Dr. Ignatius Okeze, Ed.D, MBA, DTM, was born in a small Christian village in Imo State, Nigeria.
During his teen years, Nigeria was in a state of civil war. The war devastated the region of the country in which his family lived. It would takes decades to rebuild to a pre-war level of existence.
Dr. Okeze shares a memory of the war and coming to America, "On a particular night during the war, I was deployed on the frontline with a battalion of 1,000 soldiers. Did you know that bullets are red hot when fired? I didn’t until that first sinister night when the enemy machine gun created a horizontal blanket of red death about two inches above my head. Worse than the bullet-fire raining just above my head were the air raids. The fighter jets hovering above and dropping bombs here and there. Sometimes, the sound would recede into the distance and within seconds it would reappear and I would experience a close call. I didn’t know that our soldiers were dying during the fight until day break. Out of a battalion of 1,000 soldiers, only 60 of us survived that night. My survival was considered a miracle. There must be a purpose."
"My journey to America was also considered a miracle. After the war, I had no money but little education. The only and greatest asset that I had was my big dreams, to receive education in America. Only the rich could afford to send their children to America. Coming to America from Nigeria then was a big thing, and for me to conceive receiving education in America was a crazy idea. I kept the thought to myself, else people would say this guy is crazy.
"Two critical factors that would make my American dream impossible were money and education. I had no idea how the money would come but my desire and excitement to come to America were so strong that I did not concern myself about the money. I convinced myself that if I could focus on one thing, study to obtain the University of London, England GCE (General Certificate of Education), the money will somehow show up. So, I put myself in school, worked hard to pay for my school fees. After a few years of study, I took the London GCE exam and passed. I applied and got admission to an American University. The money showed up to pay for my school fees. Everyone around wanted a piece of me as I was leaving Nigeria for America. There is always a purpose.
Lessons from my Experience.
"After arriving in America, the young people who thought they didn’t have a chance were inspired by my action to believe in themselves. They began to dream to be successful. It’s the challenges we face that define our possibilities. My journey to America has had some ripple effects. Like a family tree, more young people, since then, have gone to different parts of the world in pursuit of education, business, or more vacations and travels.
"You can overcome your challenges. If your dream is big enough, nothing can stop you. You have your God given grace and talents to make your dreams come true. Some things to watch out for; do not let negative, toxic, doomsayers discourage you or rain on your parade. Don’t let them rent a space in your head. Raise your rent and kick them out!
"Rather, surround yourself with eagles – the can do type with big dreams like yours. I am often inspired by people who rise from the ashes of defeat, lack, abuse, to the pinnacles of success. By bringing their own sunshine, in spite of the weather, they inspire the rest of us. They demonstrate to us that you can do within, when you are without. It’s possible! You can if you believe it with your whole heart. Get excited and enthusiastic about your dreams. This excitement is like a forest fire, and spreads like a grassfire effect. You can smell it, taste it, and see it miles away. It’s the passion and excitement of your dream that will carry you through.
"Conclusion: I was born in a wonderful, loving environment that supported me to dream and succeed, go for it in spite of the setbacks posed by the civil war. I worked hard to overcome the challenges to come to America. My experience showed that your determination to succeed will inspire others to learn from you. You can turn your setbacks into setups. There was a purpose."
It is my pleasure to provide you with information about the outstanding group of speakers that Governor Nick and the Conference Committee have arranged to have present at our 2016 District Conference in Galveston, from April 28 to April 30, at the San Luis Hotel, Spa and Conference Center.
Rotary International President Ravi Ravindran has selected PDG Charlie Rogers of the Rotary Club of Celebration, Florida to be his President's Representative to our Conference. President's Rep Charlie was District Governor in 2000-01, has had perfect attendance for 37 years, and has received the Service Above Self Award, the Citation for Meritorious Service, and the Distinguished Service Award.
Rotary International Vice President Greg Podd will also be with us on Thursday evening and Friday, and will speak to us on Friday afternoon, after lunch. His topic will be "Rotary: Where Are We Now, Where Are We Going and How Do We Get There." It is quite an honor to have the Vice President of Rotary take time from his busy schedule to visit us, and we look forward to having a chance to meet with him.
