The death of Mathias Eguko's sister left him devastated. He had prayed so earnestly and fervently for God to have mercy on his ailing sister and cure her of her ailment, not take her away from the family. But that did not happen and she died. Mathias did not understand nor, indeed, did he want to. Attending church on Sundays became a chore.
In the course of time, God gave Mathias a sweet baby girl. The baby girl was enrolled at a day-care institution. And while still a toddler, not yet two years old, this little girl came home from the school every day singing gospel hymns! Mathias was touched! He felt the spirit. He said to his wife: 'Let's find a church to attend!'
The church Mathias Eguko and his family found was The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This was early in the 1990s in Lagos, Nigeria. Mathias, his wife and the four children they have raised since then have never looked back.
Two years after he was baptized, Brother Eguko was called as counselor to the first stake president in Lagos. Later Brother Eguko accepted a position to work as a vice principal at the Nigerian Embassy School in Benin. While there, he was instrumental in establishing the Church. He was the first branch president of the Gbedjromede Branch. He lived in Benin for over seven years, long enough to help get the Church on sound footing. He now works for the Church and is based in Ghana. He is the Manager of Training and Operations at the Missionary Training Center in Accra. The 'baby girl' who sang, has received a call from the Church to serve a mission in Haiti. Two sons are also preparing to serve missions. Brother Eguko has been called to serve as mission president of the Nigeria Calabar Mission, beginning July of 2015. This family of six has been on the Lord's errand in a variety of ways through the years, and all it took was for a little girl to sing hymns!
Since the Egukos have been in Ghana since 2010, many have inquired if the children miss their home in Nigeria. 'They tell me,' Brother Eguko responds with a smile, 'that Ghana is also home!'
The Eguko family clings to the Church with passion. This is because the Church offers hope in a world full of challenges. Hope brings happiness. It enables us to make conscious choices that draw us close to the Savior. As we make good choices, we can recreate the world by following the pattern of life Jesus has shown us. With these efforts, we may see God again!