I respond to the name Nana. I don’t think my age is important for now. I would like to share my experience of how I was being raised by Pentecostal parents… Yeah growing up in a Pentecostal home. lol, funny right… There are many churches out there, we have the Methodist church, Presbyterian Church, C.A.C, Church of Christ, Roman and many others, and each of them has a principle that guides them and also how members of the church are supposed to behave. As a Pentecostal baby girl, I would share with you how I was being raised.
Many people are found talking about my church most times, people say our rules are too strict, others say members have no freedom, and the ish or let me say the bossy of all is about our dressing. Ha! Whatever the case may be I still find Pentecost to be the one of the best amongst the rest, no need to brag, but I am talking from my own point of view, you can also brag about your church no hard feelings biaa. Ok so enough of the bragging, yeah, yeah. Let’s start with why I’m here.
I have been a member of the Church of Pentecost since I landed into the world, at day 1 to 4years I entered Sunday school, where I was taught a lot about Jesus, and also the Bible. Though I was being taught by my Sunday School teachers, with no doubts I can say my dad taught me more, in fact, he is the reason I am still upholding to Bible principles till date, not forgetting mummy, but Charlie my dad did the majority of the work.
EARLY MORNING DEVOTION AND BIBLE STUDIES
Let start with the early morning devotion, Dad use to wake us up around 4:00 am, yeah I used ‘us’ because I have a kiddie bro. I was around 10 years at that time and I’m 5 years older than my kiddie bro so you can imagine. Since my bro was younger, sometimes my dad allows him to sleep so they do their Bible studies later in the evening before he goes to bed I always get bored when Dad comes to our room at exactly 4:00 am to wake us up. The frown on my face dier I won’t talk about it, I wish you were there. I get bored and I know that my daddy can see, but he’ll ignore. After dad has managed to wake me up, I wash my face and we start our Bible studies, before our Bible studies we have to pray.
Dad likes it when we kneel to pray. My dad can pray for like 10hours you know what I mean, I remember I sometimes sleep whiles he’s still praying, and when he ends his prayer and he’s expecting his personal assistant to say Amen, hahaha I’m in London koraa, he will talk saa but he will stop and we will start with the Bible studies. Sometimes, I can even go to the washroom and come back to find my dad still praying, I will just kneel quietly like a good girl. I got used to how dad prays, so sometimes I can go to the washroom, not to pee ooh but sleep and when I hear he is about to say Amen I will run quickly to kneel. You are wondering why the washroom, yeah it’s because when I’m in the washroom and I’m sleeping and in case dad finish praying and doesn’t find me and he calls me, I can give an excuse I’m easing myself….Oh, Mercy…But Charlie it’s no fault of mine at all, you know how it feels when you wake up at dawn….I’m in the dreamland then all of a sudden dad comes and just end the dream, ah.
Let’s move to how the Bible Studies is done, dad knows English is a bonus once you go to school, you will be able to speak English, so his focus was on how I will be able to read and write the Ghanaian Language which is Twi. The beginning was not easy at all, I will make a lot of mistakes, dad corrects me, sometimes I repeat the same mistakes and dad gets bored if you are a teacher you should know what I mean. Sometimes he even shouts at me when I make the same mistakes, and then I start to cry, so I’m unable to read, then in anger, he tells me to go and sleep, me too hwimm I leave, Me sef I want to sleep, you see the thing. I guess you’re suggesting I should cry always, but sometimes even if I cry I’ll still read, that’s dad for you. Gradually I was able to read and write the Twi and when it’s time for Bible studies, I can rattle the Twi language, after reading about 3 chapters in the Bible, Dad will tell me to take my time and read because the Bible is not like my textbooks, oh Charlie, I can get bored saa, but I have no choice than to read over again. The reason why I read fast is for us to finish early so I can continue my sleep, but reading over dier, by the time we finish answering the questions and all that, it’s already morning, hmmmm daddy, yeah he sets his questions after each study for me to answer, sometimes I don’t pay attention so I’m unable to answer, so dad starts the study all over again, Mabre oooh, hahaha. So for me, at age 10 I knew a lot about God’s word, so I’m not surprised I was the best student in R.M.E when I was in Primary/J.H.S and also C.R.S when I was in S.H.S. I even contested for Bible quiz for my house when I was in S.H.S and my house is always first, through Bible quiz I was awarded too, so dad’s training helped me after all. But apart from Bible subjects, I was very good when it comes to academics, and I realized all that is in the Bible is true. (Joshua 1; 8) That was just by the way.
