STEVEN,

Today is your birthday and I could not call to wish you a Happy Birth Day but to tell you my briother, Rest In Perfect Peace.

Today. I come to the end of the mourning period I had for you. I decided to mourn you in Black because I lost a son and not a kid brother, because you always called me, MY MOTHER. My late mother brought me up as a Christian Woman which she was and in CWF. we do not mourn because we know our loved ones are with the Lord, but I decided to mourn you in Black because uptil today I have not understood what happened to you and will never, but I know and believe that the Almighty who is the Giver, decided to take you from us because He needed you to be with Mami and Cons. at this time. I took you to the village safely and you are laying with Mami and your best friend, your little sister, "Ma Cons." in the compound.

Stephen Achiri Jr. is with Yvonne, 'mami Anjei' in Ngomedzap and is going to school and doing so well. We have all promised to take good care of him and he will one day join us here in the USA. I have done everything to send your

belongings home to your brothers and the bed to Stephen to be sleeping on so he can have a bond with you whom he never got the opportunity to meet.Join all the family members who went ahead of you and continue to pray and intercede for us. Rest in Perfect Peace my dear brother and may the Good Lord receive and keep you. I will always Remember you.

Ma Grace

My Little bother, Stephen, who has always loved and respected me very much; I am really speechless to even imagine that you are no more there to share more meaningful times like always.Ever since when we were little with both of our Fathers as teachers in Gov't school Santa, you and I had always bonded.it is a shame to know you are gone for ever. Rest in peace in the LORD Little Angle Brother.

Ni Ste,
Little did I know that morning July 15th, two days after we spoke that God was going to call your name. In life, I loved you dearly; in death I do the same. It broke my heart to lose you. You left lots of peaceful and encouraging memories. Your love is still my guide, and though I can’t see you, you will always be in my heart. Our uncle/niece chain is broken, but as God calls us one by one, the chain will link again one day.

I will miss you on Wednesday evening services, when you would wait with that signature smile on your face to help me put Kuku and Adii in their respective seats in the car as you did time and time again. You always say: “I see you inside church. So I di wait for salute Kuku and Adii before I go house.”

We had our “rendez-vous” for July 17th, Wednesday to attend service that evening together with the kids, but the cold hands of death snatched you away. Truly, God’s ways are not our ways, nor his thoughts ours. That is why you are not here with us today. You will be forever missed.

Greet the two big mammies, Uncle Bob, Uncle David, Ma Cons for me. RIP until we meet to part no more.

May Your Soul Rest in Perfect Peace

Rosa B. Anyangwe

Dear “Grand”

I write this in praise to God Almighty and in honor of a best brother who called me “Mummi” passionately and Ma Helen for emphasis.

You reminded me very often that I was the best sister God had blessed you with. Thanks a million “Grand” you are and will remain the best “Son”, Gaston’s elder brother God blessed me with. When I heard of your passing away into glory, it was like a dream to me. It dawned to me when I was called by your nieces and nephews to confirm that you were really dead.

I will always be seeing you whenever I see Pa Sama and Dr. Gaston. I heard that one of your last calls you said you had received as your lord and personal savior. How happy was I to hear you died in the Lord.

Farewell “Grand” and keep interceding with Jesus Christ above the skies. I cry because I will miss you physically, but rejoice because you have joined our heavenly father. VICTORY!!!!!!

ADIEU Mon Grand, Ni Ste. Guy

May your soul rest in perfect peace.

Your elder sister

Ma Helen Boma

Grand, I left these pages yesterday as fast as I could because I could hardly see an end to my despair... but the truth remains an iconic person like you, deserves an iconic farewell. Hearing the crooning in the background reminds me of the tears I saw deep in your eyes  as you ran towards us that sunday morning we left school many years ago to bury Ma Cons...states of despair that match each other.

Grand, your story will be told, with same kindness and understanding you encountered all issues that confronted you. In late 1992, when at a rather youthful age, you had to guardian most of us of the generation beneath you, because the others were either under house arrest or incarcerated at BMM, in all joviality you simply asked a junior cousin when he presented his report card to you " Guy, you carry class???"

Grand, the stories can indeed be recounted over and over, but not being able to forget them after all these years, only depict, how you had an impact in some of us, in your own modest way.

Rest in perfect peace...

My dearest Uncle and friend,

Little did I know you had less than 10 hours to be with us on Sunday, July 14th when you called me and we talked at length, little did I know you called to say “bye bye Mami Abiba”.

