Abidemi Sanusi - Gloria!: The Archbishops Wife

Copyright 2014 by Abidemi Sanusi

Published 2014 by HippoBooks, an imprint of ACTS, Challenge Enterprises, WordAlive and Zondervan.

Africa Christian Textbooks (ACTS), TCNN, PMB 2020, Bukuru 930008, Plateau State, Nigeria. www.acts-ng.com, www.actskenya.org

Challenge Enterprises of Ghana, PO Box 5723, Accra, Ghana. www.ceghana.com

WordAlive Publishers, PO Box 4547, GP0-00100 Nairobi, Kenya. www.wordalivepublishers.com

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530. www.zondervan.com

ePub Edition December 2013: ISBN 978-0310-519-19-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Cover design: projectluz.com

Book design: To a Tee Ltd, www.2at.com

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CONTENTS

by Baroness Cox

by the Archbishop of Jos

M y prayer for those who will read this book is that through it they will find out that God can pick someone with a life like mine and transform it. Only Jesus Christ, the great life-changer, can do that!

This book can be called an account of Gods faithfulness in a life that could have been described as a failure and a disappointment. I was physically and spiritually dead, and now, by the grace and mercy of God, I am physically and spiritually alive although still very much an unfinished product.

This book does not tell everything that God has done for me. But it does tell some of the miracles he has done, even before I knew him. Thinking back over these events has left me amazed at how God looks after a life until he brings his purposes to bear in and through it. But looking back has also made me more aware of my own thoughts, strengths and weaknesses. I can only say that this book was written because God wanted it so. I never thought that my life would provide good material for a book, but here it is. This book has helped me to express myself. It has also helped me to reflect myself as one looks at a mirror.

I write on behalf of those who have gone through persecution and torture just because of their Christian faith. Many are not as privileged as I am to share their experiences, and their sufferings, but I know that Gods presence is in the midst of all of their situations.

There are those who have no one to listen to their stories or lift their spirits. Some have lost their lives, some have become widows and widowers, some have been orphaned. I share my story with such people. I am a fellow pilgrim.

I do not want to take the grace of God for granted. The fact that I am alive today is only by his grace. Although, my experience lingers in my mind as if it were yesterday, it does so, not with unforgiveness but rather with gratitude to God, who protected, provided and healed me in every way, and also gave me strength for my everyday walk with him.

It is my prayer that the Lord will give you wisdom to grasp the lessons you need from this account of my life.

To Him be the glory.

Gloria Kwashi

Gods daughter

Mother

Archbishops wife

F irst of all, Gloria and I want to acknowledge the Lord God. It was he who took a girl from some obscurity and made her a wife, mother, teacher, preacher, inspirer and mother of many. It was he who spoke to her through Gbile Akannis preaching on enlarging your tents, leading her to begin building the Zambiri School and put up extensions to accommodate the children in Gidan Kauna, the official residence of the Bishop of Jos. It was he who spoke to Sid Garland and Paul Todd of ACTS (Africa Christian Textbooks) and to Pieter Kwant, Isobel Stevenson and others associated with HippoBooks and the Langham Partnership, leading them to agree that Glorias story should be told.

Her story was beautifully written by Abidemi Sanusi who lovingly entered our home, our hearts and our family. Her time with us will not be forgotten. She gleaned stories from friends, relations, children and anybody who knew anything about the Kwashi family. She travelled extensively in the Plateau State and in Adamawa State to learn the story of Gloria, the archbishops wife.

We also thank Auntie Susan, our diocese, our co-labourers in all the places we ever served and the people whom we served.

We do not know how to thank God enough except by showing our gratitude by using our lives in his service.

BY BARONESS COX

G loria Kwashi is one of my heroines for many reasons. Here, are three of them:

First, if you visit her home, you can see a three-dimensional picture frame filled with ashes and a metal cross twisted by fire. This is all that remains of one of her earlier homes, which was set alight by militants. She and her husband (also one of my heroes) had to flee, carrying their children with them. But Gloria and Ben continued their ministry, always under threat of similar violence.

Secondly, Gloria herself was subsequently attacked by militants, suffering horrendous brutality. But her courage and faith are inspirational. Whenever we meet, I am humbled by her radiant smile. When she and the members of her Mothers Union worship, they do so with such vibrant, joyous faith that they seem to me to be living testimony to the truth that God is a very present help in trouble.

Thirdly, Glorias enormous capacity for love is shown by her ever-expanding family. In addition to her own children (now grown up), Gloria and Ben have adopted a large number of orphans and other children in need of care. They live in an extension to the Kwashi home. I cannot say how many there are as the last time I visited, a few weeks ago, several more children arrived and were welcomed into the family.

With such courage, faith and boundless love, it is not surprising that my personal name for Gloria is Gloria in Excelsis!

Caroline (Baroness) Cox

BY THE ARCHBISHOP OF JOS

W riting this foreword is both difficult and easy. Difficult, because I am writing about a person I have loved, lived with, known and shared the most intimate part of my life with for over thirty years. Easy, because the book has been so beautifully written that reading it has brought tears to my eyes, laughter in my mouth, and much swinging of my emotions. I rejoice and am filled with gratitude to God for the gift of the wonderful life of Gloria.

The story of Glorias birth, early life and how she came to be a mother to many homeless, vulnerable children and orphans is hardly known, even in Jos, Nigeria, where she lives. She does not talk about her work in the community. She hardly talks about her achievements, her travels and the places she has been across the globe. If you asked her to talk about herself, she wouldnt make any reference to the wonderful roles she plays as a mother, international speaker and evangelist.

I understand this, even if, sometimes, I am incredulous as to why she doesnt celebrate her achievements. Nothing is impossible with Gloria. She does not give up easily. She sees things way ahead and makes plans to accomplish them.

If our children and other members of our extended family who have passed through our home were each to contribute to this book, the stories they would tell about Gloria would be difficult to believe, yet they would all be true.