Testimonies

 When Auntie Tins aka Mama Shoshana as I fondly call her told me about the Shoshana fellowship, at the time I was not actively thinking of having a baby but anyone that knows me, knows I love prayers so I said there’s no harm in “loading the heavens” and I joined the inaugural group in Nov 2017. When I was told that the prayers would be at 6am on Saturdays I was shocked & asked Auntie Tins if it could be later in the day especially as it was a weekend (I love my sleep & lie-ins….lol) she just laughed and explained that it was better that it was early so we could petition the heavens and then be able to get on with the rest of the day.

Needless to say, I really struggled with the timing and so I missed the first 2 or 3 meetings but finally made it on the 3rd of Feb and thoroughly enjoyed it. I subsequently made sure I endeavoured to attend the webinars and I will never forget the date I discerned a “shift in the atmosphere”. It was on April 7th 2018, and I was in Lagos but made sure I logged on. That morning, I truly felt the urge/ strong desire/burden to pray for the fruit of the womb/my children and I was literally crying down the phone that morning and praying with such a fierceness that I did not know I had as I cried to God. I really had no idea why I felt that way that day but I just know it was God’s doing and to God be the glory 9 months later our precious Princess Ariah Fopefoluwa Olupero Esther Anthony-Williams was born on the 3rd of January 2019.

I am so thankful to God and for His vessel that He is using for His glory (Auntie Tins) in particular for her commitment to Shoshana Fellowship; encouraging and praying with us on a monthly basis. I can also attest to the fact that my prayer life has greatly increased and improved since I joined the group and will be always thankful for this. 

ANONYMOUS

Our God is too good!!!

When he does his work, he does it without sharing his glory with anyone, not even the experts.

One of our covenants with God was to testify and encourage as many as believe him for a miracle like this. He has fulfilled his part and here is part of ours.

We got married in 2015, and got pregnant in December 2016, it was an answered prayer but there were complications, and in April 2017 @ 23weeks we found ourselves in A&E - 4cm dilated. The medical team tried everything to stop the dilation because our baby would have been viable if he was up to 25 weeks.  We prayed and cried, went into labour and had to push our beautiful baby boy out. How did God let this happen to us?  We didn't deserve it. These thoughts were coming strong but one thing we resolved was that God had the power to stop it from happening, but he didn't. It was his call!! It was tough for us, but despite it all (having a normal delivery, seeing a fully developed baby, and then losing the baby, we had to thank God).

We got pregnant again 6 weeks after the first baby. Once again, an answered prayer. @18 weeks(4months), we had a similar experience (cramps, backache, etc). Once again, we were back in in A&E and this time, fully dilated. We had to be induced to deliver a stillborn baby! It was tough. Within 6 months, we’d lost two pregnancies in the second trimester.

*Third time blessed?*

We lost the first pregnancy in April 2017, the second in October 2017 but by March 2018 we were pregnant again. God is indeed a great God. The plan was to dot all the I's and cross the T's. The hospital had a plan. They had identified a situation referred to as an 'incompetent cervix' and as such a cervical stitch was to be applied when I was between 12 and 14 weeks pregnant. I was sure everything would go well this time. At 14 weeks pregnant, the stitch was put in which turned out to be timely because my cervix was beginning to dilate. After the stitch was put in, I was put on complete bedrest till I would have the baby. The rules were strict (I could only have a shower, use the restroom and eat - I had to be in bed almost permanently). If this was what it would take to have our miracle baby, why not? I was given time off work for as long as my bedrest and pregnancy journey would last. Everything seemed okay until I was 18 weeks pregnant (not again). I became very unwell. For the first time in this pregnancy journey, I told God that I couldn't handle it. He trusted me to handle the first, I did, the second I also handled well but this one, I couldn't promise God I would handle it well. I also remember telling my husband that if I made it past 18 weeks, nothing would happen to the baby. I fought. I hung in there and at 18 weeks and 5 days pregnant, my contractions became worse, I was sick, my temperature was so high it could send me into a coma. I had to go into labour to have my 18 weeks baby born. I did and she was alive for a couple of minutes. My heart was broken! I was shattered! I could feel my heart break into many pieces! For the first time in my entire life I understood and felt the true meaning of a heart break. It was real to me, I felt it in my chest. God Why Me? I was angry! I had to bury yet another child.

*God never shares His glory*

In October 2018 I had surgery to remove fibroids. As this was done, we had 2 critical things said to us by our consultant (one was a clear warning - DO NOT START TRYING AGAIN UNTIL 6 MONTHS AFTER THIS SURGERY) (the second was a sort of concern and it was a possibility -there MIGHT BE ADHESIONS/SCARRING TISSUES AND THIS MIGHT MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO CONCEIVE). We took the advice and went about business as usual. We were super conscious of the fact that I had to heal, so we were extra CAREFUL. In December 2018, I started feeling pregnant. I ordered loads of pregnancy test strips because I was sure one wouldn’t be enough. We did the test and two lines stared at me -we were pregnant again! In December! Not after 6 months! This was barely 7weeks after the surgery!

All I did was cry (the devil had sown the seed of fear in me - especially when I knew I was advised not to get pregnant for at least 6 months). We had to call our consultant to inform her.  We finally summoned courage, called her and to our surprise, all she did was scream and she started praising God. She said one thing that boosted our faith - 'When God does his work, he turns the wisdom of the wise to foolishness'. One thing we resolved was that we were not going to look to any man or expect anyone to pray for us or believe God for us at this time, that we would solely depend on him. So, it was the 3 of us -my husband, God and I. We prayed daily and God proved himself.

I carried this pregnancy for 9 months, without any form of complications, no morning sickness, no infection, no bedrest, not hospital visits apart from routine appointments. I drove 80 miles every day to and back from work until my maternity leave. To the glory of God we had our beautiful baby girl on the 19th of August 2019. The confessions in the Bible are not just words, they carry power. God indeed answers prayers. The wait might be long and discouraging, but God never leaves you on your own. Sometimes I still wonder why God chose us to go through this. But we are forever grateful to God for what he has done and thank Him for the beautiful daughter he has blessed us with.

We want to encourage you that no matter what we you are going through, God is right there in the midst of everything and will perfect His work in your life. (not necessarily how you expect things to happen, but in a way *He* wants it to happen).

TOLULOPE