PART 4*

*Meeting Daniel*

Sunmi drove into Light Bearer Ministry. A security guard on uniform directed her to an unoccupied space in the garage for her to park. She brought out her phone and dialed Chioma’s line.
“Hello, babe. I’m in the church premises.
“Okay. I’m coming out now” Chioma said and dropped the call.
Sunmi looked around the environment and took a deep breath. She checked her mirror and rearranged her hair. She sighted Chioma walking towards her. Fair skin chubby Chioma.
She went out of her car and hugged her friend. “O baby!” SunmI admired her friend.
“Thanks for coming friend,” Chioma said.
Sunmi smiled. “Anything for you.”
“Has the program started?” Sunmi asked,  walking behind Chioma into the mini hall being used for the program.
“Yes. We have one more facilitator before you come up.”
Wow!” Sunmi breathe out.
“This your dress is beautiful,” Chioma commented.
“Thanks.” Sunmi winked.
Chioma led her to where other facilitators sat.
“This Morning or is it afternoon?” The program anchor said and checked his wristwatch. “Okay,  it’s noon now. This afternoon,  we have in our midst a young lady. She’s a certified accountant, a Financial Manager,  the CEO of Sum Snail Farm. She’s going to be teaching us how to breed snails…. Join me,  as I welcome to the podium,  Miss  Olawuyi Sunmisola…”
“There was a loud cheer from the congregation.”
Sunmi felt awkward in her heels. She summoned up the courage to walk to the podium.
“Holy Spirit, please help me.” She muttered. She collected the microphone.
“Praise God church.”
“Hallelujah.” The over seventy young men and ladies responded.
“I really want to appreciate the leadership of this church for the opportunity given to me. It’s a privilege to be here.”
There was loud cheering.
“Before I start, I would like to give honor to my father. My maker. Giver of life. The king of kings. The one who sits in heaven and made the earth His footstool….” She started a worship song for some minutes and then asked the people to sit down.
She started her teaching with how she was confused after school not knowing the direction God wanted her to go. How she decided to pick up a teaching job and because she had enough time at her disposal, she attended every seminar and workshop _attendable_. She told them that she started her snail farming with the intention of eating them and now, it’s yielding money for her. “God will only bless the work you are doing, not the one you dreamt of doing,” she said. “If your aim is to make money, within the first year of starting up, then, the business is not for you.” She continued her lectures on how to start, what to do, and what to know. She ended her teaching and was applauded. She had taught for three hours. Questions were asked, and she took her time to answer the questions,  she gave out outlines for starting and gave them her contacts for those who would be starting and who would have questions to ask her. She told them not to call,  only WhatsApp messages as she does not pick calls during work hours.
Chioma appreciated her for coming and saw her off to the car.
“I sef go start my own farm so that I go turn to celeb like you?” she joked.
“Go jooor. When you wan get the time? With two kids and nine hours in the office.” They laughed.
“Thanks for coming jare. I really enjoyed the class.”
“You are welcome,” Sunmi said, bade her friend goodbye, and entered her car.
“What a magnificent building.” She smiled and eased her car out through the north gate of the church.

She got home tired. She had informed the choir director that she would be missing rehearsals. She had decided to join the choir if she got to her community early enough. By the time she got to the junction which leads to her church, it was the period the rehearsals would be ending. She decides to drive home.
The house was quiet. Her brother had taken his family to visit his wife’s parents. Her parents had gone to a party.  She went straight to her room and jumped on her bed.
“Thank you, Jesus, for today. Thank you for helping me to teach people what will bring them income,  thank you for not letting me give up on myself,  thank you Lord for today…” she dozed off.

