Peter and Gladys Eruteya hail from Edo State. They had met at a Nigerian airport 40 years ago. They got married in England in 1968 having courted for two years. Gladys (nee Emokpae) was 25 while Peter was 25.
The first few years of
The first few years of
marriage was happy until the waiting for a child wore them down. They sought for medical help, home and abroad and Gladys went through series of surgery.
“We started praying, seeking for help, which was a natural thing for any young couple who are anxious for the fruit of the womb. We actually started seeking for medical help a little before our marriage because I was a bit worried as I never once missed my period like some of my friends constantly did. We used to joke about it then. We have at least six passports for different countries of the world. From one country, we would be directed to another and so it continued. During this time we spent so much money but nothing positive happened.”
Despite all these efforts, the doctors told her she could never have a child. As a Minister of God, Gladys went into fasting and prayer most of the time. It was during one of such occasions that she had a vision, in the 17th year of her childless marriage, in which she claimed God told her she was going to have a son.
“ I remember that on October 4, 1985,after I had gone through several operations in Germany, a professor there, whose name I would not want to mention for certain reasons, said I should not come to their hospital again because it was not possible for me to ever have a child. Before then while I was still in Germany in 1977, I was at the back of our housewhen I heard a voice say to me: ‘I will give you a child’ The voice explained what the child would do when it arrived. I then said to myself this is the Holy Spirit speaking to me. I went in and told my husband about it and we wrote it down and accepted what the voice said. So from then on, anytime we prayed, we always reminded God of his promise to us until He brought it to reality after 38 years of childlessness and at my old age of 60.”
An elated reverend couple, the Eruteyas, told their story to MARY EKAH (Guardian reporter) about their longsuffering and the miracle baby, Peter Jr., at the child dedication and 60th birthday anniversary thanksgiving held at the Foremost of Christ Counseling Centre Church.
When did you reach menopause?
Menopause? About nine years ago.
Since you reached menopause years back, how then could you be pregnant?
I would just say the Lord made a way for me. That is all I would say. God made it possible, without the help of God, we can do nothing. God made it possible for me to have the child. That’s all. One thing I want you to know that with God nothing is impossible. God will always make a way whether menopause or no menopause. God is still able to do all things.
What was your reaction upon discovering the pregnancy?
When I found out I was pregnant, I was more than pleased. I don’t even know how to express it. It would be impossible for me to tell my experience of these forty years of childlessness. I cannot tell you everything that happened in these 38 years. But my prayer is that let no one go through what I went through in these 38 years of anguish and shame. Childlessness is like leprosy. I won’t say it was the devil that rendered me childless but it was God that was testing my husband and me.
Did you bear your pregnancy at 60, better than most young women?
At that age to carry a pregnancy is not an easy thing but God was good to me. I thank God that He kept the child. It was God who put the child there in me and He was able to sustain the child for me through the period of the pregnancy. There wasn’t any problem except for the first three months. Aside that, all the normal things that happen to younger women also happened to me. I experienced all the things that happen to younger women.
Was it here in Nigeria that you got to know that you were pregnant or when you were abroad?
(A long pause) That’s a confidential thing to me. I would not want to discuss that. Whether here in Nigeria, London or wherever it was confirmed, I was definitely here in Nigeria by October, when iwas about four months pregnant and there was a very big thanksgiving for me like we had today. Those who knew before then came to see if actually I was pregnant. Some who even did not know me also came when they heard the story. They all saw me when I was here in Nigeria with the pregnancy and later God directed my path and I went back to Europe to have the baby.
When exactly was that?
I left here by December last year and had my baby by February 13, 2003.
“We started praying, seeking for help, which was a natural thing for any young couple who are anxious for the fruit of the womb. We actually started seeking for medical help a little before our marriage because I was a bit worried as I never once missed my period like some of my friends constantly did. We used to joke about it then. We have at least six passports for different countries of the world. From one country, we would be directed to another and so it continued. During this time we spent so much money but nothing positive happened.”
Despite all these efforts, the doctors told her she could never have a child. As a Minister of God, Gladys went into fasting and prayer most of the time. It was during one of such occasions that she had a vision, in the 17th year of her childless marriage, in which she claimed God told her she was going to have a son.
“ I remember that on October 4, 1985,after I had gone through several operations in Germany, a professor there, whose name I would not want to mention for certain reasons, said I should not come to their hospital again because it was not possible for me to ever have a child. Before then while I was still in Germany in 1977, I was at the back of our housewhen I heard a voice say to me: ‘I will give you a child’ The voice explained what the child would do when it arrived. I then said to myself this is the Holy Spirit speaking to me. I went in and told my husband about it and we wrote it down and accepted what the voice said. So from then on, anytime we prayed, we always reminded God of his promise to us until He brought it to reality after 38 years of childlessness and at my old age of 60.”
An elated reverend couple, the Eruteyas, told their story to MARY EKAH (Guardian reporter) about their longsuffering and the miracle baby, Peter Jr., at the child dedication and 60th birthday anniversary thanksgiving held at the Foremost of Christ Counseling Centre Church.
When did you reach menopause?
Menopause? About nine years ago.
Since you reached menopause years back, how then could you be pregnant?
I would just say the Lord made a way for me. That is all I would say. God made it possible, without the help of God, we can do nothing. God made it possible for me to have the child. That’s all. One thing I want you to know that with God nothing is impossible. God will always make a way whether menopause or no menopause. God is still able to do all things.
What was your reaction upon discovering the pregnancy?
When I found out I was pregnant, I was more than pleased. I don’t even know how to express it. It would be impossible for me to tell my experience of these forty years of childlessness. I cannot tell you everything that happened in these 38 years. But my prayer is that let no one go through what I went through in these 38 years of anguish and shame. Childlessness is like leprosy. I won’t say it was the devil that rendered me childless but it was God that was testing my husband and me.
Did you bear your pregnancy at 60, better than most young women?
At that age to carry a pregnancy is not an easy thing but God was good to me. I thank God that He kept the child. It was God who put the child there in me and He was able to sustain the child for me through the period of the pregnancy. There wasn’t any problem except for the first three months. Aside that, all the normal things that happen to younger women also happened to me. I experienced all the things that happen to younger women.
Was it here in Nigeria that you got to know that you were pregnant or when you were abroad?
(A long pause) That’s a confidential thing to me. I would not want to discuss that. Whether here in Nigeria, London or wherever it was confirmed, I was definitely here in Nigeria by October, when iwas about four months pregnant and there was a very big thanksgiving for me like we had today. Those who knew before then came to see if actually I was pregnant. Some who even did not know me also came when they heard the story. They all saw me when I was here in Nigeria with the pregnancy and later God directed my path and I went back to Europe to have the baby.
When exactly was that?
I left here by December last year and had my baby by February 13, 2003.
1 comment:
Very impressive miracle indeed. I met this lady 7 years ago,when my son started pre-school. Since then my son and this miracle baby E.Peter Jnr. has remained best friends. They went through pre-school together currently attends the same primary school in the same class and has always been throughout. Its a pleasure to know this lady and her remarkable story. Life is truly a blessing and believing is achieving however impossible your situation may be, just believe.
M.Allen
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