Ni Ste, I am still in shock and can’t get over it that you are no more.  Ni Ste, like I told you, you are one special Uncle we all had. You made us laugh when we wanted to cry, you made us stronger when we felt weak; whenever we were upset we knew you were there with a shoulder to cry on. Even when you had nothing to offer to us, you offered us your love and time. You were one peaceful human being I know, who never liked having problems with people. You were one soft spoken humble gentle man that so many people admired. What were you not? A great dancer and promised to teach me “bottle dance” Guy…when will you teach me the bottle dance? I remember when I had Joshua, under hard conditions you did all you could to come see the baby. You got here at 1am “Juliet I could not sleep without coming to see you and the baby”. You will be remembered for all the great things you’ve been.

Ni Ste, I thank you so much for the lessons I have learnt from you. Thank you for reminding us through your dead that life is too short, thank you for all your support. Above all Ni Ste, I thank you for always reminding me of God’s love. When I heard of your passing away, I only sang “Oh when the saints go matching on…..”  because I know where you are now. You are in heaven, you  had completely given your life to Christ and you did reassured me that a couple of hours before God took you away from us through your preaching to me on Sunday July 14th.

Grande, I remember what you told me during our last conversation “Mami Abiba why will people not like me….I don’t look for trouble, I am a peaceful someone, that is why people like me”. Yes you are and you we love you.  I pray that your soul “REST” I MEAN REST IN PEACE MY DEAR UNCLE.


Love you always


Mami Abiba


"Oh when the saints go marching in When the saints go marching in Oh lord I want to be in that number When the saints go marching in..........."
   

Hello Ni Steve, Hello Guy

It is hard to believe you are gone. It is hard to believe I will not see those eyes again nor hear that soft cool voice again.                            

I thank God for many things in your life, most of all, the fact that you recognized the place of  God in your life.  In the last few years in your life, you did all you could to seek God’s  Guidance in your life. May that thirst for God’s presence in your life be quenched now that you are with Him in eternity.

 Guy, Ni Steve, I also thank God for the quality time we had together last year. We discussed a lot together about your plans to move on to higher heights, little did we know your end was so close.

  OH LORD, “TEACH US HOW SHORT OUR LIFE IS…”PSALM 90:12.

                             We will forever miss you in our mist.

ADIEU.                           

MAY  YOUR  SOUL  REST  IN  PERFECT  PEACE


   Your Sister,

                                                                                                                          Ma  Alice  Ndofor

Stephen had lived an amazing life even though it was rather short. Ste as we fondly call him was a great friend, a brother; he was the kind of friend that stands by you when you need somebody to be there.
What is it that we remember when we think of Stephen? I think everyone who knows him very well would agree with me on this. It was his sense of humor. He was the kind of person that would make everyone laugh so hard that they’d end up crying.
Stephen’s death was sudden. I remember when I heard the news I simply could not believe it. Stephen I have realized lived his life wonderfully. All the memories I have shared with him will forever be cherished and remembered. Stephen will forever live in my heart…In our hearts.

Stephen is in heaven now and we are here at his funeral. This is not the time for us to grieve his death but it’s our time to celebrate his life. Don’t ever forget Stephen. He never wanted to see people cry.He wanted to make everyone happy