” __come thou fount of every blessing tune my heart to sing thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above…__
Sunmi kept hearing the song in faraway dreamland. It was the ringtone of her phone.  She opened her eyes.
“Oooooo,” she grumbled and rolled to the edge of the bed. “What type of dream is this?  Dreaming that my phone is ringing while it’s actually ringing beside me.” The phone had stopped ringing by the time she reached for it. She checked the caller. She saw ten missed calls. Chioma was the last caller. She dialed back her number.
“Why are you disturbing the destiny of my sleep,  madam,” she asked sleepily.
“That was the sixth time I called you. I wanted to know if you got home safely.
“Thank you. I got home safely. Can I go back to sleep now?
“bye-bye oooo. Jonah the sleeper.
“Na you sabi,” Sunmi said and dropped the call. She checked the other callers. Two missed calls were from her father, and the other two were from an unknown number.  She dialed the unknown number, but it was switched off. 
“The person will call back if whatever is wanted is urgent,” she muttered and rolled out of bed. She went downstairs. The family had, had their dinner. She checked the time,  it was past 10:00 pm. She had slept for almost three hours. She went into the kitchen and microwaved the food in the fridge left for her. 
She settled down to eat and switched on her data. WhatsApp messages came in.  Some from the choir members. One from Chioma,  thanking her for honoring their invitation.  She took her time to reply to the messages while eating her food.
There was a message from a number that wasn’t saved on her contact.
“Hello, this is Pastor Daniel Thomson. One of the pastors at Light Bearer Ministry, where came today. On behalf of the pastorate,  I appreciate your coming. Thanks for being a vessel in the hands of the almighty God…”
“Ah, pastor Daniel!” Sunmi thought. She tried remembering if she saw him there today… she had listened to some of his messages,  especially his messages on believers’ authority,  they were Fire.
“It was a moment of self-realization for me and an honor sir” she replied the message. “…and thanks for the invite and honorarium.” She added and clicked send. She moved on to another message.
There was a reply from Pastor Daniel, almost immediately.
“You are welcome ma. God bless you.”
“Amen,” Sunmi replied.
“Hope you got home without any traffic hitch and on time too? cos Sis Chioma said you had a rehearsal to attend.”
“Yes, I got home on time, but couldn’t make it for the rehearsal.”
“Oh… we are sorry for taking your time…”
“It’s worth it sir” She typed and sent a smiley with “thanks sir, for your concern.”
“…and I must commend, you have a beautiful voice. The song you sang before you started the lecture is still ringing in my head. I was like, wow! What a gifted singer…”
“won ti de. They have come,  association of voice commentators” Sunmi said to herself and laughed.
“Thanks, sir.” She typed and sent a blushing smiley.
“Have a great night ma.”
“And you too sir.”
Sunmi replied to other messages from some members of her unit, before retiring to bed.  She was going to tell Chioma that pastor Daniel chatted her up. The tall,  fair, handsome-looking Pastor Daniel whom she had crushed on. She felt butterflies in her stomach…

*Read, Share, Comment…. But, Do Not Plagiarise. Do Not Post on your personal blog/Facebook page,  without the consent of the writer)*
For support, comments, corrections,  constructive criticism,
Contact: *070650584343* (WhatsApp messages only)
*Stay tuned for the next Part.*

*SUNMISOLA*

An Online Christian Fiction.

