Dr. Urchilla Dean's Testimony

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@urchilla01

I've been wanting to make this thread but cos of how long it'll be, I always lost energy. But today I'm gonna.

Back in 2012, I had a surgery resit in my final mbbs exam. One of my biggest fears was not graduating with my mates. The resit was set for Dec 2012.

Now I've never been much of a churchgoer but I realised I needed God. Beginning of Dec 2012 I went into a 3 day fasting & prayer period for my exams. In the midst of it, I made God a promise that if He helped me pass, starting from that very month I'd make it a monthly duty to dedicate the first 3 days of every month to fasting & prayers for the rest of my life. God answered me. I passed the resit & graduated. I kept my promise to God throughout my housemanship.

When it was time to go for NYSC, I begged God to help me get posted to Ebonyi state cos at the time, Ebonyi state MoH paid the highest for corper Drs in the country. God did it for me. Now, it usually didn't end with getting posted to Ebonyi state. You also had to make sure you were posted to MoH cos they were the ones that paid the handsome salary.

The worst would be getting posted to a mission hospital cos there was always so much work & little pay. The day I collected my PPA posting letter, I saw MATA misericoridiae hospital Afikpo. I was distraught.

I was posted there with my cousin @alwayztocks with whom I shut down Ebonyi state NYSC camp at old McGregor that year. Apparently someone with authority who wanted us to suffer made sure we were sent there (we would later find out). But one thing I realised was that while I did pray to God to help me get posted to Ebonyi state, I depended on a man to help me get posted to MoH. Man failed me 😢. When I got out of camp I was determined to get reposted. I tried all I humanly could but nothing worked until I went down on my knees to God again. He worked a miracle again. Everything was going fine for me through my NYSC. I was serving at the best PPA, my fashion business was at an all-time high. In fact, I got a placement for a permanent job immediately I passed out.

Through all this, I fell off track, started to live wild (not helped by a bad breakup I went through). I broke my monthly covenant with God 😔😔. I stopped praying & I stopped my monthly fasting. I felt like I was good all by myself. Until it struck! Within the space of 3 months,

I lost the permanent job I got, the new presidential administration came in & the $1 - #450 exchange rate hit my fashion business so bad I had to stop. Life went from 100 to zero real quick. Day by day, I became a shadow of myself. I would stay in my room & smoke & play PS4 all day & go drink beer at night. Everyday same routine, economy a na-agbali 😩😩. Slowly, I started to slip into depression. My life was basically upside down & there was no hope in sight.

One day, on the 30th of Nov 2015, I was on my bed, smoking, tears in my eyes,

I looked up & my exact words were "Baba God what's up nau?". Immediately I asked that question, an answer descended on me "you broke our covenant". I put out my smoke immediately, my next words were "God no vex abeg, na me fuck up".

The next day was the 1st of Dec fortunately. I renewed our covenant again starting from the 1st. My prayer point was a job. To atone for breaking our covenant, I promised God that if He answered my prayer, I'd give Him a specific portion of my first salary. I fasted 6am-6pm every day from the 1st.

On the 3rd of Dec, at exactly 5pm, an hour to breaking my fast for the 3rd & last day of the fasting period for the month, I got a call from my good friend Kene Ojukwu.

Kene: howfar guy you don get work?

Me: guy I never get oo

Kene: ok e get one mission hospital for awka-etiti wey need Dr. You go like go there?

Me: of course why not

Kene: ok enter bus tomorrow morning begin go there.

I dropped that call & tears welled up in my eyes. Not just tears of joy, but also tears of regret knowing I wasted a few months of my life because I did not stay true to my God.

The next day, I picked up a backpack with a few clothes & headed down to the park, boarded a bus to awka-etiti. On getting there, harmattan dust all over my hair, I went straight into the clinic & started to attend to

the waiting patients. It was only after the close of the clinic that I went up, met with the administrator & discussed terms. To date I remain the only Dr that has worked at that hospital without an official interview. I worked there for a total of 20 months.

Towards the end of my time there, I fell off track again 😔😔. Almost immediately, problems started to come up. I had a huge fall out with the administrator & from that point on he was determined to force me out. Being stubborn as I am, I stood up to the clergymen & women that ran the hospital. One of the banes of the entire fallout was my staunch defense of the lab scientist, a calm unassuming young woman who practically singlehandedly set up the lab dept of the hospital & got it running. They felt they didn't need her anymore & could continue running the lab with technicians. They started to frustrate her & wanted her out. I stood up for her & practically told them that if they wanted to get to her they had to go through me. The fight was nasty & in the end, I was given a termination letter saying they could no longer afford to pay 2 Drs. This was after they had the time & again tried hard to put something on me to no avail. At this point, I called my father & told him all that had been happening. His advice to me was to let it go. I ran back to God 😢. I apologised & begged again 😔.

