutes journey. I had to go on this particular train as the next train in my direction was to come eight minutes after which would make me for work. I for one did not like the standing because I couldn't read my book (I usually have a book in my bag everyday to kill time with while going to and coming from work).
This morning however, I asked the Lord to get me a seat anyhow. But to my dismay, there were many people waiting for the train like we had yesterday. So, I had no seat and had to stand again. Suddenly, an officer appeared from nowhere announcing that the train would not stop until it gets to Aulnay Sous Bois, meaning passengers going to La Plaine-Stade-de-France should leave the train. Many people trooped out. I was not so much paying attention until my colleagues called out to me to sit down on a vacant seat close to the door before another person took the seat I sat down, and then it occurred to me that the Lord just answered my prayer.
And by the time we would reach La Plaine-Stade-de-France, alas, the train stopped. So, my colleagues wondered aloud why those people were asked to leave the train initially when the train was still going to stop. I told them it happened so I could sit down. Bewildered and grateful, I told the Lord in my heart, 'Wow, Jesus, You did this for me!' I settled down to read my book, and I enjoyed it! — in France.

God is busy writing my story
As each moment passes, He is updating
Every detail and ephemeron
Crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i'
And it is turning out more beautiful than I ever dreamed

There have been ups and downs
There have been tears, despairs and sighs
There have been disappointments and hurts
There have been painful lessons
But all these have only succeeded in adding colour to the story

Lord I put my hand in Your hand
For this is necessary
Iif every 't' in the story must be crossed and every 'i' dotted.

The Void Spelt G.O.D

For several weeks, I was down (not healthwise). I found it hard to pray well and could not sing freely. It was painful because I knew my joy was not full. Little things pissed me off and I was often feeling grouchy, dissatisfied about everything. 

I knew it was a big vacuum that only God could fill and I was crying to Him everyday to fill it. My personal praise/worship life was minus. All these were pointers to the fact that I needed more of God. I am a prolific writer (writes proses, poems and plays), but when I'm down, I always struggle for ideas. I have learnt over years of walking with God that He is my Source for everything, my Muse and my sense of wits, my dancing steps and my sweet music, my joy and my smiles.

Throughout this period, I rarely posted on my Facebook pages because there was almost nothing to post. But glory, I'm alive again. He has refreshed me and is still doing so. I sing to Him effortlessly now, and I'm sure it is getting better, my joy is getting fuller as each day passes and my wits are back. Hallelujah!

One of the past days of dryness, I wrote this poem on 24/10/2012:

THE VOID SPELT G.O.D
Each time I get uptight and grouchy,
reacting at every slight provocation-
I know there is a void in me which needs to be filled.
Each time I feel unnecessarily dissatisfied about life,
feeling something is missing in spite of having 'all'
I know there is a void waiting to be filled.

This void is spelt G.O.D -
Every man has it,
great or small.
Everyone experiences it,
saved or unsaved.

Truth is many do not realise it can only be filled by GOD,
So they think it will go if they make more money
or if they get more influential.
A lot feel it will leave if they become more beautiful
or go trans-sexual.
Several others try to 'increase' in good deeds
just for this void to vanish.
Many a dignitary had killed him(her)self because of this void
and a number of commoners too.

If only they knew that the only one who could fill the void was GOD!
If only they knew that all they ever really wanted was GOD -
Not more fame or wealth;
Not more goodness or nicety;
Not more silver or gold;
Not more beauty or pomp -
Not more power or influence
For in Him all things consist
and if you have Him,
everything else runs after you.

©2012, Ayobami Temitope Kehinde

FRANCE AGAIN!

I'm back in France and should be there for more than one month, for another training of course. Surely, I can't be duped again. Just that I came in on a Monday and went straight to class. I was struggling to keep my eyes open in class. I was so tired that I went straight to bed that night the moment I touched my bed. The hotel room is not bad, just that there is no kitchenette, so you can't do any cooking for yourself.
 Family and friends gave me chores to complete before returning home, which I hope to accomplish:

1. Add on weight
2. Learn French

On the first day, in the taxi I entered from the airport, the cold was not friendly on me. Unfortunately, I did not have my jacket on. I tried to tell the driver in English it was too cold for me and that he should put on his warmer. But each time I told him that, he reduced the temperature. There was obviously a language barrier between us, I had to endure the cold until I got to my destination. Here, it might not be easy for you if you cannot speak French as most people you'll come across knows little English or pretends to.