©Mogbojuri, Olufunke Hadassah (The Author of *Bruised Bimbo*)
PART 5

*The Proposal*

It was the fourth month after she was invited by Chioma to teach the sills in snail farming. There had been a growing affinity between her and Pastor Daniel after the WhatsApp message. He had invited her to lead a special worship session at Light Bearer Ministry. Chioma would tease Sunmi at the growing affinity. The previous weekend,  Daniel proposed to her. He had invited Sunmi to his church on a Saturday morning. Sunmi had seen that coming. Daniel was the kind of man every godly lady wanted. Daniel did not beat about the bush. He told her he would like her to be his wife, to be his partner in ministry, to be the mother of his children. Sunmi felt her heart melt.
“Let me pray about it.” She told him. She knew there and then, that she would give Daniel a yes, but she wanted to play the hard to get lady.
“It’s okay,” Daniel said. “I’ll be waiting for a positive reply.”
The following Monday, Sunmi walked into her office with a conspicuous aura of happiness.
“Good morning Uncle Segun.” She greeted her senior colleague.
“Omo Iya, good morning. Ahn ahn. You look unusually excited this morning.” Segun observed.
“Yes oooo, Uncle Segun. I am super excited.” Sunmi said, dropping her handbag on the table. She cleaned the mildly dusty table with a tissue, dusted the chair, and sat down to pray.
“So, spill it” Segun hardly waited for her to conclude her prayers.
“Weeeeell” She dragged and clasped her hands on her chest, “Daniel proposed to me,” Sunmi said excitedly rolling her eyes.
“Really! Pastor Daniel of the light bearer that you been talking about?” 
“Yes oooo. Uncle Segun.”
“ That’s beautiful. But, have you prayed about it Sunmi?”
“Well, he proposed on Saturday. I prayed about it yesterday when I got home from service. I actually thanked God, my dream man, proposed to me. You know, Uncle Segun, I just have this peace of mind with him. There’s this happiness and peace I have. We have been pretty close before now. I think I’m going to give him a yes.
“Ah! Sunmi, you need to seek God’s face properly. Do not accept a proposal in a hurry. I know you’ve waited, and you may be feeling left out in the race to be married but, Please pray well. Having peace of mind is not enough to convince you. Seek God’s face properly.”
“Why do I need to be disturbing God with my prayers when I know that I’m going to give him a yes. I’ve prayed for the proposal to come. If at all I’ll pray, it’s a prayer of thanksgiving. Daniel is a godly man.”
“Don’t let your emotions clad your spiritual antenna o,  aburo”
“Sure, Uncle Segun. I’m still watching and praying anyway
“That’s my sister…” Segun winked.
Weeks later,  Sunmi said yes to Daniel. She had confided in her friend, Chioma. Chioma was elated for her friend. She had been worried at the rate at which Sunmi turned down proposals, saying God hasn’t spoken to her. Chioma was more worried about Sunmi finding a good suitor. She was married after they graduated and had two kids while her friend was still in the singles and searching zone. She was indeed happy for Sunmi.

Months into their courtship, they had their family introduction and they started the compulsory six months marriage counseling class at the District headquarters of Sunmi’s Church.
Sunmi was happy. The waiting was worth it. She would be getting married to her dream man. God has indeed been faithful to her. The wedding date was fixed. Preparations were in top gear. Her friends rallied around her. They planned a bridal shower for her.  Invitations were out.

When Sunmi gave Pastor Gab the wedding IV. Pastor Gab was happy. He had prayed for a good man for Sunmi. He had constantly used Sunmi as a godly example to ladies. He had ensured that they registered at the District Headquarters for their marriage counseling. All intending couples who wished to be married in the church are mandated to attend the counseling class. Pastor Gab had advised them to submit their relationship to a mentor, someone who has been married for long. Sunmi had wanted them to be answerable to her mentor Papa T but Daniel said no. “Pastor Hyke is okay for us. We can’t submit to someone who is in faraway Osun State while we are in Lagos ” Daniel had said and Sunmi reasoned with him.
Sunmi was well known in the church district. Her distinctive voice and beauty made her outstanding.
Everyone looked forward to her wedding. People congratulated her. Her major concern was having Papa T present on her big day.
Papa T was her mentor while she was on campus. He was the campus fellowship advisor and had kept track of Sunmi’s spiritual growth. She ran to him when she needed spiritual guidance. When she told him about Daniel, Papa T had instructed her to pray very well. When she told Papa T that she had agreed to marry Daniel,  he was worried. “Why the hurry?” he had asked her. “Anyway,  it’s your decision.” He had finally said when Sunmi tried to convince him about her conviction.
Papa T had asked her to tell Daniel to visit him but the later did not. How would he go to a village in Osun to visit her mentor? He had outrightly told Sunmi that he does not have the time. He worked round the clock. Sunmi did not pursue the issue again.
She sent a soft copy of the wedding Invitation to Papa T and his wife. She silently prayed that they attend her wedding.

*Stay tuned for the next Part.*
*Read, Share, Comment…. But, Do Not Plagiarise. Do Not Post on your personal blog/Facebook page, without the consent of the writer)*
For support, comments, corrections,  constructive criticism,
Contact: *070650584343* (WhatsApp messages only)

*SUNMISOLA*
An Online Christian Fiction.
©Mogbojuri, Olufunke Hadassah (The Author of *Bruised Bimbo*)