The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Ondo Province 2, has visited Echoes of Mercy Olive Homes Orphanage, Ogunsulure, Yaba, Ondo, as part of activities marking the church’s Youths and Young Adults Annual Convention, where children were counselled on purposeful living and the need to discover their God-given destinies early in life.

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‎The visit was one of the activities lined up for the week-long convention themed, “The Eye That Sees,” and was aimed at impacting the children while emphasising the importance of spiritual insight, purpose and responsible living.

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‎Speaking during the visit, the chairman of the convention committee, and Provincial Evangelist, Pastor Oke Daniel, said the outreach was part of the church’s responsibility to touch lives and contribute to the expansion of God’s kingdom.

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‎He said, “As the body of Christ, our primary purpose is to touch lives, affect lives and expand the Kingdom of God. We believe this is one of the ways we can bring the positivity of the Kingdom to people and touch lives for the Lord Jesus Christ.

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‎“This is an expression of the purpose of the Kingdom—to touch lives and contribute to Kingdom expansion.”

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‎Daniel explained that the decision to reach out to children was informed by their importance as the generation that would carry the responsibilities of society and the church in the future.

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‎He said, “Children are important because they represent the future generation. As a child grows, that child becomes part of the generation that will carry things forward after us. We believe that the younger generation is the new force and the future generation ahead of us.”

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‎Speaking on the theme of the convention, Daniel said the programme was designed to help young people develop spiritual insight, understand their purpose and fulfil their God-given assignments.

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‎He explained that while physical sight enabled people to identify the challenges around them, spiritual sight helped them understand what God had planned for their lives.

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‎He said, “Then there is what we can call the eye of destiny. This helps us recognise the particular purpose for which we were created—the primary assignment and mandate of Heaven over our lives.

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‎“So, we are believing that this is a season in which God wants to open and enlighten their understanding, so that they can see the reason why they exist and discover God’s purpose for their lives.”

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‎The cleric noted that many adults had gone through life without discovering God’s purpose for them, stressing the need for children to begin the process of purpose discovery early.

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‎He said, “We believe this is one of the ways God has set aside to open the eyes of these children, so that they can understand why they are here and discover the purpose of their lives.”

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‎Also speaking, Pastor Stephen Akinkuade, who delivered a short exhortation, drew lessons from the biblical account of the woman with the issue of blood.

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‎Akinkuade told the children that the woman had suffered for years and spent her resources seeking a solution before encountering Jesus Christ.

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‎He said, “What you see determines where and how far you will go.”

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‎The cleric further stressed the importance of having the right support system, saying, “How far you will go in life depends on who is backing you up.”

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‎Akinkuade urged the children not to allow discouragement from teachers or other people to determine their future, stressing that what God had said concerning them should remain their focus.

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‎He said, “What God is saying concerning you is what matters.”

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‎He also encouraged them not to allow their background to limit their aspirations.

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‎“If only you can see Jesus in that case, don’t let your background put your back on the ground,” he said.

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‎The visit also featured a presentation of food items to the orphanage by the church delegation.

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‎Responding, the Chief Executive Officer of Echoes of Mercy Olive Homes Orphanage, Mrs Ola-Jesu Zubair, appreciated the church for the gesture and reaffirmed her commitment to the vision behind the establishment of the home.

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‎Zubair said the orphanage was established to raise “glorious seeds for excellence,” adding that the children under its care had continued to excel in their academic pursuits.

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‎According to her, the children had performed excellently in their school promotions and external examinations, reflecting the vision of the home.

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‎She recalled that God had given her a specific instruction to establish the orphanage but said she initially procrastinated.

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‎Zubair said her eventual plea for restoration led to the establishment of the home and inspired the name, Echoes of Mercy Olive Homes Orphanage.

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‎She said the home, located in Ogunsulure, Yaba, Ondo, was established with a vision to “see them great.”

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‎The CEO stressed that the role of God could not be separated from the pursuit of greatness, urging the children to remain close to Him for divine direction and a clearer vision of their future.

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‎Earlier, the children had welcomed the church delegation with various activities, including Bible recitations in English and Yoruba and song renditions.

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‎Minstrel Mabel, from the orphanage also led the praise and worship session.

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‎Other members of the convention’s EXCO who participated in the outreach included the Treasurer, Sister Akinnifesi Evelyn; Assistant Media Coordinator, John Tosin; Youth President, Hallelujah Zone, Tosin David-Ajayi; Drama Coordinator, Akaba Oluwatobi; and Provincial Assistant Youth President, Joshua Akinseye.

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‎NB: In line with child protection, privacy and confidentiality principles, photographs showing the children have not been published.

 

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