This very one was one of the hardest cos I had formed a family here. I went into a 3 day fasting again but this time, much as I really wanted to ask God to help resolve the problem so that I could stay (cos I really loved working there), I realised it was time to say the most difficult prayer a Christian can ever say; LET THY WILL BE DONE.

I told God that much as I loved it there & would love to stay if He truly knew that my time was up, He should show me a sign. He did.

On the 29th of July, 2 days to the day I was to stop work, I had an emergency. A patient was brought in unconscious. Her chances of survival very slim. A quick examination & initial investigations showed the woman's blood glucose level was off the chart. Her bp was off the chart. Her chest was filled with fluid. She was not making urine. God helped me. I was able to stabilize her. It was a battle but after about 2 hours of completely hands-on battling, her vitals stabilized, she was making urine even though concentrated. She was starting to react to deep stimulation. She was moved out of the emergency to the ward that night, I went out to a joint opposite the hospital where I usually went for a quiet time. I sat down in my favourite quiet corner, ordered a bottle of drink. While I was sat there, a voice whispered to me "that was your sign". Before I could ask what, the voice went silent. I was confused, but then it occurred to me. I had managed a patient that was close to death & who had problems with all the systems of the body. I stabilized her & moved her up. This was my sign. The sign that I had learnt everything there was to be learnt in that hospital. The sign that it was time to go. The sign that there was nothing left for me to learn there. That night, I made peace with it. I accepted to stop fighting. God had spoken & I understood He had other plans for me now. I felt lighter.

The next day being Saturday, I went to my volunteer clinic. At the time, this lab scientist in question was also a volunteer at the clinic. After clinic for the day, we went up to the parish priest's house to have lunch with him per tradition. We got talking about everything. The scientist, with tears in her eyes, said she didn't know how she'd report to work on Monday without me there cos it was obvious that with me out of the way, they'd face her squarely. Two minutes after she made this utterance, her phone rang. She took her call while I kept discussing with the Rev. Fr. We paid no mind to her discussions. However, after she ended the call, we noticed she was quiet, staring blankly into space with her mouth agape like someone that had been hypnotized. We called her name 3 times before she was jolted out of her thoughts. She asked, "do you know who just called me?". On enquiry, she told us that the call was from the HR head of one of the biggest diagnostic centres in Lagos where she had applied about 6 months prior. At the time, she wasn't even invited for an interview. But they just called her, asking if she could make it to their office on the very Monday, 2 days from the day of this call, for an interview. Of course she agreed. That was how she spent the rest of Saturday packing a small bag.

She left for Lagos on Sunday & slept at her sister's place. Monday morning, she went to the diagnostic centre (name withheld). All she was asked at the interview was to present her credentials. After that, they went straight to negotiating salary 😨😨

In the end, they offered her a job with 3 times her pay at her former workplace, with incentives which included free lab services for herself & immediate family in event of any illness, plus other additives 😢😢

She was asked to resume work immediately!

They also told her they'd let her travel back to the east on Wednesday to give her time to relocate properly & resume finally the next Monday. Now, this is where the story gets even more interesting & one of the main purpose of this story. After she resumed work, she was told her appointment letter would be ready on Wednesday & she could pick up at the close of work. On the Wednesday, she went to pick up. The HR personnel (a lady) spent about 3 minutes staring at her. She asked her to sit. She asked her "do you know how you got this job?". She replied no. The HR personnel pulled out an appointment letter bearing another person's name with the same job offer. She told her that this job had been given to this person & she was to resume on that Monday.

But on Friday, the lady called them to inform them that she wouldn't be taking the job cos the Holy Spirit had come to her in her dream the previous night, asking her to turn down the job as God had earmarked it for someone else's upliftment! She was shocked to the marrow!

She called me after she picked up her appointment letter, she couldn't speak well cos she couldn't stop crying. I was without a job, future looked uncertain; but in that story, I drew hope & strength! I was infinitely happy for her & it was my sign that God had plans for us.

She came back on Thursday & on Friday, I drove her to our former place of work to turn in her resignation letter. At the time, the rumour at the hospital was that she had followed me out in solidarity. They did not understand what God was doing. They did not.

On the next Monday, my present place of employment put up employment adverts for the first time in 5 years. I applied. The next 8 months were tough & arduous & some of the most trying times of my life!

I moved into a 3 bedroom apartment which I shared with my brother. I would spend my evenings drinking because I didn't want my head clear enough to think. Also, I wanted to be sure I'd hit my bed & pass out immediately I got home. I could not entertain thoughts. I would stay out till 2am or 3am most times. By the time I'd be waking up at 10am the next morning, my brother would have left for work. I'd spend most morning depressed & in tears. My money finished. I was too proud & arrogant to go back to my folks. I was determined to rough it out.

