Excitement is an understatement to describe the mood at Mararaba, in Nasarawa State, when a 40- year-old woman was delivered of a set of quadruplets after 22 years of childlessness. CHIKA OKEKE was there to capture the feelings of the Owochio family and well-wishers who flocked to their home to catch a glimpse of God`s miracle
Locating the home of the Owochio’s ordinarily would have been difficult without stopping to ask along the way. However, since almost everybody around that area had heard of the birth of the ‘miracle bundles of joy’, it made the task of finding the house easy for our correspondent. Upon approaching the entrance that led to the home of Mrs Joy Owochio at Mararaba, a densely populated area in Nasarawa State, one could easily notice the overwhelming guests that flocked in and out of the house.
Call her a woman of faith, you would be right and even if you name her Patience, it would suit her because of the trauma Joy Owochio had experienced during her 22 years of waiting upon the Lord for the fruit of the womb.
Joy and John Owochio are both natives of Aukpa- Adoka in Otukpa local government area, Benue state. She is a business woman who married her husband at the age of 18.
Joy who worshipped at Holy Trinity Catholic Church Maitama before she relocated to Mararaba and had to change her place of worship to SS Peter and Paul at Nyanya. But despite their relocation, her husband still worshipped at Maitama.
She said, “I give thanks to God, because my family and my husband’s family are very nice. They always encouraged me not to lose hope, that God will do it. They love me so much that they didn’t even give me any trouble at all. They have always believed that God`s time is the best and He alone will do it. But I’m a bit sad because my mother in law is not alive to see that God has answered our prayers.
Trials, Expectations and Dreams
The mother of the quadruplets goes down memory lane on her moments of trials, expectation and revelation. She said, “Waiting for 22 years was not an easy thing at all. I received a lot of insults from people. When they see me put on good clothes and gold, they will always say, ‘Is it not good clothes and gold that she will wear? Are they children? But I kept saying Baba (God), they are talking to you and I know that you can do it. Remember the name you gave to me- Joy, that my joy will surely be complete in my husband’s house. So God did it for me.”
She confessed that while she still believed God for the fruit of the womb, she would usually pray for twins- a boy and girl. With that, she started buying baby clothes for twins. “At a point, I said, “God, I want my testimony to be different in my family and that of my husband’s and that I don’t know how He will do it. Each time I attended church services, I pay their tithes, give offering on their names which I had already mentioned.
“I later told God that I don’t want twins but triplets. At a point, I had a dream when a voice said to me, “My daughter, you asked for three but remember that you bought baby items by two, so I apologized and said that I will buy it but with faith. Suddenly, I woke up; looked around and didn’t see anybody talking to me. The only thing I could mutter was ‘God, I give you all the glory.”
“Even during church services when people bring their children for dedication, I will accompany them to the altar. When the officiating priest raises them up, I will lift my hands up. When he says the children are blessed, I will say that I cover my children with the blood of Jesus, all with faith.
“Despite the trials, one day, thieves broke into my supermarket and stole everything. I started weeping and said, ‘God why me? No children, no money too. Suddenly, a thought flashed in my mind and the only thing I could hear is, ‘my daughter, don’t worry, I will turn around. There is something you are looking for, I will turn around. She said, “To confirm Gods word, one of our priests called me and said, ‘my daughter, God said he would turn around and that thing that I am looking for and crying for, God will do something in my life.”
Behold, God Answered
Madam Joy confirmed that shortly thieves broke into her super market; she began to experience symptoms of pregnancy and the doctor confirmed that she was pregnant.
“After that incident, I took in. Immediately I took in, I went to the Pharmacy to buy kits for pregnancy test which I didn’t tell my husband. In the morning, I will leave my husband and do the test as recommended by the Pharmacist.
At a point, my body started changing and when my husband requested that we should go to the hospital, I told him that it was just ordinary fever that he shouldn’t worry.
