Christal Cooper 2,257 Words
The Scripted Interview With
Christian Writer Dr. Uduak Afangideh
On Her New Book Sister To Sister
*Dr. Uduak Afangideh is originally from Nigeria,
where she graduated form high school.
She moved to America to attend Hardeman College in Henderson, Tennessee
where she received her B.Sc in Biology and then to Tennessee State University
where she received her Master’s degree in Biology. Almost twenty years later she received her
Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Genetics from University of Calabar Nigeria. She presently teaches biology at Faulkner
University in Montgomery, Alabama, where she also resides with her husband and
children and attends the local Church of Christ.
Were you reared in a
Christian home?
Yes. My parents were
among the first set of Nigerians converted American missionaries of the Church
of Christ. By the time they met and got
married, they had both been Christians for a while- my dad was a trained
preacher of the Church of Christ by the time any of their children were born.
Can you describe in
great detail you finally making a commitment to the Trinity God?
I entered into a
relationship with Him when I got baptized at 10 years old. It was on a Sunday morning after the sermon
and there was what is commonly called the altar call. I had a strong conviction of my sinfulness
and how lost I was without The Lord. I
felt an urgency to commit my life to Him and so, with tears streaming down my
face I walked down the aisle into my father’s arms (who was the Preacher) and
was baptized in a stream in Ikot Ekpene, Nigeria. My walk with The Lord has only grown and
deepened through the years.
What was your childhood
like?
I was born in Nigeria
but spent the first 7 years of my life in two continents – Africa and
America. My parents moved to America
when I was 4 years old and so I began preschool in Tennessee. By the time I was 7 years old, we moved back
to Nigeria and that is where I started 2nd grade and continued until
I finished high school. I was the 2nd
of six children and was expected to do my part in taking care of my younger
siblings since both my parents worked outside of the home.
What did you want to be
as a child?
I wanted to be a
teacher. Looking back now, I think it
was because both my parents were teachers.
My mom was the first grade teacher of all her children and daddy was our
high school principal.
Would you describe
yourself as a writer? And what was your first experience in writing?
I would. I enjoy writing and get so much energy from
it. The hours slip by once I begin
writing. My first experience was writing
a ladies column for a Christian publication in Nigeria, The Pulpit Watch.
Can you go into detail
about your column The Pulpit
Watch and do you have a webpage link for The Pulpit Watch?
The Pulpit Watch was a journal written specifically for
preachers and preachers in training in Nigeria.
I approached the editor with the idea that there was a need for
something for preachers wives and suggested a column titled “Likewise ye
women”. The idea was approved and I
wrote the column for about 4 years. My
family’s move to the United States in 2008 made it harder for me to continue
writing the column and it was taken over by another Christian sister in
Nigeria. Unfortunately I have been out
of touch with them for the past 6 years.
Can you go into detail
of what Today’s Girl:
The Physical, Spiritual, and Emotional Development of the Girl Child
is about?
My first book was Today’s Girl, published in 2002. It was written as my daughter was approaching
puberty and I realized that there was not a whole lot of reading material out
there on raising African girls. Most of
the material in the market where by American writers and it was hard for the
African child and her mother to fully identify with some of the references in
the books and to find it relevant to them.
The typical African mother does not talk to her daughter as intimately
as I think she should and while part of the reason is cultural, I think a large
part is just not knowing what to say and how.
Many of our daughters pick up information about themselves and their
emerging sexuality from the wrong sources and so this book was my attempt to
provide factual information in a sensitive manner for both mothers and their
young daughters. It was specifically
written from the African woman’s point of view but definitely not just for
African ladies.
How was the idea for SISTER TO SISTER book first conceived in
your brain?
I
was teaching a Quarterly Bible class in my local congregation (Landmark Church
of Christ in Montgomery Alabama) on women of the Bible. Every time I prepared to teach the class, I
would hear a whispering in my spirit “We have heard these stories since
childhood that they are sounding more like fables”. Initially, I would just agree with my spirit
and move on. Later I started hearing
“living among us today are women who are facing fierce struggles and still
standing strong”. Again I would agree
with my spirit, and keep on preparing my lessons. One day, I heard “I want you to tell these
women’s stories”. I argued with the
spirit’s voice in my mind, pointing out so many reasons why this was not a good
idea- I was extremely busy at work, my family needed my undivided attention, I
hadn’t been in the United States long enough to know these ladies, etc. etc.-
but the idea had taken hold of me and it refused to let me go until I obeyed.