One thing that happened through my 8 months of joblessness was that during my lowest points in those 8 months when I thought of doing the most terrible things, God always found a way to communicate to me to be patient as He was still working on my case.

One such instant was on a Sunday morning when I woke up & was gisting with my brother. I had not a dime in my bank account. He told me that Bet9ja gave out #100 bonuses. I reluctantly logged into my Bet9ja account & there was a #100 bonus there. I wondered what I'd do with it

I randomly chose 6 draw games & played it with the #100 bonus. Through that day, those 6 games kept recording draws one after the other until all 6 of them ended in draws 😭😭😭. 100 bucks fetched me 32k! I immediately withdrew & couldn't wait to be credited the next day.

That night, when I wanted to drive home from our regular hangout joint, I put my car key in the ignition but I didn't hear the customary sucking sound the ignition usually made when the key would go in. I pulled out & tried again, same result. Ignition, of course, wouldn't turn.

I called my mechanic, explained what was happening. He told me he'd take a look the next morning. I managed to get a lift home that night. The next morning, the 32k from Bet9ja was credited into my account. I went back to the joint with my mechanic & after he had scanned

the vehicle plus other checks, he told me it was key failure. The key needed to be completely reprogrammed plus other things. How much? 32k!

I was livid! I transferred the money to him & went home. On getting home, I took off my clothes, stark naked, I asked God why?!!!! Why do you hate me so??!!!! This 32k I just won, why do you hate me so much to let it be taken away from me immediately?! Why God? Fucking answer me!

Immediately, a still voice spoke to me. It said "my son, do you really think that you possess even the level of sorcery it'd require to accurately predict 6 draw games from 4 different countries in one ticket & win? I knew you'd need this money. I put it there"

God had gone ahead of me & provided money I'd need to fix a problem I had not even known would come up! 😭😭😭😭

Immediately, I wore my clothes, wiped my tears & apologised to Him. I said I was sorry & I'd continue to wait.

This was just one of the many times during those difficult 8 months that God showed his hand to let me know He was working. I drew strength from such instances.

To shorten this for fear of boring you all with this story cos I could go on & on, at the end of the 8 months, I got my dream job at the time. The one I always wanted. God had me wait. He thought me a lesson in patience & belief & hope.

What's the purpose of this long story? I've been on Twitter not long & there's a diverse population of people on here. There are people who would try to twist your beliefs with logic, asking you why people die if there is a big sky God up there. They try to twist your faith, trying to make you understand that there's no logical or scientific proof to the things you believe about God.

One thing they do not understand is that the love & works of God defies logic! It is beyond the understanding of the one who does not believe! They do not understand that the whole purpose of God is to believe without proof! That is the beauty of God! Knowing that His words are not logical, but believing that His words cannot be logical cos He is not human!

Listen, pay them no heed! It only takes a deep personal experience for someone to understand that this sky God does exist! The story of Paul (Saul) is enough to help you understand this! When you want to sort yourself out with logic, God will fold His hands & watch you thrash all over the place without achieving anything. But once you lay it all in His laps, you will marvel at how expedited your progress will be!

If you did not go to church today, read this & consider it your sermon! Drink from my story & understand that God does not seek to validate Himself for you to believe! You must believe first of all before He plays His hand!

There is absolutely no logic to it! God exists! I prayed to God in my lowest times & He gave me specifically the things I asked for in such a way that it was clear that those gifts came from Him & no one else!

Believe me, this story is one of the least out of all the personal

experience I've had that have continuously reaffirmed my faith & belief in God! Do I sin? Yes! Do I fall aside? Always! Do I anger Him? All the freaking time! Does He continue to show me mercy regardless? Oh Yes! Bountifully & unreservedly & undeservedly!

Do I strive to be better? Yes! Do I fail? Countless number of times! Does He help me get up? With a strong freaking hand, Always!

Happy Sunday children of God.

God bless you all.

I've been getting DMs from people who also have their own stories. From the comments I've gotten so far, there are people who lose hope & need a reminder that God is indeed working for them. Please if you have a personal story to share anonymously you can send to my DM

I'll be working a night shift today but I'll try as much as I can. All stories will be shared ANONYMOUSLY unless requested otherwise by the sender. We need to let people know that even through pitch black darkness, God can light a fire. Someone will be lifted by your story.

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Please if you sent me a DM & I haven't responded kindly bear with me! I have to be at work at 6:30 & I'm already running late 😭😭😭! I'll do what I can please!