Oduraa was so full of life and passionate about all she did in church. She was always ready to serve in any capacity that she could; from being an amazing singer, a choir director, an organizer and even an MC.
Oduraa joined the church in 2003 as a toddler and attended the Children’s service till 2013 when she graduated to join the Teen Chapel. Oduraa was a quiet and soft spoken lady who avoided the limelight, unlike her younger sister (Aba Quartey) who was the face of the children’s church when they were and became the spokesperson for her Oduraa.
Her answers to questions were monosyllabically precise, and when complimented, she wore a smile that became her trademark. She lived up to The Children’s Service Mantra ‘Be regular, punctual and active in the house of God’.
We literally saw her grow in stature and wisdom before our very eyes. Every step of hers in her spiritual and academic pursuit was measured. She was unassumingly brilliant and humble.
Originally a little shy and laid back, when she joined the Teen Chapel as a young teenager, she quickly imbibed what ICGC stood for. As she grew in age, she became more committed to the things of God and truly understood what it meant to be a Christian and live the Christ life.
Oduraa was so dedicated and was present at almost every meeting. Her life was evidence of the practical application of lessons learned from Teen Chapel and she was always an inspiration to her peers as well as younger teens. It was such a delight to see her grow both intellectually and spiritually over the years. Her confidence, determination, and willingness to learn could not be overlooked. Above all, her friendly nature endeared her to many. She had an amazing love for music and often sang with the Sword of Gideon even while she was in Teen Chapel.
She graduated from the Teen Chapel in 2018 as the best graduate and was acknowledged and honoured accordingly. It was a delight to see and hear her read the class report. A true example of the Teen Chapel central scripture.
1Ti 4:12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. 15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
On graduating from the Teen Chapel, she joined The Sword of Gideon, where she served her Lord and Master diligently.
While studying Telecommunications Engineering at The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, she was selected by the church to attend the novel Central Leadership program where she excelled as a participant, a Beacon of Excellence indeed!
We were not surprised when she brought us news that she’s been made a teaching assistant at KNUST where she graduated with honours. Again, it did not surprise us when we heard that she had a scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. program in the USA.
We all looked forward to seeing her undeniably bright future and become the world changer that she was being groomed to become. The news of her death was unwelcome news to us in the Calvary fraternity. We were in complete denial till it was announced to us in church. We have indeed lost a gem, a role model, and a Christian who made her light shine for Christ wherever she was. We will forever miss you.
Oh short is your stay on earth
Christ have you followed
Lives have you touched
Excellence was your trademark.
And let not your sweet memory leave us
It hurts that she departed from us so soon. But we take consolation in knowing that she is resting in the Lord’s bosom.
Till we meet again, Oduraa, rest in perfect peace.