Can you give me a
step-by-step process of how this book came into being from the moment it was
first conceived in your brain until the final form in book form?
After I made the choice
to walk in obedience, it was amazing how the Lord led me to the women in this
book. Some of their names were mentioned
in totally unrelated conversations with others and some of the names were
placed in my heart by the Spirit. As
soon as I felt led to someone, I sent them a letter telling them about the
project and asking if they would prayerfully consider being part of it. After they agreed, I would set up interviews
with them. This often meant travelling
all over the place but it was definitely worth it. After recording the interviews, I would use
it to write a chapter and then send it back to the ladies for review and then I
would incorporate their corrections/suggestions into the chapters. Since I was also teaching full time at
Faulkner, most of the work was done during the summer months and it took two
years to complete writing the manuscript.
This was sent off for editing by an English major friend of mine, and it
was only after this initial editing that I sent it off for publishing. The publishing process took over 6 months as
it went through manuscript critique, copy editing, book cover design etc. Eventually, to the glory of God, the book
form was ready by February 2014.
How did you determine
what women’s stories to present in this book?
I felt a strong leading
of the Holy Spirit in this area. I would
wake up with names of ladies strongly placed on my heart and I would contact
them. Some of the women’s names were
mentioned in conversation and I would feel the Spirit telling me “she has a
story”. The funny thing was that there
were two women that I knew and just felt that their stories belonged in the
book, but because it was my idea, when I approached them, they were not ready
to tell their stories and I would feel a chastisement for trying to make those
decisions on my own.
How long did it take for
you to complete this book?
It took me about two
years to complete the writing of the book and about another six months to get
it published.
Can you describe your
experience of getting the book published?
It was a great
experience. At one point I was
approached by a few publishers and had to trust the Lord that I was making the
right decision of who to go with. At one
point I felt that the doors to getting it published were closing and I had to
seek the counsel of my preacher and others whom I trust. I think I learned to depend on the Lord’s
guidance and leading a lot during this process.
You describe and use
SISTER TO SISTER as a Bible study. What kinds of books do you
personally use as a Bible study that have helped you in your faith?
Oh, I am constantly
reading. I have been through so many great
devotional books that it would be hard to recall all of them. In the past 6 month alone, I have studied
from Priscilla Shirer’s One In A Million and Discerning
The Voice of God; Joanna Weaver’s Having A Mary Spirit; Wrestling
Prayer by Eric and Leslie Ludy and I am presently using Tony Evans Kingdom
Woman for my personal Bible Study.
You state in the
preface, “I believe that every woman today has a story to tell.” Yet your
story is not in this book. What is your story and how would it appear if it were
in this book?
My story is one of a
lady who has been on a wild ride with her Lord and Savior, one who has enjoyed
God’s abundant grace through the trenches of life and has found out that God is
faithful.
What does it mean to be
a Christian? What must one do in order to become a Christian?
A Christian is one who
confesses Jesus as their Lord and Savior, not just verbally, but by their
actions. They place Him first above all
else and seek to please Him in all they do, think and say. To become a Christian, one must repent of
their sins, confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, put Him on in the water of
baptism, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and rise to walk in newness of
life. (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3; Gal. 3:27)
What is your daily
routine like – especially when it applies to your spiritual growth as a
Christian?
A typical day begins for
me at 4:50a.m. when I wake up, jump in the shower (to make sure I am awake) and
by 5:00a.m. I am ready for my one hour uninterrupted time with the Lord. This makes sense if you know that I am not a
morning person, but it was impressed upon me about 6 years ago that I needed my
time with the Lord (at least an hour in the morning) to be able to make it
through my day. At 6:00 my family wakes
up and we have a 30 minute daily devotional.
This has evolved through the years from my husband and I using this time
to teach our kids and instill family values to them to what it is now, where
each family member is in charge of family devotions one day each week. The person in charge chooses the songs we
sing, leads in an opening prayer, shares a message from God’s word, leads in a
discussion of the message and then prays or calls on another family member to
pray. This has become such a special
time in our family. After morning
devotions, we disperse and get ready for our day. At work, I intentionally carve out time to
read the word. Most often I do this as
soon as I get into my office (before I turn the computer on) but sometimes, I
do it during lunch break or any other break that I get. Our day always ends with another 30 minutes
of family devotional around 8-8:30 and then I have a 30 minute personal
devotional time before I go to bed. I
have found out that the only way for me to stay grounded and focused is to
intentionally carve out uninterrupted time to spend in God’s presence every
day, without fail.