DECENT DRESSING
I think I am done with this chapter let’s move to dress, ha! As a Pentecostal princess, I was not allowed to wear just any dress, Miniskirt, bareback, crazy jeans/ tattered jeans, etc. I’m supposed to dress very decently, you know what I mean. I’m always found in trousers, till date I’m usually in trousers. Wait let me make something clear, I wear trousers not because I was forced or not because of any church principle as people have been saying Pentecostal ladies are not to wear trousers, but because I didn’t like dress and skirt but I still have to wear. Says who in my house, trust me I didn’t were trousers for the whole 21years of my life, Yeah if dad wants me to be decent I find it most appropriate to belong skirt or dress and I will literally preach anyone who wears trousers. I remember when I wore ‘skirt skinny’ to town, the skinny was brown in color, and dad saw me from afar he went for a funeral, he saw only the skirt probably not seeing the skinny because the color was the same as my skin. He just called me and asked me to go home immediately and change. He left the funeral and came home to tell me never to wear such clothes to town. Mum is also the same; she loves it when I’m in a decent dress. My auntie was a seamstress and trust me, I always get bored with the things her s sows but what can you say apart from wearing it.
FRIENDS
Friends were also another chapter, Dad and mom doesn’t like it when I visit my friends, they believe that me seeing them in school is enough and also I’m not allowed to go for parties. In short, I was always indoors. Dad had heard stories of boarding house, and he knew he won’t be there to tell me to stay off this particular friend, so he told me “please put God in all you do, be careful of friends, make the Bible your only friend, and told me to keep these two texts in mind that’s Psalm 1:10, Proverbs27:11. Dad also gave me inspirational books. I wouldn’t talk about guys; you should know, yeah I was being cautioned to stay away from guys. I believe my dad’s heart skip a beat when he sees me with male friends…..lol
SELECTIVE OF WHAT TO WATCH
Movies were also another chapter, dad is very selective when it comes to movies, he doesn’t allow us to watch movies where people expose themselves(nudity), such movies do not conform to teachings in the Bible and my church as a whole. I am human yeah, so sometimes I go contrary (don’t get me wrong I’m not talking about pornographic movies, I did when I grew up anyway) I will be watching 4 play and the rest then boom when I hear dad coming, I change the station fast, I was caught one day, when the remote didn’t work when I tried changing the station, mmmh from that day dad hid the remote when he’s leaving for work and give it to us only where he’s in the house…. Hahahaha, you’ll be wondering if dad is a pastor or elder in church and mum, a deaconess, NO!! They are not, but Charlie they don’t joke when it comes to Bible principles.
CHOICES OF SONGS
Also some songs were prohibited in my home. Although my mum shop was close to the bar, Yeah you should know, till date the music I love and can sing are all gospels, but hey I couldn’t close my ears when highlife is being played in the bar. I know people in my church sometimes listen and sing Sarkodie, Shata wale’s songs, they even have those songs on their phones for that I can’t judge if it is right or wrong, but for me, with how I was being trained I don’t listen to such songs. Dad always encouraged me to be good even if he’s not around because, I am living not to please him and mom but God, so I should think about my surname before making any choice in life, since making the wrong choices will not only affect me but my family as well.
KEEP YOUR VIRGINITY TILL MARRIAGE.
Its bias when parent say keep yourself till marriage, which is biblically right, you listen and keep yourself till every guy in the neighborhood knows you and probably run away from you if that fellow is not morally upright.
Then the same parent start nagging and asking when will you get married, some Pentecostal parent can even go ahead to say it ok, you can have sex before marriage when they are desperate and you are not. Lot of us are still keeping on to that and dying silently but I quite at age twenty one even though I didn’t plan it.
Ok so I’m done, I think I have touched on almost the chapters of my Pentecostal lifestyle….. Though you may find it kind of strict, Charlie it has really helped me. My parent’s training has always kept me on track to date. In my Pentecostal home, pleasing God is the topmost priority.
Today, I can even have sex and still go to church considering the relationship I have with God, but still, the conviction of how who and where am coming from has kept me celibate till now after five years.
Honestly it boring, exciting, annoying and painful sometimes but the most valuable part is the solid foundation of the word of God in you that straighten your part whenever you fall short.
My advice to the youth living in a Pentecostal home is that, enjoy every bit of it because you only know how valuable or boring you have lived your life when you grow.
Keep the faith, listen and keep the word and enjoy church activities.
