Church Service Brings a Miracle
By Donna and Vern Whisenant

ABA, Nigeria — A family’s devotion to their temple and their God has resulted in a miracle for one of their family members.

As the Aba Nigeria Temple was being prepared for its open house and subsequent dedication, Eucheria and Athanasus Anyanwy wanted to do what they could to help.  The parents and their eight children worked wherever they were needed in the temple complex, with the parents working full days and the children pitching in before and after school, and all day when school was not in session. 

Eucheria regularly served with the cleaning of buildings, and Athanasus was an usher wherever needed.  When Aba stake cleaned the entire road to the temple before the open house, the Anyanwys were assisting. The same service was given when the road was again cleaned before the dedication. 

Their six children pitched in wherever they were needed.  Bank Athroney Anyanwu is nineteen getting ready to serve a mission. Nnenna is seventeen and serves as first counselor in Young Women program.  Cooper Douglas is 15 and serves in his priesthood quorum.  Jennifer is fourteen and helps everywhere.  Jefferson and Osisioma are eleven and eight and in Primary.  From childhood, their parents taught them to serve whenever and wherever they were needed, and the open house and dedication of the new temple served as the perfect opportunity for service. 

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Nnenna (17 yrs old), Jennifer (14), Eucheria (mother), Jefferson (11), Athanasus (father), Osisioma (8), and Cooper Douglas (15).  Missing from the picture is Bank Anthroney, 19.

As Eucheria left her home on the first day of service for the open house, she was so excited she forgot to give her ill mother the drops she must take every morning. As she was returning home that evening she suddenly remembered, and fear gripped her heart and mind. 

“What have I done?” she asked herself.  “In what condition will I find my mom?” She immediately began praying fervently that her excitement would not have compromised the health of her invalid mother, who is not a member of the Church.

Upon arriving home, Eucheria was shocked to find her mother out of bed, caring for herself, and cleaning the house.  She had not been able to do any of that for two years.  Eucheria knew immediately what had happened.  A miracle had occurred while she had been serving the Lord. In a single day, two years of prayers had been answered. 

Eucheria’s mother has not needed the medication since that day.  Eucheria feels that this alone will bring her mother into the Church.

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Eucheria and her husband Athansus believe the miraculous healing of Eucheria’s mother was a result of their service at the temple.

It was not surprising to find Athanasus and Eucheria back at the stake center on the first day the temple was opened after the dedication, assisting the people who had lined up at 6 a.m. to have their genealogical records checked one last time before taking them to the temple.