It was for me a wholesome experience…

It was for me a wholesome experience… One which cut across every facet of life!

I never used to care about anybody, it wasn’t me being a wicked soul, rather I saw life as mine to be lived and most definitely all by myself. The need for people wasn’t a thing I bothered about, as I could go one whole month shutting my door behind me, and walking the street alone, not turning either or thither.

But then came NIFES, a body which believed and upheld so highly the values of INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP. It imparted my person in such a great way, that being in my own isolated world/space became so uncomfortable to me, and before long fellowship became valuable to me.

Love, care, genuine empathy, sharing and supporting one another, though SYSTEMIC and METHODICAL at first, quickly became a life, and an effortless act eventually.
One very crucial and a can-never-be-overemphasized part of my NIFES experience remain the teachings and study of The Word. Oh, darling! “We ate scriptures”!

Unlike the obvious “spiritual malnourishment” obtainable out here, we ate some good “balanced diet” back there. Teachings by Ministers (Men and women) from different ministries and denominations were never in short supply, semester come-semester go. There couldn’t have been anything better than such spice. An in-depth perusal of the very essence of Christianity, life-mending programmes, and the motivation for a personal spiritual experience was next to nothing and compared to nowhere. Every Sunday was an opportunity to learn something new via someone new, yet from the same Throne of Grace.

Well, many would find my name appears more in the “Drama chapter of the book”, but I tell you, it was beyond that, it was for me a wholesome experience, one which cut across every facet of life.
…No, we didn’t get everything exactly right with everyone and every issue, there were gray areas, many-a-myopic views on issues sometimes, but on a score sheet of 100, it was a life-building 92.

The then-evolving world has evolved even more now, but I hope the core values are still maintained and/or upheld, and the crude spots have by now found their graceful polishing and refining. I hope to see for myself someday, I hope to stand in the congregation again in a not-too-distant time, but until then, I’ll treasure the very indispensable memories, one filled with many awesome people and acts.

I am Olalekan Akogun, and this is a HIGHLY COMPRESSED account of my NIFES experience.