I looked back at old blogs today and realized that between the media blackout while in China and the serious lack of internet access in Swaziland, I never got to telling some of the stories from there. So here’s one of them.
Meet Jakey. We think he picked his english name after Jackie Chan, but when you ask if he means Jackie, he says no, Jakey. Like Jake, with an ee on the end. He’s quite particular about it, and seems to really enjoy his choice of name. About a year ago now, just before we showed up on the scene, he arrived at the boy’s home where we spent a couple of days during our time there. About six months before that, he was on a train with his parents on their way to Harbin, the most northern major city in China. He was tired and fell asleep, and when he awoke, he discovered his parents had gotten off the train, leaving him alone. There are theories as to what was going on in the family at the time that would lead his parents to do such a thing, gathered from what Jakey can remember of conversations he was part of, but whatever the motives were, the result was the same – Jakey was alone. He had been abandoned by those entrusted to care for him, sending him off to a large and unfamiliar city on the other end of a huge country from everything he knew to fend for himself. Jakey was 12.Jakey learned how to live in the train stations, and soon a business man with a Catholic background took it upon himself to bring Jakey something to eat on his way to work each day. This went on for months, until winter began to set in. The business man became concerned, as winters in Harbin are extremely cold, averaging -20 celcius and below. Jakey would not have survived on the streets so the man, having heard about the boys home, called those in charge of the home, paid for the 30 hour train ride, and got Jakey to his new home before winter hit in full. In the following month Jakey heard about and fell in love with Christ. His favorite thing to do, in fact, is go to the train station to pray and share Jesus with others.
When I hear a story like that, I think here’s a kid trying to impress someone, or that’s required by someone to go and hand out tracts and therefore says things like ‘this is my favorite thing to do.’ I admit, I was suspicious and doubted his sincerity. Then Haley, with her education being in counselling, sat down with Jakey (as well as some of the other boys) to talk through what she could with each of them. She learned what Jakey’s greatest wish really was, and it brought tears to my eyes when I heard it. More than anything in the world, he wants to find his parents.Not to ask why. Not to tell them off. Not to show them that he survived despite their best efforts. He wants to find them so he can tell them he forgives them. Completely and unconditionally. So that he can show them Jesus. And then he wants to tell them all about Him.
I don’t have the words to close out this blog, cause that right there just leaves me speechless. So that’s the story. That’s Jakey. Hopefully I’ll have a current update on him for you soon.