One month and some weeks passed, the doctor ran a test on her. “When he said, ‘Madam, congratulations’, my husband fell down immediately and said, ‘Doctor, what are you telling me?’ The doctor told him that I was one month and a few weeks pregnant, suddenly, we started crying.”
The Doctors Report
“I started attending ante natal and the doctors handled my case as if I was an egg. They usually attend to me like a special woman because my husband suggested that I register for antenatal at Gwagwalada Teaching Hospital where many doctors can attend to me. During my last ante natal, my doctor suggested that I should be placed on bed rest. I told him that I didn’t plan for it and nothing was wrong with me but after much persuasion, I obeyed and went on bed rest. The doctors started monitoring me and they always confirmed that my babies were kicking very well.
She added, “One day, I started feeling uneasiness, then I called my doctor to inform him. Though he was at Garki, he rushed back to the hospital immediately as he promised. I also informed our prayer warriors to intercede for me. “When the doctors arrived he said that he would check my blood level but I told them that I was very okay. They said since the children are many, they would not allow me to deliver them. I told them not to worry that nothing was wrong with me. They said since I wanted it that way, they will allow me, then they took me to the labour room. There, I requested that they give me few minutes so that I can pray.
15 Doctors In Labour Room
“15 doctors attended to me 15 but suddenly, one of them started praying and in the midst of the prayer, he began to speak in tongues before I started pushing the babies. In less than 30 minutes, I delivered the babies. Immediately I put to bed, they checked my blood and confirmed that it was enough. They did not administer additional blood to me or even drips; this showed that God loves me so much because the children are special children.
The Other Three Women
Madam Joy confirmed that three women who had waited for over 30 years without conceiving visited her in the hospital and have conceived. But how did it happen?
“Many people trusting God for the fruit of the womb rushed to see my babies as soon as the news spread that I gave birth to quadruplets. Three women came- one was married for 30 years, the other for 28 years and the last for 26 years and they could not conceive. They said madam; please can you allow me to touch your children? I told them to go ahead because God will wipe their tears away. Sometimes, they will come and begin to roll on the floor saying that they want to tap my anointing. I prayed for them that God should use my children and open their way. To God be the glory, three of them called to say that they are pregnant.
Special Names For Miraculous Babies
“The boy`s name is Adakole (Head of the family), Oloche (king) and the English name, Peter. The first girl’s name is Ebon (Peace) and the English name is Judith. The second girl’s name is Ehi (gift from God) and her English name is Mary while the third girl’s name is Ene (Mother) because she is my mother-in-law`s look- alike and her English name is Esther.”
People`s Reaction Upon Delivery
“When people heard that I gave birth , they began to ask, ‘how did it happen or is it that I adopted the babies and claimed that they were mine. I knew that such rumours would come up, so while I was pregnant, I started taking photographs of my growing stomach without covering it anything.”
Mr John Owochio , a civil servant last served at the office of SGF before he was posted to Federal Ministry of Environment. He said he didn’t pick a second wife because “I didn’t want one and just as she said, we did not get any pressure either from my family members or hers. I always believed that God was able and he would do it at His own time, so that encouraged me and we didn’t see any reason to panic.”
“When the dull moments set in, I will feel sad especially when I see younger couples with their kids. I had to recover and be happy so that depression will not make me to lose hope and faith in God.” Achuwu Elizabeth Ebute has lived with the Owochio`s family for 21 years. She shares her excitement with LEADERSHIP Sunday. “The very day I heard the news of her conception, I was so happy because they raised me. I have lived with them for 21 years and I was praying personally that I will not leave their house without leaving someone around that will run errands for them.
So now, I am fulfilled knowing that they now have kids that will look after them and even run errands for them.” “I thank God who started a great thing in my life. He did what my mother and father could not do for me. I will continue to rejoice because he did not put me to shame because my joy is now complete in my husband’s home and that of my family. My name has changed and anywhere I go, they call me ‘Mama 4’ and no longer ‘madam’ or my name,” says Joy, joyfully.
LEADERSHIP
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