STEVEN,
GONE TOO SOOOOOOOOOON!!!!!!!!.
I FINALLY HAD THAT KNOCK ON THE DOOR IN THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING OF JULY 15TH!. THE KNOCK EVERYONE DOES NOT WANT TO HAVE. WHEN I WAS TOLD THE BAD NEWS, I ASKED OF THE DATE AND IT WAS THE 15TH OF THE MONTH. THE 15TH OF JANUARY 1990 CAME TO MY MIND AND IT WAS  THE SAME TIME I LOST MY BETTER HALF.
STEVEN, WHY HAVE YOU DONE THIS TO ME? I KEEP ASKING MYSELF WHERE I WENT WRONG FOR YOU TO DECIDE TO DO THIS TO ME AGAIN?? I  WILL NEVER HAVE AN ANSWER BUT I KNOW AND BELIEVE IT IS THE WILL OF GOD. I KNOW YOU ARE HAPPY BECAUSE YOU HAVE MET CONSTANCE AND THE REST OF THE FAMILY MEMBERS GONE BEFORE YOU.TELL ALL OF THEM THAT WE MISS THEM ALOT. YOU ALWAYS CALLED ME YOUR 'MOTHER' BUT NO SON WILL LEAVE WITHOUT SAYING BYE TO THE MOTHER. SINCE I KNOW  ALL OF US NEVER KNOW WHEN IT COMES, I WILL ACCEPT IT. ALL I ASK OF YOU IS FOR YOU TO BE A GUIDIANT ANGEL TO YOUR SON, STEPHEN Jr., ALWAYS INTERCEDE FOR HIM. TELL MAMI AND PAPA THAT YOU  LEFT A SON BEHIND AND THAT WE HAVE ALL PROMISED THAT WE SHALL TAKE GOOD CARE OF HIM AND WILL ALWAYS LOVE HIM.
WE LOVED YOU AND I KNOW YOU KNEW THAT. IT IS DIFFICULT FOR US BUT KNOWING THAT YOU GAVE YOUR LIFE TO THE ALMIGHTY, WE ARE HAPPY THAT YOU ARE IN A BETTER PLACE NOW AND RESTING FROM ALL YOUR 'SUFFER', I WILL NEVER HEAR THIS WORDS AGAIN, MA GRACE, "a di suffer" STEVEN YOUR SUFFERINGS ARE ALL GONE BECAUSE WHEN I SAW YOU LAYING ON THAT BED IN NW HOSPITAL IN BALTIMORE IN THE EARLY MORNING OF JULY 15TH, I KNEW YOU WERE AT PEACE. YOU WERE IN A PEACEFUL SLEEP AND I NEVER KNEW MY KID BROTHER WAS SO HANDSOME. REST IN PERFECT PEACE STEVEN.!!!!!

MA GRACE 

DEAR GRAND UNCLE STEVEN,
YOU WERE MY UNCLE, FRIEND AND DAD. I AM WRITING TO TELL YOU THAT WHEREVER YOU ARE, THE LORD WILL GUIDE YOU. HE WILL OPEN HIS GATES TO YOU. YOU WERE A MAN OF YOUR WORDS AND NEVER LOOKED FOR TROUBLE, WAS ALWAYS QUIET AND LOVED YOUR FAMILY. YOU WERE THERE ANYTIME WE NEEDED YOU.
REST IN PERFECT PEACE. WE LOVE YOU AND WILL NEVER  FORGET OF YOU.

VANESSA AKERENWEI (Tsepe) 

NI. STE, MY DEAR UNCLE, FRIEND AND "SON", YOU ARE GONE, LEAVING ME IN SORROW  AND PAIN. TEN YEARS AGO, I WAS SO HAPPY YOU WERE LEAVING FOR THE US, NOT KNOWING IT WAS THE LAST TIME I WAS SEEING YOU. I AM LEFT ONLY WITH THE MEMORIES OF ALL THE WONDERFUL MOMENTS WE SHARED. MAY THE GOD OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE GLORIOUS FATHER FORGIVE YOUR SINS AND GRANT YOU ETERNAL REST.

                 REST  IN  PERFECT  PEACE  NI STE.

YVONNE(MAMI ANJEI - YOUR MOTHER) 

DEAR DAD,

MY HEART IS SO HEAVY THAT I CAN'T EXPLAIN. HOW I LONGED TO SEE YOU AT THIS SHORT TIME I CAME TO KNOW YOU AS MY DAD, ONLY TO HEAR THAT THE COLD HANDS OF DEATH HAVE SNATCHED  YOU AWAY FROM ME. THE PAIN IS MUCH BUT I AM COMFORTED BECAUSE YOU HAVE LEFT BEHIND UNCLES, AUNTS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO HELP ME TILL WE MEET IN ETERNITY TO PART NO MORE.
REST IN PERFECT PEACE AND KNOW THAT I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU.
                  GOODBYE,
                   YOUR  SON,
STEPHEN ACHIRI SAMA (Jr.) 

GRAND STEVE

You surely knew at all times that everybody in the family loved and cherished you and desired the very best for you. You certainly never doubted that as your elder brother, l would have gone to any length, as l always did in the past, to get you to the highest heights. Your rather premature departure leaves an unfathomable loss in the family. It has however reminded us that UNITY, TOGETHERNESS, HARD WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY, GENUINE CONCERN AND LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER AND BEING YOUR BROTHER / SISTER'S KEEPER, virtues which our parents inculcated in all of us, must continue to guide our daily actions.

As you meet our beloved father, mothers, sister and brothers, may the Almighty Creator accept the soul of your soft-spoken, gentle, caring person into his bosom.

Certainly, we shall individually join all of you in glory when it so pleases the Almighty Father.

BROTHER, GO YE AHEAD IN PERFECT PEACE