Tested Faith

By Rita Chinwe Ekenta

Tested Faith describes the many obstacles and jubilation experienced by Rita in her journey from Nigeria to United States. In a gripping display of humor and grace, Rita takes us into her childhood in Nigeria, her journey to God’s own country and trials and triumphs. Rita’s faith has been under fire too many times to count and has built in her a strong resilience that can only come from God. She also examines the similarities as well as cultural clashes that have influenced her life in many different ways.

Each one of us has something to contribute to life. Regardless of how much we have been beaten down, we can still help others. It is very fulfilling for me to realize that the tragedies in my life have empowered me to make a difference in my life and other people’s lives. We all have a purpose in this life. One’s purpose is unique to that individual alone. Our blessings are equally unique and are ours to grab. I cannot grab your blessings no matter how hard I try; neither can you grab mine. If I live this life without knowing what my purpose is, my purpose will vanquish at the end of my life and cannot be inherited by another person. My purpose is not for my good alone; rather, it is for humanity and to the glory of God.

God never takes us anywhere that his grace does not abound for our guidance and protection. This we learn from biblical principles typified in the Bible’s many narratives. Yet in difficult times, we sometimes—perhaps often—ask ourselves: “Will God ever lead us to a place where he cannot protect us? Is anything difficult for God? Should we expect a life without temptation?” These questions undergird my story even if not always explicitly stated in the narrative that has given me great insight and joyous recollection.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9781636306209

Book preview

My Humble Beginnings

I was born in the town of Awkuzu in Anambra, state of Nigeria. Prior to migrating to the United States of America in 1990 at the age of twenty-two, I attended primary and secondary schools as well as the university in Nigeria. I became an American citizen on July 18, 1997. I have been fortunate to acquire higher education here in the USA. I have a master’s degree in legal studies from the University of Baltimore (UB) and a law degree from New England School of Law (NESL) in Boston, Massachusetts. I was also blessed with an opportunity to serve in the finest army in the world—the United States Army. My husband and I have been married for eighteen years, and we are blessed with four beautiful children whose ages range from nine to sixteen.

I grew up in Nigeria, but I chose to make the United States my home. Growing up in Nigeria, I saw real poverty though I had no idea that we were poor because I was happy. However, I experienced poverty at the boarding schools and the university. I was living without electricity and doing my homework by candlelight because the National Electrical Power Authority (NEPA) couldn’t provide power. At my secondary school, students fetched water from boreholes and ponds several miles away from the school because the national water supply company couldn’t supply water through the taps. Students carried heavy rusty buckets or five-gallon plastic containers to fetch water which they carried on their heads.

I consider myself blessed to be where I am in life today. I am truly convinced that I did not get here because I was the smartest person among my peers. Rather, the opposite was the case. Much of the time, I was clueless of the goings-on around me, and my cluelessness and innocence got me into or out of trouble. I believe that my only weapon (confidence and determination to succeed) comes from my strong faith in God. Period! Numerous times, friends and colleagues have asked me the same questions: What motivates you? What makes you get up in the morning and move with sunshine in your face? My answer has always been: My tested faith. This faith has been under fire too many times to count, and it has built in me a strong resilience that can only come from God.

I strongly believe that Africa has much to teach and offer the world even though Africans live in difficult times and face historical challenges. As a young African girl, I dreamed about becoming a defender of the innocent and poor. As an American, I now have the great honor of delivering this dream to many girls, women, and the poor. This is my purpose!

The Igbo of Nigeria

The Igbo are one of the ethnic groups that make up Nigeria. The word Igbo denotes two things: the first is given set of people (an ethnic group, a tribe) who live in south-eastern part of Nigeria, and the second is the language this people speak. They are one of the three major tribes in Nigeria, and their language is among the three major languages spoken in Nigeria. Hausa and Yoruba are the other two major ethnic groups and languages spoken in Nigeria.

The Igbo are found in the south-eastern part of Nigeria and are predominantly Christians. The river Niger divided the Igbo into two unequal parts. The greatest part, east of the Niger, comprises of five states, namely: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states while the smaller part, west of the Niger, is in the present Delta State. There are also some portions of the Igbo in Rivers State. They are surrounded by some other ethnic groups like the Bini, Ijaw, Ogoni, Igala, Yako, Ibibio, et cetera. They are bordered by the Igala and Idoma people to the north, the Ijaw and Ogoni to the south, the Yako and Ibibio to the east, and Bini and Warri to the west (cf. Ezekwonna, Ferdinad, African Community Ethic, 24).

The Igbo are unique race distinguishable anywhere they are found by their religiosity and traditional manner of doing things; every action of the people has a religious undertone; their worldview is one in which there is constant interaction between the spiritual and physical worlds. So humans do not interact with humans alone but with the spiritual as well (cf. Izekwe Augustus, women reproductive rights, 88). The result is that the Igbo are conscious of the presence of the divine around them always. The religion and culture of the Igbo are very knit together such that one cannot speak of Igbo culture without speaking of their religion or spirituality, vice versa. Having said that, we now delve into the Igbo spirituality and its relationship to Catholicism.

Igbo Spirituality and Its Relationship to Catholicism

Igbo spirituality predates Christianity, Islam, and most other forms of religion. The foundation of Igbo spirituality is the concept of Chi (God). Chi is the fundamental force of creation. Everyone, as well as everything, has a Chi.