What are your favorite
scripture verses and why?
Oh there are so many,
depending on what is going on in the present.
Right now, some of them are Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and
lean not on your own understanding. In
all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path” – I love that
reminder that if surrender to Him and hand over all to Him, He will direct my
paths.”
An old time favorite is Jeremiah
29:11: “For I know the thoughts I think
of you, says the Lord, thoughts of good and not of evil, to give you an
expected end” – Again the fact that God has great thoughts and plans for me, is
enough to wake me up in the morning with joy in my heart.”
Another old time
favorite is Romans 8:28: “For all things
work together for good to those that love Him and those who have been called
according to His purpose” – This makes it easy for me to accept all
circumstances knowing without a doubt, that even what seems bad to me will work
out for my good.”
Photograph
Description And Copyright Information
Photo
1
Uduak
Afangideh
Copyright
granted by Uduak Afangideh
Photo
2
Jacket
cover of Sister To Sister: Inspiring
Stories of How An Extraordinary God Transforms Ordinary Women Today
Photo
3
Uduak
and her husband P.T.
Copyright granted by Uduak Afangideh
Copyright granted by Uduak Afangideh
Photo
4
Present
day map of Nigeria
Public
Domain
Photo
5
"Wade In The Water" Postcard of a river baptism in New Bern, North Carolina near the turn of the 20th Century.
Public Domain
Public Domain
Photo 6
A Mother's Prayer
Attributed to Sidney Carter
Copyright granted by Sidney Carter
Attributed to Sidney Carter
Copyright granted by Sidney Carter
Photo
7a
Uduak’s
mother Affiong Okon Mkpong (Eka Ini)
Copyright
granted by Uduak Afangideh
Photo 7b
Uduak's father Obong Mkpong
Copyright granted by Uduak Afangideh
Photo 7b
Uduak's father Obong Mkpong
Copyright granted by Uduak Afangideh
Photo
8
Uduak
Agangideh singing a copy of Sister To Sister
Copyright
granted by Uduak Agangideh
Photo
9
People
of Nigeria
Attributed
to Uduak Afangideh
Copyright
granted by Uduak Afangideh
Photo
10
Uduak
Afangideh in her earlier years; her
daughter Salem today.
Copyright
granted by Uduak Afangideh
Photo
11
Uduak
and her children Salm, Isreal, and Elias at the pulpit of their local church.
Copyright granted by Uduak Afangideh
Copyright granted by Uduak Afangideh
Photo
12
Photos
of Sister-To-Sister launch party
March
16, 2014
Copyright
granted by Uduak Afangideh
Photo
13
Copy
of the invitation to the Sister-To-Sister launch party.
Copyright
granted by Uduak Afangideh
Photo
14
Jacket
cover of Sister To Sister amongst other devotional and Bible study
books.
Copyright granted by Uduak Afangideh
Copyright granted by Uduak Afangideh
Photo
15
Uduak
Afangideh
Copyright
granted by Uduak Afangideh
Photo
16
Jacket
cover of One In A Million by Priscilla Shirer
Photo
17
Jacket
cover of Discerning The Voice Of God by Priscilla Shirer
Photo
18
Jacket
cover of Having A Mary Spirit by Joanna Weaver
Photo
19
Jacket
covert of Wrestling Prayer by Eric and Leslie Ludy
Photo
20
Jacket
cover of Kingdom Woman by Tony Evans
Photo
21
Uduak
and her husband P.T.
Copyright granted by Uduak Afangideh
Copyright granted by Uduak Afangideh
Photo
22
Illustration
of Acts 2:38
Fair
Use Under the United States Copyright Law
Photo
23
Illustration
of Romans 6:3
Fair
Use Under the United States Copyright Law
Photo
24
Illustration
of Galatians 3:27
Fair
Use Under the United States Copyright Law
Photo
25
Afangideh
Family Photo
Copyright
granted by Uduak Afangideh
Photo
26
Photograph
illustrating Proverbs 3:5-6
Copyright
by Christal Rice Cooper
Photo
27
Photograph
illustrating Jeremiah 29:11
Modeled
by Janlyn Diggs
Copyright
by Christal Rice Cooper and Janlyn Diggs
Photo
28
Photograph
illustrating Romans 8:28
Copyright
by Christal Rice Cooper
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