Here is a message I sent to some loved ones:

My trip was fine. It is chilling cold here. We are transiting to winter (autumn). I have just one jacket and I'm planning to get more layers on Saturday plus a pair of winter boots and long thermal socks.
The training has been fine so far, except for the fact that I am the least experienced among my colleagues. But I'm coping and learning fast. Today, we had our first test and I had a straight 91%. I was so glad to God as I was highly encouraged. I need to improve on the practical side however.
I have had some challenges with what food to eat here for dinners. (We are not booked to eat dinners (plus lunch if on weekends at the hotel. We are given some money to buy food for ourselves.) Last week, I bought some rice and chicken curry for 12.5 euros at a Pakistani restaurant I went to with my colleagues. But, alas, I could not eat the food because of some strange flavour it has. It was in my fridge for four days when I gave it to the woman that cleaned my room on Saturday. I was happy I did not have to throw away 12.5 euros.
For over a week, I was taking soaked garri and fried chicken, at times, some cakes. I did not enjoy it very well all along but I had no choice until today when I took the 'risk' of going again with my colleagues to a Turkish restaurant. God so good, I found what I've been searching for. Their food was so good, except for the long walk it takes to get there from the hotel....

                                                                 

And in response to this mail, my people replied I should not return home leaner in spite of all...smh

I THINK I WAS DUPED

This is an account of how I was duped in Paris on April 1, this year, when I went for a training. It was indeed an 'April Fool' for me... :

THE ACCOUNT OF THE DUPE
My flight arrived at the CDG Airport at 6:15hrs on Sunday (01/04/2012) morning. After getting done with the immigration officials, I proceeded to go get a taxi or a RER. I had been pre-informed that the taxi estimated cost is 140 euros at the maximum according to the sheet containing the travel tips given to me from my base in Nigeria and by some colleagues who left the campus on the day (31/04/2012) I was leaving Nigeria. From the travel tips I also knew I could take RER though it was recommended to take taxi after 9:30 pm. I prepared for taxi but preferred to take the RER since my arrival time would not be 9:30 pm and since it would leave me with more money to be able to buy whatever I would want to buy during the training and any suitable thing I would want to take back home with me at the end of the training.

As soon as I came out from the border police area and claimed my baggage, I was met by a guy who was asking me if I wanted a taxi, but I could not understand him because he could not speak English so I ignored him. Then another black guy appeared and asked if I speak English, I was relieved to see someone that understand English so I gave him my attention. He claimed he was a taxi driver and told me he would take me to Chateau du Mee at 300 euros because it was a Sunday and there would be too much hold-up so that his meter would read more than on regular days. I told him I was not going to enter a taxi if it was like that that I would rather take a RER, so I asked him to rather show me where I would take the train. But he held on and offered to take me down to my destination by train at 140 euros for his efforts. I told him I was not told that according to the travel tips sheet with me (I even showed him the sheet), so he should just show me the RER so I could board and go my way, yet he stayed put stating he could help me then get the ticket and then send me on my way. He claimed to be helping me and presented himself as such a honest person that I believed everything he said. He was a member of an organization that reaches out to orphans and homeless children in Niger Republic, he claimed. He was Carribean French, he informed me, and spent two years in California for a mechanic training and had been in France for 11 or 13 years. So he kept on following me and helped me get the first train ticket because he said I would enter two trains to get to the area where Chateau du Mee is and would only have to trek for about ten minutes to get to my destination from the last train station. I gave him 10 euros and I saw him slid the note into a machine which cluttered out the change as he said the ticket cost 9, 25 euros which truly was typed on the ticket.

Then he told me about one Paris pass which I must get or else I would have problems with the police. He said it was necessary for every visitor in Paris and I must get it. I did not have up to the money he said it cost (200 plus euros) and I told him so, but he persuaded me to get it and would not give up as if he really cared. I did not have up to that as I changed only 400 dollars at the airport which was equivalent to 243 euros. He advised I could use my credit card to pay for it if I did not have enough cash on me. I let him know my credit card was not Master Card and so I could not use it, but he said Visa Card could be used outside your country too. So I began to frantically search for my credit card. Fortunately, I did not find it in my backpack. I told him I was not going to get the pass, that I would get it later but he kept on talking about it, encouraging me to bring out my credit card to be able to pay for it. He offered to follow me to the first train station (now I realised he did that to gain my confidence and convince me more on the so called Paris pass, I did not know then, I thought he was only been helpful). In the train, he told me the story of a guy from an African country who he carried in his taxi to his destination, how the guy refused to buy the Paris Pass because he did not have up to the amount it cost on that day, 440euros, in his credit balance (he said the price for the pass varies from day today, at times it is cheap, at times it is expensive, but the good thing is that the authority takes only 10% of the initial amount you paid and you could go back to any train station later to get your change; all you have to do is to show the official there your pass and he would check it with his computer and give you your change). According to him, the African guy had a problem with the police later because he did not have the pass and he was deported back to his country.