The Igbo worship one Creator known by many names:

Chidiebere (God the Merciful)

Obasidinelu (Supreme God above)

Chineke (God the Creator)

The Igbo respect their elders who are known as Ndi-ichie. Elders have always been revered in Igbo society, and even more so after they are dead and passed onto Be (or Ani) Mmuo (the land of the spirits).

It is important to state at this point that the Igbo venerate their elders; they do not worship them. This is like the Catholics’ relationship with the saints.

The Igbo believe that they have a strong connection with their Chi (God) who resides within them. Thus, most parents give their children names that are hinged upon Chi and according to circumstances surrounding the birth of the children.

For instance, my given name at birth is Chinweifenine (God owns everything). This name has been shortened to Chinwe (God owns). I was given this name because I was born during the civil war in Nigeria (1967–1970). Like all periods of war and hostilities, this civil war period was characterized by famine. My mother was unable to breastfeed me, and so she improvised with broth from the chicken she sold in her restaurant (Mama Put). She blended this with akamu (pap made from dry corn, ground, and fermented corn). I was dedicated to God whether I survived or not. Glad I survived. Having been born at this time, I have no baby photos to show what I looked like as a baby, but it is all good and I am grateful to God for sparing our lives from the war.

Today, the Igbos are largely Christians, but their traditional spiritual beliefs still live on. Igbo Catholics practice their religion with the same zeal as Igbos who still practice the traditional religion. A fundamental part of the Igbo philosophy is Biri Kam Biri (live and let live). Ndi Igbo did not believe in fighting wars over religion. In their view, everybody should be able to worship God as they see fit. The Igbos believe in peaceful coexistence. They believe that people who have a lot of diversity in their lives (who know a lot of people and different activities) are happier. Boundaries, they believe, don’t keep other people out; they fence you in.

Igbo philosophy is centered on doing good for strangers because God will never appear to you in godlike form but will rather appear as a beggar, blind person, etc. We interact with God daily without knowing it. The more gracious you are, the same or more grace will be shown to you. God gives everyone a certain special grace regardless of our religious affiliation. These gifts are unconditional and do not depend on our acknowledgment of God as our Redeemer. However, acknowledging and thanking God will enrich us more.

Circular Music in Igbo Catholic Culture

Catholic rites are pretty the same worldwide, but in Igbo culture, Catholic rites and services reflect a lot of our endearing culture. For instance, dance is not part of Latin liturgy in Roman and American Catholic services. However, it is very common in African Catholic churches to see Spirit-filled dances inside the church during the Mass. During offertory in Igbo Catholic churches, people joyously carry their gifts to the altar, singing and dancing gracefully and cheerfully. Did the Bible not say that God loves a cheerful giver? (2 Cor.). To the Igbos, the Mass is for adoration, contrition, and thanksgiving. Dancing and joyful singing help with accomplishing this goal. This mode of worship has been accepted worldwide as long as it is not provocative. In the United States, Igbos in large cities celebrate Igbo masses regularly completely in the Igbo fashion. Attendance to Igbo Catholic Mass brings the nostalgia of the Catholic worship back home, filled with praises, Spirit-filled dances, and adoration.

The Biafran War

Nigeria got her independence from Britain in 1960. Shortly after that, the Muslim Fulani/Hausas in the northern part of Nigeria began massacring the Igbo Christians in the region, prompting tens of thousands of Igbos to flee to the east, where the Igbos were the dominant ethnic group. The Igbos had no trust that the Nigerian oppressive military government would protect them since the leadership of the country was in the hands of the Muslim Fulani/Hausas. On May 30, 1967, the prosperous Igbo dominant in the eastern part of the country, led by Oxford-educated, Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, now late, declared their independence from Nigeria for the new nation known as Biafra. This secession attempt by the Igbo led to the civil war.

Nigeria’s superior military strength gradually reduced the Biafran territory. The state lost its oil fields—its main source of revenue—and without the funds to import food, an estimated one million of its civilians died as a result of severe malnutrition that led to a deadly disease called kwashiorkor. This disease is a form of severe protein malnutrition and is characterized by an enlarged liver with fatty infiltrates. Sufferers of this disease had enough calorie intake but insufficient protein consumption.

According to my mother, this was the deadliest war she had ever heard of. A lot of people were killed by bombs. Families spent several days in the bushes to avoid getting killed by the bombs. No one wanted to be around any nursing mother for fear that the cries of the babies would lead the enemy to their hideouts and cause them to be killed. Several times my mother was advised to abandon her newborn child to save herself, but she refused. Instead, she carried her baby on her back wherever she went: farming, market, or streams. To sustain her family, my mother prepared and sold stewed chicken to soldiers.

On January 11, 1970, Nigerian forces captured Owerri, the provincial capital of Biafra and one of the last Biafran strongholds. Colonel Ojukwu was forced to surrender to save the lives of the Igbos remaining; he went on exile to Ivory Coast.

Family Background in Nigeria

My parents were devout Catholics who attended morning masses at least three or four times a week. Sunday Mass was a must; otherwise, there would be no jollof rice that Sunday. I belonged to the Legion of Mary, whose main purpose was charity to the poor and life of prayer and devotion to the Blessed Mother, Virgin Mary. After Sunday masses, we, the Legion of Mary members, would spend hours fetching water for the elders who lived alone. I was assigned to assist three elders, and my responsibilities included fetching two buckets of water, sweeping and cleaning dirty dishes for them at each visit.

Block Rosary was held daily in front