How did you penetrate the strongholds of the North while serving in FECA?

Mr. Ola Emmanuel is a Senior citizen of FECA Nigeria

How did you penetrate the strongholds of the North while serving in FECA?

Mr. Ola Emmanuel is a Senior citizen of FECA Nigeria who married a FECA sister, by the name Jane Eneji. 

Ola Emmanuel joined FECA in the year 2008 in FECA Gwagwalada chapter. He has served as the Prayer secretary of the chapter, as well as the President of the chapter. He later served as the Zonal Coordinator and went further to become the North-West Regional Coordinator and finally the National Outreach Coordinator of FECA Nigeria. Read his profile here. He is into transportation and logistics, and is a Counselor in training in schools (as of 2022).

When he was asked how he managed to break the strongholds of the north and spread the Gospel there, he said that he simply learnt how to do such from the fathers.  According to him, he was asking questions all the time, because he believes that asking questions is key to not getting lost on any quest/journey. He asked his predecessors like NOC Timothy, he wrote to some others and got their advice, he also goes with his journal where he jots down all the things that are being told him because the shortest pen is better than the longest memory.

In his own words, other things that we did was that we were doing trial and error, trial and error. Some things of course, did not work, but from the other things that worked, we capitalized on them and devised more strategies that would work in the North. 

He also said that they read the stories of the fathers, and picked one or two lessons from them, thereby enhancing their own plans. Among the things he said, he noted very distinctly that one of the ways he and his team were able to penetrate the strongholds of the north was that they were able to mingle with the people. They ate their food, drank their water, danced with them, and chat with the people, because this is very key. When someone sees you as someone that understands and appreciates him, it will be easier to accept what you are offering, even though it is strange, but because there is this affinity of mutual respect and relationship, your new ideas, Gospel and teachings would be heartily taken. If you can sleep and pray under their roof and the demons don’t torment you, then you can succeed in that land and vice versa. Don’t just breeze with the territory.  And it is in the place of prayer that you are able to know what kind of region that place is and what you must do to succeed in the region. That was what kept me in the area and that was how I and my team were able to penetrate the strongholds of the North.