He did not stop talking about the pass until I blurted out that I still had some dollars I could change on me. He said he would change it for me at the train station. At the train station, he changed the 200dollars I gave him for 216euros (it did not occur to me to ask for receipt). He then told me to prepare the money in my bag before giving him as giving him money in public view could arouse the suspicion of the police thinking we were drug dealers. All.the while he was hurrying me up claiming he was still going to pick someone at 9:10am at the airport, if not because he was helping me, he claimed. In short, I gave him 322 euros in that station area (he claimed the pass cost 240 euros at a reduced rate because he, a citizen, helped me get it, the second train ticket was sold for 62 euros and he made me pay him 20 euros for his service, he even claimed the 20 euros service charge was not profitable to him because he was only helping me and he told me he would not lie to me too (what an irony!)). This guy gave me a map too, to find my way around Paris if I have to go anywhere. Now when I look back, I know he did those things to make me think he was a good person.

Lest I forget, when he got the second ticket for me, he said I had two options, either to go with a direct train to Melun or to go with two trains whereby one dropped me at a station and from there I could enter another one going to Melun. I wanted to go with the direct rain which was 18 minutes away from the station at the time, but he advised I went with the other train that would drop me somewhere else and then afterwards I could take the train going down to Melun. He offered to go with me even though he had told me before then he would leave me at the first station we got to after leaving the airport. Now I remember better, it was when he followed me the second time that I finally agreed to change 200 more dollars and definitely he followed me so he could persuade me and get me convinced to have him get the Paris pass for me. I could also recall he took me to a bill in French posted on a wall there and showed me some age range with some amounts written under each age range. He claimed the prices were the costs of Paris pass for different age ranges. It was about 270 euros for my age range but he said he could buy it at a reduced price for me since he was a citizen. I still do not understand how he got me to believe every of his lie. It was at this second station that he gave me the map. He collected a pen from a lady at a counter there and circled Melun on the map in order to show me the location of my destination. There he led me to the train set for Melun.

I did not realise until later in the train when I checked the ticket and found the cost was not printed on it. That bothered me because I needed the amount in prints to be able to claim my money back at my workbase in Nigeria. It did not cross my mind yet that I was swindled until I got to the station at Le Mee Sur Sein or Melun (I am not so sure of the name) on Monday evening and the official I met there told me there was no money on the pass and in fact I supposed to pay him to charge it for me. I was dumbfounded and could not believe my ears. He was very sorry to hear my story and immediately concluded I had met a swindler. He in fact said it costs only 5euros to get a Paris pass.

This fraudster gave me a mobile number which I have not tried because I asked him for it so I could call him to come pick me up on the day I would be going back home. But it is most likely the number was fake as he knew he was duping me when i did not have an idea of his evil scheme. Even till now, I still find it hard to believe the guy duped me because of the way he presented himself. I am only grateful to God I did not find my credit card when he was pestering me to use my credit card for the pass. He would somehow have made me give him the card and make away with every dime in my account.

The lady at the residence's reception told me it should cost only about 7 euros by train from the airport to Melun. And if Paris pass costs only 5 euros, altogether, he duped me of 319 euros because he collected 331,25 euros from me in total.

Bewildered at my discovery, on my way from the train station, I didn't know what to say than to continue to thank God. It sounds crazy to be thankful in such situation, but I was not going to blame God for He can never be at fault-either me or the devil is. I couldn't and still can't understand why this was allowed to happen to me because I committed every of my way here to God before leaving Nigeria. But I know it shall also work for my good and it shall colour my story. God is always right and just in all His ways. I have learnt not to talk to just anybody again in a strange land. If in doubt about anything I should walk up to any official at the airport and ask questions. Thank God it was money I lost, not my life.

The report above was the one I e-mailed to my instructor at the training except for the last paragraph which was an addition to the story in my mail to some friends. I could recall how it took me about two hours to type! On a good day, I should not spend 30 minutes on this, but it was not a sweet thing to write, it was painful for me.

*RER is the railway network of France