The Story of Siji

One man who joined our church in Ogbornoso was Siji. He had long attended but never joined, one day he came to us and said that he did believe in the Christian religion and would join us but he was afraid of his mother. He said, "My mother is the very devil himself. She was so devoted to her idolatry that She would have fought his giving it up.

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Time went on, and again he came and said that his mind was made up - that he had decided to join the church and take the consequences. So he gave us his idols. The next morning we heard there was trouble at Sijis house. He lived with the mother, himself, his wife, his brothers, and many more. We went over to see about the trouble. Poor old Siji was standing alone and was bitterly attacked by his mother and relatives. Also his wife's parents had joined them and threatened to take his wife from him if he persisted. He stood firm and said that they could do what they liked that his mind was made up and he would stand by it. So he was baptized and, I suppose the storm died down. In later years we heard that his mother and brothers had also become Christians - a monument to his faithfulness.