M E R I D I A N     M A G A Z I N E

Nigerian Couple Find Church in USA
By Carolyn Sessions Allen

Among those rejoicing at the dedication of the Aba, Nigeria Temple were Anyibuofu and Veronica Megafu of the Enugu Mission, Onitsha Inland Branch, Nigeria.  

When Anyibuofu and Veronica Megafu came to the United States from Nigeria in 1995 to visit a son who had settled in Southern California, little did they know they would find the church they had searched for most of their lives.

Because they had been raised in different Christian denominations, the Megafus decided after their marriage in 1958 that they would follow the Pentecostal path. However, they had difficulty finding a Pentecostal church that they felt truly adhered to the teachings of Christ. They went from one church to another, often leaving because the ministers seemed more commercially disposed than spiritually inclined.

“The ministers would be our friends at first and then, suddenly, be asking for money,” Brother Megafu said. “We would leave and try to find another church.”

Anyibuofu and Veronica Megafu, shown here in Western dress.

Brother Megafu said he heard a sermon while in his younger years that stayed in his memory. In it, the pastor had said that God told His angels He would send a Savior to the world and Jesus answered, “Here am I, send me.” Brother Megafu said the words resonated in his heart, but he repeatedly searched the Bible from Genesis through Revelations and could not find any reference to “Here am I, send me.” He would ask every minister or pastor he met if they knew where to find the concept, but to no avail.

The years passed and the Megafus raised four sons and one daughter. Brother Megafu worked as an advertising representative in Nigeria for world magazines and newspapers. Sister Megafu worked as a schoolteacher.

In October, 1995, their son, Chuma, who had immigrated to the United States, invited them to visit him and his family in California. The Megafus arrived on October 24, 1995. In Brother Megafu’s own words:

“One Sunday as we were having breakfast, we saw an ad on the television. The message in the ad said to ask for a free copy of the Book of Mormon, ‘Another Testament of Jesus Christ.’ Immediately, I called the number and asked for the name of the church. I was excited when I was told that I was talking to a representative of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Because the Megafus had not been able to find a church they felt was right, Brother Megafu had considered starting his own. “I was going to name it, ‘The Church of Jesus Christ,’” he said.  

He gave his name, telephone number and address to the person on the phone.  He continued:

“A couple of days later, two young missionary sisters from the Lark Ellen Ward, Walnut Stake, visited us, Sister Kwon and Sister Durrant. They presented us with copies of the Book of Mormon. When we opened the book and saw the names, ‘Nephi, Alma, and Moroni,’ we lost interest. We told them we were used to the Bible.

“To give the girls a challenge,” he added, “I mentioned the sermon I remembered by the Nigerian pastor where Jesus says, ‘Here am I, send me.’ Within a few seconds the sisters turned to Abraham 3:27 in The Pearl of Great Price. What I had failed to find in searching the Bible, I found within a few minutes in the scriptures of this new church.”

The Megafus took the lessons and soon realized they had found the church they had been searching for all their lives. They were baptized and confirmed December 17, 1995, thinking they might be the first Nigerians to join the Church. The following Sunday, they were asked to share their testimonies in the Lark Ellen Ward. In doing so, Brother Megafu was impressed to say that he felt he would live to see a temple dedicated in his homeland. The announcement of the Aba, Nigerian Temple came five years later on April 2, 2000 in General Conference. It took another five years of waiting for Brother Megafu’s prophecy to be fulfilled.

The Megafus returned to Nigeria October 23, 1996, after a send-off party by their Lark Ellen Ward family. They were surprised to find they weren’t the only Nigerian members and, in fact, their local Onitsha Inland Branch was only two blocks from where they lived. Soon, Brother Megafu was called as first counselor in the branch presidency and Sister Megafu was called as Primary president.

The Megafus are shown here in traditional African dress, at the Los Angeles Temple visitors' center.

Presently, Brother Megafu is on the high council in the Enugu Mission and oversees the libraries as well as the Young Men, Young Women, and Primary organizations. Sister Megafu works in the Relief Society organization.

In August, 2003, the Megafus returned for another visit to the United States. Their son Chuma had since moved to Los Angeles, and they found themselves in the Hollywood Ward of the Los Angeles Stake. On November 15, 2003, the Megafus were sealed in the Los Angeles Temple.  Many friends from the Lark Ellen Ward, as well as the Hollywood Ward, attended the temple with them.

With dancing brown eyes, Brother Megafu likes to relate the story of a dream he had on the eve of their first trip to the United States.

“In my dream, I saw myself meeting two white American men, one of them an older man, and I knew they would play an important role in my life,” he said. When preparing for baptism after the sisters had taught them, they were introduced to a former bishop of the Lark Ellen Ward, Brother Anderson, and another younger man, Brother Johnson. Brother Megafu recognized them as the two men in his dream. Brother Johnson performed the baptisms and Brother Anderson assisted in the confirmations.

“We love the Church and we know our land will be blessed because of the Aba Temple,” Brother Megafu said. “It is only three-hours away from our home. We hope we’ll be able to attend often.”

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