Like Pastor Nomthi, I moved from London to Lagos to marry into the Odukoya family. She welcomed me specially as she has gone ahead and we were both newly minted Lagosians together. That made us bond very quickly. I say she welcomed me very specially but actually she extended that welcome to Olumide and Oluchi as well. She was a welcoming woman and as many people have said she was a true Christian. She really loved people. Church Gist. I used to call her Auntie Mama and she used to call me Jumiloju, nicknames that we got from Timileyin when he was two years old. My Auntie Mama was authentic, she was herself and you could be free with her. What you saw of her standing on this pulpit was who she was, she really believed in Enjoy your life and she lived that every single day. She was a giver and as I said she loved people, she loved having people around her.
Last week as I was tidying my room, something struck me. I realized that she gave me many thing, I realized that I have many of her pyjamas in my closet, why? Sometimes when the children and I would go and visit Pastor and Pastor Nomthi would say its getting late, we would always have fun as Tobi said she is a gister. Even if you plan to go for two hours, two turns into four, four turns into six and you find out that you are still there. Church Gist. Daddy is very protective so he says “its getting late, I am not sure you guys will still go home”. Pastor Nomthi would say “Great! Stay!” and I would say we don’t have anything, I didn’t prepare. She would say “I have got pyjamas what else do you need? stay”. She loved having people around her. Last year October we ended up spending a few days with Dad and Auntie Nom because there was a curfew. We didn’t plan it, we planed to go for the day but we ended up spending four or five days and we were having a great time. But at the time my son was still in nappies and we ran out on day 2 or day 3 and we ended up using sanitary towels instead of nappies. So when it was time for us to go home, she said we should stay another week and I said my son is using sanitary towels and she said “only because of that, that is the only reason why you are leaving”. She loved having people around her, she welcomed everyone, she wanted the house to be full of people, of joy and laughter she was a joy bringer and joy giver.
During her battle with cancer, she didn’t stop enjoying her life. I travelled with her last year and when we got to the hospital, they asked us who is the patient and who is the companion because there was no telling on her because she continued to live her life to the full and was full of the joy of Christ. All the other patients loved her as well because when you are battling cancer you are not thinking about looking good and how you present. Church Gist. Every one would go to the dinning hall dressed in T-shirts but she would be dressed in beautiful colours. They were just so amazed by this woman who was facing the same battle that they were facing. She had a different outlook to what she was facing because everything about her was Jesus.
In her last week before she passed, one of the things she said to me was “Kem Kem, I will see heaven” and I said “Auntie Mama we will all see heaven, but we are not seeing heaven now”. She just smiled and said “I will see heaven”. It made me think of Colosians 3:1-4. Pastor Nomthi set her sight on the realities of heaven, she thought about heaven. Church Gist. Even though it is hard for me to think of navigating Life and Lagos and Nigeria without her, when I think of her sharing in his glory, I am encouraged and I just want everyone to be encouraged by the life she lived. Hallelujah did not finish in her mouth.
We love you Forever Pastor Nom.
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