The Keynote Speaker of the Conference will be DGE Michael Angelo Caruso, of the Rotary Club of Troy Michigan. He will be the speaker at our Friday Luncheon. Michael has been a Rotarian for 20 years but, by profession, he is a professional speaker who teaches presentation skills, and has spoken to Rotary and non-Rotary audiences in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, 49 of the 50 states, and many of his talks have been pro bono performances for Rotary, including his address to us. His topic will be "How To Engage Someone In 15 Seconds."
Also joining us from District 5910 will be AG Kent Hutchison of the Rotary Club of Nacogdoches,who will address the Conference on Saturday morning about "Opportunity - What Rotary Means To Me." Kent has been the trainer for all of the Assistant Governors at P.E.T.S. for many years, and is truly an inspirational Rotarian.
Finally, we will hear from Dr. Isis Mejias Carpio, a former Global Grant Scholar, who has worked extensively with The Rotary Foundation and our district on several water projects around the world, AlexisCastellon, a former Child of the Dump in Chinandega, who is now attending medical school in Nicaragua, and about a number of different activities going on in our district both from the podium and in the Exposition.
Our 2016 Conference will truly be a Rotary Conference, with information and fun for everyone. So, visit the district web site, www.rotary5890.org, and sign up for the Conference from the Welcome Dinner on the evening of April 28 through the Governor's Gala on Saturday night, April 30
Posted by Wheeler Ave Church Website on Apr 01, 2016
William A. Lawson is the founding pastor of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. He is now retired from that position.
Lawson was born in St. Louis, MO, and reared by Walter and Clarisse Lawson Cade in Kansas City, KS, where he graduated from Sumner High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at Tennessee A & I State University in Nashville. He returned to Kansas City to attend Central Baptist Theological Seminary, which conferred upon him Bachelor of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees.
While in seminary, he was married to Audrey H. Lawson of St. Louis. The Lawsons have four children, and celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in January of 2004.
He came to Houston after graduation from seminary to serve as director of the Baptist Student Union and Professor of Bible at the new (then eight years old) Texas Southern University. He served in that position for ten years, also becoming director of Upward Bound, a pre-college program for high school students on the TSU campus.
During his years at TSU, a number of residents of the neighborhood persuaded the Lawsons to establish a church near the university. Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church was established in their home in June, 1962. The congregation has grown to over 5,000 members, with many outreach programs, and is much respected in the community. Since the church was born and lived its infant years during the Civil Rights Movement, Lawson has been deeply involved in advocacy activities for African Americans, for Hispanics, for women, and for the poor.
In 1996 the Houston community honored him with the creation of a non-profit advocacy agency called WALIPP, the William A. Lawson Institute for Peace and Prosperity. That agency has gone before public officials and bodies on behalf of the underclasses. The WALIPP has now established a middle school for boys, and has chartered it as a public school with HISD so it would be accessible to low-income families. It has risen to the second highest ranking among public secondary schools.
WALIPP has also constructed 50 units of apartments for seniors in Houston’s Third Ward.
Finally, the agency is pulling together community development groups, churches, civic clubs, and local governments to redevelop the Third Ward so that aggressive real estate development will not expel all who need affordable housing.
Dr. Lawson has received honorary doctorates from Howard Payne College in Brownwood, the University of Houston, and Texas Southern University in Houston. He is the author of a book of meditations called Lawson’s Leaves of Love.
Lawson always works in close partnership with wife Audrey, who worked with the Baptist Student Union at TSU, with the church for his 42-year tenure there, and now with WALIPP.
Sam Parker, a fellow Rotarian with the Houston Club, will speak to us about how he got into this business and how the parade floats and business help promote community outreach and spread your message through a fun and entertaining venue for all types of demographics. He will speak to us about the different types of parades and how they impact the community and bridging generation, gender, and cultural gaps from holiday to educational to county parades, etc. Sam has the only parade business in Houston, and his stories and anecdotes are very entertaining and educational.
To get on the club website, go to: http://portal.clubrunner.ca/3941 Click on the Member Area button, and enter your user id which consists of your first name, a period, your last name, a period and 3941. (gwen.corolla.3941)
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