ULOG 003: WHAT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY AUGUST 11TH, 2018.

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog. For the first time since I joined steemit, I couldn't make a post for two days which would have been three days if I hadn't battled to make one on Friday. Life caught up with me and I was too busy dealing with it that steemit had to come second on the list. It happens atimes and you know when duty calls sometimes, one must leave everything and obey. Yeah duty called last weekend. A duty I have been carrying out since a year plus now. Last week Saturday was the judgement day amidst mixed emotions of joy, tears, excitements, anger and overjoy.

What am I referring to? Last week Saturday the 11th day of August, 2018 was the 5th annual children quiz competition organized by a local congregation of my church, "The church of Christ" for same churches located in Anambra and Delta State. The program is held yearly with an aim to train the children in Bible study and equip them with the word of God which is necessary to reproof, instruct and correct in righteousness. It is all about catching them young in the word of God and so far, it's been so good.

Last year August I was given the singular task of being the children Quiz teacher a special class carved out to prepare the children for the annual quiz. The books given to be studied were Philemon, Titus, 1Timothy, 2Timothy, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther and I had just 10 months to get them to memorize these books. Yeah memorize because they have to know it inside out and because most of their questions are quotations, who said this, what made this reply and list names, mention events and complete this statement.

At first I was lost not because I don't know how to teach but because I don't know how to make them know this books to knowing what happened in every chapter and verse and memorizing it. Last year my congregation came 6th and that was another reason why I was tensed. The expectation was high and the challenge was much.

Nevertheless I took up the mantle and proceeded to teach and be taught also these books. The first few months i was frustrated because the children were learning to forget. I had to employ different forms of punishments for them to understand how serious I am about this issue. It wasnt a "yoking" matter as my Calabar friends would say.

Last week being the week of the event, I camped them in my house over the weekend and stayed up all night doing revision with them. I needed them to win a gift so badly. I knew I was stressing them but I also understand it was the only way I could achieve my aim. You should have seen the poor kids battling with sleep. I felt for them but the mission was far greater and must be completed. I gave up the comfort of my bed, my sleep and even my weekly show, "Saturday night with Zizy" couldn't hold because of this.

Then came the D-Day, we got to the venue by 6:45am, I and 10 kids and although I got there early hoping to win the gift of the first to arrive, I was shocked to see some kids already there waiting. Talk about the hustle being real. I gathered my kids together and tried tying any loose ends before the program finally kicks off. Once it was 10am, the program started and they were made to pick numbers. It was a total number of 19 churches.

We had three stages. I knew we would cross to the second stage given the amount of preparation I gave to them and yes we did cross to the second stage. At the end of the second stage only 5 congregations were to make it to the final lap. We survived as the 5th lowest and then at that moment I prayed well at least they are in the final stage but guess what? My kids didn't give up.

The final stage was a battle of the survival. It was tough and the kids were not willing or ready to give up the struggle. They battled and battled and it looked like it wouldn't end but everything that has a beginning has an end. At the end of the program, the results were announced and my joy knew no bounds when my congregation was called out as the second best. You should have seen me screaming at the top of my voice. You may wonder why I'm so excited at second position? Well, you can't understand the struggle if you weren't there. These kids were all smart and armed to the teeth ready to battle but God gave us victory.

They made me a proud teacher as I watched them collect their various gifts and a cash price of five thousand naira each. In church on Sunday, they were still called out and honoured with some extra cash gifts. It was joy all around. Although I never got any gifts except a "God bless you", I believe it is still better than any cash gifts I could have gotten. They made me proud and that's all that matters.

Books for next year are Numbers, Exodus, Romans, Ephesians, Galatians and Hebrews. I wish the next teacher good luck. It wasn't easy and even though I brought back an award, I wouldn't want to experience it again. Hahahaha....don't blame me. The tension gave me sleepless night for days.

This is simply how I spent my weekend. It was worth it. I hope you enjoyed the read.

Until I write again
Yours truly
@zizymena.