Israel Adepoju '24 Recruiting Profile

FRIEND CLOSER THAN MY BREATH.

One night that changed my life forever, when I heard bad news. I was born in Nigeria, a country that got its Independence from Great Britain in 1960, and I was brought up in a British English  Educational system. Nigeria is full of violence, hatred,and corruption. So back to the bad news that I heard, I was doing my assignment when I saw people coming to my house Wearing black,(in my country when people wore black it signifies Death) and with sad countenance on their Faces.

When I was nine years old,I was told that my father was dead by the people in black. When I was a child I only saw people die on TV, I never once thought that someone close to me would die or my father would die. It is reality that we are born to die. Can one imagine a child hearing the news of his father's death?. It still affects me mentally and emotionally. I was sad and discouraged having this thought that I will never see my father again in this world.My mother and my siblings were sad as well. We buried my Dad ,what a horrible moment for me as a child!. 

  .I was depressed, sad, and unhappy. Sometimes I still  cry alone thinking about the death of my father., it meant that I and my friend never had any genuine relationship together. I never really understood what he did for me and what he was offering me. All my life I grew up watching and playing soccer. and I had passion for soccer at an early age and I became obsessed with soccer. My father loves soccer and even had a viewing center for soccer, and he supported me with my dream to play soccer. Soccer gives me happiness and sadness, but the one that became a father for me a fatherless is God. Joy only comes from God which bestows it unto me.    

 In Nigeria most people's dreams easily become futile or it was never achieved. Most went to college, graduated and then no Job and most will look for menial jobs so as to have a livelihood but that was never their dream Job. Another problem is the Government. The unemployment rate is so high, that one hardly gets any Job.Lastly it is the lack of Unemployment, that many Nigerians want to go abroad for a Better life,but the problem is that there is little or no money for people to travel abroad for a better life. My father’s death really was an Aha moment for me,and it inspired me to cling unto Jesus because he promised me that whoever believes in him will never die, and he is the author and the finisher of my faith.

  siblings will be sent out of class because their tuition isn't paid for. But it did not give up and my friend did not give up on having a relationship with me.

      By the grace of God I came to the U.S it was a huge milestone for me and a huge cultural change and also a dream come true. I left my family and friends in Nigeria. I Always heard that the U.S is a land of opportunity. I didn't hear about Racism, homelessness, killing students in school,and students disrespecting the Teachers.      The greatest Achievement of my life is that I finally know my friend who knows me more than I know myself and has always been there with me. He protects me and he was offering me something priceless that I keep rejecting. Until my friend found and saved my lost soul. A friend closer than my breath is Jesus Christ. Jesus never gave up on me, even when I keep rejecting and sinning against him. Jesus offers me Eternal life and reconciliation to God through his death and Resurrection.